British Literature in Contemporary Context: August 2008

August 15, 2008

Welcome and Expectations

Welcome to the AP Junior English literature blog! Here you will share insights and engage in interesting conversation about Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice as you read them this summer. The summer reading blog will consist of ten "posts" to which you are expected to respond before the first day of school - Wednesday, August 13.

I hope that you'll post your thoughts to the blog--your questions, ideas, what you love about the novels, what you hate, things you learn about Austen and Bronte, etc... Although how involved you are with the blog is ultimately up to you, you must comment at least twice for each of the first nine posts; the last post will consist of your 250-word response to my prompt.

When commenting on a post you should be thoughtful, scholarly, and creative - please feel free to link to websites and/or reference other research material that you feel is appropriate for the topic being discussed. Please note that there will be several articles referenced in my postings; these can be found as links on the right of the blog, and you are expected to read the entire article before responding. Your comments must *add* to the overall understanding of the topic: must add something new, challenge something, etc. Much of this material will find its way onto the test over these novels, so it will benefit you in the classroom to take this seriously and to help one another dig deeper in your exploration of these novels. If you would like to read and post along with me, I will be reading Wuthering Heights during the month of June and Pride and Prejudice during the month of July. I will check posts regularly and respond along with you. If you cannot read along with me then you should simply plan on having all of your comments - there will be eighteen (18) total - completed before the first half-day of school; the last question asks you to create a new post, not a comment. This will be graded.
Here are links to all ten posts to which you are required to respond:
I. Wuthering Heights pre-reading Check out the WH Family Tree

II. Pride and Prejudice pre-reading Check out the PandP Family Tree

III. Literary criticism and content discussion

IV. Final novel argument

Question 1

August 13, 2008

K. Smith's Final Argument

Pride and Prejudice, rather than Wuthering Heights, has more value as a teaching tool. Austen’s use of irony to critique the social customs of her society is genius. Although Wuthering Heights is narrated from a creative and sometimes hard to understand viewpoint, the importance of learning about Jane Austen’s writing style is critical. Any uneducated person would read her works for all the wrong reasons. It is imperative to learn how to read Austen’s novels, not only for one’s enjoyment, but also for one’s education. Wuthering Heights is a well-written, interesting novel with an unusual hero, but the style or writing itself is overall not as beneficial to have a core understanding of. Contrary to the criticism of Charlotte Bronte, Austen is not “only shrewd and observant;” She is much more than that. Her observances of the society around her are truly a witty criticism. Obviously Bronte did not understand this. Austen’s social critique does not only cover one aspect of her society, but several, including the need for an advantageous marriage, the treatment of women, and the obsession with money and social power. Ralph Waldo Emerson states that Austen’s novels are “imprisoned in their wretched conventions of English society,” but that is exactly what Austen wants. She wants the reader to realize and understand the flaws of the society of her time and conveys them through a dry irony.

Word count: 231

A. Fishman Final Argument

We are asked to choose which novel we would rather discuss in class. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a very appetizing novel with its satire and dramatics, but I believe that Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is a much better choice because it explores human relationships and emotions more efficiently than Pride and Prejudice does. Austen’s novel has a very singular point to make clear, and that is about marriage. While her critique of this particular institution and the acts that come before, are interesting, it makes a lesser argument. Bronte’s novel, on the other hand, explores more than just one idea. There are many elements to her story, such as the frame narration which she uses; it is a unique style and her effective execution of it brings the story a sense of reality which cannot be seen through just third person. Also, the characters Bronte creates, such as Heathcliff, explore a vast number of things such as devotion, obsessive love, and human nature in general. A third thing to consider when discussing this novel is the genre in which it falls: gothic romance. Wuthering Heights is perhaps one of the best examples of something so intense, like the love between Catherine and Heathcliff, that it becomes deadly. It brings to mind the question whether love is the ultimate redemption of ones actions, or whether it is a punishment. Wuthering Heights is, all in all, more argumentative, and presents more aspects to discuss than Pride and Prejudice does.

August 12, 2008

a. haney's citation!!!!!!!

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.

Hannahs Final Argument

Although both Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice have the potential to be excellent novels for the classroom Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is the novel from which we could extract greater knowledge through the study of its symbolism, social relationships, and themes the storyline has to offer. The symbolism in Wuthering Heights without a doubt creates the feelings and the emotions the characters convey. The use of the “stormy” Wuthering Heights mirrors its “stormy” and dark, wild inhabitants including not only Heathcliff but also the rest of household. Pride and Prejudice does not convey any kind of comparable symbolism, for where symbolism takes place in Wuthering Heights, irony takes place in Pride and Prejudice. Knowledge of symbolism can be utilized within any novel, and adds immensely to the storyline. Social relationships in Wuthering Heights stem from a physiological platform, which opens an entire field of lessons to learn about the novel. Whereas, social relationships in Pride and Prejudice is one of a self-assured woman following her intuition. Heathcliff and Catherine’s social relationship is forbidden. However they are so very connected that the love and obsession between them leads to Catherine’s death. The themes that can be found in Wuthering Heights are similar to those found in Pride and Prejudice which is what makes the two novels comparable in the classroom. The glaring theme of course, is “follow your heart, your intuition, it will lead you in the right direction”. Catherine does not and in turn sets an example of what results from betraying your own heart. Elizabeth Bennett does follow her heart and she lives happily ever after with Mr. Darcy. Both Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice wonderful novels for the classroom however Wuthing Heights has more lessons to offer.

Hannahs Final Argument!

a. haney final argument

Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights are two very different novels. While Pride and Prejudice is more of a feminists’ hit towards society mixed with romance, Wuthering Heights is a unique story of very dynamical characters with many deep relations and strong symbolism. Pride and Prejudice is an example of a common love story where they live happily ever after. Most high school students read this because of its classic qualities, but it definitely does not compare with the originality of Wuthering Heights. Though Wuthering Heights is not as happy go lucky, it has much more to offer. Wuthering Heights’, Heathcliff is such a powerful character because he affects the worlds of many around him. The point of view from which it is written is also very interesting. Bronte’s writes using a “number of persons’ eyes” to understand the full significance of her story (Goldstone). Her combination of using Mrs. Dean and Mr. Lockwood to tell the story contribute to the great way in which the novel is delivered to the reader. Bronte also uses an “ordinariness of the language” but the emotions behind it are beyond powerful when it is “presented as an argument” (Goldstone). Finally, she gives love a “great range and depth.” This is a diversion from the ordinary love that is used in Pride and Prejudice. Bronte treats love as a rare gift. Using it sparingly gives it more meaning. Furthermore, we should study this novel because it is a story like no other.

word count:248

Emmaline Carrick's Final Argument

Both best-selling novels Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, and Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, possess powerful subjects such as twisted love and alluring character qualities; however, Wuthering Heights would be a better novel to study because Bronte delivers an intense plot filled with love and horror that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. In the first chapter, Bronte introduces characters of mystery and backgrounds that are unknown to the reader. As a frame story develops, Bronte chapter by chapter unfolds the secrets each character holds. Although few characters possess minor roles in the plot, Heathcliff, Catherine, Nelly, and the Linton family each portray different, yet fascinating traits that Bronte cleverly unites throughout the chapters.The passionate love that Catherine and Heathcliff share creates a love story that readers emotionally attach to, but the horror and sometimes grotesque characteristics of Heathcliff and the darkness of Wuthering Heights draw the reader in. Although some people might disagree and find Wuthering Heights to be a confusing and boring novel, the different points of views and the range of emotions would be interesting and exciting subjects to discuss among other classmates. While Pride and Prejudice enables the reader to grasp a sense of the rigid social classes and women empowerment in the time of Austen, Wuthering Heights allows the reader to make connections on her own. Also, as Pride and Prejudice follows a somewhat simple storyline, Bronte develops a plot with many various stories, each one intertwined with excitement and emotions. Although Pride and Prejudice serves to educate readers on Austen's satire of marriage and class, Wuthering Heights portrays an invoking tale of love and drama that readers connect with throughout the whole novel.

