Question

Wuthering Heights has qualities of a gothic novel, but it also differs from examples of that genre. Based on the video you saw and the lesson’s reading, describe some traits of the novel that are gothic and some that are not typical of that genre.

Answer 1

The following aspects of Wuthering Heights conform to the traits of a gothic novel:

the setting of the windswept moors, with a gloomy, dark atmosphere that pervades the manor Wuthering Heights

supernatural events, such as sightings of Catherine’s ghost by Lockwood and Heathcliff

violence depicted in Lockwood’s nightmare, in which the ghost-child’s hand is rubbed against the broken windowpane until it bleeds

a sense of mystery evoked by the gloomy, brooding landscape and Heathcliff’s strange behavior

The following elements do not fit into the gothic genre:

a realistic portrayal of the class differences in nineteenth-century England, as reflected in Hindley’s behavior toward Heathcliff

the rise of the moneyed middle class as a result of the Industrial Revolution, as portrayed by Heathcliff’s transformation to a wealthy gentleman

a somewhat happy ending, with the death of Heathcliff and the marriage of the younger Catherine and Hareton, who become the owners of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange