- This novel takes place in two indoor settings: the two houses at the edge of the moor, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Bronte develops the theme of the conflict of opposites by comparing and contrasting these settings and the people who live in them and, therefore, embody (or reject) their characteristics. Create at least two comments on the ways that these two places contrast in location, appearance of the houses, appearance of the residents, emotions of the residents, activities of the residents, etc. This would also be a good place to note elements of social class and how they affect the characters' relationships with one another.
May 13, 2008
I. Wuthering Heights pre-reading
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There is a great contrast between WH and TG. One WH is a desolate and dark house which reflects teh natures of its inhabitants in Hindley who drinks himself to death, Heathcliff who is obsessed with getting revenge, and Hareton who is forced into a life of no education and ill-treatment below that of his social standing. On the other hand, TG is bright and luxurious which reflects its inhabitants natures that of little Cathy and Edgar. Because of the environment in which she grows up in, little Cathy is intelligent, but also arrogant and very much aware of her social class, and her father Edgar is also very intelligent and he treats little Cathy like a princess. These opposing houses are opposites because their heads, Heathcliff and Edgar, are enemies.
There is an imminent physical contrast between Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange because WH is very dark and eerie, but TG is very radiant and welcoming to others. The houses and the owners have a reciprocal relationship because the owners are affected by the houses and the houses reflect the owner. WH is an old and isolated house, and Heathcliff is very secluded as well and like his house, he is harsh and not very pleasing. Heathcliff was not very educated so he had no concept of how he should keep his house and how to be a gentleman, and his house is an obvious example of this. Cathy and Edgar, however, were higher status than Heathcliff and kept their house neat and welcoming to visitors because they had been taught this.
Well said, ladies. Remember also that we have Bronte creating powerful social criticism. So the houses represent what is "acceptable" and "honorable" in society at the time (TG) versus the side of humanity that Victorian society was unwilling to recognize as real and equally "honorable" (WH).
The contrasting natures of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange transcend just the houses themselves to include the people who dwell within, reflecting the ideals and values of the inhabitants. Wuthering Heights is an austere place, farther from town than Thrushcross Grange and furnished in a spartan fashion. Life there is hard and harsh and this life manifests itself in the personalities of the people who live there. At Thrushcross Grange, however, life is about beauty and and comfort. The Grange is lavishly furnished with books and finery, lending an air of civility and gentility. The Grange is also closer to town, symbolic of its stronger ties to society than those held by Wuthering Heights.
I've heard the statement: You become what your environment makes you. Therefore, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange creat completely and totally different kinds of people. Contrast makes for wonderful and very interesing reading, especially in this novel. The fact that the people within the dark horrid walls of Wuthering Heights become dark and horrid people is fascinating. There is Heathcliff wanting revenge, which drives people to madness, Hindley who is an alcoholic and his poison eventually causes his death, and Hareton is forced into servantry which is most definitely below him. On the other hand, we have Thrushcross Grange, which is a jubilant beautiful and luxurious environment of which its inhabitants share many of the same qualities. Edgar and Cathy could not seem happier in my opinion. However, luxury creates a false sense of security and happpiness. Edgar spoils Cathy, making her arrogant and completely aware of her high status in the whole scheme of things, however they are happy people.
There is a large contratst between WH and TG. In terms of location, TG is on higher ground than WH. That is also representative of TG's atmosphere, it is higher and, therefore, happier than the lower WH, which is depressing and desolate at a lower level. TG is also brighter and more fancy than WH. TG appears welcoming, while WH appears foreboding and eerie.
In terms of location realtion to characters, the places describe which characters will live there. The darkness of WH can be found in all that live there. First, Heathcliff is abused by Hindley there. Heathcliff's heart is broken there. HIndley drops his child from the second floor. He also drinks himself to death there. Heathcliff's dark and arrogant attitude is characteristic of WH. Not to mention all the bad things that Heathcliff does to other people there, like making his own nephew a servant and kidnapping Cathy. Even a ghost haunts WH, adding to the dark adn eerie atmosphere. ON the otherhand, TG is a happy place. Edgar raises Cathy to be literate and kind. He spoils her, which causes her to be arrogant, but not unhappy. No torture or abuse happens there and it seems to be a safe place for all. Also, the head of each household despises the other.
As everyone else has said, the characters of the respective houses perfectly embody the location of these houses. The evil, dark, and social outcasts such as Hindley, Heathcliff, Hareton, and Joseph live in Wuthering Heights, while the bright, happy rich, socially acceptable and honored people such as little Cathy, Edgar, and Isabella live in Thrushcross Grange. However, when one of the characters enters the antithesis of their personality, such as Heathcliff coming to TG to see Catherine, it is even more obvious of the character differences that Bronte has created by emphasizing the location and description of these places.
When Cathy is at WH, whether it be to see Linton while he is sick, when she is kidnapped, or even when she 'escaped' from Nelly that one time, she seems to be a ray of brilliant sunshine that casts even more eeriness upon all of the characters permanently located at WH. Her aristocratic upbringing and her arrogant knowledge of that upbringing make her extremely happy and this is even more obvious when compared to a dull-seeming character such as Hareton, a dark and depressed character such as Heathcliff, and asickly and weak character such as Linton.
On the topic of little Cathy, her attitude and behavior is extremely dulled and turns into anger and defiance after living at WH for some time, showing the extremely negative effects of living in such a dark, evil place on such a bright, happy person.
Also, I think there is some significance in the changing position of Linton throughout his life. When he is finally brought into the plot, he is at Thrushcross Grange. He seems a blot upon TG's existence with his wimpy, weak, and sick characteristics. He constantly blubbers about his mother and is continuously described as pale and sick-looking. It is made quite clear that he does not fit in at all at TG, and thus is moved to WH. Excepting his aristocratic upbringing and his very picky eating habits, Linton fits in just fine with the depressing, dark, and dank qualities of WH. He stays here for the rest of his life. And also, during Linton and little Cathy's relationship, the fact that Heathcliff forbids Linton to enter TG and Edgar forbids little Cathy to enter WH should immediately notify the reader more than just the obvious: that each head of house despises the other and wants their child to have nothing to do with them, but should bring to attention the need of the antitheses to stay apart and not disturb the others' realm.
As I was thinking about this I realized how much my mood of the novel changes as the settings change! Whenver I read about WH all I can think about is that dark dreary house with a looming sense of death. I get chills everytime Hindley is even mentioned...I just don't understand how a man can be so non-chalant about throwing his only son off the stairs! In contrast, when I think of TG, I picture the green rolling hills and the garden outside. The readings that take place there are so much more peaceful it seems and I can picture little Cathy with Linton instead of Hindley and Hareton.
I loved Grayce's comment about the high and low locations of the manors and its contrast between dark and light. It also can be looked at with the class system. The people at TG are much higher in social class as they have plentiful maids and workers while the lower WH has poor, lower class people who have become completely forgotten by society and can not even afford one servant.