word count:286

Zonia Ali Final Argument

Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights encompasses such an insightful depth of human behavior, distinctly unconventional interpretation of life, and rich Gothic-Romantic influence that render it a greater interest of study than Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Bronte does not recoil from illuminating the darker characteristics of humanity by developing characters who are unrestrained by the passions of insuperable love, maddening hate, and spiteful revenge; in the words of one of Bronte’s contemporary critics, Bronte has “vivid perceptions of the peculiarities of character” and is perhaps unrivaled in her “knowledge of human nature.” Although some would argue that Austen portrays just as vivid an insight into human nature in Pride and Prejudice, Austen merely critiques the mainstream culture of her time while Bronte diverges from such conventional topics and plunges into a wayward realm unconstrained by the impositions of society. Consequently, Bronte’s singular novel has, according to the modern critic Herbert Goldstone, an “extraordinary force” attributed to Bronte’s powerful depictions of unbridled human emotions which Austen’s comparatively tame novel lacks. Furthermore, the prominent influence of the Gothic and Romantic novels upon Bronte’s writing give great insight into the distinctive writing style of those artistic eras. The sheer integrity to the complexity of human beings and “the great range and depth of [Bronte’s] understanding of [love’s] ramifications,” according to Goldstone, seem to be characteristics of literature that are often overshadowed by witty satires, though are of equal importance. Therefore, the study of Wuthering Heights would not only further a deeper understanding of literature, but also broaden the understanding of the human psyche.

Word count: 259

“Excerpts from Contemporary Reviews of Wuthering Heights.” Brooklyn College Department of English. 24 Oct. 2005. 12 Aug. 2008. http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/wuthering/contemp_rev.html

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.

Mary Fran's Final Arguement

Between Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice there are many pros to both, but the one which should be studied is Pride and Prejudice because more people can relate to the story of Elizabeth Bennett and the characters, Mr. Collins, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Whickham, Mrs. Bennett, Jane, and Lydia, she endures. Mr. Collins plays the role of the boy that will never get the girl because of his awkwardness and self-righteousness. Mr. Darcy, who takes the role as the mysterious, yet popular guy, is the one who knows that if he really wanted to, could get any girl, but instead chooses the one girl who would never seem to choose him. The last male who has a modern day equivalent is the girl chasing boy, Mr. Whickham, who does not care who he hurts in the process as long as he gets what he wants Everyone has a Mrs. Bennett in their life, that one person who will stop at nothing to see their somewhat pathetic dreams fulfilled. Jane, a favorite character, is the best friend that every girl has in who she relates everything to. Lydia plays the boy crazy friend who only cares about how many men notice her and the best looking one she can get. It is felt that if Pride and Prejudice is studied, more will be able to be obtained, because understanding the novel is easier and more enjoyable.

Word Count: 242

S. Mokhtari's final argument

Comment:
Sahar, I like your last sentence! You could have said more about the destructive nature of love and why this
makes a stronger read than P and P. Re-read this post; it is mostly plot summary, right? I think
if you'd focused on this sentence and then developed it with some detail you'd have a super strong
argument here.
Mrs. G

Both Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice exemplify the emotions that arise from the want of a human being; however, Wuthering Heights depicts the destruction in which results when someone such as Heathcliff feels so much passion towards the woman he wants, Catherine Earnshaw. When Catherine accepts Edgar Linton's proposal despite her mutually passionate love for Heathcliff, Heathcliff becomes outraged and seeks vengeance. He seeks revenge on Edgar because he believes it to be his fault that Catherine would not accept him to love because of his social status from being an orphan taken into the house of gentlemen, grown up a gentleman, then forced to be a servant again. In order to seek this revenge on Edgar, he allows Edgar's sister Isabella to fall in love with him then elope with him only to abuse her and get revenge on Edgar through their marriage. By doing this, Heathcliff's obsession with Catherine becomes evident as he tries everything to get her to be in love with him. This teaches the reader that passion is beautiful; however, when it becomes too strong, it becomes destructive to even people not directly involved such as Isabella. In conclusion, Wuthering Heights should be taught because it depicts the dangers of too much passion and emotion and how quickly it can become destructive to everyone involved.

Kathryn Fowler's Final Argument

Both Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights are intricately fascinating in their own way; however, the novel most fitted for a rigorous classroom study is Wuthering Heights because of its psychological depth and range and the brilliance of its writing. Emily Bronte incorporates the entire spectrum of humanity into her novel, depicting each emotion, personality, and atmosphere with uncanny realism. Though the plot includes every facet of human nature from vengeance to petulance and kindness to fiendishness, Bronte describes all with each, a feat only possible with an author familiar with every aspect of the psyche. The simple ability to pen emotions that one person could not possibly have felt is a gift, but Bronte also incorporates style and elegance in her writing through the use of irony and frame stories. Frame narration adds a level of knowledge to the story that one narrator could not possibly obtain, while still retaining realism by not using an omniscient narrator. Bronte's frame stories go farther. She uses narrators within narrators to ensure a complete relation of all the details of the plot. Her irony, too, is not of the traditional kind. She does not simply use sarcastic language, but subtly inserts irony into all situations. Wuthering Heights, itself, focuses on the irony of a strong, vital man refusing the friendship of the world, but accepting the love of one dying woman. Some would say that Bronte's writing does not transcend the pages of her novel, but truly her writing examines human nature on an extremely intimate level.

Word Count: 254

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.

Sami Rosenthal Final Post

While I definitely enjoyed Pride and Prejudice more, I believe that we as a class should read and study Wuthering Heights. Pride and Prejudice is a good read, and definitely an important study on the social norms of its time. On the other hand, Wuthering Heights has many more qualifications as a novel for us to study, two in particular. The first is the incredible use of contrast. The two houses used as settings in the book create images of two different worlds. “[One was] the storm, which was harsh, ruthless, wild, dynamic and wild, and [the other was] calm , which was gentle, merciful, passive, and tame.” This image is used throughout the entire book. Wuthering Heights is not only harsh and ruthless in its façade. The people who live there inherit these same qualities of the storm, especially Heathcliff. Thruschross Grange is always welcoming and happy, the calm. The people who live there are gentle and tame. They do not show anger very often, and anyone in the house is extremely welcoming. The second reason for reading this book is the frame story used. Bronte uses many levels of narration, which in some books may create a distance from the passions and actions of the characters. In this novel, the narrators create an amazing picture of the deep feelings of the characters. Mr. Lockwood is really playing the character of the reader, and Mrs. Dean almost has an insight into the minds of the characters. Wuthering Heights is an incredible account of how different societies can affect a person and how they grow up, while at the same time using levels of narration to create an even more intriguing story.

