Impact On Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

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No one can doubt the impact Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights novelists in the future. Wuthering Heights was not the ideal definition of a love story. This novel brought froth many problems with Victorian culture at the time. Over time there has been books and films based off the theme and characters of Wuthering Heights. Mainly, the relationship of Heathcliff and Catherine, has been keyed on. Their relationship brought forth many issues for people in the Victorian Society. While it cannot be proved that William Steig's novel Shrek, which was turned into a mainstream movie, was influenced by Wuthering Heights the similarities cannot be ignored. Both Shrek and Shrek 2 can be used as a modern example as a retelling of Wuthering Heights. Although, …show more content…

Looking at the Victorian Era a scholar can agree with Pykett's statement. There were many societal issues in the Victorian Era. Such as child labor laws, high poverty rates, and horrible living conditions. The sexism that women had to face may have been the biggest issue. The condition women dealt with during this time were unacceptable. Facing such issues as not being able to vote, not having education, being viewed only as housewives, and not being treated like a human being stood out. In Wuthering Heights there is a significant mistreatment of women. The scholar sees strongly the problem with male dominance in this …show more content…

In the short story, Somebody's Trying to Kill Me and I Think It's My Husband: The Modern Gothic the scholar sees traits of what the characteristics of a Heroine is. One example the article points out is for a character to be a Heroine "Her happiness with the Super-Male is threatened" (97 ). In Wuthering Heights, Cathy became depressed when Heathcliff left away from home. Also, when he came back and she could not be with him, it played a part in her depression and eventually contributed to her death. The last few moments when Heathcliff was in her presence she felt peace before she died. Fiona, in Shrek, when trapped in the castle she was not happy. But, when Shrek came to rescue her she eventually found happiness. Another example, in Shrek 2, when Fiona was being courted by Prince. Charmin, and Shrek left the town her happiness left with him. Two more situations that create a Heroine, first is, "She can be saved" secondly, "She can be uncertain of her man's real intentions toward her" (112). Cathy although, she was not fully saved by Heathcliff she put her faith mainly in him to rescue her. When it came to being misunderstood and needing someone to be there for her, Heathcliff did not let her down. Throughout Wuthering Heights, there was a back and forth of doubt on the love at times between Heathcliff and Cathy. After Heathcliff left Wuthering Heights and came back to

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