How Is Fear and Terror Conveyed Within Wuthering Heights?

798 Words4 Pages
Emily Bronte's classic gothic novel 'Wuthering Heights' explores pure raw emotion which evokes many different reactions from the audience to whom is reading it. Fear is described as an extreme reverence or awe, towards a supreme power whereas terror could refer to the violence which is committed within the novel. The emotions conveyed through strong and powerful imagery, create a thrilling piece of literature which can connect and engage an audience which spans through generations. From the beginning of the novel the readers are introduced to the grand solitude, that is the house of Wuthering Heights. The description Wuthering being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather" immediately creates the a dark and desolate image which would provoke a sense of fear within 19th century readers. They would visualise this gothic setting, and foreshadow that dark and mysterious events will unfold here. This element of pathetic fallacy can be identified through the description of the "gaunt thorns" surrounding the house and "a grotesque carving lavished over the front" since both of these reinforce the idea of entrapment and claustrophobia; something that a modern day audience could identify as being an irrational fear. The house is enveloped in an air of mystery, it's inhabitants, most likely Heathcliff, are renowned for being recluses to life away from the moors. The most poignant chapter that highlights pure unadulterated terror, is chapter 3. "The intense horror of nightmare came over me: I tried to draw back my arm" is a description which clearly demonstrates the intensity of emotion that is trying to be conveyed. "Terror made me cruel...I pulled its wrist on to the broken pane, and rubbed it to and fro till the blood ran down and soaked the bedclothes" again further emphasizes the

More about How Is Fear and Terror Conveyed Within Wuthering Heights?

Open Document