Word Count: 282

“Later Critical Response to Wuthering Heights.” Brooklyn College Department of English. 24 Oct. 2005. 12 Aug. 2008

Alex Fountain's Final Argument

Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights both would be valuable novels to study; however, I believe that we should focus on Wuthering Heights because of its complex storyline, Gothic setting, and compound characters. The plot of the novel switches narrators throughout the story to create a more in-depth point of view for the readers. Not only do the narrators change but also the novel has a parallel story in it. Halfway through the story, after many significant characters' deaths, the second generation of characters begins their own story. Along with the storyline comes the Gothic setting, which sets the mood for the novel. The dense setting that Bronte has created has two different moods and environments and makes the setting more involved. Finally, Bronte's characters are what allow the storyline and settings to work so well. Catherine has a split personality that changes when she is with either Heathcliff or Edgar or when she is either at Wuthering Heights or Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff on the other hand has more of a secretive personality that comes out only when he is around Catherine or when he wants to be with her. On the other hand, Pride and Prejudice does not have this complex of a plot and the characters are more predictable. Although it is a great novel, I feel that there is more to learn with Wuthering Heights. Jane Austen's strong point in her novel is the criticism of her society, where Bronte contains that and a more thorough plot.

Ann Yacoubian - Final Post

While Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is an outstanding work of social criticism in its own right, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights serves as a gripping portrayal of the ubiquitous savagery of human nature, which more fittingly pertains to our study and understanding of human behavior through literature. Austen’s novel may wittily depict the flaws and contradictions in the customs of 17th century society, yet such traditions are not everlasting and certainly do not pertain to all cultures and eras. In contrast, Wuthering Heights is an frank account of our fundamental brutality as human beings, an exploration that will forever apply to our emotional habits and behavioral patterns throughout time. For instance, the intensely potent bond between Cathy and Heathcliff has become almost archetypical, evident in their union being viewed as an addiction, a religion, and as that of soulmates, all of which are familiar terms of passionate connection still in use today. Also, while Austen’s utilization of satire and exaggeration creates the entertaining tone of her novel, such embellishments result in her message being almost spoon-fed to her audience, scarcely allowing independent inferences. Wuthering Heights, however, is an unadulterated view of the vigor of the bond between two human beings that is primarily based in description and narration, allowing readers to observe and infer, which is essential to our ultimate understanding. Although Pride and Prejudice serves as a influential piece of social criticism relevant to its age, the motifs and themes of dominating human emotion and the potency of passionate love make Wuthering Heights a timeless work of literature more suitable for our study today.

Word Count: 265
“Later Critical Response to Wuthering Heights.” Brooklyn College Department of English. 24 Oct. 2005. 12 Aug. 2008
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/wuthering.html.

Meredith Whitten's Final Argument

If one reads Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice strictly for the plot, it may seem that Emily Bronte has written a deeper analysis of human nature than Jane Austen. However, as Celia Easton pointed out in “How to read Jane Austen,” Pride and Prejudice cannot be read for the plot, and neither can Wuthering Heights. The idea of the Byronic hero and the Gothic romance are exemplified in Wuthering Heights, but these are both concepts that can be learned independently. The satire and irony in Pride and Prejudice, however, require much more studying, and I believe that our class would benefit greatly from having someone show us the deeper parts of Austen’s writing that we might have missed. Furthermore, despite critics who claim that Pride and Prejudice lacks emotional scope when compared to Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice is only more realistic. Many of the characters in Wuthering Heights are absolute psychos in their emotions. They do not really demonstrate the emotions of normal humans. Pride and Prejudice does have normal people, though. Even people like Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet are weird people, they are still types of people that one is likely to meet in life. Also, every emotion in Wuthering Heights is in Pride and Prejudice. There is a ton of love intermingled with hate, sadness, and happiness. Wuthering Heights is much more of a novel about emotions, but Pride and Prejudice covers all of the emotions of Wuthering Heights while extending much farther to explore the realm of satire.

word count: 254

Easton, Celia A. "How to read Jane Austen." An introductory talk for the first day of ENGL 358 Major Authors: Jane Austen SUNY Geneso.

Erin's Final Argument!!

Both Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice are valuable novels to study; however, I think that Wuthering Heights is a more interesting novel to explore because of its psychological depth. The characters in Wuthering Heights all have much more complicated pasts that make them more interesting to study. One’s past very often has psychological effects that impact one’s character. This is exemplified by Heathcliff: his love for Catherine haunts him for his entire life. Mr. Lockwood also proves the truth of those effects when by the end of the novel he has a completely different perspective of the families because he knows their pasts. On the other hand, the characters of Pride and Prejudice do not have much of this interesting depth. Austen’s characters, although providing satirical criticism of society, have little depth because they all want higher status and more wealth. The women want to marry wealthy men to raise their standing in society, and the men want beautiful women who will make them look good to other men. The plot and the characters are very predictable in Pride and Prejudice, almost so much as to make the novel completely uninteresting. The plot and characters of Wuthering Heights, however, are less predictable and more interesting to follow because they have a much deeper psychological aspect. Because Wuthering Heights has much more depth than Pride and Prejudice, it would be much more interesting to study because there is much more to examine within the story.

Word Count: 249

Kallen Prosterman's Final Post

Both Charlotte Bronte and Jane Austen present classical works of literature that capture the hearts and minds of readers. Picking just one of the authors’ novels to study in class has been challenging. One could argue that both Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice offer enthralling insight on the complex elements of human nature. Austen’s novel discusses the pressures that society brings upon daily life and the common human desire for a higher status. However, her writing style does not grasp the depth of humanity with the same intensity as Bronte’s unique narrative technique, nor does the story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy display the same powerful view of human emotions as Heathcliff and Catherine’s agonizing struggle to gain unity. Bronte narrates through the perspectives of two characters with contrasting personalities. Her writing style is simplistic, leaving some details mysterious, which capture a sense of realism not evident in Austen’s writing. Wuthering Heights, unlike Pride and Prejudice, contemplates in detail the power of emotions and the ability human nature has to destroy itself. Love, the most deep and intense expression of passion capable by the human heart, is apparent in the themes of both novels. In Pride and Prejudice, love is able to withstand the obstacles created by society. However, only in Wuthering heights does love possess the capability of obliterating life. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love for each other dominated all of their life’s actions. In the final conversation between Heathcliff and Catherine, Heathcliff is murdered by his own human nature, the passionate love he has for Catherine. Wuthering Heights captures such a unique view of humanity that Pride and Prejudice does not even come near replicating. Therefore, Bronte’s novel would be a more rewarding and enriching novel to study in class.

Olivia Marchbanks Final Argument

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte is the novel that should be taught in class because it is such a complex book requiring much discussion of plot motifs, story frames, and the Gothic hero. The motifs of death and isolation are seen quite frequently throughout the novel. The contrast of each character’s death in the novel becomes a focal point, for instance how Edgar dies peacefully and Cathy dies with ferocity. Wuthering Heights also dwells constantly upon death. Heathcliff longs for death after Cathy passes away then with his own death, Heathcliff and Cathy are united. The motif of isolation is also seen in many aspects of the novel. Not only are there very few characters in the novel but also most are completely separate in there ideals as Wuthering Heights is separate from civilization. The frame of the story would also yield an animated discussion because it becomes quite confusing when Lockwood tells a story he heard from Nelly who heard her story from Zillah. This would be a very beneficial aspect of Wuthering Heights to discuss in class because understanding the story’s frame is essential to understanding the book and knowing how biased some aspects are. Finally we should discuss this novel because the story is about a Gothic hero. Gothic heroes are seen throughout literature and Heathcliff is a classic example. This quite unlike Pride and Prejudice, which though it was an enjoyable read, contains more realistic, concrete character emotions which do not need to be studied in depth in an eleventh grade classroom because we have already explored irony and would benefit more from pursuing the less straight-forward aspects of Wuthering Heights.

