Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Wuthering Heights

So many things happend in the last chapters! It all happend so fast, it almost seems unrealistic. Young Cathrine and Linton finally meet. They enjoy eachothers presence although Linton is very sick. Heathcliff wants the two to get married and vigorously pushes for that to happen. Edgar falls very ill and evntually dies. Shortly after that Linton and Cathrine marry. Heathcliff demands Cathrine move to Wuthering Heights and Nelly can't come with her. Cathrine doesn't like it there but stays with Linton most of the time. Linton ends up dying aswell and Cathrine is left alone at estate. Heathcliff eventually allows Nelly to come live with them. Shortly after Nelly arrives Heathcliff starts acting very strange. He doesn't eat at all and slowly becomes weak untill he eventually dies. He is burried next to Cathrine and the towns people say they see two spirits roaming at night. Cathrine marries Hearton and The two, along with Nelly, live in Thrushcross Grange.

This novel was your typical romance novel times 10! However, after getting passed the old english language I really enjoyed it. Right from the start I was able to connect or have emotions towards the Characters and their actions or decisions. I felt badly for Heathcliff in the beginging. IN the middle of the novel i hated him for being so cruel. But then in the end, I felt bad for him again because you realize he is a good person who been hurt by his past and just really wants to be with his love Cathrine. I never cared much for Edgar. He did nothing good and took Cathrine away from Heathcliff. I respect Nelly for how much she has done for young Cathrine. She wasn't able to have her mother in her life and nelly steped up and played that role for her.

As much as I love romance, love and drama, there was almost too much of it in this novel. The amount of drama was worse than high school. Who loved who and who wanted revenge, who stole who from someone else. It was all a bit too much.

Overall thought I liked the novel very much.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

wuthering heights

Although these chapters didn't evoke as mant feelings as the last couple, they are still very intresting; maybe the most intresting yet.

A few days after her encoutner with Heathcliff, Nelly waits for Edgar to go to church and she gives Heathcliff's letters to Cathrine. Just as she does this Heathcliff himself walks into the room. I found this to be a little too coincidental, almost too far fetched. But anyway, Heathcliff and Cathrine begin at arguing. Cathrine says she can't die before Heathcliff gives her forgiveness. He says he can forgive her for marrying Edgar but he will not forgive her for hurting herself the way she has. HE beleives she has done this to herself. In the heat of thier argument Edgar walks in, Nelly screams and Cathrine collapses into Heathcliff's arms. Heathcliff forces Cathrine into Edgars arms and demands she be taken care of. Heathcliff leaves and waits in the garden for Cathrine to be alright.

This next part was my favorite in these chapters. At midnight Cathrine gives brith to a baby girl named cathrine 2 months pre-mature. Sadly, Cathrine died two hours later. This is very unfortunate but it deffinatly adds an intersting twist. When Nelly tells Heathcliff of the death he already known. He pleads and begs with Cathrine's spirit to haunt him for the rest of his life. He despreately wants to be with her. While this is a tad creepy, it's very romantic.

After Cathrine's funeral, Hindley and Heathcliff fight vigorusly. Isabella goes to tell Nelly of the events then leaves for London. She keeps in touch with Nelly for the next 12 years and gives birth to Heathcliff's son, Linton. Although Heathcliff is aware of his wife and child's were abouts he does not pursue it. After her son's 12th birthday, Isabella dies.

6 months after Cathrine's death, Hindley dies. There seems to be a lot of death in these chapters. Heathcliff now owns Wuthering Heights and raises Hareton himself.
Young Cathrine is now 13 and has grown to be a lovely young girl but strong-willed and tempermental. Her father will not let her go off the grounds of Thrushcross Grange and she has no knowledge of Wuthering Heights. This makes me sad because Wuthering Heights was such a big part of young Cathrine's mothers life.

One day when Edgar gets word that Isabella is dying, he goes to London to take charge of Linton. While he is gone, young Cathrine is left in Nelly's care and is bale to escape the confines of the Grange. She is on her way to visit the fairy caves and passes Wuthering Heights. She meets Hareton and they spend a wonderful day together. This makes me happy because Cathrine should be able to experience her mother's past. Nelly then comes to get her and Cathrine refuses to leave. Nelly reveals to her that Hareton is her cousin and although she is sceptical Cathrine listens. Finally Nelly persuades her not to tell her father and to go home.