I definitely agree with Kendell when she said that her mood changes when the setting of the novel changes from WT to TG. Wuthering Heights is full of dark and arrogant people such as Heathcliff, Hindley, and eventually Harenton becomes the same. Wuthering Heights is not only dark because of its inhabitants but also because it is physically dark and away from other houses. On the other hand, Thrushold Grange is very cheery and welcoming, and near other houses. Its inhabitants, Edgar and Isabella's parents, take in Catherine when Catherine and Heathcliff are playing and she gets hurt. This image of Catherine going to TG to rest and recuperate is repeated later in the novel. This makes TG seem like a more welcoming and happy place.
Also, Wuthering Heights not only has dark and unwelcoming people, but the house creates arrogant people also. For example, Herenton, due to lack of education and care, becomes a very bad child and throws a stone at Nelly when she comes back to Wuthering Heights. Nelly was the only one that took care of Herenton when she was there, and now he's throwing rocks and cursing at her. I am actually surprise that Nelly didn't also become arrogant and haughty.
I also think that Bronte is making a social statement that just because of ones background or where one lives doesn't reflect the true nature of ones character or that one cannot become more than their background. Healthcliff is the ultimate hero of this novel, yet he comes from the dark and melanchol house. In the story he is viewed as somewhat evil because of the house in which he resides. But inorder to see his heroic quality you have to look at Heathcliff himself not where he lives. Like wise Hareton at the end of the novel becomes a gentleman and is learning how to read and accquire an education even though he is twenty something years old and lived in ignorance during most of his childhood.
In a sense, both houses force themselves onto the people that inhabit them. Wuthering Heights is, true to its name, dark, terrifying, and sort of ghostly, and because of this, the readers can expect the residents of WH to be equally grim, foreboding, and mysterious. Those who live there, Hindley, Heathcliff, and Hareton, all face challenges of their own, and these obstacles depress them and put them in a dim, sad light. Thrushcross Grange, on the other hand, rests in a brighter light. The occupants of this manor are friendlier and more innocent, and their lives aren't full of dark pasts. Unlike WH, TG represents high-class society at its best. Someone who lives there, namely, Cathy, could be expected to be prideful and proper, and she is. By contrasting the two houses like this, Bronte creates what she wanted: social criticism. TG represents what society is willing and eager to accept, and WH represents what society will readily scorn and ignore. Heathcliff, scorned by little Cathy because of his terrible attitude to her and because of her engrained prejudice of him adopted by her father, cannot be accepted into high society, represented by the fact that neither little Cathy nor Edgar, both inhabitants of TG, like him. Likewise, Heathcliff detests little Cathy because she reminds him what he loved and lost, and the power of the memory is enough to foster an undeserved hatred in him. Thus, when Cathy enters WH, Heathcliff cannot stand to be near her, or he tortures her with its terrifying features.
I love Kendall's comment when she mentions that the readings at TG are more peaceful than those at WH. This is completely true. Bronte uses this to emphasize the contrast between the two houses, and to leave a mental image in the minds of her readers. I think she wants readers to remember the gloominess of WH compared to the cheerfulness of TG, and she wants readers to connect this to the divisions of society. TG fosters arrogance; WH fosters hate. Both show how two groups of people living near each other can grow up very differently, because of how they live or where they live. This is like society: if someone lives in a happy home, he or she will naturally be more inclined to certain characteristics than someone born into an abusive home. Location shapes the way people live and interact in society, an idea Bronte cleverly used in her novel.
One instance that I love is when Littly Cathy and Nelly are walking towards WH the day after Heathcliff beckons Cathy to take a look at Linton's condition. In this instance its dreary and wet and you can just picture the sky becoming greyer and greyer as they head towards WH. I just love the contrast that she uses between the two homes. TG reminds me of my old house that I lived in as a child, with the flowers in the garden and the kitchen and the side door, as WH reminds me of the creepy house on the corner, which always seemed to have some foreboding cloud above it, just setting the mood for TERROR!!!! I agree with Anna when she states that the two houses are opposites because of the two enemies that run the houses, Edgar and Heathcliff.
Bronte's descriptions of TG versus WH could not be more different. TG, as said by allie baker, is welcoming, bright, and open. The windows are open, the garden is well kept and the interior seems cheerful and reviving. It's inhabitants, the Lintons, always were respectful, polite, and grounded. Catherine, however, after arriving there from WH, seems to have difficulty after rejecting Heathcliff from the dark walls of WH. She becomes sickly and feverish. Little Cathy, in contrast to her late mother's experience at TG, flourishes there. This is because she does not know differently. Yet upon having to live at WH by force, Cathy's demeanor changes. She becomes almost "venomous". The WH, with its heavy doors, locked gates, and dark entry, prohibits its inhabitants to thrive and be cheerful. A person with good manners, a clear head, and impeccable taste would not want to live in WH. Therefore I am not surprised to find Hindley, Heathcliff, and Hareton all arrogant and rude. I believe Emily's statement that the environment makes the person. However, in the end, Cathy and Hareton break this mold and find happiness after so much anguish.
You can tell a clear difference between the upbringing of children at each of the houses. Cathy is brought up to be a respectable and well-mannered girl, with a mischievous side. Linton, on the other hand, is brought up to be a sickly, spoiled brat, who you should feel sorry because of the neglect and abusive living situation he lives with, but at the same time, is a complete pain in the ass because of his 'all about me' attitude. At the end of the novel, you see sort of a switch in the two houses. Once Mr. Lockwood comes back to visit, he sees that things are a little less formal at TG since Nelly no longer is the housekeeper there. Once he travels to check WH however, he sees that there is a pleasant feeling around the house, which he later realizes is because of Heathcliff's demise. However, Nelly states that there is still something uneasy about WH, thinking it to be the ghosts of Heathcliff and Catherine haunting the place.
The obvious distinction between WH and TG is in its contrasts of light and dark. WH is literally the dark. From its barren location near the moor to its dark almost unkept appearance to the the residents it produces, WH embodies darkness, perhaps even provokes it. Deep dark eyes seem to be a trend- heathcliff, cathy, hareton. Dingy dress and lose tongues seem to be as well. It appears no matter the location of birth or even the kindness of heart, WH estranges everyone it houses. Heathcliff is the obvious character to support this argument; but, if you look at Cathy [jr] for instance, she grew up in the most protected and civil environment with the exception of having a dead mother, and upon joining Heathcliff and Linton at WH, she quickly becomes monstrous. As Emily said, "you become what your environment makes you!" When Nelly meets with Cathy next, she is quite amazed as to what had become of her precious innocent gem. Even the dogs at WH are fiendish, they injure mercilessly. As a whole, WH is MERCILESS.
On the counterpart, TG is the light. Flourishing land, running streams, and a beautiful glowing house, all part of making the pearl out of people. As I said Cathy was quite the innocent gem before she went to WH: a doting, lovingly, perfect daughter; although, not even the kindest and most loving upbringing could protect her from the Heights.