Allison Connell: Final Post

While both Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights are commendable works of English literature, Bronte’s novel, with its more challenging series of plot sequences, wide range of literary devices, and deep exploration of the human psyche, would be the better choice for the classroom. Firstly, while Pride and Prejudice contains straightforward narration, characters with easily understandable motives, and “hardly suspenseful” endings, Wuthering Heights employs twists and turns, love triangles, and actions that leave the reader grasping for an explanation. Secondly, although Austen implements irony and satire very skillfully, Bronte’s use of frame narration, the Byronic hero, light versus dark symbolism, and significant perspectives is more beneficial to a group of young writers. Bronte’s superb application of these tools provides these impressionable students with worthy examples of literary devices to implement in their own writing. Finally, while Austen delivers an admirable critique of women’s limited independence in 18^th century society, these are familiar concepts to the reader and cannot compare to Bronte’s unprecedented probing voyage into human nature. Bronte takes the reader deep into the consciousness of Catherine, Heathcliff, and other characters, inviting him or her to examine their words and actions and wonder what emotions drive them to act the way they do. This journey into the very essence of the human psyche presents many interesting discussion topics that would be excellent themes to delve into in the classroom. Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, with its ability to transcend common literature’s purposes and offer a complex view into the nature of the human soul, is clearly the superior novel to analyze.

Word Count: 263

Easton, Celia A. "How to read Jane Austen." An Introductory Talk for the First Day of ENGL 358 Major Authors: Jane Austen SUNY Geneso.

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.

Liz Damoc's Final Argument

Both Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights are incredible novels that have a lot to offer their readers. After careful consideration, I really think we should study Wuthering Heights this school year. Although both novels are love stories, Wuthering Heights has an enticing complex love between Catherine and Heathcliff. Their love is intense and passionate, but unlike Pride and Prejudice's Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Catherine and Heathcliff's love has a dimension of true darkness that is not found in traditional love stories. In contrast, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's love at the end of the novel ends in a fairy tale-like fashion with true happiness. By studying Wuthering Heights, our class can study the different angle of love that Bronte uses throughout the novel. Although their love ends in death, one might analyze why the reader is still so attracted to Catherine and Heathcliff's complex relationship. Bronte dives into the souls of the characters and shows their deepest pain that accompanies love, while Jane Austen's character exemplify the more shallow, satyric views of marriage and love. Along with more complexity, Wuthering Heights contains the uncommon frame story, that adds even more dimension to the novel and keeps the reader interested and alert. Pride and Prejudice is indeed a timeless classic, but it is has many stereotypical qualities of a love story and was even made into a major motion picture. All in all, I think studying Wuthering Heights would be a more effective use of time in the classroom because of the complexity and depth of characters and their intertwining relationships.

Word Count: 262

Mary Stevenson's Final Argument

Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice both exemplify extraordinary works of literature; however, Wuthering Heights would be the best to study because Bronte surrounds the characters with contrasting environments and emotions that develop the suspenseful plot. As Herbert Goldstone states, “the principles of storm and calm” are witnessed within the places of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. While the former produces a chilling, dark effect upon the reader, the latter creates an open, inviting environment. Each environment consumes it’s inhabitants and provides for a chilling story. Little Catherine seems innocent and naïve while living at Thrushcross Grange, but upon being forced to live with Hareton at Wuthering Heights, her demeanor and attitude completely change. This alteration of behavior can be traced to the environments Bronte describes so perfectly in her novel. Jane Austen’s novel, however, focuses on social satire and romance. While these are enticing subjects, they seem to be quite too common in English literature. Bronte’s use of contrast and emotions seem to grasp the reader’s interest in this atypical novel. The “great force of feeling” each character witnesses and experiences provides the reader with a sense of understanding to the themes of revenge and guilt. The range of emotions, Edgar’s gentle and endearing love and Heathcliff’s overbearing and intense affection, creates great contrast. Austen’s novel, however, fails to exhibit complex feelings besides pride and prejudice. Therefore, Wuthering Heights would be the best choice to study because Bronte exhibits how contrasting settings, characters, and emotions can bond together to create excellent literature.

Word Count: 255

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.

Emily Holliday: FInal Argument.

Both Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Austen's Pride and Prejudice embody literary concepts and tools, however i believe that Austen does a better job of connecting with the reader through her writing and that is why I think we should study Pride and Prejudice. Austen perfectly uses the literary elemnt of satire, and honestly satire seems to be more easily understood and more easily taught to teenage girls. We all undersand sarcasm extremely well. Bronte has deeper and more complex characters, however i believe that the satire and the concept of love the way Austen portrays it is a better suit for a St. Mary's classroom. The characters in Pride and Prejudice are definitely more relatable than those of Wuthering Heights. We would all have to be depressed and full of spite and revenge to be able to fully understand and appreciate Bronte's characters. To understand Austen's style of writing and her meaning, one simply needs to have a sense of humor and a very light understanding of love and how silly it can make women act. Therefore i believe that at St. Mary's we should learn about Jane Austen's Prode and Prejudice becuase of her perfect embodiment of satire through her Characters and the games they play with love and men. Also, i would love to hear what Mrs. Goodman has to say about how Ridiculous her characers are.

Final Argument- Sarah Castle

There are many different reasons as to why we should read Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice. When many people hear the name Pride and Prejudice, a romance novel is what usually comes to mind but truly Pride and Prejudice is much more than just a love story. First of all Jane Austen was able to write a novel that basically criticizes the belief that many Americans have that class and wealth are everything in a marriage and have her novel become a best-seller. Personally I think it would be fun to read this novel because there are several similarities to Jane Austen’s depiction of the 1800’s and today’s society. Jane Austen also had a very different style of writing than other writes during her time period which I believe would be fun to learn about. One of the things I really enjoyed about Pride and Prejudice is that instead of the usual masculine hero Jane Austen writes about feminine heroines. After reading both “Wuthering Heights” and “Pride and Prejudice” I would much rather study “Pride and Prejudice” because although I did enjoy “Wuthering Heights” it seemed as though it was just another one of those summer novels we had to read whereas “Pride and Prejudice” sort of jumped out at me. Reading “Pride and Prejudice” would not only be a fun topic to start the school year off with but would also be very educational.

Final Novel Arguement- Leah Jalfon

Susannah Griffee Final Post

Wuthering Heights rises above literary convention and predictable themes to mold a challenging, disturbing view of human nature that incites as much condemnation as admiration; in contrast, Pride and Prejudice substantiates understandable themes in a less controversial form. The literary and thematic innovation of Wuthering Heights emerges in impassioned critical responses, active dialogue with the reader, revolutionary use of literary form, and disturbing manifestations of human nature. An Atlas review of 1848 called Wuthering Heights “inexpressibly painful,” J. Hillis Miller called the text “over-rich,” and Herbert Goldstone called Bronte’s work “radically different from most other novels.” Bronte’s novel compels such fierce commentary through forcing active reader participation in the story’s dialogue of human savagery. Wuthering Heights also propagates the complex and instructive literary forms of the Byronic hero, the Gothic romance, and the frame narrative, thus engaging in the intent intertextual discussion between works of literature through both drawing liberally from literary tradition and profoundly influencing modern writings. Many argue that Pride and Prejudice conceals a treasure of satirical themes beneath a homogenized plot; however, the most meaningful books in the classroom are also the most challenging, and Pride and Prejudice neither disturbs nor confuses the reader. Where Pride and Prejudice employs only the traditional meaning of love, which Goldstone correctly describes as “the deepest and most complex of all human impulses,” Bronte characterizes love’s profound and taboo barbarity. Wuthering Heights burns bare human brutality into the souls of its readers; Bronte’s excruciating flame will blaze for years to come.

Word Count: 250

“Later Critical Response to Wuthering Heights.” Brooklyn College Department of English. 24 Oct. 2005. 12 Aug. 2008
http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/wuthering.html.

