Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Key Quote from Heathcliff from Chapter 16 'May she wake in torment!' he cried, with frightful vehemence, stamping his foot, and groaning in a sudden paroxysm of ungovernable passion. 'Why, she's a liar to the end! Where is she? Not there—not in heaven—not perished—where? Oh! you said you cared nothing for my sufferings! And I pray one prayer—I repeat it till my tongue stiffens—Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you—haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always—take any form—drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!
AP Guiding Questions:
Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil to a main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.
In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively and negatively, the present actions, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole. Do not summarize the plot.
Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a “discerning Eye.” Select a novel or play in which a character’s apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the “madness” to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
From a novel or play choose a character (not necessarily the protagonist) whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling forces and explain how this conflict within one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home yet finds that home remain significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and reasons for it continuing influence. Explain how the character's idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work.
Select a novel, play, or epic in which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminated the meaning of work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or one of comparable literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.
In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which acts of cruelty are important to the theme. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim.
Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonesty may be intended either to help or to hurt. Such a character, for example, may choose to mislead others for personal safety, to spare someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime. Choose a novel or play in which a character deceives others. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the motives for that character’s deception and discuss how the deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Select a novel, play, or epic poem that features a character whose origins are unusual or mysterious. Then write an essay in which you analyze how these origins shape the character and that character’s relationships, and how the origins contribute to the work as a whole.
Suggested Themes:
Why does Wuthering Heights a novel that remains in the Literary Cannon of great works?
Is Wuthering Heights a Gothic Novel? What is a Gothic Novel?
Is Wuthering Heights a Love Story?
Is Wuthering Heights a Romance Novel? How is Romance defined in Literary Terms?
Are the Landscape and homes important? Do they add to to story?
What is the Climax in Wuthering Heights?
Are there parallel stories in Wuthering Heights? If so, why do they reveal?
Do Violence and Desire go hand in hand in Wuthering Heights?
Does love that never changes destructive?
How does the ides of doubles reveal itself in Wuthering Heights?
How are the Moors and Ghosts symbols?
What are your thoughts on the following themes
Additional Information
The Victorian Web
The Reader’s Guide to Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights"
Images of what the Moors look like in Yorkshire
Image of Emily Bronte
Byronic Hero
Choose a novel or play in which a minor character serves as a foil to a main character. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the relation between the minor character and the major character illuminates the meaning of the work.
In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively and negatively, the present actions, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character’s relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Many writers use a country setting to establish values within a work of literature. For example, the country may be a place of virtue and peace or one of primitivism and ignorance. Choose a novel or play in which such a setting plays a significant role. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the country setting functions in the work as a whole. Do not summarize the plot.
Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a “discerning Eye.” Select a novel or play in which a character’s apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance of the “madness” to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the plot.
From a novel or play choose a character (not necessarily the protagonist) whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling forces and explain how this conflict within one character illuminates the meaning of the work as a whole.
Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home yet finds that home remain significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and reasons for it continuing influence. Explain how the character's idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work.
Select a novel, play, or epic in which a character experiences such a rift and becomes cut off from “home,” whether that home is the character’s birthplace, family, homeland, or other special place. Then write an essay in which you analyze how the character’s experience with exile is both alienating and enriching, and how this experience illuminated the meaning of work as a whole. You may choose a work from the list below or one of comparable literary merit. Do not merely summarize the plot.
Choose a novel or play in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.
In literary works, cruelty often functions as a crucial motivation or a major social or political factor. Select a novel, play, or epic poem in which acts of cruelty are important to the theme. Then write a well-developed essay analyzing how cruelty functions in the work as a whole and what the cruelty reveals about the perpetrator and/or victim.
Many works of literature contain a character who intentionally deceives others. The character’s dishonesty may be intended either to help or to hurt. Such a character, for example, may choose to mislead others for personal safety, to spare someone’s feelings, or to carry out a crime. Choose a novel or play in which a character deceives others. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the motives for that character’s deception and discuss how the deception contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
Select a novel, play, or epic poem that features a character whose origins are unusual or mysterious. Then write an essay in which you analyze how these origins shape the character and that character’s relationships, and how the origins contribute to the work as a whole.
Suggested Themes:
Why does Wuthering Heights a novel that remains in the Literary Cannon of great works?
Is Wuthering Heights a Gothic Novel? What is a Gothic Novel?
Is Wuthering Heights a Love Story?
Is Wuthering Heights a Romance Novel? How is Romance defined in Literary Terms?
Are the Landscape and homes important? Do they add to to story?
What is the Climax in Wuthering Heights?
Are there parallel stories in Wuthering Heights? If so, why do they reveal?
Do Violence and Desire go hand in hand in Wuthering Heights?
Does love that never changes destructive?
How does the ides of doubles reveal itself in Wuthering Heights?
How are the Moors and Ghosts symbols?
What are your thoughts on the following themes
- Revenge
- Family
- Love
- The Supernatural
- Suffering
- Society and Class
- Foreignness and the Other
- Betrayal
Additional Information
The Victorian Web
The Reader’s Guide to Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights"
Images of what the Moors look like in Yorkshire
Image of Emily Bronte
Byronic Hero