Wuthering Heights

The novel takes place in the Yorkshire moors , which, thanks to this novel, became one of the tourist sites in England.

1801 A young resident of London, Mr. Lockwood, in search of solitude, settled in a provincial estate called Skvortsov Manor. He decides to visit his neighbor and owner of the estate of Mr. Heathcliff from the estate of Wuthering Heights. This man holds on rudely, aloof. Despite the cold reception, Lockwood decides to make a second visit ^[2] .

On the way to Thunderstorm Pass, the weather deteriorates and it begins to snow. The hosts did not express a particular desire to receive the guest again, but Lockwood still gets into the house. Here he discovers the other tenants of the Thunderclan Pass: Heathcliff's daughter-in-law, the widow of his son, and Herton Earnshaw. Relationships between the tenants did not differ in friendliness in relation to each other, and to Lockwood. The narrator wants to leave, but no one wanted to see him off into the dark, when all the tracks were covered with snow, and Lockwood was left to spend the night in Heathcliff's house ^[3] . Zilla, the housekeeper, takes him to the bedroom, which no one has long used. There, Lockwood finds a diary of a certain Catherine Earnsho , telling the story of two children: Catherine herself and Heathcliff. At night, Lockwood dreams of a nightmare in which he is haunted by the ghost of the deceased. The next morning, he returns to the Starling House and falls ill ^[4] .

Spending time in idleness during illness, Mr. Lockwood asks Ellen (Nellie) Dean, the housekeeper , to tell him about the inhabitants of Storm Pass, and finds out that Nellie Dean herself raised that young girl from the estate. She told the tragic story of Heathcliff.

Many years ago, Mr. Earnshaw, the owner of the Thunderstorm Pass, picked up the dying child and accepted him as his son. The boy was called Heathcliff. At first, he was brought up with his master's children, became very friendly with Katherine , but her brother, Hindley, because of jealousy hated the boy, beat him and mocked him ^[5] . Hindley was sent to college, and three years later, the eldest Earnsho died ^[6] .

Hindley returned to the funeral of his father with his wife, he became the new owner of the house and soon sent Heathcliff to work like a simple laborer, and then abandoned all worries about his sister, all the time spending with his wife. Heathcliff and Catherine were inseparable, until she came to the Lintons, who at that time owned the Starling Manor ^[7] . There she was taught to good manners, and she met the children of Linton Edgar and Isabella. Catherine's friendship with Linton became an apple of discord with Heathcliff, which by that time had become more wild ^[8] . Hindley Earnshaw had a son, named Harton, but Hindley's wife died immediately after giving birth. Having lost the most precious thing he had, he began to drink, began to run amok and turned into a “gloomy, fierce man” ^[9] . In contrast to Heathcliff, Edgar was distinguished by his noble education, gentleness, kindness, and excellent manners that attracted Catherine. She began to openly scoff at Heathcliff and reproach him for ignorance, which she involuntarily turned against Linton. Deep in her heart, realizing her love for him, Catherine decided to marry Edgar Linton. Heathcliff heard her talk about it with Nellie Dean, and right there, without saying goodbye to anyone, he left the Thunderstorm Pass. Catherine experienced this very hard, but having recovered, she nevertheless married Edgar and left the Thunderstorm Pass, having moved to the Skvortsov Manor. She took Nelly with herself, and little Harton was left alone in the care of her father ^[10] .

Three years later, Heathcliff returned and broke the peaceful course of life of Edgar and Catherine, who was mad with happiness at the sight of an old friend. It is clear that they loved and still love each other. The wanderer settled on the Thunderstorm Pass and very often visited the Skvortsov Manor. Hindley continues to drink and play cards at this time, and Heathcliff, who has grown rich over three years, provides him with money. Edgar did not like Heathcliff, but tolerated him for his wife. Isabella Linton falls in love with him, representing him as a romantic hero. Catherine, who knew her embittered soul well, tried to dissuade the sister-in-law (“He is a fierce, ruthless man, a man of wolf disposition”), but all in vain ^[11] . Isabella at the table for all said that Catherine was lying and denigrating Heathcliff. Then she makes fun of the girl and when she tells Heathcliff about her love. The poor thing runs away, and he reacts to it like this: “You would hear about strange things, if I had lived with her under the same roof and always see this sugary, wax face: the most common thing would be to take the rainbow patterns on his third day white and turn her blue eyes black, they are disgustingly like the eyes of Linton " ^[1] . However, after this conversation, Heathcliff begins to give the girl signs of attention. Catherine sees this and quarrels with him. The man openly says that he loves her and wants to take revenge on Linton. This is heard by Ellen, the narrator, and the conversation passes to his master. Edgar, not wanting to put up with Heathcliff’s society, tries to banish him from his home forever. As a result of a skirmish between him, Heathcliff and Katherine, the latter has a nervous breakdown ^[12] . Nellie hides the illness of his wife from Edgar, thinking that these are just the tricks of the hostess, but the disease is getting worse, and when a young man finds out about this, her mental and physical health is in a deplorable state. Meanwhile, Catherine is expecting a child.

