mother
Mother is used so much in this scene, which I find surprising because before this the readings having been talking about women in a different way, mainly talking about women as weak and seen for their looks and to not be hard. The way the take about the mother is that her opinion should be thought of and that she will not approve and its something to think about.
Oh!’ he sobbed, ‘I cannot bear it! Catherine, Catherine, I’m a traitor, too, and I dare not tell you! But leave me, and I shall be killed! Dear Catherine, my life is in your hands: and you have said you loved me, and if you did, it wouldn’t harm you. You’ll not go, then? Kind, sweet, good Catherine! And perhaps you will consent —and he’ll let me die with you!’
Linton convulsed with terror, in that time convulsion was seen as a form of demonic possession. Showing this is connecting the thought of other worldliness to these characters, it makes me wonder if all the characters are just the creations of Nelly's mind. Or maybe all the characters are each one of the 7 deadly sins: Heathcliff- Lust Catherine- envy Edgar Linton- pride Nelly-sloth Lockwood-greed Linton Heathcliff- Anger Mr. Earnshaw- Gluttony This story could dip from victorian to a classic tale of hidden catholic agenda. That for me explains the constant devil mentions, the talks of god and the unexplainable feets these characters can do.
‘I might as well have struggled with a bear, or reasoned with a lunatic. The only resource left me was to run to a lattice and warn his intended victim of the fate which awaited him.
Throughout the novel the characters struggle with their actions as a human being. Yet the bear statement brings together the fact of animalistic beings in which they are. This in my opinion the first time human emotion and feeling has been brought into the situation. this line makes me wonder two things, is this sympathy? Empathy? Are human emotions being talked of here?
I see that hideous little villain is not Hareton: I beg your pardon, Nell. If it be, he deserves flaying alive for not running to welcome me, and for screaming as if I were a goblin.
This is a pivotal moment within Wuthering Heights. Hareton is seeing his son in a new light. He is witnessing Heathcliff within his son and that is rapidly ripping apart his ego. the reason being that in his eyes Heathcliff stole his fathers love, and now his child's love. Yet his son sees him as the devil. With every new chapter there is a new "devilish" characterization. I find this very interesting. Yet with the revenge Heathcliff is planning upon Hareton and the wrong doing Hareton is committing towards Heathcliff it seems that every chapter is a power struggle between each character.
when she learned the master had lost her whip in attending on the stranger, showed her humour by grinning and spitting at the stupid little thing;
This sentence embodies so much hatred, anger and degradation of a small child. The first part of the sentence pulls up questions like, Did he use the whip on someone? Is that how he lost it? Which I would not be surprised of. Being that we are only 7 chapters in exactly 50 pages and these people make me cringe because of their unkind banter and disregard for human life. Finally, the second part of the sentence shows the fact that even the children are untamed, "grinning and spitting at the stupid little thing" is so degrading. One thing that I think has to be remembered is that in chapter 3 they explain Heathcliff is old enough to stand and talk which means he is definitely old enough to be able to remember the atrocities happening to him surrounding his "welcoming" into "Wuthering Heights." Mr. Earnshaw (which his name could be symbolic of living in the forest for his family earned a spot with the trees) didn't even find the parents of the boy he just took him away from his family.
‘In other words, I must wish for Edgar Linton’s great blue eyes and even forehead,’ he replied. ‘I do—and that won’t help me to them.’
There are so many interesting things happening in these chapters. Yet this line I feel pulls together a few key ideals. Heathcliff is looking upon himself as less than because he feels he is not worthy of his old love Catherine. He wishes for what he cannot attain, "Fair skin and bright blue eyes". This is a factor seen throughout the chapters once Catherine was cleaned up and "a lady" which connects to Mansfield Park, once a lady is seen to be a lady she is more desirable. Though Catherine was loved by Heathcliff once she returned I found that a different love was being used.
o’er their blood-fed plains Sent thine avenging hurricanes
I found this line so powerful. This line is not just symbolic of the baby lost too soon but also to the other slaves who lost their lives. Deeper than that is the symbolic blood of their freedom and lives. this in my opinion is the strongest line within this poem because it hides the pain. Yet the crops grown in blood are still sent out to the towns people and enjoyed, thus the blood seeps deeper into the town.
To her the cares were sometimes almost beyond the happiness; for young and inexperienced, with small means of choice and no confidence in her own taste, the “how she should be dressed” was a point of painful solicitude;
At the beginning of this passage I was thinking that Fanny was "fitting in" yet because of the passive nature of the last paragraph the warm cloth of knowledge has been ripped away. Especially this sentence, the thoughts of what she has and what she doesn't have makes the line of understanding blurry. Parts of Austens writing reminds me of a backhanded compliment. First half of the paragraph Fanny is being identified with the other girls. Until that switches to the comparison of clothing and confidence. I found myself rereading this passage to try and figure out what was truly going on.
Her eldest was a boy of ten years old, a fine spirited fellow, who longed to be out in the world;
This line truly identifies with the hardships families had to deal with in the 19th century. Child labor laws not in effect, parents sending their children out into the world. Austen connects with this fear of if the child is read especially going to the East. Where the fears of many laid. Also the child pushing for acceptance and manhood, going out into the world and being the stereotypical man of that century.
feelings too Of unremembered pleasure; such, perhaps, As may have had no trivial influence
This line could be talking about the flashbacks once not remembered he is gaining from walking through a now desolate landscape. Remembering how pure his heart once was and how he used to feel the sweet sensations of life. Unlike now, which can be interpreted as depressed and trying to find a once simplistic and pure way of life which he has now realized he has lost through distant memories. This is important because we see mentally where Wordsworth stands, he seems to be going through a phase of self actualization.
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Through this poem Keats talks of life and the beauty of Autumn, within the poem he shares to help Autumn to understand how beautiful this phase of life will be. Yet uses the mourning gnats who's lives end with Autumns to prove death will not find her lonesome. Though whats different is that she will return while those very gnats will stay behind, while new gnats are conceived. This is meaningful because death is unknown to all, no one knows what lurks in the afterlife, if anything at all.
visage to gaze. That body dismiss’d from his care; Yet my fancy has pierced to his heart, and pourtrays More terrible images there.
Within these lines it is partly the first time being mentioned that someone has a morally wrong feeling about the convict. Yet still there is no mention of this marginalized being. He is not the one who is having the hard feelings as it is the man who is walking in to see him laying. His heart pierced with the pain of the convicts.