While everything in TG provided its residents to become light, kind, innocent people, it did not drive away human nature!
Bronte utilizes these contrasts which implement the obvious segregation of class. WH produced or housed people not the best thought of: Heathcliff, amonstrous, fiendish man; Hindley, a drunkard fool; Hareton, illiterate servant. These 3 men in particular represent the lower parts of society that were often degrading to be around. {Bronte seems to like to use H for damned people or men!}
TG produced angels for the most part but they were often nurtured to an extent of arrogance. This arrogance in turn was used against lower classed men such as those from WH.
There are two very opposite settings in this novel. Thrushcross Grange is beautiful and inviting, while still remaining peaceful. While very contrasting, Wuthering Heights is a dark and dreary place. TG seems to have everything going for it and life appears easy, while WH embodies a hard and cruel atmosphere.
An environment shapes and changes a person's personality. TG appears calm and polite, just like the Linton family. Whereas, WH can be represented by Heathcliff for being a symbol of cold and dark dwelling. At WH, residents can be found being much more bitter and less well-mannered than those of TG. Social classes play a role in this and if it is not obvious, TG is consisted of a higher social class than those of WH and can be seen by their residents' manners.
Although there are only two main settings in this novel, Bronte develops them both in great detail. Wuthering Heights is a dark, desolate place that breeds dark, desolate inhabitants. Wuthering Heights seems to bring out the worst in people. For example, Heathcliff is shown to be an evil, bitter hermit when at Wuthering Heights, but when he is at Thrushcross Grange, one experiences a little bit of sympathy for him as he fights for Catherine in life and death. Also, when Cathy is locked up at Wuthering Heights, she transforms from happy and lovestruck to cruel and depressed. Even Nelly Dean is kinder at Thrushcross Grange. When people from the outside enter Wuthering Heights, the worst is brought out.
When Thrushcross Grange is compared to Wuthering Heights, it is much nicer and brighter. This causes its inhabitants to be not only happier, but more arrogant because they become accustomed to a luxurious way of life. The best embodiment of this is Catherine because she was raised in Wuthering Heights, but she marries Edgar and moves to Thrushcross Grange. There she rejects her old way of life and thinks herself too good for Heathcliff. The two setting of the novel are almost completely opposite, and they have profound effects on the characters' moods, manners, and actions.
TG and WH are very different in appearance and nature. TG is warm and inviting, while WH is dark and isolated. The contrast between the houses reflect the contrast between the inhabitants. The Linton family is more sophisticated, wealthy, and intellectual. On the other hand, the Earnshaw family is wild, tempestuous, and lower in social class. The families are very different in nature, much like the houses in which they reside. For example, Catherine is wild and passionate while Isabella is a sophisticated lady.
Bronte further develops the theme of contrast through the emotions of the characters. Heathcliff and Catherine are passionate and violent. However, Edgar and Isabella are more in control of their emotions. The contrast between the characters brings them together through attraction, such as Catherine and Edgar and Heathcliff and Isabella. However, the characters who share similarities are truly in love and not lust, such as Catherine and Heathcliff. The impulsive nature of both Catherine and Heathcliff causes them to choose the wrong spouses. This destroys their chance of being together, which is what they both really want.
Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange contrast in almost everything possible. Wuthering Heights is a depressing house filled with remorse and grief. Thrushcross Grange is instead filled with light and life. It seems that one house represents hope and one despair. Those living the Wuthering Heights seem to let the dark overcome them. Hindley drinks himself to death, and Heathcliff is overtaken by revenge. TH seems to offer a freedom from that darkness. Catherine becomes more “civilized” when she visits there near the beginning. Mrs. Dean seems to enjoy the more luxurious life at the Heights.
The inhabitants of each house even look different from each other. Those from Wuthering Heights have dark hair and dark complexions. The Lintons on the other hand have light hair. The Lintons seem to be more polite and more sociable. The Earnshaws however are used to their more secluded house and therefore act with less regard to what is proper or socially acceptable. I feel that there was a reoccurring theme that whenever the inhabitants of the two houses mixed, bad things happened. Everything seems out of whack when Catherine moves to the Grange. Hindley goes into a weird depression, Catherine never really seems happy there, and Heathcliff runs away. When Isabella moves to the Heights, she is depressed and feels like she doesn’t belong there. The two houses in a way represent two contrasting bodies that cannot exist at the same time: darkness and light.
I also find it interesting that the characters that live in the darker and more severe environments seem to be the ones with the most passion and convictions i.e. Heathcliff and Catherine and the characters that live in the lighter and more happy environment seem to have less character.
In response to G. Gordan's intial post, where in the book does it say that Thrushcross Grange is more elevated than Wuthering Heights? I do not mean this as a "Nuh-uh!" statement. I'm simply curious because I had, in my mind's eye, always seem Wuthering Heights as up on some sort of a rocky and windy crag and Thruscross Grange down in a pleasanter valley-like area. I just wanted to clear that up if it were not the case.
In my opinion, the settings of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange seem to have been developed as a definition of the dark vs. light motif. Bronte's creation of these contrasting houses reflects the characters living there and their actions and mannerisms. Cathy's intelligence and higher social rank seem to represent TG, while Heathcliff's ill-natured habits and rejection from society reflect the darkness of WH.
I agree with Allie's comment when she says that Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange have a "reciprocal relationship." Every action in either setting affects the other, developing contrasting moods and opinions between characters. Dark and light cannot occur at the same time, so one dark act of Heathcliff affects the light and bliss at Thrushcross Grange. The contrasts between WH and TG are definitely present in all aspects of human nature and society.
The moods of these two houses are so different and Bronte paints a clear picture in my mind of how to view the houses. Thrushcross Grange is bright, happy, and full of life, but Wuthering Heights is gloomy, sad, and eerie. The houses' appearances reflect the actions of the residents in the way that those at TG are aware of appearances and like to be in style and be welcoming to others. They are social people and so their house must be a sign that they try to look respectable. On the contrary, WH is not a welcoming place, which reflects Heathcliff's nonsocial attitude of not caring about others and how he looks but only caring about himself and what he wants.
I really liked Elise's comment "In a sense, both houses force themselves onto the people that inhabit them."
This statement is exemplified on the occasions in the book where Nelly goes straight from a piece of the story at TG to one at WH or vice versa. At TG, the reader sees happy, cheerful people who love their families and value each other and respect each other. At WH, the reader finds depressed people, half of whom do not want to be there; people who hate their family members, who have no respect for each other, who cannot stand being around each other.
There is a great irony in the fact that Edgar and Heathcliff despise each other so much. Edgar hates the darkness in Heathcliff and WH, whereas Heathcliff hates that Edgar is always so spectacularly cheerful and that TG is such a clean and happy atmosphere.
