Classic book takes editor to new heights

Grace Tadajweski l Editor-In-Chief

While it does not gain readership for its somber tone, the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë reels in the reader through its incredibly dramatic and ongoing storyline.

Wuthering Heights, a novel published in 1847, follows the lives of two households in the English moors: the Earnshaw’s and the Linton’s. As time progresses, family members come and go, change, and foster passionate feelings.

Unlike many other popular books, Wuthering Heights does not revolve around a certain event, goal, or issue. Instead of the book being led by an event, the story of Wuthering Heights is tied together based on its repeating themes: rivalry, death, anguish, and

forbiddance.

Wuthering Heights is also set apart from other books as it is told from a framework narrative style. In this way of writing, the narrator continuously changes throughout the novel as the speaking character’s relevance changes.

The framework narrative style allows the reader to hear from various different perspectives without being overwhelmed by many thoughts at once. This writing style is essential to the plot.

Wuthering Heights involves a wide array of characters that each contribute different qualities and atmospheres to the text. While some characters are only significant for a small section of the novel, others remain key characters through the novel’s entirety.

The book’s main characters are Mr. Lockwood, Catherine, Heathcliff, Hindley, Edgar, Nelly, Isabella, Joseph, Hareton, Cathy, and Linton. Because the span of time with which the book covers is so large, the reader gets to see multiple generations of the two households.

Often times, books written in earlier time periods are seen as a challenge due to their use of uncommon wording and dissimilar atmospheres to those of today. However, the time period of Wuthering Heights is one of the best aspects of the text.

The happenings in the book deviate so far from the normality of today due to the incredibly different context. The nineteenth century setting provides the reader with considerable ‘food for thought’ as what was deemed acceptable then strays very far from that of today.

Wuthering Heights is a classic that is far worth the read. The extensive time period, contrasting characters, and over-emotional tone ensure that the novel will be unlike others read before.