Analysis of romances in Wuthering

Heights and The Notebook

Name: Taimur Ahmed

I.D# 9303

Course: Literary Studies

Assignment: Major

MS ENGLISH 3rd Semester

Date: 15th May, 2019

Contents

Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2

CHAPTER 1…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3

1.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

1.2ResearchMethodology……………………………………………………………………………………… 6

1.3Objective of the study……………………………………………………………………………………… 61.4

ResearchQuestions…………………………………………………………………………………………… 6

Findings and Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………… 6

Significance of the study 8

CHAPTER TWO…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

Overview………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9

Literature review………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9

Theories and Material………………………………………………………………………………………… 9

CHAPTER 3………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 12

Love and Obsession…………………………………………………………………………………………. 12

Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………………... 12

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………... 12

Wuthering heights as a Gothic, Romantic and a Super natural novel…………………………………. 12

Recollection of memories…………………………………………………………………………………… 12

The Linton children…………………………………………………………………………………………. 13

The death of Frances, and the birth of Hareton………………………………………………………….. 13

The long thirteen years……………………………………………………………………………………... 14

The death of Edgar…………………………………………………………………………………………. 14

Insaneness and Heathcliff…………………………………………………………………………………… 14

The two tales………………………………………………………………………………………………... 15

Love is constructive, not destructive………………………………………………………………………. 15

True love of Noah and Allie………………………………………………………………………………. 15

CHAPTER 4………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 17

Passion and Social Conventions……………………………………………………………………………. 17

Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………………... 17

Two halves of a single soul……………………………………………………………………………….. 17

Catherine loves Heathcliff, but marries Linton…………………………………………………………… 17

Revenge………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 18

Social class…………………………………………………………………………………………………... 18

Women in the hands of men………………………………………………………………………………. 19

Love and social status in “The Notebook”……………………………………………………………….. 19

CHAPTER 5………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 21

Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………………... 21

Traits of Romanticism in Wuthering Heights and “The Notebook”……………………………………. 21

Complex character…………………………………………………………………………………………… 21

Nature………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21

Byronic hero…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 22

Super natural elements……………………………………………………………………………………….. 22

Love, passion and emotion………………………………………………………………………………… 23

Romanticism in The Notebook……………………………………………………………………………… 23

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23

CHAPTER 6………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24

Comparison of Wuthering heights and The Notebook……………………………………………………. 24

Money………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 24

Heathcliff and Noah………………………………………………………………………………………… 24

Forbidden love……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24

Family standards…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 24

Time setting…………………………………………………………………………………………………. 25

Betrayal………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 25

Difference between Wuthering heights and The Notebook…………………………………………….. 25

CHAPTER 7……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 26

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………… 26

References 27
Abstract

The study is a comparative analysis of romances in Wuthering Heights and The Notebook. Data

is collected primarily through textual analysis and from secondary sources. Comparison of

both Romantic and Victorian traits had been done. The collected data is discussed thoroughly.

The results of the study revealed that the love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff

was destructive whereas it was constructive between Noah and Allie.

Keywords: Romanticism, Victorian age, love, death, romance, nature.

CHAPTER 1

1.1 Introduction

There are three basic necessities in life, such as food, cloth and house. But it will be

more accomplish if there is love every day. Without love, people cannot live a happy life,

because they cannot share their affections with others. Love does not always makes people

happy, it can bring sorrow, anger, together with laughter and joy. (Fajarini, 2015)

This study will explore love and romance as a theme. The devotion between Bronte’s two

main characters i.e. Heathcliff and Catherine, and Sparks Noah and Allie. The love between

the main characters of “Wuthering Heights” and “The Notebook” is central. Love is chosen

as a theme because it is essentially love which links the main characters with one another.

It is not only expressed through words, but through actions. Their love is quite interesting,

because it is not the ordinary love that usually happens in novels, and there is much to

be said about love, these characters hold for each other. (Yang, 2012)

Wuthering Heights is often considered as the detailed account of romantic fiction. It is the

tale of passionate love, jealousy, obsession between Heathcliff and Catherine. In this novel,

Bronte presents a world in which people get married early and die immature. Like, most

of the creative people of her era died immature. This novel is said to be the representation

of Bronte’s life, because the scenes which she has presented are somehow taken from her

own life experiences. (Levin, 2012)

Wuthering Heights was written in 1847, a time period when capitalism and industrial

revolution were the leading forces in British economy and society. It was the period when

changing economy led to violence, and the traditional relationships between the social

classes began to change. A new criteria for describing a gentleman was money. This socioeconomic
reality is one criteria to judge the love between Heathcliff and Catherine, which

makes their love a dark one. (Levin, 2012)

Romantic love takes different unique forms in Wuthering Heights which is reflected through
love between different characters. But, the most fascinating form of love is the passion

between Heathcliff and Catherine as they did not rarely get married and hardly showed

any physical affiliation towards each other. (Levin, 2012)

Bronte’s wuthering heights can also be considered as a novel with a unique narrative

style. Due to its different narrative style it can be depicted as a story within a story. It

has two major narrators Mr. Lockwood and Nelly Dean. Mr. Lockwood is the primary

narrator who begins and ends the tale, and he also records the story which he hears from

Nelly. Lockwood is a tenant at Thrushcross grange, whose landlord is Heathcliff the owner

of wuthering heights and Thrushcross grange. He tells us in the year 1801 about the

present time i.e. 17 years after the death of Catherine. On the other hand, Nelly is

Catherine’s maid and a housekeeper of Thrushcross grange after her death. The story is

yet simple, but due to its mixture of powerful romantic ideas, personal feelings and the

representation of old atmosphere in new building makes it a distinctive Victorian novel.

