The Romantic Novel - Wuthering Heights

ARGUMENT

I have chosen this subject - “the Romantic Novel - Wuthering Heights”, because of the many disputes that this novel has arisen. The book itself represents a genius inspiration, but also a controversial writing because of its appurtenance to the Romantic novel genre, although the gothic elements can be found all over the book. It is also a controversial novel because it was written by a woman in a period in which the social statute of the female was precarious.

I found Wuthering Heights to be very a very enjoyable book mainly because of the unbridled emotional intensity present in the story. Each of the characters is bounded by love or hatred, often to a very twisted and irrational extreme. The passions of these characters eventually lead to great acts of cruelty and vengeance, creating a very vibrant, tragic, and intense storyline.

I also liked the fact that there very few actual characters in the book, however Brontë manages to make them very vivid, and their personalities and relationships with other characters consistently changes throughout the story as a result of events. Often I would really pity certain characters, or feel shocked and angered at many of their actions; it’s simply very hard to not be almost pulled into the book’s setting. Until the last few pages of the book, it really seemed as if the anguish and torment of the characters would continue endlessly. Therefore I was quite amazed Brontë managed to create a tranquil, satisfying ending.

Reading Wuthering Heights is like a journey into a dream which abounds in entangled relationships, bitter vengeance, and how the innocent heirs from feuded families struggle to escape the macabre legacy of the past.

Overall, it’s a very beautifully written book vivid even in its descriptions of the beauty of the Yorkshire countryside, and one that really stirs the reader’s emotions and feelings.

What most impressed me about Wuthering Heights was the fact that it is the only novel written by Emily Brontë, as the ultimate proof that the writer put the best of her artistic talent in order to create a book which has the power to surpass time, which is not old-fashioned (although it was written two centuries ago), but, on the contrary, always actual, always read by the new generations with vivacity and passion.