Wuthering Heights: Violence and cruelty

Summary

The video script discusses the pervasive violence in 'Wuthering Heights,' highlighting its shocking impact on early readers. It delves into the novel's portrayal of cruelty from the beginning, with children's harsh treatment of Heathcliff and the calculated violence in the latter half. The script suggests Emily Brontë's fascination with violence may stem from primal emotions, creating a novel that is both seductive and terrifying. Early reviews found the book disgusting yet powerful, showcasing Brontë's innovative contribution to English literature.

Takeaways

• 📚 'Wuthering Heights' is characterized by its violent themes, evident from the outset with Lockwood's encounter with aggressive dogs and a bucket of cold water.
• 🐶 The presence of violence is not limited to adults but is also depicted among children, showing a cycle of cruelty that permeates throughout the novel.
• 🎁 Catherine Earnshaw's request for a whip from Liverpool, and the arrival of Heathcliff instead, symbolizes the introduction of a destructive force into the family.
• 🔪 Heathcliff embodies a cruel power that is initially raw and uninhibited, but becomes more calculated and strategic in the latter part of the novel.
• 🔮 The novel's portrayal of violence was shocking to early reviewers, who found it to be wild, disgusting, and horrifying, contrasting with the genteel novels of the time.
• 🤔 Emily Brontë's fascination with violence may stem from her ability to tap into primitive and primal emotions from childhood, contrasting with the controlled adult world.
• 📖 The novel is seen as a departure from the norm, introducing a new element to the English novel that combines seduction with terror.
• 😨 Early reviews described the novel as shocking and disgusting, with details of cruelty, inhumanity, and diabolical hate and vengeance.
• ❤️ Despite the violence, there are passages that testify to the supreme power of love, suggesting a complex interplay between love and hate.
• 👩‍🦰 The female characters in the book are described as having a strange, fiendish, and angelic nature, being both tantalizing and terrible.
• 👨‍🦰 The male characters are deemed indescribable, with their nature being so unique that it defies description outside the context of the book.

Q & A

How is violence introduced in the beginning of 'Wuthering Heights'?

Violence is introduced right from the start when Lockwood is attacked by savage dogs and then doused with cold water upon entering the house.

What did Cathy ask for as a present from her father from Liverpool, and what did she receive instead?

Cathy asked for a whip as a present, but instead, she received Heathcliff.

How does the treatment of Heathcliff by the children reflect the theme of cruelty in the novel?

The children's cruel treatment of Heathcliff upon his arrival at Wuthering Heights sets the tone for the pervasive theme of cruelty throughout the novel.

What does Cathy say to Heathcliff and Linton that exemplifies the level of cruelty among the characters?

Cathy expresses her cruelty by saying, 'I hope he'll flog you sick,' which shows the harsh and uncontrolled nature of the characters' interactions.

How does the violence in 'Wuthering Heights' evolve from the first to the second half of the book?

The violence becomes more controlled and calculated in the second half of the book, with Heathcliff using his power in a more realistic and strategic manner.

What was the reaction of early reviewers to the violence depicted in 'Wuthering Heights'?

Early reviewers were shocked and disgusted by the details of cruelty, inhumanity, and diabolical hate and vengeance in the novel.

How does Emily Brontë's portrayal of violence differ from the novels of her time?

Emily Brontë's portrayal of violence is more wild, uninhibited, and shocking, contrasting with the genteel novels that were common during her time.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the women characters in 'Wuthering Heights'?

The reviewer describes the women in the book as having a strange, fiendish, angelic nature that is both tantalizing and terrible.

What is the reviewer's opinion on the men characters in 'Wuthering Heights'?

The reviewer finds the men characters indescribable, suggesting that their nature is so complex and multifaceted that it cannot be easily summarized.

How does the novel 'Wuthering Heights' unite seemingly incompatible qualities?

The novel unites seductive and terrifying qualities, offering a powerful testimony to the supreme power of love even over demons and the human form.

What might be Emily Brontë's fascination with violence according to the script?

Emily Brontë's fascination with violence might stem from her ability to keep in touch with primitive, primal emotions from her childhood, which she could control as an adult but knew could be much more cruel or destructive.

Outlines

00:00

🔥 'Wuthering Heights': A Tale of Unbridled Violence

The script begins by highlighting the pervasive violence in 'Wuthering Heights', from the initial encounter with aggressive dogs to the cruel treatment of Heathcliff by the children. It discusses how the characters, even the children, engage in cycles of violence, with Cathy's request for a whip symbolizing the environment's harshness. The narrative's brutality is contrasted with moments of love, creating a complex and shocking impression on early readers. Emily Brontë's novel is noted for its raw and primitive emotions, offering a stark departure from the genteel novels of the time, and eliciting strong reactions of shock and disgust, yet also fascination.

Keywords

💡Violence

Violence in the context of 'Wuthering Heights' refers to the physical and emotional aggression depicted throughout the novel. It is a central theme that begins with the initial encounter of Lockwood with the dogs and continues with the cruel treatment of Heathcliff by the children. The novel explores how violence perpetuates through cycles, affecting characters' relationships and their development.

💡Savagery

Savagery is used to describe the raw and untamed nature of the violence in the novel. It is evident in the attack on Lockwood by the dogs and the harsh treatment of Heathcliff, illustrating the primal and uncivilized aspects of human behavior that Emily Brontë explores.

