Wuthering Heights Flashcards
What is the central theme of Wuthering Heights?
The destructive nature of obsessive love and revenge.
What does the name ‘Wuthering Heights’ symbolize?
It reflects the stormy, tumultuous nature of the characters and their emotions.
How are Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff connected thematically?
They represent a passionate but toxic love that defies social norms and ultimately leads to destruction.
How does Catherine define her love for Edgar vs. Heathcliff?
Her love for Edgar is like the foliage, but her love for Heathcliff is like the eternal rocks—deep and elemental.
Why does Heathcliff marry Isabella Linton?
To get revenge on Edgar Linton and Catherine by hurting those close to them.
How does social class affect Heathcliff’s life and motivations?
Heathcliff’s low social status fuels his resentment and desire for revenge.
What role does the setting of the moors play in the novel?
The wild, untamed moors mirror the tumultuous emotions and relationships in the novel.
How does Thrushcross Grange contrast with Wuthering Heights?
Thrushcross represents order, civilization, and gentility—opposite of the wild chaos of Wuthering Heights.
How does Edgar Linton contrast with Heathcliff?
Edgar is civilized, gentle, and refined—opposite to Heathcliff’s passionate and vengeful nature.
How does Catherine’s marriage to Edgar affect Heathcliff?
It devastates him and triggers his descent into bitterness and revenge.
What theme is reflected in the generational cycle between the two families?
The possibility of redemption and breaking the cycle of revenge and hatred.
How is Cathy Linton different from her mother, Catherine Earnshaw?
Cathy is more compassionate and self-aware, which allows her to escape the destructive patterns of the past.
What does Heathcliff’s death symbolize in the novel?
The end of a cycle of revenge and the release of tormented souls.
What role does Nelly Dean play as a narrator?
She provides structure and insight but is often biased, making her unreliable.
How does Lockwood serve the story?
As a frame narrator, his outsider perspective contrasts with the intense emotional world of the Heights.
How is nature used to reflect character emotions in the novel?
The wild moors reflect the characters’ inner chaos and emotional intensity.
What role does Hareton Earnshaw play in the novel’s resolution?
He represents healing and redemption by rising above the hatred of the past.
How is revenge portrayed in Wuthering Heights?
As a corrosive force that consumes Heathcliff and perpetuates suffering across generations.
Why is Heathcliff considered a Byronic hero?
He is brooding, mysterious, passionate, and ultimately self-destructive.
How does Isabella change after marrying Heathcliff?
She becomes disillusioned and eventually escapes, showing strength despite suffering.
What does the contrast between the older and younger generations show?
Growth and the potential to break destructive cycles through empathy and change.
How does the novel use supernatural elements?
Ghosts and omens reflect the intense emotional residue left by love and vengeance.
How does Heathcliff treat Hareton, and why?
Poorly—he sees Hareton as a way to exact revenge on Hindley, but Hareton eventually redeems himself.
What does Catherine’s ghost represent?
Unfinished passion and the haunting consequences of unresolved love.