The following day Edgar returns home with Linton. He is a pale, weak, winny young man and Cathrine doesn't like him. Edgar is orderd by Heathcliff to bring Linton to The Heights and Nelly does so. Heathcliff is rude and calls Linton's mother a slut. Linton pleads with Nelly not to leave but she does anyway.

This makes me sad. Heathcliff should love and care for his son. He should want to help him be a strong, smart young man instead of being mean and scaring him. The Fact that old Cathrine dies makes me the saddest in these chapters because I really hoped she and Heathcliff could end up together.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

wuthering heights

These next coupple of chapters brought many different feelings while reading them.
Before Nelly continues telling her story to Lockwood, she reveals that she doesn't know where Heathcliff went or what he did during the 3 years he was away, but that is how he mad his fortune. Right away this made me mad that the author is hiding this.
However, my mood changed when Nelly starts telling the story again. Six months after Cathrine and Edgars wedding, Heathcliff suprises everyone at Thrushhold Grange but showing up there this new polished, clean-cut gentleman. Cathrine is so excited to see him and her feelings for him were not easily hidden. This made Edgar jelous. I don't blame him, but It makes me happy that Heathcliff is back. I want him and Cathrine to be together. That looks like it can happen becuase Heathcliff announces that Hindley has invited him to stay at Wuthering Heights. Cathrine and her sister in law Isabella visit Wuthering Heights quite often; enjoying their time with Heathcliff. Isabella especially enjoys her time. She begins to fancy Heathcliff. This is not a good sign because out of spite to Edgar and Cathrine, Heathcliff does not discourage isabella's crush.
The next chapter is filled with drama and while its very entertainging, it does bode well for the Heathcliff- Catherine love life. Catherine demands that Heathcliff tell her his true feelings baout Isabella after Nelly tells her the two kissed in the kitchen. Heathcliff becomes agerd by the fact that Cathrine asked that and tells her she betrayed him by marrying Edgar and he intends to get revenge. Nelly informs Edgar of this agrument and he storms into the room. he and Heathcliff start to bicker and Edgar punches Heathcliff in the neck, both men leave. Afterwards, Edgar demands Cathrine choose between Heathcliff and himself. Cathrine becomes inraged and locks herself in a room for two days.
When Cathrine finally allows people to see her, she is hysterical and talking obsessivly abour death. She feels she is dying. She talks about her childhood with Heathcliff and can't understand whty Edgar won't speak to her. Cathrine says that although, she will die, her spirit will never truly rest untill she is with Heathcliff. Nelly calls in a doctor who says he is somewhat optimistic Cathrine will survive. Later that night Isabella and Heathcliff elope. Edagr disowns her as his sister. Reading this depressed me. Cathrine is not supposed to die and Heathcliff is supposed to marry her not Isabella!
This chapter was a suprise for me. After two months of nursing Cathrine back to health, Edgar, Nelly and Cathrine discover Cathrine is pregnent. After that shock, Nelly receives a letter from Isabella saying how much she hate being with Heathcliff. He told her that since he can't take his anger out on Edgar for marrying Cathrine, he will take it out on Isabella. The letter also talks about how Hindley wants to kill Heathcliff and showed Isabella the weapon he plans to do it with. He wants Heathcliff's fortune.
Nelly goes to Wuthering Hieghts to visit Isabella and when she arrives, Heathcliff presses her for info. on Cathrine. He gives her a letter and demands it be brought to Cathrine.
These Chapters were by far my favorite so far. The book has deffinatly become more exciting. I find myself getting emotional with the love story of Heathcliff and Cathrine.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