I think the difference between TG and WH is best studied when looking at Linton Heathcliff. Linton is so happy when he is with his mother, and he is happy at TG with his cousin, and the visits of his cousin make him happy, at least at the beginning. After he has been at WH for a long time, Linton becomes depressed and reserved and even more constantly sick. During Cathy's later visits, Linton is no longer happy, because Heathcliff is trying to force him to marry Cathy and is threatening him in case he doesn't help.
Linton's personality and way of interacting throughout his life shows the drastic differences between WH and TG.
As just about everyone has noted, WH and TG are extremely different. I personally feel that while the houses are physically different, the greatest distinction lies between the inhabitants of the two houses. In TG, no one drinks, throws children off banisters, threatens to shoot fellow inhabitants, or acts in other socially abnormal ways. In WH, on the other hand, such events are common place. However, this book is not about TG. While TG would certainly be the preferable place to live, the most interesting characters, the ones upon whom the story focuses, come from WH. Catherine (the first) and Heathcliff are primary examples of this. However, even the later characters, Catherine (the second), Linton, and Hindley, find themselves living in WH during the more interesting portions of their lives.
Both environments accept their inhabitants. Both TG and WH do not care what their pasts were or where they came from. These places are almost like separate worlds. Once inside TG, one cannot connect to the brightness and openness and not feel the same way. The activites are actually fun and inviting and intoxicating. In contrast, WH extinguishes any happiness with its inhabitants and fills them with evil. Since little Cathy changed after living at WH, I wonder if Heathcliff would have changed if he had moved to TG? Or is this just his character? I believe both. Only after Heathcliff dies can the inhabitants break free the chains holding them down from free expression and happiness.
I agree with Allie B, Wuthering Heights does seem eerie and scary. Even its name Wuthering is a creepy, not-happy name. When Nelly is telling her story to Lockwood, T.G. seemed to be the good house where Catherine became a lady, where she stayed to get better. Wuthering Heights was the place where all the drama really happened, where the psychos lived (hindley). The whole history behind Wuthering Heights just seems very wrong and spooky. T.G. and W.H. seem to contradict each other throughout the novel not only in appearance but also what happens in the estates.
The contrast between light and dark seeps into almost every aspect of the separate houses and their tenants. The two houses both reflect and influence the people living there’s characters. At the dark, gloomy and ominous WH, there is Hindley, Heathcliff, and Hareton, the social outcast of society, all dark and brooding, coarse and unashamedly rude. Then, at TG, with its bright airy rooms and carefully cared for gardens, are the Lintons, the very essence of mid-19th century gentility. They are everything those at WH are not: refined and courteous, the best in propriety and decorum. Bronte even uses the houses’ inhabitants’ physical characteristics to emphasize the different between WH and TG. The Earnshaws all have dark hair and big black eyes, while the Lintons have fair hair and light blue eyes. Cathy, once again, is the one to break this tradition. Being a mix of Earnshaw and Linton, she possesses the dark eyes of the Earnshaws but the flaxen curls of the Lintons.
However, I believe that Bronte incorporates slivers of hope into WH (the novel, not the place). When Cathy comes to WH, she becomes sullen and angry, no longer light and carefree. However, in the end, Cathy overcomes her previous preconceived notions about Hareton and sees that he is a human being worthy of respect and love, too.
As they become friends and eventually more than friends, they break down the barrier of social class that previously separated them and are able to find happiness, even at such a place as WH.
As Elise pointed out, in today’s society as well, people’s homes shape their behavior and actions. Serial killers or rapists often come from abusive or otherwise traumatizing homes and backgrounds. One’s environment truly does shape one’s character.
I think Hensley’s observation that the three H men of WH (Hindley, Heathcliff, and Hareton) are all damned men is very interesting. Whether Bronte chose H names as a deliberate allusion to Hell, I do not know, but it is worth pondering all the same.
In addition, I agree with Emily H.’s point that the characters who live in darkness have the more fiery natures and the more passionate emotions. Heathcliff and Catherine seem to feel everything deeper than the Edgar or Isabella. Bronte could be making the statement that the darkness, although despicable, produces people who feel more and want more, people who are more alive. Ellie reinforces this view in her post, “the most interesting characters, the ones upon whom the story focuses, come from WH.” Bronte clearly feels that the darkness in people is more interesting and much more worthy of study than the refined, boring characters of the TG inhabitants.
It has been well noted that WH and TG contrast just as light contrasts from dark; however, I am not sure that the "light" is necessarily good and the "dark" necessarily bad. The light is certainly more comfortable, as the residents of TG enjoy the refinements due to civil minds and tongues; however, when young Catherine and Heathcliff, the little social heathens, stumble upon the supposedly blessed picture of a proper household, they only find a pair of tittering, spoiled children who fight over nothing. Heathcliff and Catherine's lives are shadowed by the wayside habits they have grown up around at WH, but their passionate union could not be any stronger, a union that could not have developed in an environment dictated by propriety. In essence, I believe Bronte is saying that the norms of society can dilute natural human passion as well as blind people to what matters most in life: unyielding, unconditional love.
The Dark and depressive nature of WH is reflected in all the characters who inhabit it. Heathcliff our byronic hero is mentally overtaken with the want of revenge and Hindley a resident of WH meets the fate by drinking himself to death.
WH and TG are two totally and completely different places. The people that live there usually do not want to associate with each other, and therefore the reader sees even more contrast in between them. WH is huge and foreboding, while guests to TG are treated very nicely in a large luxurious home. People that grow up in these places turn out very differently. For example, Edgar and Isabella from TG are two very educated people, but at the same time they are very well aware of their social standing and are definitely spoiled and arrogant at times. Children that grow into adults at WH are not always educated extremely well and usually do not know how to be nice people. They, unlike the inhabitants of TG, do not seem to care very much about their social standing because they do not care what others think of them as they torture and are mean to others around them.
TG is completely in contrast with WH. It is upbeat and bright and cheerful. Thi place houses the young Cathy and Edgar. Catherine grows up knowing where she stands in society and is also very well educated because of her father who treats her very well.
The evident societal differences manifested in TG and WH are a true crux to the novel, for these differences are the impetus that push Catherine to desert Heathcliff and assume the mantle of a respectable English wife. The polished society and banisters of TG is quite alluring to the vanity and deep-seated superiority of Catherine, who would disdain a marital union with a man such as Heathcliff, a man reflective of the low society that WH would provide to a young lady. Therefore, Catherine pins her future essentially on the interior decorating of a house and the good taste of its master; Catherine realizes near her end though that her higher social status, her lovely home, her docile and gentle husband, simply cannot curb her longing for what she truly desires, the freedom and darkness manifested in WH and Heathcliff.