💡Cycles of Violence

Cycles of violence refer to the recurring patterns of aggression and cruelty that characters in the novel engage in. This concept is integral to the narrative as it shows how violence is not an isolated event but a continuous chain of actions that affect multiple generations.

💡Heathcliff

Heathcliff is a central character in 'Wuthering Heights' who embodies the destructive and cruel power mentioned in the script. His presence and the way he is treated by others, especially as a child, contribute to the development of his vengeful nature, which is a driving force of the novel's violent theme.

💡Cathy

Cathy is a complex character whose interactions with Heathcliff and others highlight the novel's themes of cruelty and love. Her request for a whip, which is fulfilled with Heathcliff's arrival, foreshadows the violent and tumultuous relationship they share.

💡Cruelty

Cruelty is a key aspect of the interpersonal relationships in the novel. It is depicted through the harsh treatment of Heathcliff and the verbal abuse among characters, such as Cathy's wish for Heathcliff to be flogged. This cruelty is a manifestation of the violence that permeates the story.

💡Controlled Violence

In the latter half of the novel, Heathcliff's violence becomes more calculated and controlled, a shift from the initial unbridled aggression. This change reflects a maturation in his character and a strategic use of violence to achieve his goals.

💡Primitive Emotions

Primitive emotions refer to the raw, instinctual feelings that the characters in the novel possess. The script suggests that Emily Brontë's characters are able to maintain a connection with these primal feelings, which underlie their adult behaviors and contribute to the novel's violent undertones.

💡Incompatibility

Incompatibility in the novel is seen in the juxtaposition of seductive and terrifying qualities. The early review mentioned in the script captures this duality, highlighting how the novel's shocking content is intertwined with its powerful portrayal of love.

💡Genteel Novels

Genteel novels refer to the refined and polite literature that was popular during the time 'Wuthering Heights' was written. The script contrasts these novels with the raw and violent nature of Brontë's work, emphasizing the novel's departure from the literary norms of the period.

💡Demonic and Angelic Nature

The script describes the women in the novel as having a 'fiendish, angelic nature,' suggesting a blend of good and evil within their characters. This duality adds depth to the portrayal of female characters and contributes to the novel's exploration of complex human emotions and motivations.

Highlights

Wuthering Heights is an extraordinarily violent book from the very beginning.

Lockwood's arrival at Wuthering Heights is met with violent dogs and a bucket of cold water.

Cycles of violence are evident among the children in the novel.

Heathcliff's introduction to the family is marked by cruelty from the children.

Cathy's request for a whip from Liverpool symbolizes the destructive power that Heathcliff embodies.

The novel's portrayal of cruelty and violence shocks early reviewers.

Heathcliff's calculated violence in the second half of the book is more controlled and realistic.

The novel's wild and uninhibited nature was seen as disgusting and horrible by some readers.

Emily Brontë introduces a new element of violence to the English novel.

The fascination with violence may stem from Brontë's connection to primitive emotions from childhood.

The novel explores the duality of adult control and underlying cruelty or destructiveness.

Early readers were shocked and surprised by the novel's violent content.

Wuthering Heights was a departure from the genteel novels that readers were accustomed to.

An early review describes the novel as shocking, disgusting, and almost sickening, yet powerful in its portrayal of love.

The novel unites seemingly incompatible qualities of seduction and terror.

The women in the book are described as strange, fiendish, and angelic, while the men are indescribable.

Transcripts

Wuthering Heights is an extraordinarily violent book and it's there right from the beginning

- you know, Lockwood turns up at Wuthering Heights and these great savage dogs attack

him and knock him over and then when he's brought into the house, they immediately throw

a bucket of cold water over him. So that right from the start, everybody gets caught up in

cycles of violence and it's there even among the children, so the children, when Heathcliff first appears, are really really

cruel to him. So that Cathy, when she asks for a present

from her father from Liverpool - she asked for a whip - what she gets instead of the

whip, is Heathcliff. And he has that destructive, cruel power through the book and at first,

it just seems very uninhibited - all the children are cruel to one another, but also the way

they speak to each another, you know - Cathy says, "I hope he'll flog you sick", she says

of Heathcliff and Linton. It gets more controlled in the second half of the book and whether

Heathcliff calculates his violence much more realistically in a way in the second half

and it's something that shocks so many of the early reviewers of the book. It seems

this completely wild, uninhibited book, disgusting, horrible, violent and that's something I think

that readers - since the novel's been written have responded to and it's something new that

Emily Brontë brings to the English novel.

It's hard to know why Emily Brontë was so fascinated by violence. I think it's the way

that they managed to keep in touch with very primitive, primal emotions in their childhood

and so that they can do the adult controlled things, as it were, but they know that what

lies underneath it can often be much more uninhibitedly cruel or destructive.

So, it's a very violent novel and the first readers, I think, were shocked and surprised

by it and it was, it seemed so different from the kind of genteel novels that they were

often used to. So, an early review wrote:

‘In Wuthering Heights, the reader is shocked, disgusted, almost sickened by details of cruelty,

inhumanity and the most diabolical hate and vengeance. And anon come passages of powerful

testimony to the supreme power of love, even over demons and the human form. The women

in the book are a strange, fiendish, angelic nature, tantalizing and terrible and the men

are indescribable out of the book itself.’

In many ways, that's quite a positive review, but captures really well both how shocking

the novel was and the way that it unites apparently, incompatible qualities - that they're both

seductive and terrifying at the same time.