WH Discussion Day 2

[writingwithheld]

Sorry-- I got all confused about what day it was, so here we go.

How is reading coming along?

What do you think of Heathcliff returning to Wuthering Heights to live with Hindley?

How do you feel about the Catherine/Heathcliff dynamic that is really taking off?

[charlatti]

I forget or I missed it -- Hindley lets him live there because he needs the money, right? Heathcliff is so clearly out for just himself, and it's kind of impressive, really, how he does whatever to get what he wants.

What do you think Heathcliff would have done if he hadn't walked out in the middle of Catherine's speech? He misses the part about her seeing him as her soul mate and just hears that marrying him would degrade her. I think he would still have been angry, especially with the bit that Catherine imagines using Edgar's money to help Heathcliff. I can't see H standing for that. But would it have softened him at all or just made it worse knowing that she really loved H but was still willing to marry Edgar?

[writingwithheld]

I think he would be angry as well. I think that Catherine really wants to help him, but she is going about it the wrong way. It is really to serve her interests as much as his. It is also kind of a "you are to pathetic to help yourself" type thing. Heathcliff seems very independent and he eventually is able to help himself. I don't think he would have accepted her help even if she had ended up offering it.

[mollymoe]

One of the reasons I've always liked this book is because Catherine and Heathcliff are so hard to explain. I think WH was the first book I read as a teenager where the characters weren't so black and white.

I want to like Catherine because she was this free spirited kid running around the moors with her friend but then she had her spoiled brat side and was awful to Nelly.

Same thing with Heathcliff. I feel bad for him because he was an orphan and lived in an abusive home and you watch his friendship with Cathy slowly slip away but then you see him as an adult and it gets harder and harder to like him.

[dorothyinAus]

How is reading coming along? -- I'm still not liking it. I remember now why I gave up after a few chapters in High School. I'm already planning what to do with the space on my shelf when I finish it.

What do you think of Heathcliff returning to Wuthering Heights to live with Hindley? -- I'm not really sure what is going on there. It seems to me Hindley went a bit deeper into a nutso state after Catherine married. And I am truly not sure what is going on there -- neither Heathcliff nor Hindley like each other, and with only other men, it can't be a good situation in the house. Joseph certainly isn't any saner.

How do you feel about the Catherine/Heathcliff dynamic that is really taking off? -- The whole thing is strange. It seems as though Catherine, Heathcliff, Edgar and Isabella are the only people in the world. I'm not so sure it's not a case of serious in-breeding. Heathcliff and Lockwood seem to be the only non-natives in the whole area. I just want to bang all their heads together and yell at them to wake up and look around you -- go to London! get out of the area! I don't really like the characters and am having a very hard time generating any concern at all for them.

I keep hoping the book will get better, but so far it's just plodding along. I'll keep going, but it's really a struggle.

[charlatti]

Mollymoe, I completely agree about the characters. That's one of the things that intrigues me about this book too, and probably a big reason for it being taught in high schools so frequently. The characters are all so angry and miserable, but at the same time you can see where they're coming from.

Re: getting out of the area -- they couldn't really, could they? I don't have a good grasp on the time period, but without money and a place to be, it's not like Catherine could just wandering around London to meet someone. Edgar could probably get himself there, but without the proper introductions, he's not going to find a wife either. And with his parents gone, he might be missing the needed connections. I could easily be totally wrong on the customs, though.

[dorothyinAus]

charlatti, I see your point about the characters not being able to easily travel, especially around London. I hadn't considered the time/culture/societal norms.

But it still does not make the characters any more likable to me. I cannot really find any sympathy or concern for anyone other than Ellen and Lockwood.

[briedrew]

I'm finding this a lot easier to read this time through. I'm guessing that being more familiar with the story and the characters is helping.

I'm totally hit with the slightly (or not so slightly) incestuous nature of the relationships. A lot of them just seem really toxic to me. At the same time, that's what I think fascinates me about the book and draws me in- they're not perfect, they're complex and flawed and for some reason that makes them more appealing to me as a reader.

[bluelikejazz]

I'm starting to get more into the story now. I also agree with PP about how the characters are so hard to explain and you can't help but want to like them, but you don't. The way Catherine is so different to Nelly than to everyone else makes me want to strangle her.

I don't really know what to think about adult Heathcliff yet. I'm still trying to draw a conclusion about him.

[kicius56]

Reading these next few chapters was much easier. I found myself wanting to find out more about how the adult Catherine/Heathcliff dynamic will play out. I enjoyed Catherine's confession to Nelly
I wonder if Cat & Heath will have an affair and wish they do, which would make things exciting. I wonder if Catherine's hubby is afraid of that. Heck, if I were him I would be.

I want to like Heathcliff but I don't, which is exactly what I think the author's intention could very well be. I agree with PPs that the characters are complex; I still can't decide if I like Catherine. Or any character for that matter. That makes the book hard to read, despite the fact that the characters seem relatable.