When people move between these two houses, their moods change. For example, Linton gets very sick when he moves to WH. He can barely even move, but when Cathy from TG comes to visit he is very happy. He wishes he could be living there with Cathy and his uncle. Cathy and Mrs. Dean have a very good life at TG, but Mrs. Dean is very scared of Cathy going to visit WH. When Cathy goes there, she begins to find out all of the dark secrets of her family's history. Her father never wants her to go there, and he will never visit there because he knows what kind of horrible things will happen at that house. Although Linton is too sick to leave, Heathcliff would not want him to visit TG because he does not want him to see how different and good their life is there.
The two settings of the novel perfectly contrast each other: WH being dark and desolate and TG being well-kept and bright. Bronte uses her settings to divide her characters to fit these discriptions. The residents of TG saw WH as unacceptable for their likings and not honorable in society. Throughout the novel, Bronte allows the two types of characters of clash through several different events. In the beginning when Catherine stays at TG for five weeks, she comes back to WH a changed woman. Catherine becomes a civilized, upper class woman and soon struggles to maintain the same relationship with Heathcliff that she had before. When Catherine marries Edgar, a piece of WH is brought to TG and slowly TG becomes more uncontrolable. This is an example of how the two settings are so different, that when they combine, only problems can come out of it.
Another contrast between the two settings is the type of vibe that the houses put off. TG is more of a feminine house with it being bright and clean feeling while WH is more of a masculine feeling of being dark and dingy. At one point, Hindley does not allow any women at WH and sends Nelly with Catherine to TG. During this time, WH only becomes more gloomy and the two houses become even more contrasting.
Alex's comment about the opposing masc./feminine ideas is interesting. You could almost picture WH and TG as having genders or at least some gender characteristics. These opposing qualities not only symbolize the people living in each house, but they also add conflict to an already tumultuous story.
I like Alex's description of the two houses, with TG being feminine and WH being very masculine.
The contrast between WH and TG is huge. First of all, WH is a daunting, eerie, and depressing house that portrays the character of the people that live inside. It depicts the challenges, sufferings, and pretty much wretchedness of their lives. TG on the other hand is grand and inviting. It gives off a warm feeling that WH lacked. The people living in TG live luxurious and priviledged lives that the people of WH would never experience.
I find the two houses in Wuthering Heights very interesting because although TG is elegant, clean, welcoming, and romantic, something is missing. There is some aspect of TG that seems very empty to me. Although WH is dark, dirty, and unfriendly, the main events and the heart of the story take place there, and though WH may not always withhold the happiest times, it is always full of life. From Catherine Earnshaw to Catherine Linton WH proves itself to be a very complex home, versus the simple elegance of TG.
I completely agree with Allie on the idea that each location perfectly portrays the characters that live inside.
I think that in Wuthering Heights, Bronte tries to make a point out of how completely opposite TG and WH are. WH is dreary, slow, and dark much like its inhabitants. TG is a beautiful place with many things going on and people who are busy and happy. Even characters such as Cathy show a change in emotion when they are in the two different places. Everyone, except Heathcliff, seems to depress Cathy at WH and she can barely hold in the excitement to be with Heathcliff instead of the other people she lives with.
Just like Grayce said, it is very interesting that TG is on a hill where as WH is on lower ground. Bronte really connects physical aspects with emotional aspects in her book even between places.
yeah the facade of WH and TG definately show through the characters. if the characters were freaky then the building was also kinda freaky and dirty. I felt like most of the "healing" like if people were sick or injured and they needed to go somewhere to get better, most of them would go back to thrushcross grange. for example: when nelly is telling her story to lockwood, she mentions that one day heathcliffe and catherine went out, away from wuthering heights. heathcliffe returns alone saying that catherine needed to get better there because she injured herself. from there catherine learns to become beautiful in her manners and her "swagger" i guess, she stays there to become a lady. later in the novel, edgar got sick and stayed at TG. grayce brought up a very good point, how even TG and WH's foundations were different how one is higher and one is lower.
Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange contrast each other in appearance, residents, and status. Wuthering Heights is a dark and eerie place that is unappealing to the reader. Wuthering Heights reminds one of death while Thrushcross Grange resembles life. Thrushcross Grange is just more luxorious and beautiful. The contrasting appearances of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are like light and dark or day and night.
The residents living in WH and TG really create the atmosphere of each place. The residents of WH like Heathcliff and Hareton are just evil, desperate, and crying on the inside for something else. TG's residents live a luxorious life and are well educated. Little Catherine is pampered yet very prideful. It would make no sense at all if the residents of each house switched homes. WH and TG are clearly meant to help characterize further the people who live in them.
Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights are two completely different places. In appearance Thrushcross Grange is beautiful and inviting while Wuthering Heights is dark and dreary. Also, the charachers start to act like their surroundings. For example, Catherine goes from Thrushcross Grange, being happy, to wuthering heaights, where she becomes depressed. This does not only happen to Catherine but other characters as they go from one house to the other.
The Characters at Wuthering Heights and Threshcross Grange act differently. For example, when Isabella dies, Edger goes to get Linton and takes care of him at Thrushcross Grange. At Wuthering Heights it is different. When Hindley die's Hareton is left there with Heathcliff who treats him bad and does not take care of him. Also Linton is taken from Thrushcross Grange where he is taken care of and treated nicely to Wuthering Heights where he is treated poorly. This shows that the characters from Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights act completely different in similar situations contrasting these two places.
In setting Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights are completly different. TG is located much closer to town allowing them to seem much more civilized while WH is located in the moors, far from town or what seems like civilization.TG is appears to be ahouse full of splendor, comfort, and brightness. WH dark, uncomfortable, and obscene.It has not been kept up well and the inhabitants seem to add to the dilapidation and horror. What Lauren said is not entirely true. In most cases those forced to recide at WH are changed for the worst do to it. They often become heathens but this is not true when Nelly comes to stay. When she changes houses she is once again delighted to be reunited with her lost Cathy.
The people at TG and WH are also entirely different. At TG the residents are cleaning and dressed elaboratly while at WH your lucky if you find anyone who has even washed. Emotions of the residents at TG are also much more stable. They tend to sometimes be timid, they are much more in control. At WH the residents are drunk,crazy, ill educated and completly consumed with revenge.
I think a cool thing to point out the way that the two different houses affect the attitudes and actions of the inhabitants. The people of TG are generally polite and happy people, while in WH, there is a sense of unhappiness and even craziness, such as Hindley. Life seems to dwindle away in WH, while it comes to life at TG. There is such a huge comparison of these two places and i think also that it shows the social classes. At TG, the class is obviously high, because from what we learned in Pride and Prejudice, everything you do is seen and their houses were a big deal to social class. WH is creepy and run-down, which would never be acceptable in the highest social classes.
Emily H, i LOVE your comment about where you live makes you who you are. This is so incredibly true in this novel by the way people change over time in WH and TG.