wuthering heights

Hindley and his wife come back to Wuthering Heights for Mr. Earnshaw's funeral and he is determine to get revenge on Heathcliff. He declares that Heathclif will no longer be able to get an education and will work as a common laborer in the fields. Luckily, Heathcliff escaped Hindely and went to play with Catherine. This starts to make me dis-like HIndley. However, after reading the next part, I turn to hate him. One day when Cahterine and Heathclif were off playing, Hindley orderd that all the doors be bolted and the children were not allowed inside. The fact that he could be so mean to children really aggrivates me. Later, that day Healthcliff tells Nelly about how he and Catherine were playing and she was bitten by the Linton's dog. Mr. Linton informs Hindley of this and Heathcliff is forbid to see Catherine. I don't understand why Hindley is so mean to Heathcliff.
Catherine spends many weeks recovering from her bite at the Lintons house called the Grange. There she learns how to be a lady. She is tought proper manners and how to dress. When she comes back to Wuthering Heights at Christmas time, Heathcliff is only allowed to greet her like the other servants and when he does, she says to him, "If you wash your face and brush your hair, it will be alright: but your so dirty!" This upsets Heathcliff very much and he storms away. Reading this i start to develop and little dis-like for the Linton's. Its as if they turned Cathrine against Heathcliff. After being shot-down by Cathrine, Heathclidd vows to Nelly that he will get revenge on Hindley.
The novel skips ahead to the summer of 1778. After Frances dies from child brith, Hindley tells Nelly to raise the baby; he had no intrest in it and became an alcoholic from being depressed about Frances' death. Cathrine and Edgar Linton have been spending more time with eachother and when she is with him she acts like a proper lady. However when she is with Heathcliff, she acts her normal self. Cathrine seeks out Nelly in the kitchen privatly. She tells her that Edgar asked her to marry him and she had accepted. however, she didn't feel she could do that becasue Hindely had degrated him. Heathcliff hears this and storms away in a fit of rage. He leaves before he can hear Cathrine say, "Heathcliff...shall never know how i love him...he;s more myself than I am...Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." This clearly is a foreshadowing of whats to come concerning this love triangle. Cathrine will begin to battle with what is acceptable in society and what she really wants.
That night Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights. Cathrine spends the night in the rain sobbing and searching for him. She catches a fever and almost dies but is taken to The Grange and recovers. Three years later Edgar and Cathrine marry. Nelly transfers to the Grange so she can now sever Cathrine and her Husbend.
These chapters really allow the reader to connect and develop feelings towards the chatacters. I have really felt for heathcliff and im rooting for him and Cathrine to be together in the end.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Wuthering Heights

Well, despite the language, I am getting the hang of the story, but it's not easy. For example, when Lockwood can't get in the house, he shouts , "Wretched inmates, you deserve perpetual isolation from your species for your churlish inhospitality." I get that he is mad, but the phrasing is so old fashioned. Reading Joseph's dialogue might be the worst of all. It reminds me of the way Mark Twain wrote in Huckleberry Finn where the words are written just as the accent sounds.

It was surprising at first that everyone in Wuthering Heights (the house) is so crabby. Heathcliff is the worst, I think, but his daughter in law sounds like a real witch too. Her name is Catherine which made me wonder if she is related to the "Cathy" we hear about later in the book. And Joseph the servant seems to be able to get away with attitude more than any servant I ever read about. It's like he has some special privileges, but he is always mad about something too. I'm still very confused about how they are all related, even though my book has a family tree at the beginning.

I liked when Lockwood found the diary of Cathy's. At least she sounds like she is a character I would like. A spitfire, though, not a typical sweet little girl. And so far Heathcliff as a kid is almost two sided. One part of him is quiet and the other is trouble. This quote from Nelly sums him up when she said, "he was as uncomplaining as a lamb, though hardness, not gentleness, made him give little trouble." So that means that he was good when he was sick but it's because he was really a hardened person that made him so quiet. She confirms this when she says, "I thought him not vindictive" but "I was deceived completely." So I think he will be sneaky and mean soon, which sounds like the rotten character we have met already. I guess just hearing about his childhood -- how he was brought to their house as an orphan and no one wanted him -- makes me see how he would grow up to be such a bitter man. Or, did something horrible happen during his time living with the Earnshaws that has made him this angry as an adult?