Criticism of social conventions and view of nature and civilization as illustrated in Wuthering Heights

Emily Brontë was one of the first women to publish a novel in her own name in the middle of the 19th century. Before her, women had to write under a masculine pseudonym to be able to make their voices heard. In her only novel, Wuthering Heights, she criticises the social conventions that were prevailing at the time. The norms in the society, placed the women in a position were they hardly managed without marrrying a wealthy man. This essay will discuss how Brontë's opinion about social class and women's situation are perceptible in her novel. Brontë lived on the Yorkshire moors and she loved the beautiful, yet harsh nature. In her novel she compares nature and civilization by letting her characters have different salient features that signify either nature or civilization. This essay will describe how Brontë depicts nature and civilization by means of the pricipal families and their homes, and also compare the two phenomena to examine whether the author prefers nature or civilization.Validerat; 20101217 (root