Meanwhile, Isabella escapes with Heathcliff ^[13] . She agreed to marry him. After the wedding, his true motives opened, and pampered Isabella faced humiliation, cruelty, coldness of her husband ^[14] . Edgar refuses to help his sister, arguing that "she herself made her choice." To pass this news to Isabella, Nellie arrives at Wuthering Heights. From her, Heathcliff learns about Catherine's illness ^[15] . Disregarding all precautions, he sneaks over to his beloved, who, in the frantic tumult of feelings, loses his last strength ^[16] . That same night, Catherine gives birth to a daughter and dies two hours after giving birth. Heathcliff is beside himself with grief ^[17] . Isabella soon fled from Heathcliff. Six months after the death of Katherine, her brother Hindley Earnshaw also died. Addicted to the game, he pledged all of his property to Heathcliff, and the Thunder Pass itself was inherited along with his successor, Harton. ^[18]

Isabella settled in the vicinity of London. She had a son whom she called Linton Heathcliff. When he was twelve years old, thirteen years after Katherine's death, his mother died.

Katie Linton grew up in a sweet and kind young girl, she is 12 years old. She lived quietly on the Skvortsov Municipality with her father ^[19] . When it became known about the death of Isabella, Edgar brought her son, a nervous and painful Linton, to Starlings, and Heathcliff immediately demanded him ^[20] . Nellie was forced to take the boy to Grozovaya Pass ^[21] . When Katie turned 16, in the summer, while walking with Nelly, they met Heathcliff and Hurton, who, under the “sensitive guidance” of the host, turned into an uncouth, illiterate country girl. Heathcliff lured Katie with a nanny on Wuthering Heights, where she met a grown-up Linton, and told Nellie that he planned to marry her son to a girl in order to consolidate his rights to the Starling Man and take revenge on the Linton family he hated. Under the will, if Edgar has no male heirs, the estate passes to his daughter and her son. A secret love correspondence began between Katie and Linton, which she had to end under pressure from her father and Nellie Dean. ^[22] Autumn has come. Edgar Linton's health began to slowly deteriorate, causing fears of his daughter. Meanwhile, Heathcliff does not leave his insidious plans ^[23] . Feeling sorry for Linton Heathcliff, who was seriously ill, Katie, secretly from her relatives, began to visit him regularly, caring for an extremely capricious young man ^[24] . Hurton began to learn to read to get the girl's approval, but she still scoffs at him, causing his anger ^[25] . The father eventually agrees to meet his daughter with Linton on neutral territory ^[26] . Linton is completely weak: he stands on the edge of the grave, he does not even have the strength to stand on meeting with Katie. Frightened by her father, he begs her to continue meeting ^[27] . In one of these meetings, Heathcliff lured Nellie and Katie on Wuthering Heights and locked them, not letting him go to the dying Edgar. The poor thing in insane despair; she is ready for anything, just to say goodbye to her beloved man — her father — and marries Linton Heathcliff ^[28] . Despite the fact that even after the marriage, Heathcliff does not let them go, they still manage to get out of Thunderclan Pass and catch the last hours of Edgar Linton ^[29] . After the death of his father for Katie Heathcliff comes and leads her to Wuthering Heights. A month later, her husband dies. Under the will, written by Linton, all his property goes to his father. Katie lost not only the Skvortsov Manor, which already belonged to Linton, but also the money that the father had set aside for her, since according to the laws of that time, all the dowry of her wife becomes her husband's property. She was in full power Heathcliff. However, the grief of the enemies did not soothe the soul of the avenger: he was still tormented by insane feelings for the deceased Catherine Earnshaw ^[30] . Overwhelmed by adversity, Katie became embittered at all the inhabitants of the Thunderstorm Pass. Hurton, who did not abandon attempts to master the grammar, is disgusted with her, but she still does not appreciate these efforts. At this story, Nellie Lockwood ended ^[31] . He leaves the Skvortsov Mason ^[32] .

1802 . Six months later, Lockwood again visits Thunderstorm Pass. There, he discovers miraculous changes: Catherine is the mistress of the Manor again, and love and harmony reign between her and Harton. Young people gathered to get married. Heathcliff is dead.