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.

*The citations would not indent, I apologize.

Bonnie Hopkins: Final Argument

In both Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights, readers realize that love is more important than the desire to reach great popularity in society. This lesson is taught more clearly in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Austen uses satire in her novel, and indicts that she is frustrated with society's customs. In the introduction of the novel, she states that a bachelor "in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife," and criticizes about the families that force their daughters into marriages which are primarily for the money more than love. The reader encounters ridiculous characters such as Mrs. Bennett and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Mrs. Bennett, the mother of five daughters eligible to wed, and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, a rich widow and owner of the Rosings, both believe it is important to marry into a wealthy family that will give them security. However, money does not bring happiness into a marriage.
Austen proves that women don't necessarily have to depend on men in order to become prominent in society. At the end of the novel, Elizabeth Bennett does marry a very wealthy man who happens to be wealthier than her sister Jane's husband, Mr. Bingley. However, Elizabeth is not marrying for the security and high status, but she is marrying Mr. Darcy because she loves him. In conclusion, Pride and Prejudice teaches readers that love is not true if women rely on the security and hopes of high status in society from wealthy men.

Lucy Foster Final Argument

Bronte’s Wuthering Heights has more value in a classroom setting than Pride and Prejudice because it is more controversial, is less known, and is written in a frame story style. Wuthering Heights has so much to delve into. Gothic romances contain so many more elements of literature than simple, pure romances, like Pride and Prejudice. In addition to the twisting love story plots that both novels contain, Wuthering Heights contains ghosts, settings that frighten the reader, and more realistic characters. The character’s in Bronte’s novel are so well developed and have very real emotions. While both of these novels are beautiful, timeless classics, Wuthering Heights is the less well known of the two stories, especially to a high school student. It is most valuable to spend time with a story not as popular and not as comfortable. Furthermore, in 2005, Pride and Prejudice was adapted into a major motion picture. Most high school students know the story before ever picking up Austen’s actual novel. The last screen version of Wuthering Heights was in 1992. Finally, Bronte’s novel contains that wonderful frame element. Whereas Pride and Prejudice can potentially be a dull read, Wuthering Heights keeps the reader on his toes by having to constantly toggle between plots and perspectives. High school students are not very familiar with the frame style, and need to study it so that they will be able to incorporate this advanced skill into their own writing. Of the tow highly acclaimed novels, Wuthering Heights offers the most to a high school student.

Word count: 256

L. Pelts

I believe that Pride and Prejudice should be taught in the classroom for many reasons. I think we should learn about Jane Austin's novel because it would be more helpful. Although Charlotte Bronte in Wuthering Heights uses a more complex writing style, Jane Austin uses elements such as satire and criticism along with the writing style frame story. Also both novels Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice teach good lessons but in my opinion Pride and Prejudice teaches a better lesson especially for girls. In Wuthering Heights the lesson taught is about the consequences of actions. In Pride and Prejudice the basic lesson is love but there is a deeper lesson. That deeper lesson taught is learned from Lady Catherine and Elizabeth. Lady Catherine is a satire character and Jane Austin mad her as a bad character to demonstrate criticism on the wealthy. Although she is a negative character Lady Catherine teaches a good lesson. Lady Catherine teaches the lesson that all women do not need a man. Elizabeth teaches the lesson that a woman can say no when proposed to if they know they deserve better or are not in love with that man. This is shown when Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collins proposal because she loves and wants to marry Mr. Darcy. Both of these lessons i believe are important for girls today especially the lesson taught by Lady Catherine. I believe that Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin should be taught in the classroom opposed to Charlotte Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Rachel Green Final Argument

Although the romantic and enthralling plot of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice seems to attract many fans, Emily Bronte’s experimentation with the frontiers of literature in Wuthering Heights offers multiple possibly educational aspects and is therefore more worthy of classroom study. Bronte delves deep into the intricate and difficult aspects of literature, interweaving the complex narration of a frame story, complicated characteristics of a Byronic Hero, and the dark and mysterious features of a gothic romance into a sophisticated, well-balanced novel. Meanwhile, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice lingers on the surface of the intricacies of literature, choosing instead to focus on social criticism and satire, thoroughly entertaining but not necessarily challenging the reader. Bronte’s unique approach to narration requires the reader to recall not only the events of the two independent stories told in Wuthering Heights, but also the various opinions of each of the unique narrators. Students would benefit from studying Wuthering Heights simply for this aspect because frame stories are not extremely prevalent in most novels. Austen’s approach to narration is instead chronological and does not easily provide a classroom discussion topic because of its uniqueness or difficulty to master. Wuthering Heights’s dark and mysterious gothic qualities, as well as the presence of the Byronic Hero, also add suspense, drama, and conflict to the novel, making it not only educational but also entertaining. Wuthering Heights’s obvious educational benefits and possibilities provide sufficient reason to teach this novel as opposed to Pride and Prejudice during the school year.

Word Count: 249

Ellie Park's Final Post

Although both Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights are exemplary and renowned works, Wuthering Heights, with its use of literary devices such as frame narratives, multifaceted characters and plot, and complex exploration of societal expectation, ethics, and emotion, ultimately would serve as the best option in the classroom. Firstly, both works challenge the technical abilities of the reader. While Pride and Prejudice employs irony and delicate word play, Wuthering Heights utilizes frame narratives and other quick shifts of perspective. Therefore, the works seem equal on this count. Secondly, Wuthering Heights incorporates more complicated characters and plots. Though Pride and Prejudice has strong female heroines, Wuthering Heights also possesses such a heroine, namely Catherine, in addition to the Byronic hero Heathcliff and other multifaceted characters that challenge reader’s perceptions and assumptions. In addition, the plot of Wuthering Heights, with surprising twists, revenge, and other complex elements, is undoubtedly more difficult than the straightforward and predictable narrative in Austen’s novel. Finally, Bronte’s book gives rise to more meaningful discussion than the work of Jane Austen. Both of these works provide commentary on social expectations and the meaning of love, but Wuthering Heights goes even further including life after death, revenge, betrayal, the mystical, and other themes in its extensive array of subject matter. These addition topics would allow more fruitful discussions and debates in class. Therefore, the wide range of character, plot, and theme found in Wuthering Heights ultimately create a novel better suited to the school environment.

Word Count: 250
Works Cited
Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.
Easton, Celia A. "How to read Jane Austen." An introductory talk for the first day of ENGL 358 Major Authors: Jane Austen SUNY Geneso.

K. Hennessy's Final Post

Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights are both classic works of literature that are perfect for young female readers who are learning in the world to love and grow. While Pride and Prejudice is a unique story of young women asserting their independence as well as falling in love, Wuthering Heights is addresses the difficult struggle between love and passion in a time where society is high judgmental. I believe Wuthering Heights is most crucial to teach in the classroom because it examines every angle of love and shows the truth of how painful love can be and how it can affect a person. While Jane Austen presents a new way to read literature through her ironic take on society, Bronte digs into the soul's of her characters to discover their motives and their true pain in love. Elizabeth Bennet in Austen's novel asserts herself as a female in a male dominated society but as women today we have learned to stand on our own feet without a man. The character's in Bronte's Wuthering Heights must learn the pain and loneliness that accompanies love quite often. As critic Celia Easton addresses Austen's plot is too simple and predictable. Austen caters to the reader's desires while Bronte is more concerned with demonstrating the truth and hurt rather than pleasing readers. Wuthering Heights introduces us to frame work and one-sided narratives. Bronte's take is new and interesting while Austen's work is familiar and lovable. While we learn to love in Pride and Prejudice, we learn the consequences of our actions for love in Wuthering Heights.

