Main Article Content
Abstract
Wuthering Heights which has long been one of the most popular and highly acclaimed novels in English Literature, seemed to hold little promise when it was published in 1847, selling very poorly and receiving only a few mixed reviews. Victorian readers found the book shocking and inappropriate in its depiction of passionate, ungoverned love and cruelty (despite the fact that the novel portrays no sex or bloodshed), and the work was virtually ignored. Today, Wuthering Heights has a secure position in the cannon of world literature, and Emily Bronte is revered as one of the finest writers- male or female of the 19th century. Wuthering Heights is based on partly on the Gothic tradition of the late 18th century, a style of literature that featured supernatural encounters, crumbling ruins, moonless nights and grotesque imagery, seeking to create the effects of misery and fear. But Wuthering Heights transcends its genre in its sophisticated observation and artistic subtlety. The novel has been studied, analyzed, dissected, and discussed from every imaginable critical perspective, yet it remains unexhausted. And while the novel’s symbolism, themes, structure, and language may all spark fertile exploration, the bulk of its popularity may rest on its unforgettable characters. As a shattering presentation of the doomed love affair between the fiercely passionate Catherine and Heath cliff, it remains one of the most haunting love stories in all of literature.