This perfect plot symmetry is smashed by the intrusion of Heathcliff, who will touch and

reshape every other character’s life with such a strength to be the best human representation

of the landscape itself: rude and wild, passionate and cruel, sensible and storm. (Juan, 18)

The Notebook is a romantic novel written by Nicholas Sparks in 1996 is based on a true

love story between Noah and Allie. The novel is set on two levels. The first level is

about the story of a man that Noah reads from the notebook and tells to Allie. It tells

how Noah and Allie fell in love, lost each other, and then reunited. The second level tells

us about the present time, when Noah and Allie have grown old and live together. The

end of their love is tragically affected by Allie’s Alzheimer’s disease and all her memories

are gone. But, the power of their love remains the same. When Noah becomes aware that

his wife and his lifeline Allie has this disease, he starts writing all the moments of their

life together in a notebook. He would read an excerpt from notebook with the hope to
recover her memory. (Fajarini, 2015)

The notebook embodies three reasons that makes it a fascinating novel. First, the novel

shows the story of first love, which soon changes into true love. The novel tells the story

of Noah, despite many obstacles he struggles to attain his love. At first Allie’s mom did

not accept their relationship due to difference in their social status, then Allie’s engagement

to Lon, and last Allies’ suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, Noah never turned away from

her but instead he waited for her until she returned to him again. The second reason lies

in the setting of the place where the novel takes place that is a small southern town in

North Carolina. The writer expresses concerns with the town because the small town is

less rushed and more community oriented. The third and the last reason is that the notebook

has an important message inside its story. Noah is a hardworking man that is why his

boss Morris Goldman gives some inheritance to him. Another important message is to

explore selfishness of Allie’s mother Anne, because she does not allow Allie to develop

relation with Noah due to the consciousness that Allie loves Noah more. (Fajarini, 2015)

Love is a passion, and it seeks for two things eternity and intensity. Both wuthering

heights and the notebook represents the pure love in its powerful form, hence a love born

in youth and remained for decades. The similarities between the relationship of Heathcliff

and Catherine, and Noah and Allie is that both the couples begin their love with two of

them deeply in love with each other until a third person from higher social class interrupts.

Heathcliff and Catherine are with each other until her stay at Thrushcross gange, but after

the arrival of high status man Edgar Linton, Catherine is attracted towards Linton. After

seeing Edgar her perspective towards Heathcliff changed, she now considers Heathcliff as

ordinary and dirty person as compared to sophisticated and handsome Edgar Linton.

Although she marries Edgar but deep down she secretly hides her love feelings for

Heathcliff which are revealed when she confesses to the housekeeper Nelly, she says: It
would degrade me to marry Heathcliff, now ; “so he shall never know how I love him ;

and that , not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am."

The romance between Noah and Allie is intervened when she goes to New York for

College. Allie’s mother plays an evil role in their relationship, she keeps the letter hidden

from Allie, written by Noah. Due to this reason their love dissolves. Soon she discovers

a fine gentleman Lon belonging to the same class as Allie. She finds herself fascinated

towards Lon. But, inside herself she finds a struggling heart, as she cannot forget her true

love feelings for Noah.

However, the consequence of the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine, and Noah

and Allie differs slightly, but both are similar in the sense, that the pure love between

them triumphs in the end.

1.2 Research Methodology

There are main types of research methods, Qualitative and Quantitative methods. This

research is based on qualitative method. The data is collected from two sources, primary

and secondary data. Primary data, also called as main data is obtained from the novel

itself. While, the secondary data source that is the supporting data is obtained from different

articles, journals, and other web sources related to the novel.

The technique used for collecting data are as follows: 1) Novel was read thoroughly to

understand it through different perspectives. 2) different sources and materials were analyzed

related to the novel. 3) notes were organized from collected data through different sources.

4) the data was categorized for the development of unity.

1.3 Objective of the study

The study has following objectives

• To analyze the novels based on their structural elements

• To highlight the similarities and differences between the two novels

• To highlight the destructive and constructive power of love in Wuthering Heights

1.4 Research Questions

• How Heathcliff’s and Noah’s devotion is reflected in Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights”

and Spark’s “ The Notebook”?

• What role does social convention plays in Wuthering Heights and The Notebook?

• What are the qualities of romantic movement are displayed in both the novels?

1.5 Findings and Discussion

Wuthering heights explores two main themes revenge and romantic love. It narrates the

tales of two families. The Earnshaws and the Lintons. The two families represent the

opposite worlds. The former are ruled by their passions, while the later are more cultured

and belongs to upper gentry class. The story begins when Mr. Earnshaw brings home an

orphan to live in the family, feelings of jealousy and hatred begins to take place, as well

as love between Heathcliff and Catherine started growing. Hindley Earnshaw shows his

hatred towards Heathcliff, because of Earnshaw’s favoritism towards Heathcliff. Due to this,

Hindley creates chaotic atmosphere for the people living in the Wuthering Heights.

