Wuthering Heights Social and Physical Barriers

A detailed Summary of Wuthering Heights Social and Physical Barriers

- In life, individuals are faced with many social and physical barriers that they must choose either to overcome, or let these barriers impede our future. In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, these physical and social barriers, both prevent and allow true love from either fading or thriving. The actions taken by the characters are mainly motivated by the intense and contradictory emotions of both love and hatred. Catherine is motivated by money as well as her quest in becoming a true lady, regardless of the consequences it may have on her and those around her. Distance is a barrier, which prevents any chance of true love occurring between Heathcliff and Catherine, therefore when Heathcliff runs away, and the possibility of their romantic relationship, true love, comes to an abrupt end. Death, final and irreversible, is the ultimate physical barrier. Catherine and Heathcliff are eventually separated by it, Catherine deceases while Heathcliff lives; he then attempts everything in his power to try to be with her again.

Catherine is torn between the social barrier of money and social standing in the novel. She must choose to either follow her heart to her true love Heathcliff; or to marry for money and raise her social

Heathcliff can not be with Catherine now that she has past; and the thought of this drives him to the brink of insanity and closer to his own death which he awaits with out fear. He even goes as far as claiming to see Catherine at the dinner table and questions Nelly if they are alone in the room "Turn round, and tell me, are we by ourselves?" (Bronte, pg 314) Heathcliff thinks that he sees another person, another person who he believes to be his true love, Catherine. Heathcliff however, still pines for Catherine with all his mind body and soul. He misses her so much in fact he begins preparations for his own death "Last night, I was on the threshold of hell. Today, I am within sight of my heaven. I have my eyes on it, hardly three feet to sever me!" (Bronte, pg 311) Heathcliff is so miserable in his life without Catherine, that he is killing himself; he will not eat anything Nelly prepares for him and starves himself to death. This is how Heathcliff over comes the almighty barrier of death. In death Heathcliff is now at one with his true love Catherine and they may now be together for eternity.

Death a final and irreversible state is the ultimate physical barrier. Upon Catherine's death, Heathcliff begins to see her face everywhere he looks,

The novel Wuthering Heights love is the strongest impulse that drives the characters in the novel. It brings forth many obstacles which they may attempt to overcome or be halted by them. If the love is disallowed the result is hatred. When it is unopposed it brings only the true happiness a person can get. When Catherine married Edgar to improve her social status it enraged Heathcliff into a fury of hate towards Edgar and his bloodline. When Heathcliff ran away to places unknown, the hate built inside him was simply amplified. After Catherine died, Heathcliff still loved her to the point that he would see her face in the clouds or even in trunks of trees. Heathcliff's love was very real. But it made him miserable because he could not have his true love for she was dead. His love is so strong for her in fact, that he starves himself to death in the name of love to overcome the barrier the final barrier of death. Heathcliff became "love sick" and died only to be with his one true love. He would rather be dead than alive and loving someone who ceased to exist anymore. Passionate, a

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Approximate Word count = 1576
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English