Shortly after Lockwood left, Kathy and Hurton had a friendship ^[33] . The circle is closed. As Katherine and Heathcliff used to be friends and suffered resentment from Hindley, Kathy and Hurton are now friends, suffering from Heathcliff. Seeing them together, something in the latter is changing, he says to Nell: “My old enemies could not defeat me. Now I could fit the offense on their children. It is in my power, and no one can stop me. But what is the use of it? I don't want to strike; do not bother yourself and raise your hand. To listen to me, it turns out that I was bothering all the time only to finally show wonderful generosity. But this is far from the case: I simply lost the ability to enjoy destruction — and I am too lazy to destroy wasted ” ^[34] . The last days of his life, Heathcliff is in a strangely excited state: at night he wanders through the fields, does not eat, and all his thoughts are about reuniting with Catherine Earnshaw ^[2] . One rainy morning Nellie, going into his room, sees that he is dead. After that, the Thunderstorm Pass becomes a peaceful and peaceful place ^[35] .

• Heathcliff ( eng. Heathcliff ) - the central male character of the novel. Catherine Earnshaw's father picked him up on the street and saved him from starvation. The origin of Heathcliff is hazy. It is noted that he had dark skin, dark hair and looked like a gypsy. In childhood, she and Catherine were best friends, and then fell in love with each other. Heathcliff is obsessed with her, angry and vindictive, and revenge applies not only to enemies, but also to their heirs. He is a Byronic hero . The image of him to the end of the novel is shrouded in some mystery. Heathcliff's wife Isabella wonders if he is a man at all?
• Catherine Earnshaw ( eng. Catherine Earnshaw ) is a freedom-loving, selfish and slightly spoiled young girl who loves Heathcliff as much as he loves her. However, she considered that he was no good for her husband, since she was not well educated and poor. Instead, Catherine marries her friend Edgar Linton, secretly hoping that this will help Heathcliff to break through in life. However, Edgar and Heathcliff hate each other to the extent that pregnant Catherine gets sick physically and mentally, goes crazy and eventually dies.
• Edgar Linton ( born Edgar Linton ) - husband of Catherine Earnshaw; beautiful, soft, well-educated young man. He patiently endured the whims of his wife, although at first he was shocked by her rude behavior. Introduced initially not in the best light, gradually matured Edgar is revealed as a noble, gentle-hearted and internally bright person. Catherine, who clearly appreciates her husband, is also annoyed by his too calm temperament and inability to stand up for Heathcliff. After the death of his wife, Edgar shows himself as a beautiful father.
• Isabella Linton ( Eng. Isabella Linton ) - Edgar's younger sister, such a refined and elegant, but rather frivolous person. At eighteen, she fell in love with Heathcliff and went with him to Wuthering Heights, and then when she realized what life she was waiting for (“I hate him ... I am unhappy without measure ... I was a fool!”), Fled to London. After some time, she died after giving birth to a son Linton Heathcliff.
• Hindley Earnshaw ( eng. Hindley Earnshaw ) - brother of Catherine, always jealous of his father to Heathcliff. Hindley believed that the father too favored the found, and his son did not pay attention. He hated Heathcliff and after the death of his father forbade him to get an education, which subsequently divided him and Catherine Earnshaw. Hindley married and was very happy in marriage, which smoothed over the negative traits of his character. After his wife fell ill with consumption and died, he drank himself and lost to Thundercliff Heathcliff Pass in cards.
• Ellen Dean ( Eng. Ellen Dean ) or Nelly - the housekeeper at the Starlings, who witnessed the whole story and who tells her Lockwood. A kind, caring and resentful woman who grew up with Heathcliff and Catherine, and then engaged in the education of Herton Earnsho and Katie Linton.
• Linton Heathcliff ( eng. Linton Heathcliff ) is the spoiled and painful son of Isabella and Heathcliff. His cowardice and selfish temper only aggravated after living with his father.
• Catherine Linton ( eng. Catherine Linton ) - sweet and sympathetic daughter Catherine and Edgar Linton. Heathcliff forced her to marry his son Linton to become the master of the Starlings. Outwardly, Kathy reminds her mother only with the eyes and shape of the nostrils. From her father she got refined appearance and blonde hair. She is obstinate and proud, like a mother, but according to Ellen Dean, she is much more capable of meekness, attention and love than Catherine Earnshaw.
• Hareton Earnshaw ( born Hareton Earnshaw ) is the son of Hindley, raised by Heathcliff in severity and constant physical labor. A child of noble birth grew up rude and uncouth young man who did not even learn to read. Narrator Ellen Dean notes his strong build and visual appeal. Heathcliff is located to the young man, as he sees in him a great similarity with Catherine Earnshaw. Hurton is infinitely devoted to his master, but this did not prevent him from feeling deeply for Katie Linton. Their union broke the curse of the race.
• Joseph ( eng. Joseph ) - an old hypocritical, devout, rude and ill-tempered servant in the Thunderclan Pass. He served when Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw were still children, and stayed with Heathcliff, and then with Garton. Household people constantly suffer from his sermons and accusations of complicity with the devilish forces.
• Lockwood is a resident of Heathcliff, removing Starlings, about 20 years after the main events of the novel. From his face begins the story, continued by the story of Nelly, who was told to him during his illness in Starlings.
• Frances Earnshaw ( Eng. Frances Earnshaw ) - Hindley's thin and painful wife. The birth of a son undermines her poor health, and Francis dies from consumption .
• Mr. Kenneth ( eng. Mr. Kenneth ) - local doctor. He examined and treated all members of the Linton and Earnsho family.
• Zillah ( eng. Zillah ) - key keeper in the Thundering Pass. She took Lockwood to a room where Catherine and Heathcliffe spent a lot of time in childhood.