Catherine Earnshaw symbolizes wild nature. When she becomes aware of the social norms

of the society, she decides to marry Edgar Linton, to secure her survival. After being

rejected by Catherine, Heathcliff leaves the place. When he returns, Catherine is bonded

to Edgar, but she finds herself still attracted to Heathcliff. Catastrophe starts following the
two families as Heathcliff begins to take revenge from all of them. Only the next

generation, the young Catherine, and Hareton Earnshaw, survive to attain this disastrous

passion in their soulful love.

The plot of the novel is rich and complex. It is run by two generations. Bronte’s style of

narration leads to various questions. Main characters are seen through the series of glass,

each reflecting a certain amount of distortion. It develops the interest to readers, to get

into deep within the minds of the characters, and to understand who is narrating the story

and about the whom story is told. Exploring these complex relationships and motives,

helps the reader for psychological analysis and in this way novel represents the life itself.

Learning occurs in pieces and is always subject to revision.

The Notebook reflects the devotion of the main character Noah, for his love Allie. No

matter how many difficulties he faced, his devotion for pure love remains pure till the

end of their love. Throughout the novel, Sparks takes the reader to show his struggle for

attaining his love. First he is rejected by Allie’s parents due to difference in their social

classes. Secondly, the face long fourteen years separation, but lastly they are reunited

again. When Allie reads the newspaper she sees Noah with his new plantation home, and

begins to seek for Noah in New Bern. Thirdly, when Noah comes to know about Allie’s

Alzheimer disease he does not leave her, instead did all his efforts to bring back all her

lost memories.

There are different theories from which this novel could be read. First the psychological

aspect of the character consist of the feeling of inferiority which compels Noah to attain

his love. With humanism theory one can understand basic elements of personality. Such

as psychological, safety, security and love needs.

Based on the analysis, it is thus clear that society plays an important role in the lives of

the main characters. Both Heathcliff and Noah struggles to make their fortune. Their
passionate love remains the same till the last breath of their lives. Heathcliff and Catherine

are not united on this earth, but he visits her at her deathbed, when she is about to die.

On the other hand, Noah and Allie are reunited on this earth, but they eventually die

lying next to each other. No doubt like Heathcliff and Catherine, they two will also be

together for all eternity.

1.6 Significance of the study

This study intends to explore the romances between the main characters of the novels.

Moreover, this study provides deep into psychoanalysis of the characters which is important

to understand the love between them. The study is significant for readers in terms of

understanding the compare and contrast between two novels. The study will help the

readers to understand the most important era of literature i.e Victorian and Romantic era.
CHAPTER TWO

2.1 Overview

In this chapter previous studies about Wuthering Heights and The Notebook will be

discussed. The result and findings of other researchers will be added in this chapter which

will help the researcher do better analysis of both the novels.

2.2 Literature review

Many critics and researchers have acknowledged wuthering heights and the notebook as a

very, emotional, romantic and passionate novels. The theme of love, romance and obsession

are explored in the novels.

2.3 Theories and Material

Wuthering heights has been interpreted through different following theories:

‘the puzzles of Wuthering Heights may be best resolved if the novel is read as a statement of a

very serious kind about a girl’s childhood and the adult woman’s tragic yearning to return to it.

Catherine’s impossible love for Heathcliff becomes comprehensible as a pre-adolescent (but not

pre-sexual) love modelled after the sister-brother relationship. The gratuitous cruelties of the novel

are thus justified as realistic attributes of the nursery world – and as frankly joyous memories of

childhood eroticism. ( Gubar, 1979).

Heathcliff is described thoughout the novel as a ‘savage’; and although what he actually is remains

unclear throughout, it is clear that this could refer to him as a half-caste, an outsider, or a slave

brought in on slave ships docking at Liverpool, or he could be a famish Irish immigrant, escaping

the Irish potato famine. (Meyer, 1996)

Wuthering Heights is a inheritance of Gothic tradition. The novel widely adopted Gothic styles.

From the beginning, the theme contains hated, conspiracy and the fight of inheritance. In addition,
Wuthering Heights also adopted typical Gothic technique on the description of the environments,

plot structure and image. The appearance of Wuthering Heights and its internal and external

environment are fit for the background of Gothic novel. (Pu, 2002).

Emily Bronte’s own life is strong related to the living background of this novel. She lived in a

remote mountain village for a long time which was also a moor with howling winds. By growing

up in this particular environment, Bronte was familiar to this taste of home, heard odds and ends

and sagas. So Bronte putted this feelings and experiences into her works to show the readers a

thrilling story set up on Wuthering Heights. ( Shi, 2009)

“Wuthering Heights is about England in 1847. The people it reveals are not in a never-never land,

but in Yorkshire. Heathcliff was not born in the pages of Byron, but in a Liverpool slum. The

language of Nelly, Joseph and Hareton is the language of the Yorkshire people. The story of WH

is concerned not with love in the abstract but with the passions of living people, with property

ownership, the attraction of social comforts, the arrangement of marriages, the importance of

education, the validity of religion, the relations of rich and poor.’ ( Kettle, 1951)

Eagleton (n.d) sees the novel as centred around the eternal class conflict – between the landed

gentry and the working classes. He sees Cathy’s seduction by the bourgeois glamour of the Grange

as opposed to Heathcliff’s rejection of it. Heathcliff represents, for Eagleton, the turbulence of a

mobile social workforce, who were moving in increasing numbers to urban areas looking for work.

