 Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
|
Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
| Table of Contents CHAPTER 24
Cathy, against her father's orders, has been visiting Wuthering
NOTE: Many readers find the story of the second generation a letdown after the high drama of the first, and certainly there is a sense of moderation here. Take the younger Cathy, for instance. Like her mother, she is given a fairly long speech comparing the stormy-calm sides of life through natural imagery. The daughter's idea of happiness is rocking in a rustling green tree, with everything around her in motion. It's a wonderful speech, but it's more static than her mother's turbulent comparison of Edgar and Heathcliff, or her delirious longing for childhood. Or think of Cathy's feeling for Linton. She finally shows some understanding of his character here, and he is given an endearing speech of his own. But Cathy's feeling seems closer to pity than to love. What a far cry from her mother's passion. There are many other examples in the younger generation's behavior of a lessening of passion and a growth of moderation. This diminishment is built into the story. In chapters 18 through 28 Heathcliff comes dangerously close to becoming a cardboard villain. His power is so inexorable that the younger generation can't stand up against him; they pale in comparison. Furthermore, a fight against total evil is rarely as interesting as a struggle among complex beings. What makes the fight between Hareton and Cathy so interesting is the fact that Heathcliff doesn't cause it. The younger generation seldom use words such as heaven and hell or angel and devil. Ellen calls Cathy an "angel," but from her that's like saying "dear." Even Heathcliff avoids references to these unyielding forces. The absence of this mythic dimension makes you realize that compared to their parents, members of this generation have their feet on the ground. The story of Cathy and Linton is told as it appears. Ellen rarely shifts from the past to the present. In addition, Cathy's story is the only one told by someone else. Think back on the first part of the book. You had Cathy's diary, Heathcliff's description of Thrushcross Grange, Cathy's delirium, Isabella's letter, Isabella's story. These accounts gave the impression that many mysterious things were happening at once. The story now has a more plodding rhythm. Some readers think that this counterpoint between the first and second halves of the novel is an integral part of its theme. Others just want to get back to Cathy and Heathcliff. |
|
|
|||||||