The contrast between Wuthering Heights and Threshold Grange is very strong. Wuthering Heights is located on a rocky and dark location and it's walls echo with mystery and an omnipotent nature. However, Threshold Grange always seems bright and cheery and welcoming. In Wuthering Heights, after Mr. Earwood dies, the characters and the house itself seem to darken. Heathcliff, the violent, sensitive, and isolated master, Hindley, the penniless drunkard, and Hareton, the abandoned child of Hindley, create an atmosphere of darkness and loneliness. In contrast, Threshhold Grange has Isabella Linton, Edgar Linton, and Catherine. Their polite and high class characteristics make TG seem like a warm, and lovely household. Wuthering Heights is dilapidated and owned by a gypsy while TG is owned by a rich and wealthy noble. Heathcliff and Edgar's rivalry shows the clash of social status between those of lower class against the life of those of upper class.
Grange is very much a place of wealth. The people who live there are from the upper class and are very prim and proper. The emotions of the people in TG are more composed than the emotions of the people living in WH. Edgar lives in a more comfortable situation, with a more cheerful house and atmosphere. TG is a beautifully constructed house, while WH is fading away in a sense. The activities of the residents in WH are those of complete neglect, such as a drunk father ranting day in and day out, as well as a child that has been taught to use foul language and sick a bull dog on anyone who crosses his path. This contrasts to the delicate behavior of the Lintons, who have caring parents and nice manners.
The people in WH and TG are drastically different. Heathcliff is violent and passionate, seeking some sort of payment for the premature death of Catherine. He is haunted by the lack of time he was allowed with Catherine. This haunting changed WH for the worse. Heathcliff is constantly reminded about her because her presence is sealed in the walls of WH. The gradual neglect of WH shows the lack of enthusiasm Heathcliff holds for his residence, while on the other hand, Edgar takes care of his house, TG. TG is a place of lighter spirits, which is showcased through Edgar's attempt to lighten the grim attitude of Catherine. His love for her is sweet all-encompassing, but also naive because he throws her into a tantrum by not allowing her to see her Heathcliff. TG holds Catherine only superficially, while WH contains Catherine through her heart and soul. Heathcliff and Edgar both love Catherine immensely, but Catherine's devotion eats away at both of them. Catherine is confined in TG, but at WH she is allowed to be herself and roam the area.
It is no coincidence that Bronte named her novel "Wuthering Heights". The two homes represent, as Zonia said, the "crux" of the novel: the entire story, from the skeletal theme to the skin and bones of the plot, revolves around the dichotomy between these two settings. Obviously, the concentration is on Wuthering Heights, but the contrast between the homes nevertheless propels the novel. Bronte writes, overall, about human nature; thus, the conflict between TG and WH represent the conflict between the outer, glamorized facade humans present to the world and the inner, savage passion that must remain submerged in our thoughts and our hearts. The honorable TG is light, open, slightly elevated, polished, and acceptable. It is the home of pleasant activities, a normal, boring upbringing, parental guidance, and the formalities of the proper social class. In contrast, WH is dark, lowly, brutal, dishonorable, grim, and spare. It is the home of savage actions, parental neglect, childhood cruelty, and depression and unbridled rage. It pays no attention to the formalities or constraints of social class and completely ignores social taboos.
There is a huge contrast between WH and TG, i would even go as far to say that the two homes are complete opposites. I completely agree with Anna Lauren when she says that the opposing houses are opposites because their heads, Heathcliff and Edgar, are enemies. WH is a dark, grueling place which rubs off on its inhabitants such as Heathcliff and his self destructive love, Hareton who is treated as if he has no self worth, and the list goes on with each inhabitant. In contrast, TG is a beautiful home filled with happiness, which is show through the warmth of the characters who live there. Cathy is treated like a queen but very intelligent, and her father, Edgar, is arrogant but very intelligent as well.
Although the physical characteristics of TG and WH are very obvious, two people from these opposing homes, are very attracted to each other. Although Catherine and Heahtcliffs environments have completely shaped them into the people that have become, they still find a way to truly fall in love with one another. I guess its true what they say when opposites attract! In my opinion, Catherine and Heathcliff's very different backgrounds/homes contribute to the reason that they can never unite and be together.
Wuthering Heights is dark and gloomy and creates imagery that just is not physically attractive. Thus Heathcliff being from WH contains the dark and gloomy characteristics along with reclusive and not really welcoming which is what WH is. Thrushcross Grange is vibrant and beautiful along with Catherine and Edgar. Their happy lifestyle is what TG comes off as, happy, welcoming, and a place where someone would want to be...
Also, agreeing with what Grayce noticed about TG being on higher ground than WH gives irony to how TG is thought of much highly than WH which isn't really thought to be up to any standards that need to be recognized. Additionally, I totally agree with Kendall on how my moods seemed to change whenever I read about WH, and just got all dark and kindof creeped out, but then found myself smiling when reading about TG...
As Bronte perhaps intended, I feel that WH and TG serve as inanimate manifestations of the demeanors and nature of their residents. In addition, I feel as the two are nearly polar opposites, the cold brutality of WH v. the gentle civility of TG. In addition, it seems that both reflect omnipresent extremes of human behavior. The gentility and peaceful luxury often associated with Victorian life (although it is often merely a fascade) and the realistic grit and raw, often brutal, emotional side of human behavior.
I completely agree with Elise's comment-
"TG fosters arrogance; WH fosters hate."
On the surface, Cathy, after recovering at TG and returning to WH with luxurious fashions and cadences of upper class, seems to have attained a newfound sense of civility. In reality, she has only gained a sense of entitlement and arrogance during her time at TG. Both WH and TG represent very real and prominent sides of human nature and both are equally destructful, despite the fascade of civility and etiquette of life at TG.
I definitely agree with Carly when she says that TG lacks the life and reality of WH. ALthough it is elegant and much more appealing to look at, it seems almost like a dollhouse. The lives of the inhabitants are so uneventful in TG but in WH atleast there is never a dull moment.
I agree that Thrushcross Grange is a much ahppier, warmer, and livelier home than Wuthering Heights. We see this in the first time that the Grange is mentioned in the frame story. There is a scence where young Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff go spy on the young Linton children. Catherine ends up staying at the Grange a little over a month and falls in love with the house and its customs(and the people there. From a young age, Thrushcross Grange was a place of refuge and warmth for both Catherines. I think it acts as a safehouse from the terrors of Wuthering Heights and Heathcliff.
I also think TG represents a place of civility and refinement. When young Heathcliff comes back to WH without Catherine after their adventure there was lots of narration about how Heathcliff and Catherine were troublemakers and essentailly naughty children. On the very next page we see Nelly praising the Linton children, calling them good and well behaved. Not to mention, when Catherine finally does come home to WH, she seems to be a whole new woman, with her manners and clothes from TG. WH seems to be wild and reckless, while TG seems to always have it together and represent high society at its best.
Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are on two complete opposite sides of the spectrum. Wuthering Heights is a dark, eerie, and isolated house, while Trushcross Grange is a lavish, luxurious, and radiant house. The houses reflect the living of their respected owners. Heathcliff, living in WH, is a vengeful and desolate man. While Cathy and Edgar, living at TG, are of higher status and welcoming to society.