He reminds us of Heathcliff’s ambition:

Van Ghent (n.d) being a formalist views the novel through its structure and form. He was

the first to examine the importance of the various doors and windows in the novel arguing

that “such formal boundaries represent the tension between two conflicting realities. She draws

attention to the ways in which different characters aim to cross these physical boundaries and unite

the two kinds of reality, and argues that although for Catherine Earnshaw the attempt results in her

death, suggesting that the choice is really about irreconcilable realities, by the end of the novel,
Catherine Heathcliff does succeed in achieving the domestic romance.”

Wion (n.d) claims that Wuthering Heights is full of oral imagery. Almost all of the social

encounters involve food, and food is one of the signs which signal belonging and acceptance. A

delicate appetite, such as displayed by Isabella, and later Linton, might also be read as a reluctance

to experience or engage with the sensual or physical.

Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte describes the society from a completely individual point of view

for the first time. While many of the great Victorian of the early to middle period, they deal more

explicitly with moral and social concern than she does. Emily expresses more of the primitive and

spiritual side of the human spirit in the novel, which is excessively concealed in this period of

time. ( Juan, 2011)

Romance novel is one of the genres of popular literature. It is a love story, focusing on the

development of the love relationship between the two main characters, written in such a way as to

provide the reader with some degree of vicarious emotional participation in the courtship process

(Ramsdell, 1987).

Romance novel is kinds of popular literature which is highly read and consumed. (Vangent, 2005)

Romance novel is indeed becomes the most popular genre in popular literature compares

to the others genres, yet, unfortunately the consumer of popular romance has been stigmatized

by critics as superficial and small-minded; more specifically, the consumer of popular

romance has been labeled as feminine (Vangent, 2005).

Jenson (1984) states that nearly all readers of romance novels are female, women of all

ages, careers and ethnicities are attracted to these novels. It is due to the reasons that

similar to television, romance novels portray reality in many unrealistic ways, therefore

influencing the perceptions that readers have about social constructs and relationship

standards and expectation.

CHAPTER 3

Love and Obsession

3.1 Overview

This chapter highlights the love and obsession between Heathcliff and Catherine, and Noah

and Allie. Though both the couples faced a lot of difficulties throughout their lives, but

their love remains the same till the last breadth of their lives.

3.2 Introduction

“love is different for everyone, but is possible for anyone”. The idea of true love generates

from fairy-tales, that perfect love is the one, in which both the hero and the heroine

understands each other than anyone else, and accepts and trust each other as equals. Apart

from that, love is also wild and passionate, and can reach an impossible limit. Heathcliff

and Catherine’s love share many of these traits, but their selfish and careless character, is

similar to an ideal story book romance. (Kseggerson, n.d)

3.3 Wuthering heights as a Gothic, Romantic and a Super natural novel

Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights (1847) is seen by many critics as a novel that portrays

many genres such as gothic, romantic and the supernatural. The real achievement of

wuthering heights lies in its perfect portrayal of a specific place, atmosphere, and the

examination of different human characters. (Tamura, 2003)

The story begins in the year 1801, when Lockwood rents the manor, Thrushcross Grange.

Lockwood moves into the manor, and becomes interested in finding out how his landlord

Heathcliff has become the owner of this manor. Lockwood learns the story of Heathcliff

from Nelly Dean, the house keeper, who was also serving in Wuthering Heights. Lockwood

begins to quote in his diary about the happenings and strange inhabitants of the Wuthering
Heights. (Gadhiraju, 2017)

3.4 Recollection of memories

Nelly’s reminiscence takes her back to the time when the Wuthering Heights was owned

by Mr. Earnshaw, the father of Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw. The story becomes

interesting, when Mr. Earnshaw meets an orphan boy Heathcliff in Liverpool, and bring

the boy to Wuthering Heights. At first, Earnshaw children treats the boy in a harshly

manner, but soon Catherine becomes attracted to Heathcliff. Their childhood was filled

with love and they became the dominant children playing together in the moors.

It was not only Catherine who was attracted towards Heathcliff, but also Mr. Earnshaw

had great affiliation with Heathcliff. This was the reason which created jealousy in Hindly

for Heathcliff, and he started treating him in a cruel manner. (Gadhiraju, 2017)

After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Mr. Hindley and his wife Mrs. Hindley became the

owners of the wuthering heights. There was no change between the relationship of Heathcliff

and Catherine. But, Heathcliff was treated as no more than a common laborer working in

the manor. (Gadhiraju, 2017)

3.5 The Linton children

It is at this point, that Bronte introduces the other two important characters of the novel

i.e. Edgar and Isabella Linton, who are described as the arrogant children living in the

Thrushcross Grange. Catherine and Heathcliff cross the moorlands to tease the Linton

children, there she is bitten by dog and falls sick, and moves to Thrushcross Grange. She

spent five weeks there, along with the Linton children. Catherine being brought up by

without a mother, gets attracted to Mrs. Linton, who turned the tomboyish Catherine into

a decent young lady. When she returns from Thrushcross Grange her perception for
Heathcliff was totally changed. She begins to view Heathcliff as a wild uneducated man,

as compared to a young educated Edgar Linton. The story begins to take another way, as

from here both Catherine and Heathcliff begins to part from each other. (Gadhiraju, 2017)

