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.
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1 comment:
Ann,
Great opening sentence; the focus of your argument is clear and well stated! I think that your "spoon-fed" claim is the strongest part of your argument - P and P simply doesn't need as much instruction to understand. Perhaps you could have addressed the claim that Austen's themes don't transcend time more fully; too many critics would pounce on that one. Great post.
Mrs. G
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