Wuthering Heights

​A society at the height of its withering. 

Emily Brontë, illustrates an ill society, ill with their aristocracy, obsessed with their rigid social hierarchy. 

They have isolated from the rest, in way to preserve their status as nobles. By doing so, they have trapped themselves in their own prison. Breathing each other’s illness. They are fragile, the kids are weak and sick, and they die fast. 

On the contrary, the servants, the class they treat like animals, becomes robust. Hartenton grows up to be a healthy, vigorous young man. 

Emily, makes a point of using Name and Last Name to remind us of their presumed superiority, while the servants only have a name. 

Emily makes a subtle Christian allusion that was invisible to me until yesterday;

Nelly becomes the mother of Hartenton; later, when he goes to live at WH, Joseph becomes his father. 

Joseph, a clear reference. He is the only devoted christian. He doesn’t teach H how to read or write, as commanded by Heathcliff; but he teaches him his christianity and how to sustain himself, and do things around the house. 

Emily keeps H in the back, we just know that he is ignorant and badly treated. Yet he is the only character in the book that goes through a self-transformation. He carries with the burden of his family, much like a Jesus. In spite of the abuse, He improves himself, learn how to read and write, motivated by the love of Cathy. 

All the others die from their illness; he remains. 

A lot more levels of this novel became visible after discussing the book with some people last night. Very well read academic people. The more I think about it the more I appreciate Wuthering Heights.