3.6 The death of Frances, and the birth of Hareton

The death of Frances, while giving birth to a baby boy, turns Hindley into more antagonistic

towards Heathcliff. The attitude of Catherine also gets changed towards him, and she

prefers Edgar over Heathcliff. Though still Catherine loves Heathcliff, but gets married to

Edgar being conscious about her high class society. (Chaitanya Gadhiraju, 2017)

Heathcliff leaves the place, and after three years he returns with immense wealth. He

takes his childhood revenge from Hindley, and soon Hindley dies, due to over use of

alcohol. After the death of Hindley, he marries Isabella Linton. But, Heathcliff’s

cruel treatment towards Isabella makes her run to London, where she gives birth to his

sick child named as Linton. (Gadhiraju, 2017)

It is at the same moment, Catherine gives birth to a baby girl, named as Catherine. She

dies while giving birth to her daughter. Her death marks a huge blow on Heathcliff. His

pain was quite different from Edgar’s who was also crushed from Catherine’s death.

Heathcliff almost becomes mad, and the following words shows how desperately he wants

her. “And I pray one prayer-I repeat it till my tongue stiffens Catherine

Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living!

You say I killed you-haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt

their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered the

earth. Be with me always-take any form-drive me mad! only do

not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh! God!

it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live

without my soul!” (Brontë 148)

3.7 The long thirteen years

The story now takes another side, thirteen years are passed, and one can see the young

Catherine living with his aging father Edgar. Nelly tells Lockwood, about how she was

given the task to look after the young Catherine, after the death of her mother, Catherine.

Isabella leaves her son Linton to her brother Edgar, after her death. However, Heathcliff’s

gets his custody and he asks sick Linton to join him at wuthering heights, as he lives

there. The young Catherine meets Heathcliff, who forces her to come to wuthering heights

to nurse her cousin Linton. On the other hand, he forces Linton to pretend fake love

towards Catherine, in order to take revenge from Edgar. (Gadhiraju, 2017)

3.8 The death of Edgar

Meanwhile, Edgar dies leaving Thrushcross grange to young Catherine.

However, Heathcliff’s attempt to bring closer Linton and Catherine did not become

successful. Linton dies, and Heathcliff treats Catherine no more than a common laborer.

The readers are now introduced with the different situation, where Hindley’s son Hareton

is treated in the same way, as Heathcliff was treated by Hindley. Though, Catherine is

aware of the illiteracy of the hareton but still she feels affiliation towards him. They both

develop a relationship, which once Heathcliff had with Catherine. (Gadhiraju, 2017)

3.9 Insaneness and Heathcliff

The insane nature of Heathcliff is reflected here. He begins to behave in a strange manner.

His obsession for Catherine turns into sickness, and he begins to see Catherine everywhere.

He soon dies, and wuthering heights and Thrushcross grange is inherited to Hareton and
Catherine. ( Gadhiraju, 2017)

The story ends here, with Lockwood visiting the graves of Catherine and Heathcliff.

The common idea for true love is portrayed as the harmony between two protagonists, in

which one person sees the real character of the other. Catherine says that “whatever our

souls are made of, his and mine are the same”. This line shows that both see something

deep in each other’s souls. ( Gadhiraju, 2017)

The central concept of wuthering heights revolves around two love tales. The love between

Heathcliff and Catherine, and the love that is shared by young Catherine and Hareton.

(Gadhiraju, 2017)

3.9.1 The Two Tales

The first tale shows the love that destroys the relationships. However, it also reflects the

true emotion that both Heathcliff and Catherine are unable to find happiness in anyone

other than each other.

3.9.2 Love is constructive, not destructive

In the second tale, though there is an element of antagonism but they soon become

attracted to each other. It shows that love prevails even in most hazardous forms. Even in

the suffocated atmosphere of wuthering heights, both hareton and Catherine proved that

love is not destructive, but constructive. ( Gadhiraju, 2017)

3.9.3 True love of Noah and Allie

Nicholas Spark’s The notebook is a true story of his wife’s Cathy’s grandparents who

spend more than 60 years with each other. Cathy had a strong bond with her grandparents,

but they due to their illness could not attend her wedding. So, the newlywed couple
arranged a marriage to them. They surprised them with their dressing, as they were dressed

up in grandparents wedding clothes. Cathy’s grandparents told them about how they met,

and fall in love with each other. (Pirnia, 2017)

The story is about Noah and allie, the hero and heroine, belonging to two opposite classes.

The common boy falls in love with a high society girl. Soon, their love was transformed

into a beautiful romance. As Noah belongs to laboring class, it seems disapproving to

Allie’s parents and they sent him out of the town for further studies.

After leaving the town, allie becomes a nurse and begins to serve military men. There she

meets a man, named as Lon who is cruelly injured. She nurse him and they soon develop

feelings for each other. (Pirnia, 2017)

Allie did not forget about Noah, and he still captures her mind. The story begins when

Noah returns to his home North Carolina , after world war II to restore and repair an old

house. He feels lonely and reminded of his fourteen years old love. Suddenly, she knocks

at her door. (Pirnia, 2017)

They met fourteen years ago in new Bern, but they were soon separated by Allie’s parents.