I agree with Allie in the sense that although TG is much more pleasant and appealing than WH, WH is much more real and exciting than TG. The inhabitants of TG are full of arrogance because of their pompous attitude towards their social class. On the other hand, the inhabitants of WH are very different and demented in a way, which makes the happenings around WH much more interesting.
Although both houses are located at the edge of the moor, Bronte, once again, creates two very distinct illustrations for WH and TG. As Kendall already mentioned, my overall mood changed when the setting changed from TG to WH. Although I was more intrigued by WH, I would rather live at TG. For instance, TG is located on higher ground, brighter, and more welcoming by nature; whereas, WH is located on lower ground, dim, and desolate. Day and night are the best examples for the contrast in TG and WH. Personally, I am big on first impressions and I took Mr.Lockwood's first impression of WH as an almost hostile environment from the very beginning. I agree with basically everyone on the fact that TG is a more of a splendid paradise than just a residence; however, paradise does not correlate with reality, present at WH, most of the time. As a sidenote, I think that since these houses are complete opposite of each other, the differences are pushed to the extreme because there is not a "middle-mood setting".
Hindley and Heathcliff are clearly products of their environment at WH. These three men definitely add to the overall atmosphere at WH because of their uncontrollable nature and hostile actions. Hindley, possessing little to no self-control, eventually drinks himself to death in the very walls of WH. Heathcliff, broken to a point of no return, seeks ultimate revenge, as well as makes one of his family members into a servant. On the other hand, Edgar and little Cathy seem to be the epitomy of happiness in the novel. Although little Cathy is at first ignorant to the obvious differences in the two houses, she is still happy nearly all of the time, despite her surroundings. I partly credit her successful upbringing at TG and credit the rest to the old phrase, "ignorance is bliss". However, I would say that Linton furthers my point better than any other character. For instance, when he is at TG, Linton is seen as a "sore-thumb". He is weak and sickly throughout his entire stay; therefore, he is moved to the more fitting, WH. Edgar and little Cathy are clearly more arrogant and proper because TG houses those of higher class. WH's evidence of lower class inhabitants is not only their shady nature, but also their strange inability to hire a single servant.
The physical differences between Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange that so many people have mentioned only begin to describe the complexity of the contrast between the opposite lifestyles, people, atmospheres, climates, and attitudes in each household. One is bleak and cheerless, while the other is happy and warm. The Lintons of Thrushcross Grange practically spoil their children with the richer cultural and economic benefits that their refined tastes and means afford them, while the Earnshaws (and later Heathcliffs) nearly destroy their children’s spirits with the horrific atmosphere of alcoholism and moral depravity surrounding them.
While Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights represent social refinement and moral depravity, respectively, they manage to create an ingenious social criticism that intrigues me. Bronte labors effectively to create opposite worlds of weakness and strength through her portrayals of the two opposite households. Thrusscross Grange, even with its monetary and social advantages, is constantly a scene of death and physical weakness in the story. Wuthering Heights, though it is depicted as the epoch of moral abandonment, produces only the healthiest inhabitants (with the exception of Linton, who did not grow up there, so you see my point…). The juxtaposition of advantage with weakness and depravity with strength creates a very interesting social commentary. Bronte seems to think that a coddled, spoiled atmosphere like that of Thrushcross Grange breeds total weakness and an inability to survive in the harshness of the real world. However, she seems to show that an oppressive, almost cruel atmosphere like that of Wuthering Heights allows for mental and physical strength to grow and flourish, allowing a man as tortured and ready for death as Heathcliff to survive and outlive nearly all of his generation.
There is no coincidence that Bronte named her novel "Wuthering Heights" and not "Thrushcross Grange". Bronte's novel focuses on the true nature of humanity; thus, the novel centers around the metaphorical incarnation of savage human passion, WH. As both Ellie and Zonia have noted, the most intriguing and honest events of the novel occur at WH, while evasion from true life and emotions fill the plot at TG. The most vibrant characters (Heathcliffe, Catherine, Hindley) find their original home at WH, while the most manicured and listless (Edgar, Linton, perhaps even Lockwood) find their original homes at TG. WH is one novel in which the knotted theme can begin to be unraveled from the very title page of the book. Bronte masterfully translates the themes of the novel into the very structure of the book itself; each theme finds resonance both in the story structure (as I have earlier discussed) and in the physical structure of the characters' homes. Herien lies the soul of Bronte's social commentary; WH focuses not on the evasions from life and the glamorization of upper classes, but rather on the true human spirit, the savage fire smoldering beneath the breast of every human heart, the sparks of shared brutal humanity which spread universally from peasant to king.
Wuthering Heights and Thruscross Grange are almost complete opposites. Although both of them stand alone, isolated from the rest of civilization, Wuthering Heights seems to be a much darker place than Thruscross Grange. Wuthering Heights contains secrets and shadows of the past, while Thruscross Grange seems to hold a much calmer and lighter sense of feeling. WH embodies the people who live there, because both Heathcliff and Hindley became depressed and rather insane human beings, making WH darker and unwelcoming. However, the Linton family that once lived in TG seem to be brighter and more in touch with civilization than the people who live in WH.
I find what Emily said really interesting about how it seems that the people who live in WH seem to have a deeper and more intense life and background than those who live in TG. Also, the Lintons who live in TG enjoy the luxury of being in a higher social class than those who live in WH. In my mind I imagine the people in WH as barbaric people, watching in admiration at the etiquette and mannerly order that the Lintons embody. In one chapter, Cathy and Heathcliff actually spied through the Lintons' windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the life on the other side of the moor. However, Bronte does bring the two houses together when Cathy and Mr.Linton decide to get married.
These two places are very different. They are like exact opposites. Wuthering Heights is very scary and dark. The people who live there are not so nice and are not the highest class. Heathcliff lives there with Hareton and Hindley. After hindley dies Heathcliff treats Hareton with no respect and makes him work as a servant. He is not brought up with any manners and his life is similar to how Heathcliffs was when he was little. Thrushcross Grange is a very nice place and always has been because of Edgar. Catherine picked Edgar mainly for the reason of his high class and his beautiful place otherwise she might have picked Heathcliff over him. No one is treated bad at Thrushcross Grange like treated at Wuthering Heights.
When Catherine first sees Thrushcross Grange she realizes how much different it is from her own home. She even tells Heathcliff how much fun it would be to live there. It is easy to tell that Wuthering Heights is so much different just by the different way Catherine acts and dresses when she comes home from Edgar's house after being taken care of. Heathcliff lives in a different world from Catherine once she gets married to Edgar. Edgar and Heathcliff never got along and they lived different lives.
