Tuesday, May 1, 2007

Up to Chapter 15

My question from the last post persists because I really cannot not see how this story will be able to maintain its expectations for a hundred pages more. Comparing this novel to the play A Doll's House shows how there was a difference between realistic authors. In the play, the story is much more direct and real, eventhough if it is a play meaning it has to be short. This novel is full of supernatural happenings and recurring events such as Cathy's sudden illness. The play seemed to be breaking the fourth wall because it was direct and presented to the audience a true feeling of the family's problems. In this novel the story sometimes seems to be unreal, even small details help to confirm this idea.For example the letter that Isabella writes to Nelly. In real life someone would not write a letter that big that occupies a whole chapter, even writing the accent in which Joseph speeks. And the fact that many events happen in very few chapters seem untrue. In the case of these chapters Isabella runs away with Heathcliff; marries him; Catherine becomes very ill almost dies, but recuperates herself.
When Catherine was almost dying I was sure this was not going to be the end of her life because it is in the middle of the book. However I did not imagine she would become healthy again in one chapter. I believe Bronte could have extended this agony for more chapters prolonging her story.
In these chapters a comparison between Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights is made. As Rafael mentioned this comparison is also made in Chapter 4. However in these chapters Wuthering Heights is portryed as a terrible place to live. And since it is Isabella who is describing it, the place seems even worst. She continually refers to Thrushcross Grange as a place of comfort from which she should have never left. By the description we can easily see that after the main charcters left the Wuthering house, things declined. Hindley turned out to be a very bad master teaching Hareton only bad manners and Joseph becoming even more grumpy.
Also in this chapter we can see the truth about Isabella and Heathcliff's marriage. She is very unhappy with him and they do not share a faithful love. The idea that Heathcliff only married Isabella for interest becomes more apparent because he keeps asking Nelly about Catherine and her health.
However as Rafael is questioning I also question, how did Heathcliff become the master of Wuthering Heights if Hareton is alive and what does he do of such importance that he also shuts the door of his room and office not even letting his wife come in???
One thing I found very interesting is the fact how even after Isabella suffered a lot in trying to find a room in Wuthering Heights she still did not forget her racist manners. Once the servant she knew from past times appeared she reffered to him as "it". Racism is really a big deal in this novel!!!!
P.S. Mr. Kuczynski I am only posting today because on friday I arrived very late from the game in Sao Paulo and after I went to my farm because my parents were celebrating their 25th anniversary "Bodas de Prata" and we stayed there until today. At my farm there isn't any internet therefore I did not have acces to the blog. i am really sorry I hope this will not affect my grade!
Good Bye!!!

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