When allie arrives at his house, she was surprised to see that he has made the house

exactly as she wanted. After knowing that Noah is still single, she tells him about his

engagement with Lon, and also tells him that they are getting married within three weeks.

Noah invites her on the dinner, while preparing the dinner he asks her that why she did

not reply to any of the letters he wrote him in these years. She tells him that she never

saw those letters, as they were hidden by Allie’s mother. Allie leaves the house with a

promise that she is going to meet him the next day. (Pirnia, 2017)

The next day they both meet each other at a lake, all their past memories are restored.

They once again began to romance with each other. Though they were separated for

fourteen long years, but still true love between them remains the same. After courting
each other all the feelings were restored. (Pirnia, 2017)

The next afternoon Allie’s mother comes to Noah’s house and warns the couple to stay

away from each other. She also tells the couple that Lon is coming to new Bern to meet

allie as she is not responding to his calls. (Pirnia, 2017)

They kiss and leave each other. Allie reaches to the hotel, where she is staying and saw

Lon’s car. Allie has to choose between her fiancé, and Noah. She is divided between her

love and social conventions. However, she knows that Lon can give her a prosperous life,

but she decides to follow her heart and chooses Noah over her fiancé. (Pirnia, 2017)

The novel then takes back to their nursing home, where duke reads a story to his wife,

who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. We also learn that the story he is reading to

is his wife. The couple is happily married from last forty nine years. The woman is unable

to recognize her husband. And, she inquires her husband that which guy the girl choose

to marry. He answers that he will tell her, at the end of the day. The old man calls

himself and his wife as Duke and Hannah. (Pirnia, 2017)

The story of Noah and allie is the unique story of romance. Despite many hurdles including

WWII, social conventions, they follow their heart. And they choose to be with each other.

They die together in bed, which shows their powerful love, which lasts for eternity. (Pirnia,

2017)

The few lessons that we get from the story of Noah and allie are devotion, obsession,

loyalty, sincerity, understanding and rushed romance. (Pirnia, 2017)

CHAPTER 4

Passion and Social Conventions

4.1 Overview

This chapter highlights the role of passion and social conventions in the relationship of

Heathcliff and Catherine, and Noah and allie.

4.2 Two halves of a single soul

The theme of passion and social conventions is obvious in Catherine and Heathcliff’s

relationship.

The novel opens in 1801 and covers a thirty year of period. British society was suffering

from industrial revolution and whole British society was society was transformed. Bronte

wrote this book in 1847, and the effects of the change were seen in the shape of uprising

of middle class society, and a shift from old money to new money. A man can now

change his destiny by acquiring wealth, as Heathcliff does, while in the past, only those

men were considered gentleman, that were born in upper class family. (driscoll, n.d.)

Wuthering heights also deal with the shift from old restrict culture to a more modern way

of life. This novel deals with the class conflict. At the time, when Bronte wrote the novel

class conflict and property ownership went side by side. Both Earnshaw’s and Linton own

their estates. Thrushcross grange belongs to Linton and wuthering heights belongs to

Heathcliff. (driscoll, n.d.)

The Lintons are presented as the most elite family of the novel. Earnshaws also own

property, but Thrushcross grange is superior to wuthering heights. Earnshaw’s house

represents a refined culture, while wuthering heights symbolizes wildness, because wuthering

heights was a farmhouse. They do not serve as laborers, but they were landlords with

their own servants. The conflict between nature and culture is constantly seen throughout
the novel. (driscoll, n.d.)

4.3 Catherine loves Heathcliff, but marries Linton

Catherine and Heathcliff goes to Thrushcross grange to spy on Lintons, but there she is

bitten by dog and falls ill. After being lived in an elite family, and treated in a properly

manner she realizes that Heathcliff cannot make his fortune if he remains under the

supervision of Earnshaw’s. (Driscoll, n.d.)

Catherine decides to marry Linton with the view in the mind that she will be able to use

Edgar’s money to raise Heathcliff’s social status. She explains nelly that ''It would degrade

me to marry Heathcliff now.'' She goes on to tell that they would be beggars with no

prospects were they to marry but that with Edgar Linton's money she will be able to ''aid

Heathcliff to rise , and place him out of my brother's power.'' (Driscoll, n.d.)

Heathcliff hears her sayings and he disappears and comes back after few years with lot

of wealth and power. He succeeds in acquiring the properties of Earnshaw’s and Linton’s.

(Driscoll, n.d.)

4.4 Revenge

Catherine’s rejection of Heathcliff remains at his heart till the end of the novel. Although,

he marries Isabella Linton but he is unable to forget Catherine. He acquires property,

wealth everything but his heart struggles inside. He does his best to take his revenge from

the children of Edgar and Earnshaw, but he does not succeed. He tries to take away

Thrushcross grange and wuthering heights from Hareton Earnshaw and Catherine Linton

but his all attempts failed. The couple marries in the end, closing the novel with a happy

ending. (Driscoll, n.d.)