Word Count: 263

Easton, Celia A. "How to Read Jane Austen." How to Read Jane Austen. 1999. 12 Aug. 2008 .

Allie Baker's Final Post!

I believe that Pride and Prejudice would be the better novel to be taught in the classroom because of the valuable lesson that Austen teaches that women do not need a husband to live and because of Austen’s great use of satire and social criticism. Austen’s novel contains more elements, like satire and criticism, than Bronte’s which I believe would be more helpful to learn about. The lesson that women do not need a man to fulfill them is still important today because so many women believe that they need a man to be happy, but as Austen so greatly illustrates with Elizabeth, one does not need to settle for something less than he or she deserves. Austen’s use of satire for this idea that women must get married proves to the reader how ridiculous such a thought is, and Jane Austen uses this literary element very well. Austen uses the satire to criticize the society and its beliefs towards women, and this novel certainly contains much social criticism, but Austen proves that women can live on their own with Elizabeth’s character, a strong and independent women that does not settle for Darcy, a haughty man, who knows that women are concerned in meeting a man and so he thinks that he can get away with such behavior. Elizabeth knows that she deserves better and I think that this theme is very important to girls today, and so I believe that Pride and Prejudice should be taught in the classroom.

Word Count: 250

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen are both books that girl should be encouraged to read as they grow up and are forced to make decisions about love and family, but as a St. Mary's student, I believe that the book that should be taught in class is Wuthering Heights. Although each book is intriguing in its' own way, the complexity of Wuthering Heights makes it almost beyond our capacity to truly understand it, therefore we should have the opportunity to have open class discussions about our feelings and opinions towards the characters and their emotions and what effect both of these have on the plot of the story. As an example, I am very confused by the character of Heathcliff. It seems as though some girls love Heathcliff's tragic character, and others are forced to hate him for the way he lives his life. The idea that Jane Austen is trying to get by to her reader is very self explanatory, there is more to life than marriage and there is more to marriage than just any man. Although Mr. Darcy's complex character shows us the power of love through his sweet love for Elizabeth, Heathcliff shows us a more tragic power of love as he is forced to be the image of a Byronic Hero. Heathcliff's image as a Byronic Hero makes Wuthering Heights much more complex and controversial and therefore needs to be discussed between my fellow St. Mary's friends and taught by my AP English teacher Mrs. Goodman.

word count: 254

Denise Lee's final post

Jane Austen uses satire and irony in her novel Pride and Prejudice to create a great work of literature but one cannot overlook the interesting literary elements Emily Bronte inserts such as Byronic hero, frame narratives, and the gothic romance\setting into her novel Wuthering Heights. One of the interesting elements about Wuthering Heights was how the main character Heathcliffe is a Byronic hero. One would think that Heathcliffe could not be considered a hero of any kind because of his negative personality. After reading the article about the Byronic hero, I see that Heathcliffe upholds all the characteristics to qualify him as a Byronic hero. This concept is a little hard to grasp at first. Another element that Bronte uses is the frame narrative unlike Jane Austen’s novel. The frame narrative is what makes Wuthering Heights such a hard novel to read because the reader must keep note of who is telling the story at what time. Pride and Prejudice does not have a frame narrative so it makes it a much easier to follow. Therefore, any student can read it without any classroom help. In Goldstone’s article “Wuthering Heights Revisited”, he explains that the “richness of perspective” adds to the mysterious, gothic feel throughout the novel which is another important element in Bronte’s novel. This element makes it a more interesting read compared to Pride and Prejudice. Both novels are excellent romance novels but Wuthering Heights presents a more realistic view of love which can be at first a little hard to understand. Therefore, I firmly believe that Wuthering Heights would be a more appropriate classroom novel.

Word Count: 270

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.

Rachel Blackwell: Final Post

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, is the better choice of the two novels to read in Mrs. Goodman's AP English class because it offers a frame story, allows for the study of a byronic hero, and entails society's less popular idea of love. Although Pride and Prejudice disbatches powerful opening lines, the basic plot is handed to the reader from the very beginning. Because Wuthering Heights opens into a frame story of which the reader must choose to either agree or disagree with Mr. Lockwood before being introduced to the plot, it becomes evident that the novel concentrates more heavily on the characters and leaves the reader to infer the missing parts of the plot. Personally, I think that as students, it is more valuable that we study a different, more intriguing way that authors can begin their novels, along with the reasoning behind it. Just like a frame story is new to us, so is the byronic hero. Because the word hero is entirely over-used and commonly misused, I think it is important to analyze the different types of heroes and why certain people classify them that way. Without the article, "Characteristics of a Byronic Hero," I would have never been introduced to this new type of hero and therefore, possibly misunderstood and discredited Heathcliff. Contrary to Hollywood's enchanting, mystical portrayal of love, I think that as teenage girls, it is very important to also understand one of the ultimate themes of Wuthering Heights, love is destructive. Although Austen does a wonderful job of emphasizing the importance of love in a marriage, Hollywood illustrates that concept quite well also in the movies it produces and the different successful and failure proned marriages of celebrities. Wuthering Heights exposes the reader to not only Cathy and Linton's splendid true love, but also the presence of a very corrupt man Heathcliff, victimized by true love's passion, which is rarely seen. On the whole, Wuthering Heights should be further analyzed in the classroom because of the new and different elements of a novel that it offers.

C. Segal's final Argument

Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice are both outstanding novels and timeless favorites. I am so glad that we were forced to read these classics, or I’m sad to say, I may never have been able to experience them. When asked to answer this question, I without a doubt would love to study Wuthering Heights in the classroom. The complexity of this novel far surpasses that of Pride and Prejudice, where the plot, characters, and relationships are pretty simple and easy to understand. The shift of narrators and tone of voice, in WH, makes it more challenging to follow. I would love to go into more depth with all the characters, and the reasons for the unique behaviors and feelings. In PP, Austen is making fun of the small-minded society, so the situations are not complex. Never have I experienced a relationship like that of Catherine and Heathcliff. Their situation is so intricate, and it is really left up to the reader whether to love or hate it. Also, all the characters, setting, and situations tie into one. Wuthering Heights shows that love does not always provide happiness, like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s love. However, love is the redeeming quality in Catherine and Heathcliff’s tragic relationship. While both authors offer so much wisdom for the reader, Bronte’s work requires reading many times to fully grasps all the messages in Wuthering Heights. I truly hope we study this in class, so I can fully benefit from the novel.

Nica Cabigao: Final Argument

Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice are both outstanding novels and timeless favorites known for their romance, captivating characters, and controversial issues. However, when it comes to the more beneficial novel to study in a classroom, Wuthering Heights’ complexity makes it the far superior novel to study more in depth. Although Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a classic romance story and loved by many, the plot, relationships, and connections are fairly simple in comparison to that of Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. There are few, if any, relationships in romance novels that can be compared to that of Catherine and Heathcliff’s. Bronte’s use of Nelly’s harsh criticism towards both characters forces the reader to wonder whether Bronte wants the audience to condemn Catherine and Heathcliff’s love or adore it. This would be a very interesting and controversial topic to discuss in a classroom. Also, the concept of love overpowering the norms of society and lasting beyond the grave are theories that are rarely taught in classrooms. The concepts of love in Pride and Prejudice are that of a passion exceeding and rebelling against society. Although the story is riveting and exciting, it can be found in many novels. The dark and unrevealed side of love, not seen in many romantic novels, is the kind of love that is seen in Wuthering Heights. Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is a lovely, charming, and easily adored novel. However, reading and studying Bronte’s Wuthering Heights would be a richer and much more fulfilling classroom experience.

