Join Patricia Lockwood, a celebrated author and contributing editor, and David Trotter, an esteemed professor of English literature, as they delve into the haunting world of 'Wuthering Heights'. They explore Heathcliff's murky origins and Cathy’s ghostly presence, dissecting the novel's complex structure and rich language. The discussion touches on the animalistic behaviors of its characters, the Brontë sisters' collaborative writing, and the deep interplay of nature with human emotions. Their insights reveal why this 'amoral' tale continues to captivate audiences today.
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insights INSIGHT
Wuthering Heights' Amoral Nature
Wuthering Heights was initially considered amoral and highly scandalous due to its brutal portrayal of human nature.
It rejected the conventional idea of a respectable lifestyle and embraced unfiltered human impulses.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Emily Brontë's Dog Fight Anecdote
Emily Brontë saw the world as a place of constant fighting, much like dogs in a street brawl.
She once broke up a dog fight by dredging their noses with pepper, showing her fierce protective nature.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Bronte Sisters' Writing Ritual
The Brontë sisters wrote their novels together, collaboratively reading aloud and pacing around the table.
Emily's continued walking despite illness shows their shared ritual, symbolizing their literary bond.
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Juliet Barker's 'The Brontës' is a landmark biography that delves into the lives of the Brontë family, using extensive research to correct long-standing myths. The book provides a nuanced portrayal of the family, including their personal struggles and literary achievements. Barker's work is both scholarly and engaging, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in the Brontës.
Brute Meaning Essays in Materialist Criticism from Dickens to Hitchcock
Brute Meaning Essays in Materialist Criticism from Dickens to Hitchcock
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David Trotter
Will There Ever Be Another You
Will There Ever Be Another You
Patricia Lockwood
No One Is Talking About This
Patricia Lockwood
The novel is divided into two parts. The first part captures the life of an unnamed protagonist who is a social media star, interacting with 'the portal' (the internet) and navigating its vapid, addictive culture. This section is characterized by brief, tweet-length increments and a modernist, poetic style. The second part shifts to a deeply personal and emotional story about the protagonist's sister's baby born with Proteus syndrome, mirroring real-life events involving Lockwood's niece. The book explores concepts of grief, love, and the stark contrast between online life and real-life tragedies.
Wuthering Heights
Emily Brontë
Published in 1847, 'Wuthering Heights' is a novel that tells the story of the tumultuous relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and the foundling Heathcliff, whom her father brings home to Wuthering Heights. The narrative, framed by the visitor Lockwood and the housekeeper Nelly Dean, explores themes of love, revenge, and the cyclical nature of life. Heathcliff's bitter vengeance against those who wronged him drives the plot, which spans generations and delves into the dark, passionate, and often destructive aspects of human nature. The novel is renowned for its dramatic and poetic presentation, its unique structure, and its vivid depiction of the Yorkshire moors as a reflection of the characters' inner lives.
Bear
Marian Engel
When Wuthering Heights was published in December 1847, many readers didn’t know what to make of it: one reviewer called it ‘a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors’. In this extended extract from episode three of ‘Novel Approaches’, Patricia Lockwood and David Trotter join Thomas Jones to explore Emily Brontë’s ‘completely amoral’ novel. As well as questions of Heathcliff’s mysterious origins and ‘obscene’ wealth, of Cathy’s ghost, bad weather, gnarled trees, even gnarlier characters and savage dogs, they discuss the book’s intricate structure, Brontë’s inventive use of language and the extraordinary hold that her story continues to exert over the imaginations of readers and non-readers alike.
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