Wuthering Heights Gothic Novel Analysis

To what extent is Wuthering Heights a gothic novel?
‘Wuthering Heights’ has many conventions of the gothic genre. It is set in a wild landscape, on the Yorkshire moors. There is the multiple narrative between Mr Lockwood and Nelly. However, in chapter 13, Isabella leads the story through a letter she has written. There is evidence of the supernatural with Mr Lockwood seeing Catherine’s ghost in chapter 3 and Heathcliff claiming to having seen her from beyond the grave. Heathcliff himself also shows many gothic conventions. He is seen as the outsider by his fellow characters, mainly due to his gypsy heritage. This is another convention of using exotic, foreign ideas. There are many dualisms in the book. One is particular is between Thrusscroft …show more content…
‘Wuthering Height’ does have this; it has an atmosphere of mystery, particularly due to the dualisms it employs. There are many stark contrasts. There is the difference between the wild and civilised, between the moor and the two houses. Male and female is also present with each protagonist having a similar character of the opposite gender, such as Catherine and Heathcliff. There is sanity and insanity both seen in Catherine. Out of the ten member of the Earnshaw and Linton families only two survive beyond the end of the novel. For the majority of them, they die in the opposite of themselves in life. Catherine died insane without the sharp mind she had in life. Edgar was alone when he died, not surrounded by his family. Finally, there is the dualism of freedom and imprisonment. Cathy is imprisoned by Heathcliff while she is used to roaming the moors as she …show more content…
After her marriage to Heathcliff as part of his revenge of Catherine, he abandons her. She makes the most of the situation by forging a new life for herself away from the Heights; she has allowed herself to be empowered by it. She withstands his torrents of abuse showing herself to be strong willed and daring, prepared to defy society in order to escape her marriage. Cathy is also used to show feminist ideology. She defies Heathcliff by ending up marrying Hareton and not Linton. She married for love which was very uncommon during the Victorian era. Even though Heathcliff reduces her status to that of a household servant, she continues to challenge his authority. The one character who ends up not showing feminist ideals is Catherine. Despite being described as headstrong and wild; she ends up marrying Edgar because of what society dictates. She isn’t able to control her own life showing the opposite to feminist ideas. Bronte has used her female characters to show feminist ideals as each in her own way contravene society in their personal bid to become equal with their male counterparts. Isabella leaves her husband and breaks the law in the process, Cathy marries for love and Catherine is headstrong and free