4.5 Social class

Social class was the only reason, which compels Catherine to marry Edgar, because she

wants to become the most powerful woman of the neighborhood. Catherine is a passionate

and romantic young lady, but at the same time she is the women of Victorian society

driven by social norms. She knows marrying Heathcliff, would lead to her disgrace so she

chooses Linton over Heathcliff. The difference between their classes is the main reason

for their separation. But, Bronte gives the beautiful message that one can change his

destiny if he struggles hard. (Driscoll, n.d.)

4.6 Women in the hands of men

Victorian society set different norms for women. They were lacking in power and

independence. It is obvious through the novel.

• Women were obliged to obey their husband’s order. As Mrs. Earnshaw has to

accept Heathcliff in any case, because his husband asked her to do so.

• Catherine cannot marry Heathcliff because he is an orphan. And, if he marries her

they would be begging their whole life. So, she decides to marry the elite Edgar to help

the man she truly adores.

• Heathcliff decides to marry Isabella Linton, because he came to know that she will

inherit her father’s property if Edgar dies. He marries Isabella just for the sake of acquiring

Thrushcross grange, and treats her in a cruel manner.

• Young Catherine is treated as a slave in wuthering heights. Heathcliff forces her to

marry his sick son. Even when Linton dies, she is not allowed to leave wuthering heights.

(Driscoll, n.d.)
4.7 Love and Social Status in “The Notebook”

There are different themes that can be applied to the notebook. They are love, family and

social status. When talking about social status various theories can be applied. Including

system theory and conflict theory. The former theory focuses on how human behavior is

shaped through interactions between people and their social systems. (Jones, 2013)

The later theory talks about class conflict. Allie, a young lady is a socialite. She is born

to well off parents. She learns piano, studies French, painting, poetry and does all those

things which her society demands. It was the society, which played a crucial role in her

relationship with Noah. As she belonged to an elite class, and Noah belonged to a common

class. So, this was unacceptable to Allie’s parents and they called Noah as ‘trash, trash,

trash’. They believed that Noah is unworthy for their daughter and they sent allie to

another city for the continuation of her studies. (Jones, 2013)

Though they both were separated but Noah could not forget her. He wrote 365 letters to

her, which were hidden by Allie’s mother. But allie trusts herself and Noah and she

followed her heart and went against the social norms of society. (Jones, 2013)

She believed in herself and Noah, and choose a life with Noah instead of Lon. (Jones,

2013)
CHAPTER 5

5.1 Overview

This chapter highlights the features of romantic movement in both the novels. The

characteristics of romanticism makes wuthering heights and the notebook the most romantic

novels.

5.2 Traits of Romanticism in Wuthering Heights and “The Notebook”

Romanticism is a word derived from romantic, but does not only mean romance. It

comprises of various things including, love for nature, imagination, super natural elements,

Byronic hero, emotion, love, passion, an interest in death, and complex characters. (Smith,

2013)

Wuthering heights a famous romantic novel consists of all these traits which are discussed

one by one below. (Smith, 2013)

Complex character

In romantic literature, characters are often difficult to understand. They at first seem to be

one, but then turn out to be something different. The common example of such type of

characters are Heathcliff and Hareton. Heathcliff is the most transforming character. He

was picked from the streets of Liverpool by Earnshaw, but yet was never acceptable to

Earnshaw family. Later, he returns with a lot of wealth and power. His transformation

demonstrates that though he was not born rich, but he changes his fate through his own

actions. (Wilkerson, n.d.)

Hareton at first seems uneducated, but later young Cathy accepted him and loved him,

because of his noble character. (Wilkerson, n.d.)

5.3 Nature

Nature is presented in wuthering heights as wild and stormy. Nature is seen as a living

and a vitalizing force. The description of the setting of wuthering heights is English moors,

which are described as wild and dangerous places. Bronte also uses nature to highlight the

personalities of the characters. For example, Heathcliff’s character is associated with storm

to show his cruelty towards Isabella. Catherine’s character is also associated with nature,

she is changeable like weather. (Stone, n.d.)

5.4 Byronic hero

Heathcliff the protagonist is described as a Byronic hero. Byronic hero is an idealized but

a flawed character. The term Byronic hero is described from the writings of lord Byron.

A Byronic hero is different from an ordinary man. He lacks heroic deeds, contains many

dark qualities. He is moody by nature and his emotional feelings are stronger than an

average man. Heathcliff is termed as Byronic hero, because he possessed such qualities.

(Smith, 2013)

Heathcliff is Byronic because he is loner in the novel. He is isolated from society. His

nature is wild, and is so passionate about Catherine, that he spends all his life in taking

his revenge from the people around him. He says that “ he cannot live without his soul”,

which means that he is mentally died, and only physically living. But, has no feelings for

anyone other than Catherine. (Smith, 2013)

5.5 Super natural elements

Super natural element an evident feature of romanticism is found in wuthering heights.