Bronte cleverly describes the contrasting, natural surroundings of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange to mirror the emotional and physical conditions within each household. Wuthering Heights sits in isolation. The jagged architecture and dark appearance of the building are accompanied by an atmosphere of harsh winds created by an uncontrollable storm. The stormy weather outside the house foreshadows the characters within the cold and bleak stone walls. Heathcliff’s appearance alone imitates the bleak atmosphere surrounding Wuthering Heights. The coloring in his face is dark and bleak while his cold expression gives off mysterious glare. Catherine Earnshaw, though she possesses a sense of unfathomable beauty, has ghostly eyes that mimic the winds of the storm. However, the emotions of both Heathcliff and Catherine mimic the atmosphere as well. Their personalities are cold and malicious. They have no control over their actions due to the fervor of each other’s love that has taken over their lives. This loss of power over their own actions is much like the uncontrollable winds.
In order to stress the contrasting characters, Bronte created Thrushcross Grange as the exact opposite of Wuthering Heights. Thrushcross Grange was always bright and cheery, much like it’s inhabitance. Edgar Linton was purposely written as the exact opposite of Heathcliff. His physical traits, like his bleach blonde hair and bright eyes contrast with Heathcliffs coloring like light and darkness. Unlike Heathcliff, Edgar is kind and cordial, as is the rest of the Linton family. They live civilly in control of their own actions.
The different houses families described in the novel also represent two different places in society. Wuthering Heights is much more “homely” than elegant Thrushcross Grange. Although both the Earnshaws and the Lindons are members of the same class, Bronte makes it clear that the Earnshaw’s are better off financially. The Lindons also act much more genteel than the Earnshaws. The locations of the houses also represent the difference between the two families’ stability in society. Thrushcross Grange is set in a lush valley where little can harm it. However, the Moors, where Wuthering Heights is located, imposes the danger of flooding. These floods could result in the drowning of the Earnshaw’s, symbolizing the fact that the Earnshaw’s could easily lose their comfortable status.
Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights are on two complete opposite sides of the spectrum. Wuthering Heights is a dark, mysterious, and isolated house, while Trushcross Grange is a lively and luxurious. The houses reflect the life styles of each owner. Heathcliff, living in WH, is a unforgiving, desolate, social outcast. While Cathy and Edgar, living at TG, are of higher status and welcoming to society.
As a reader I find it interest that the settings only affect the characters, but the reader! i felt tense during the scenes at WH and during all the cruelty. And while reading about TG the mood was lighter. I have to say Bronte did an exceptional job establishing such contracting settings!
WH and TG are different in so many ways! For example, the environment at WH depicts a dark and scary place where great pain exists. In TG, however, the place is bright and beautifully decorated, and the inhabitants live happily following society's morals. The inhabitants makes WH and TG both so different. The abusive Heathcliff later becomes the head of WH, and as Lauren Echilin earlier said,is an example of how an environment shapes and changes a person's personality. Like WH, Heathcliff is dark and usually scary, and like TG, Edgar is relaxed and not intimidating.
Bronte writes in great detail the surroundings of TG and WH. For example, the weather is usually cloudy and gray at WH while TG is usually sunny and beautiful. I also agree with Emily H, because it's definitely interesting to see that inhabitants of WH have personalities which are more fascinating than TG inhabitants.
There are very drastic differences between the two houses in Wuthering Heights, not only in their atmospheric presence, but also in how the people live in them.
Thrushcross Grange, for example, is a stately manor bordered by a sprawling forest and gardens; it is cheerful, if not fantasical, in it's situation. The people who occupy it, too, seem to have an easy, rich life. However, it is a sheltered house, and the occupants are sheltered as well from everything in the world. Isabella, Edgar, and Cathy all live quiet and picturesque lives of wealth, civility, and at times arrogance. The Grange represents the light and good of the story, and so most good is experienced there.
Wuthering Heights, on the other hand, is a much darker place, and has been for an very long time. It is a garish sight to behold. In terms of the people inside, all of them have very mean pasts. Hindley's father was a drunkard, and Hindley became a drunkard too. It is a place of terror for the children (Heathcliff, Cathy, Haerton, and Linton), and those who are imprisoned there soon become desolate and despondent (Isabella and the younger Cathy). It is also at WH where almost all the deaths take place, and with each death the house and it's occupants became darker. It represents evil and blackness.
I totally agree with Rachel (G.)'s opinion about Linton and his imperfect fit at TG, and also about not crossing social spheres.
This particular situation of little Cathy and Linton's romance is the personification of the different social circles the two families have, and the conflict there. Little Cathy's circle is significantly higher than that of the occupants at WH, with the exception of Linton. WH has once been a very well respsected house, one with honor, but it had been tainted by Heathcliff and Linton, and thus the social standing of everyone else fell.
At TG, the occupants remain with honor throughout the entire novel, preserving it's high standing.
Until the rightful head of WH is reinstalled (the rightful heir being Haerton), the two families clash and cannot be reconciled. Once Haerton and Cathy unite, the families meld together and take an equal standing. However, WH is still tainted by the horrific actions committed there, so TG is still the higher, more desirable house because it is still pure.
The physical characteristics of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange differ in that Wuthering Heights is an eerie, dark, even haunted place where as Thrushcross Grange is bright, lavish, and beautiful where others feel comfortable.
Wuthering Heights differs from Thrushcross Grange through the characters living in it in that the characters in Wuthering Heights are dark, mysterious, and twisted such as Heathcliff, Hareton, and Hindley; as the characters in Thrushcross Grange are elegant, civil, cleanly, and welcoming to others such as the Catherine, Edgar, and Isabella.
Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are two very different places. WH has a more gothic feel to it. It was “built strong.” These precautions helped it survive. The people who live there are also like the house. They have to try to survive like the house, unlike the luxurious TG and the people there. Also, the people who live at WH have dark physical features that match the same gothic feel of their house. Heathcliff and Hindley keep up this gothic trend too because they are very harsh in their actions towards certain others. The emotions of Catherine and Heathcliff are especially extreme. There is so much emotion behind all of their actions.
Unlike WH, TG is practically the complete opposite. It is very lavish beautiful much like the people who reside there. The way Isabella and Edgar carry themselves is very proper. They also have light features to compare with their light thoughts. They also do not carry as much passion behind their acts as those at WH. Though they are their house is beautiful, most of their lives are very short lived just like their money. Instead Heathcliff, who has a sturdy home, ends up having both fortunes. Isabella is also fooled by Heathcliff because she is naive and does not see past the surface as those dwelling at WH.
Callie told the words right out of my mouth. Wuthering Heights is dark, strict, and shrouded in conflict, while T. Grange feels more light and open. WH gave me an uncomfortable feeling, one that screamed of mystery and trouble, while TG felt like a place that accepted everyone and had no secrets. When these two opposing forces clashed, everything crumbled. This novel really shows how two different settings can change a character when they cross between them.
Ah! I really love Alex's connection of WH being very masculine while TG is very feminine. That was something I didn't pick up on, and I really can see the connection of it now.
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