The gloomy wastelands of North Yorkshire with trees bent by hurricane wind serve as a backdrop for the unfolding of genuine tragedy in the ancient Greek sense of the word. Tension in the novel inexorably increases as the tragic end approaches. The irrepressible passions and destructive actions of the heroes seem to be the result not only and not so much of their conscious decisions, as the actions of the vicious rock that had turned against them. As is customary in the classic English novel, the twists and turns of the plot end with a not very believable happy ending .

A contemporary of Emily Bronte, the poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti , spoke of this novel ^[36] :

... this is a diabolical book, an unthinkable monster that combines all the most powerful female inclinations ..

A 19th-century art critic, Walter Pater called The Wuthering Heights, a “most romantic novel,” he wrote in his essay on the novel ^[37] :

Much later, the spirit of romanticism found a much more true incarnation among the Yorkshire wastelands in the work of the young girl Emily Bronte - the romantic novel “Thunderstorm Pass”. Hearton Earnshaw, Kathryn Linton and Heathcliff, who digs up Katherine's grave and breaks out the side of her coffin to truly calm down next to her in death - these figures, filled with such passions, but woven against the background of the understated beauty of the heather expanses, are typical examples of the spirit of romanticism .

Virginia Woolf saw in Thunderstorm Pass not just another love affair, but a much deeper work ^[38] .

It is this idea that at the heart of the manifestations of human nature lies the forces that elevate it and raise it to the foot of greatness, and puts Emily Bronte’s novel on a special, prominent place in a series of similar novels.

Georges Bataille, calling the novel “a late romantic masterpiece” and one “of the most beautiful books of all time,” which is “perhaps the most beautiful and cruel love story” wrote: “The plot of the book is a rebellion of the outcast, expelled by the will of destiny from his own kingdom and burning irresistible desire to regain lost. " According to him, “Heathcliff’s rage even for a moment cannot be held back neither by law, nor by force, nor by propriety, nor by pity, nor even death, for Heathcliff, selflessly, without any remorse, becomes the cause of illness and death of Catherine, believing that dies with her " ^[39] .

In the XX century, the novel was repeatedly filmed by various directors, including such major directors as Luis Bunuel and Jacques Rivette . The classic is the film of 1939 with Laurence Olivier in the role of Heathcliff. The 1992 version with Juliette Binoche and Rafe Fiennes is also very well known. In the 2011 British film Heathcliff, a black actor plays. Typically, script writers use only part of the story to adapt.

In 1978, young British singer Kate Bush recorded the Wuthering Heights composition based on the novel's plot. The song reached the top of the charts in the UK and Australia. Impressed by the reading of the novel Jim Steinman wrote for Mit Loaf the ballad It's It's All Coming Back to Me Now ; Celine Dion Falling Into You (1996) begins with this track.

The first edition of the novel was sold in 2007 at an auction for 114 thousand pounds sterling (more than 235 thousand US dollars) ^[40] .

Sales of the book increased many times in early 2009, after it became known that some of its motifs were used in the novels by Stephenie Meyer from the Twilight series ^[41] . In the summer of the same year, sales jumped in the UK after the publishing house HarperCollins released a new edition in a design similar to the books of the Twilight series, and with the inscription “Favorite Book of Bella and Edward” on the cover ^[42] . In one of the books, Bella even directly quotes the main character Catherine , who spoke of Heathcliff ^[42] . Currently, you can purchase several sequels and offshoots of the novel's plot line for the authorship of modern writers.

Somerset Maugham included Wuthering Heights in his collection Ten novels and their authors . According to a rating compiled by polls from the UK television channel UKTV Drama, Thunderstorm Pass is the main romantic book of all time ^[43] . In the list of " 200 best books on the BBC version " (2003), the novel took the 12th place.

• The text of the novel (Eng.) In the project "Gutenberg . "
• Everything about Emily Bronte's Stormy Pass . (eng.)
• The full text of the novel (Rus.) In the Maxim Moshkov Library .
• Grozovoy Pass (rus.) Films and books by Emily Bronte on Filmopoisk.ru
• All screen versions of Thunderstorm Pass (rus.)