Word Count: 251

Mary Conaway's Final Argument

For the purposes in our classroom, I believe that Pride and Prejudice was the most valuable novel to read. Austen's use of literary devices such as humor and irony were very informative. Also, the morals taught in the book are directed towards teenage girls and what they are going through. It is a tale of real love and not the fake marriages people pursued in that time period. It teaches girls that they are capable of anything they would like and not to settle for someone they do not really love. Elizabeth did not chase an eligible bachelor, she let the one she loved chase her. Austen portrays all of her characters as naive women who just believe that marriage is about wealth and power. Elizabeth knows this is not true. Through these naive characters, Austen is trying to prove that they are incorrect which creates irony. It is also very humorous how ridiculous her character such as Mrs. Bennet are and how obsessed they are with marriage and not necessarily love. Through Elizabeth, Austen shows us how a woman who is independent can still find love, or anything she wants. We should read this because not only is it a tale that displays how beautiful love can be, it has morals that teach every girl to pursue what she wants in life and to be an independent woman.

Adrienne Jackson's Argument

The most educational novel is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This novel contains advanced techniques regarding character development, use of detail, and satire. Austen uses the strong role of characterization to develop the plot, which, for her time period, is a unique device that Austen uses to continue the story. The plot of Wuthering Heights is continued by the change in perspective from character to character, but is mainly progressed through one character, which limits the amount of insight the reader can have on the story. Austen's use of detail is present in her careful analysis of her characters' interactions. For example, Asten uses the reactions of Elizabeth to the behaviors of Mr. Collins as a detail that allows the reader to notice Mr. Collins's smugness. Emily Bronte does use a large amount of descriptive detail, but her amount of detail can often be overwhelming and not necessarily related to the advancement of of plot or characterization. In Pride and Prejudice, Austen's use of irony and satire are key elements that contribute to the novel's importance. Austen shows satire through her characters, such as the witty Mr. Bennet. Satire is the fundamental device that Austen uses in her writing to comment upon the shortcomings of her society. Bronte's novel is rather lacking in satire because it is not a novel that comments comically upon the standards of her society. Although Wuthering Heights is highly useful for its language style and perspective changes, Pride and Prejudice is more useful for its development of character and advanced use of satire.

Word Count: 258

Anna Lauren's Final Argument!

Although both Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights are excellent novels,
Wuthering Heights should be reread and taught in class, because it contains certain elements that many people are not familiar with such as the Byronic Hero and the deeper and darker concept of love that brings pain and self-destruction . As girls grow older, they encounter traditional concepts of Pride and Prejudice, like the strong heroine and the idea of marrying for love, in everyday life. These images are nothing new, but the notion of Wuthering Height’s Heathcliff as a hero instead of heartless, revengeful villain is harder to believe. Upon further inspection however, Heathcliff does fit the definition of a Byronic hero who “does not possess heroic virtue in the usual sense”, but instead is wildly passionate, deeply haunted by his past, and in Heathcliff’s case doomed to a life of agony by his love. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love cannot be taken lightly, because it is the only thing they each live for, yet it also brings their ultimate ruin in the end. This love does not provide them with happiness like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s love, but it does seem to be the redeeming quality in their tragic relationship. Both Bronte and Austen offer so much wisdom to their readers, but Austen clearly criticizes aspects of society that can be understood on the first reading. Bronte on the other hand seems to require multiple rereading and deep inspections of Wuthering Heights to fully understand all of her messages.

Word Count: 255

Citation:
“Characteristics of the Byronic Hero.” Charlotte’s Web: A Hypertext on Charlotte
Bronte’s Jane Eyre . University of Michigan. 12 Aug. 2008 .
.

Folake Thomas' Final Argument

The novels Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights by Charlotte Bronte are both exceptionally well written books that should both be further studied to capture, in depth, the important meanings that both novels have to offer. However, if having to chose one of the two to study, Wuthering Heights would be the choice due to its difficult ability to be read and understood from reading it as a virgin to Charlotte Bronte’s writing style. The way things are shifted such as narrators and tone of voice makes it somewhat hard to follow, and sometimes the point is missed. Although the structure of Wuthering Heights is very basic and “its clear, unified, and dramatic plot structure,” helps in lessening the confusion and makes the plot line easy to follow and allows one to gain further knowledge of what is going on. Due to the complexity of Wuthering Heights, it should be studied to be able to master exactly what is to be gained from reading it as well as giving one a better understanding of how to go about books being introduced to an unfamiliar author and writing style. Pride and Prejudice seemed easy to follow after about the first chapter or two and one might feel as if they grasped the idea when the book ended; on the other hand, reading Wuthering Heights seemed more difficult and due to that may have left more questions and many unknown discoveries and points unanalyzed. Studying Wuthering Heights would be beneficial to one as a great learning experience and just overall help readers better understand the novel as a whole.

Works Cited:
Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1959): 4.

Word Count: 270

August 11, 2008

Cassidy Gubin's 250 word paragraph

Both Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights were very good books to read this summer. I love how they were both so different from each other even though they are both love stories. Knowing that only one book can be taught this year, personally I think that Pride and Prejudice would be the better choice. This book is such a classic and everyone knows about it. I want to hear it from a teachers point of view because maybe I am missing something important that I did not know about. Also i think it is important how Jane Austen is very similar to Elizabeth Bennet. I like how she uses Pride and Prejudice as a satire. This is another reason to read Pride and Prejudice because it would be interesting to talk a lot about a satire and hear more about all of the satire she used in writing her book. Wuthering Heights was a very good story, but sometimes it is a little confusing which can throw me off. Even though this is not the choice I want as Goldstone says, "it is still an exhilarating book because of its enormous vitality and the force of its insights into human feelings." I agree with Goldstone completely because that is what Wuthering Heights happens to be. It is also that one person is narrating the story in Wuthering Heights while in Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen writes it, but everyone gets to narrate a little during the story. Pride and Prejudice would also be better to teach because of all the irony that Jane Austen uses, and especially her use of strong heroines for the characters because of how she thinks women should really be treated. Pride and Prejudice just can relate so much more to real like than Wuthering Heights and can show the readers how times used to be for all women.

word count: 267

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1949): 4.

Easton, Celia A. "How to read Jane Austen." An introductory talk for the first day of ENGL 358 Major Authors: Jane Austen SUNY Geneso.

Although Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a great novel with revolutionary ideals and an incredible plot, Emily Brontё's Wuthering Heights has more value in the classroom. Wuthering Heights is a novel that not only captures the attention of its audience with plot twists and mystery, but one that causes one to gain a new perspective of love through the plight of its characters. Pride and Prejudice is a very simplistic piece of literature that, without much effort, is fairly easy to grasp. Goldstone states in his comments about Wuthering Heights, that Emily Brontё "does not oversimplify nor make reality so complex as to be almost meaningless." This to be very true when comparing the two novels. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice has a reality so complex that it is virtually meaningless. Though Pride and Prejudice does give a revolutionary perspective of women as independent beings who do not really need men to achieve happiness, it contains a plethera of superfluous details that do not serve any meaningful or underlying purpose.Wuthering Heights contains much more meaning far deeper and more valuable because of the complex writing form used in completely explicating the extreme emotional range and elaborate plot. While the purpose of Austen's novel is blunt, Brontё's message is more difficult to find. Also her use of a byronic hero adds to the complexity and emotionally rich plot of the novel. Austen's work is much too simplistic to be considered for educational purpose when compared to that of Brontё.

Exerpt from "Wuthering Heights Revisited" by Herbert Goldstone from the English Journal, April 1959, Vol XLVIII, No. 4.

