I chose the book Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This book had a unique and memorable story that I found to be very interesting and fun to read. It was not just one single story of one relationship. The story had multiple relationships, both romantic and non-romantic, that intertwined very well with each other. The relationships between Catherine and Heathcliff, Catherine and Edgar, Isabella and Heathcliff, and Catherine and Hareton are all similar but different and all bring out different aspects of the story. These relationships also act as foils to one another. For example, the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff was very romantic and real, whereas the relationship between Catherine and Edgar was more forced and more for show than love.
The book was very interesting; however the relationships were convoluted and confusing. This book was interesting but also difficult to read. I will admit I got very confused at times. With two characters named Catherine that switch last names multiple times, it was hard to keep track of who was who. It was also difficult to understand who was married or in a relationship and who was a child of who. It was helpful to go over the list of characters on spark notes while reading the book.
I loved the way that Bronte treated social class and society in this book. Catherine loved Heathcliff, but she was clearly more in love with her social status than him. In choosing Edgar, Catherine shows that she values how she is viewed and how much power she has far more than her love for Heathcliff. My favorite part of this novel was that Heathcliff makes money and earns a higher social status; however it is too late for Catherine to be with him. It shows that it is a bad idea to choose a spouse based on his or her class. I think that this is a life lesson that can be applied to life today. Nobody should make decisions about relationships based on what they could get out of them. Catherine is always in love with Heathcliff but is also in love with what she can get from Edgar Linton. Unfortunately she ends up hurting both of them by marrying Edgar. Edgar is always conscious of her feelings for Heathcliff and becomes jealous at times and Heathcliff is hurt because he feels as though he is not good enough for Catherine.
I loved this aspect of the book because it not only applies to life now but it also is realistic and relatable. Although the book is complicated at times, it is easy to relate to which is what makes it so much fun to read. This book has so many different relationships in it that it makes it relatable to more than just one group of people. It is a versatile book that can be read by many different people with many different perspectives and still be enjoyed. The way that relationships are viewed and treated in this book was definitely appealing and was what made the book so much fun to read. I thoroughly enjoyed Wuthering Heights. (520)
Bounce (I often give students nicknames and that one seems to fit you)--as you point out, the emotions in this story are incredibly powerful, but unfortunately, not as strong as the power of social standing to keep the lovers apart. Nice job talking about the different relationships in the novel. I agree with you that they are often confusing, although for me nothing is as hard to get as the servant Joseph's strange dialect and biblical mutterings.
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