Historical Context (AO4) 22/11/10

In this lesson we analysed many aspects of historical context for Wuthering Heights that we can include within future essays. These aspects included:

- The fear of otherness/all things foreign, this was due to the expansion of the British Empire and the fear of 'other' coming into society.

- The Victorian idea of order such as; Social order, there was a clear distinction between the higher and lower classes, something which Bronte exploits through Heathcliff. Also, the gap between men and women, women were seen in the role of 'The Angel of The House' (Coventry Patmore). The Great Exhibiton of 1851 is an example of the Victorian's order. (shown below)

- The Victorians were also fearful or cautious of the effects of the Industrial Revolution and scientific advances.

- Wuthering Heights belonging to the Gothic mode and acts as a 'cultural parasite' as Bronte uses most or all of the above.

We then read the 'Homely Gothic' article, and were asked to highlight this sheet and then note some important details of the article. Here are some of my notes;

- Victorians came disaffected with the present, which led to a 'cultural sense of spiritual desolation and aimlessness'.

- These fears and disaffection were perhaps down to advances in technology and the development of theories, due to the Industrial Revolution and scientific advances.

- The Victorian Gothic texts act/serve as an escape from society.

- 'The extravagant effects of the Gothic and Romantic elements tended, in 19th century fiction, to refracted through the domestic world central to realism'.

- The home however could also be considered a 'prison' aswell as a refuge. Something which Bronte uses, 'Uncanny movement between past and present are Gothic elements signalling an untamed and wild invasion of the home rather than comfortable domestification'.

We were then set an essay question and started by writing our own thesis statements, which we then revised into one class statement;

'Wuthering Heights' challenges ideas central to Victorian society- home/gender, class, an escape from capitalism and modernity. It also acts as a mirror/parasite playing on societies fears, as such it belongs to the Gothic mode.

Our homework was to then write this essay question which was 'how far do you agree that 'Wuthering Heights' challenges social norms and is as a result a Gothic text?'