C. McCool Final Argument

Although both Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte are excellent novels, Pride and Prejudice would be better suited to be taught in the classroom because of its controversial social criticism, beautiful use of humor and sarcasm, and revolutionary view of women. While Wuthering Heights may have, as Herbert Goldstone says, great “insights into human feelings,” Pride and Prejudice’s strong analysis of society cannot be ignored. The novel is full of ideas to be discussed in the classroom such as the effects of marriage and social class on society. So controversial are her proclamations that Ralph Waldo Emerson even said that the book was “vulgar in tone” and “imprisoned in their wretched conventions of English society.” Obviously the book caused uproar. Not only would the social criticisms in this book be interesting to discuss, but also would be the way Austen uses humor and sarcasm to show these criticisms. She exaggerates her characters to show just how absurd the culture of society is becoming. Finally, Pride and Prejudice attempts to provide the women of her time with an example of a strong and intelligent character. Austen’s novel is complete with embarrassing women who represent those of society in that day. However, she also includes Elizabeth Bennet who proves to be logical in thinking. Pride and Prejudice would definitely be the better choice to teach in class because its criticisms would be interesting to discuss and her writing style would be fascinating to study.

Word Count: 248

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1959): 4.

"Jane Austen's Critics."

Allie Pryor: Final Post

Although Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice, is a riveting story about the pressures of society and the power of a young woman, Bronte's novel, Wuthering Heights, should be studied more in schools. Pride and Prejudice teaches a clear lesson about the empowerment of women and the absurdities of society in the 1800's but Wuthering Heights is written in such a complex writing style that it is a little harder to grasp. As Goldstone states, Wuthering Heights "has an almost monumental simplicity…that makes it a very moving novel". This "simplicity" that is Wuthering Heights makes this novel a complicated story to follow. Through the frame story, the points of view change and the stories and details told by the different people must be put together to fully understand the depth of this book. Pride and Prejudice on the other hand is a fairly easy book to comprehend. Austen clearly portrays her thoughts about the emphasis of marriage in her time through satire and makes it easy for the reader to understand the character of Elizabeth Bennet and her quest to break free from the mold that society gives women. Bronte does not come out and state the lessons and important values of Wuthering Heights as easily as Austen does. In order to understand the meaning of Wuthering Heights, you have to dig deeper than the novel itself. Also, the use of a Byronic hero as the main character makes this novel even more interesting to study and it builds onto the already intriguing and dark plot.

word count: 256

works cited:
Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1959): 4.

Lauren Echlin's final post

After reading both Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice this summer, Charlotte Bronte's Wuthering Heights seems to be the better choice for reading this year in the classroom. While Austen's Pride and Prejudice may be a classic favorite to most students, Wuthering Heights will give the classroom a better study for complex literature. The novel is written with a frame structure, which many have not read with before, making this study of the novel more interesting and new. Although the frame story seems to make the reading more difficult, it is all the more reason as to why we should study the novel together. Whereas with Pride and Prejudice, it can be read without a teacher's help, so we should not really waste that time doing so in the classroom. Bronte's novel also has an errie gothic feel to it, making the read more exciting than that of a normal love story. Bronte builds up passionate relationships in her novel with a different sense of love between her characters than that of Austen's. Bronte also does an excellent job of keeping the two different settings of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange separate, while still contrasting them as light and dark. There are also many other contrasting views displayed in the novel for us to discuss in the classroom. Overall as described above, Wuthering Heights should be chosen for our classroom to study, because of its writing style and complex storyline.

Word Count: 240

Sims Munn's Final Post

Bronte uses a frame story as well as a Byronic hero to create a gothic romance in Wuthering Heights which enthralls the reader and makes them view love in a whole different way. However after reading Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the reader can understand the social criticisms Austen makes and relate them to her own day. Wuthering Heights contains social criticisms as well but ultimately Pride and Prejudice brings more to the table. Although some of her critics may argue that Austen’s novel lacks “genius, wit, or knowledge of this world,” they are clearly not looking past the romantic plot of this story. The thought that Pride and Prejudice does not contain any with can be immediately repudiated when one looks at the satire Austen uses to criticize her society. Austen may have more knowledge of the world than any of her critics because she can see the way her society obsesses over marriage and diminishes females to finding their worth in who they marry. The reader can look at these social criticisms that Jane Austen addresses and apply them to her own society. The female reader especially can question what pressures still exist against women in society. During Austen’s time, girls felt pressure from their families and society to find a suitable husband and live a well off life. Today, girls feel pressure from all sides to look or act a certain way. Wuthering Heights is an excellent novel filled with many great literary techniques but ultimately Pride and Prejudice leaves the reader with a longer lasting knowledge and understanding of society that they can carry with them forever.

Word Count: 271

Works Cited:

"Jane Austen's Critics."

C. Greenstein: Final Post

Pride and Prejudice's fascinating social criticism and distinct irony render Austen's novel to remain a personal favorite; however, the dramatic plot, contrasting love stories, and original writing style of Bronte's novel make Wuthering Heights a richer piece of literature to study. Bronte's complexity of a frame story, both challenging and unique, seems perfect to analyze in a classroom as it "delineates the kinds of understanding and misunderstanding of the characters," according to Goldstone’s commentary on the novel. Mrs. Dean’s original perspective shows much depth as a result of the emotions that Nelly senses when experiencing character conflicts and feelings that readers sense toward such characters. The characters of Pride and Prejudice, meanwhile, do not contain the emotional depth that needs to be further analyzed after reading the novel. The concept of a Byronic hero in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff, and his "war against everyone else, as well as himself" adds to the gothic romance of a dramatic plot and relationships. The separate generations of Cathy, Linton, and Hareton, and those of Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar, are connected by the Byronic hero because of “his love for Catherine which dominates his life and strongly affects that of the other characters.” The undying passion is evident throughout the tale and overwhelms Pride and Prejudice’s simple, civil passion. Pride and Prejudice is merely viewed as a delicate tale of love and society compared to the "enormous vitality and the force of its insights into human feelings" of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, an enriching novel to study.

Word Count: 254

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1959): 4.

August 10, 2008

Mary Jensen Final Post

Although both Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Austen’s Pride and Prejudice deserve immense recognition for their complex plots and deep romances, Bronte’s novel should be discussed in classes more. Pride and Prejudice, however, is an amazing romantic novel full of plot and intriguing character problems; yet, this novel could be read alone, without the help of a mentor highlighting important literary parts of the novel. Wuthering Heights, on the other hand, is not so easy to understand. Bronte is genius in making the novel “through a number of persons’ eyes” as Goldstone points out; yet, this complex plot makes the novel hard to read. Although this novel might be confusing, it is known that it “has an almost monumental simplicity…that makes it a very moving novel.” Although unlike Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights does not extensively teach of challenges to society or how social classes have changed, it is an important literary novel and is essential for students of the novel to understand. Bronte’s novel teaches of different kinds of love, as Goldstone points out, which is very appealing to high school girls to learn more about. Not only is it appealing, but it is crucial for eleventh grade girls to learn about these kinds of love. To the students, it is necessary for this novel to be a “moving novel”, and unlike Pride and Prejudice which already makes an impact on the reader in a romantic way, Wuthering Heights needs an explanation by a professional to fully understand the perfection of difficulty that Bronte creates in this novel.

Word Count: 258

Works Cited:

Goldstone, Herbert. "Wuthering Heights Revisited." The English Journal XLVIII (1959):

August 15, 2008

August 13, 2008

August 12, 2008

August 11, 2008

August 10, 2008

Pride and Prejudice

Wuthering Heights

Links

Blog Archive