Wuthering Heights Characterization

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A.P. Lit Wuthering Heights Characterization Both Emily Bronte’s novel and Coky Giedroyc’s film production of Wuthering Heights parallel in portraying delicate, sickly, and weak images to craft the character of Isabella’s child Linton. Upon Linton’s arrival to the Grange his mother had passed away, so naturally one would expect him to be in a state of mourning. However, both the novel and the movie depict Linton as being a childlike, even at his maturing age beginning his early teens. Readers get this image of Linton acting like a baby more so than viewers do as Bronte communicates this characteristic of Linton through his dialogue. She writes of Linton “shrieking” and “crying”, actions commonly associated with children and toddlers. Also, Bronte adds to his nature a sense of being bratty by the use of commands and excessive complaining, as Linton shouts, “I can’t sit on a chair!” contrasting Giedroyc’s take on the classic story. His view of this scene presents Linton as a more weak character, often saying nothing or little at all and simply obeying what is being asked of him but in a more dull and slow manner. Giedroyc’s subtle action versus Bronte’s bold speech allow the viewer to sympathize more with the Linton in the movie over him in the book, as his interactions are more associated with feelings of despair after his mother’s passing. The same audacious versus faint temperament of Linton appear again later in the piece when little Cathy and Linton get into a minor quarrel that triggers Cathy to shove the chair Linton is sitting in. Both the film production and the novel compose this to be a dramatic scene, but with emphasis on different elements. In Bronte’s version, Cathy “gave a violent push and caused him to fall against one arm” (176) and then Linton was overcome by a coughing fit that “soon ended his triumph”. (176) The scene ends with Linton in

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