Historical/ literary context Flashcards
(24 cards)
how does Bronte refer to afterlife in her works?
- Place of comfort in her poems.
- Portrays heaven as comfort in some ways but only heaven as Heathcliff/ Catherine imagine it (being together), not typical Christian ideal of heaven.
What disease did Hindley’s wife have, causing her death- link to context?
- Consumption.
- Claimed Emily and Anne Bronte.
What allowed men to gain more power/ influence in Victorain period?
- More men being entitiled to vote, felt like elevated to “gentlemen.”
- Went to “gentleman clubs” spoke: literature, politics and sport.
When Catherine described her love for Edgar as “foliage in woods” but Heathcliff as “eternal rocks” what is this a link to?
- Shakespeare’s sonnet that claims love is an “ever fixed marke”, “Not time’s fool.”
The feathers that Catherine tears from pillow with her “teeth” alludes to what superstition?
- Soul of dying person could not leave the body if pillow was stuffed with pigeon feathers.
- Catherine tearing pillow apart; her eagerness to reach death.
Where did The Bronte sisters live?
- In parsonage (religious building) in Haworth; could see the open moors from their home.
- But also had quite Industrial elements to it.
- Religious upbringing, father member of Church.
What was main woman’s role seen as in Victorian era? How does Bronte challenge this?
- Being a mother.
- Bronte challenges this by showing being a mother as downfall of characters, all the mothers don’t survive!
What is the impact of the burgeoise, outlined in The Communist Manifesto? What does WH do to combat this?
- “resolved personal worth to exhange value.”
- Capitalism got rid of everything people knew ie. family.
- WH looks back at countryside/ family away from Capitalism time/ moors (freedom!)
What was entailed in Romantic literature? Why can Wuthering Heights be seen as “influenced” by The Romantic Period?
- Focusses on feelings of individuals.
- Demonstrates human nature as something passionate/ powerful.
- Bronte brought up in Romantic Period - many links to Romanticism in her work.
How is it seen, through the Bronte’s life, that they valued importance of childhood and correct upbringing?
- Started their own school.
What was the idea of neurocytoma in The Victorian Era?
- The idea that the bind is divided into lower/ upper layers.
- Lower layers = primitive, Heathcliff = representation of these lower layers.
What different genres is Wuthering Heights condisered to be influenced by?
- Gothic (supernatural element.)
- Romantic (dreams/ nature/ ideas of Byronic hero - influenced by Byron.)
- Fictional realism (“critcism of life”) Plots have characters with natural authenticity - conclusions can be drawn about life.
Features of Gothic genre.
- Emphasis on settings.
- Complex, multi-layered narratives, no single truth.
- Evoke feelings/ emotions. Notions of sublime (extraordinary feelings evoked by readers.) ie. attraction to Heathcliff.
Reader’s response to Wuthering Heights during Victorian era.
- Found it outrageous for woman so young to be writing such graphic details.
How was Emily Bronte influenced throughout her life to write about the supernatural?
- Influenced by servants who recounted supernatural tales to her.
What Revolutions were there in the 19th century, which character could be seen as an embodiment of these revolutions?
- French and American revolution.
- Heathcliff can be seen as a “revolutionary figure”, not born into social rank but aiming to bring down two houses (that represent the class system.)
What does the description of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange being so separate from each other contrast?
- Contrasts the Romantic view that landscape is sublime (filled with grandeur) and uplifting.
What novel could Heathcliff’s desire for Catherine, which extends to beyond the grave, emmulate?
- Frankenstien.
- Doctor brings a body back to life.
Catherine makes a choice to marry Edgar out of security and convention? Which female author could be seen to have been influenced by this in the early 1900’s?
- Mrs Dalloway in “Virginia Wolf.”
- Protoganist marries conventionally but lives an imaginary life where she marries who she loves.
- Both narratives are emotionally charged, challenging idea that conventional marriage story always ends well!
What does food have association with in literature?
- Accepting food from someone places you in their power.
- Characters, ie Catherine, that refuse food are symbolically refusing to submit to power.
What was Haworth like?
- Yeomen that lost freedom due to Industrial Revolution.
- Freedom from feudal system.
- Freedom from Roman Catholic Church.
What laws did Bronte understand a lot about?
- Inheritence laws.
- Shown through how Heathcliff managed to make TG his property.
Origins of Gothic.
- Stems from architecture that seemed to be opposite of rationality (from Middle Ages) ie. gargoyles
Bronte’s purpose with Gothic genre.
- Allows to bring out elements that rational social order would keep hidden.