Super natural events occurs in the very beginning of the novel. When lockwood is forced

to spend a night in wuthering heights due to an unusual snow storm. He wakes up with
a frightening dream with the sound of trees railing against his window. He also feels the

ghost of Catherine Linton who is lost in moors. (Palsdottir, 2012)

In the novel Heathcliff also claims that ghosts do exist. He tells nelly that after Catherine’s

death, he had almost dug her up, when he felt her spirit above him on the moors. Thus he knew

that her spirit was not in the grave but on the earth, and ever since he feels her presence. (Palsdottir,

2012)

We can also feel the presence of super natural element when Heathcliff is near to death

and he can feel the ghosts of Catherine. (Palsdottir, 2012)

5.6 Love, passion and emotion

Wuthering heights is the tale of tragic love. The love between Heathcliff and Catherine is

not an ordinary love. Rather, it is the love full of passion and emotions. They loved each

other’s souls. Love cannot be seen as a theme, but an archetype. Their passionate love is

the main reason for making the story memorable, which has occupied people’s heart till

date. (Presley, 2013)

In wuthering heights emotions are seen as a force in driving the plot, and they also

determine the actions and motivations of the characters. The true passion in relationships

if often seen through actions. The relationship between Cathy and Linton, Catherine and

Heathcliff, and Cathy and Hareton are determine through different actions. (Presley, 2013)

5.7 Romanticism in the notebook

In the notebook we can also see the features of romanticism. The hero and heroine prefers

emotions over reasoning. They gave superiority to their emotions. They are isolated from

society and follow their hearts. Allie’s affiliation with painting and music is also associated

with romantic movement of art and literature. (Kibin, n.d.)

The beautiful description of nature is revealed when Noah restores that old house after his

arrival from WW11. And above all, their romance is what makes the novel most romantic

novel of the time. (Kibin, n.d.)

5.8 Conclusion

Romanticism was the movement of art and literature. It included imagination, creativity,

love for nature and everything. In both the novels we can see the elements of romanticism.

Noah and allie’s summer romance and the way he forces her for date shows his lustful

love as well as the beauty of nature that surrounds them. The famous lake scene describe

the nature as well as their teenage romance.

On the other hand, wuthering heights is full of romantic traits. The description of the

nature scenes and the association of nature with characters contributes to the romantic

elements of the novel.

CHAPTER 6

Comparison of Wuthering Heights and The Notebook

The central theme on which both the novels revolves around is love. But, there are several

other things that are relatable in both the novels which includes, money, forbidden love,

social class, family standards, time setting and betrayal.

6.1 Money

Catherine and Allie, both the women belonged to an upper class. While both the men

came from lower classes. Both wuthering heights (1800), and the notebook ( 1940’s) are

set in the time period when money was of utmost importance.

The importance of money is clearly reflected in the novel. People with money were treated

as humans while people without money were considered as savages.

6.2 Heathcliff and Noah

Heathcliff was a common lay man, who was picked up from Liverpool street and was

brought up by Earnshaw’s.

Noah was also a common man, who never attended any educational institution. He worked

as a military man in an army.

6.3 Forbidden love

Both the ladies chose their men from a lower class society, that became a hurdle in their

relationship. As the society was the class conscious society, so marrying a person from

lower class would be a disgrace to the family. Allie’s mother sent her to college in another

city to keep her away from Noah. Whereas, Catherine decides to marry Heathcliff to keep

up with the class, and to become a strong woman in the neighborhood.

6.4 Family standards

Allie’s mother emotionally changes her mind by sharing a story that she also made a

mistake of marrying a man, not from her class. So, she warned her not to repeat that

mistake and in order to have a prosperous life, she should marry the man of upper social

class. ( Kelsey, 2013)

Catherine’s family believed that their social standard is high. So, they should only associate

with those families who stands equal to them in terms of money. ( Kelsey, 2013)

6.5 Time setting

The time period in which both the novels were set in required the women to stay in their

same social class. They were not allowed to marry a man below their class. The richer

the man, the better he is. (Kelsey, 2013)

6.6 Betrayal

Heathcliff and Noah both possessed utmost loyalty. But, betrayal is seen in case of the

women. Catherine first loved Heathcliff, but married Linton. First she betrays Heathcliff

by marrying Linton. And, then she went to moors with Heathcliff and betrays Linton.

(Kelsey, 2013)

Allie on the other hand first loved Noah, but after he was gone for a war, she fell in

love with Lon. Then, after seeing Noah again she betrays Lon and goes back to Noah.

(Kelsey, 2013)

6.7 Difference between Wuthering heights and The notebook

Despite certain similarities the one major difference between the two novels is revenge.

We cannot see any revenge in the notebook. But, in wuthering heights Heathcliff represents
the revenge in its fullest form.

CHAPTER 7

7.1 Conclusion

There are different theories that can be applied on both the novels including psychological

approach, socialism, class conflict and so on. In the notebook, Noah passionately loves

allie. His individual psychology is divided into several categories i.e. inferiority complex,

creation of self, struggling for superiority, evolution, changing the style of life and social

interest. Heathcliff, on the other hand is both a hero and a villain. His psychology

throughout the novel revolves around revenge.

In both the novels we come across the conclusion that both the heroes possesses extreme

loyalty to their heroines. In case of Heathcliff and Catherine, their love is destructive.

Heathcliff destroys all other relationship in his revenge for Catherine. Whereas, in the case

of Noah and allie their love is romantic and constructive.

Moreover, this research was intended to compare the romances between the two novels. It

would be helpful for the readers to learn about the different cultures. Both the novels can

be understood from different contexts.

Two important eras are explored in this research i.e. Victorian and romantic era. It would

be helpful for the readers to read the novel in context of both the eras. As the traits of

both the eras are present in the novels.

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