​ ULTIPLE LITERACIES AND

M
IDENTITY IN EMILY BRONTË'S
WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Rachel Thomas , Wake Forest University
thomrg21@wfu.edu

WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Wuthering Heights is a novel written by the female, British author
Emily Brontë. It is set in Yorkshire England and follows the lives of
the Earnshaw and Linton families from the 1770s to the beginning
of the 1800s. This gothic romance explores the complex romantic
and familial relationships between the two families as they
intermarry, have children, and cope with not getting what they
desire. The primary set of characters die, plot revenge, or suffer in
silent bitterness, but their children do provide a sense of hope in
escaping the traumas their parents faced.

MULTIGENRE INQUIRY PROJECT

A multigenre inquiry project explores an essential question through a series of

different creative genres. My project's genres consist of an imagined scholarly
conversation, visually artistic piece, creative writing, infographic, and pedagogical
activities. I have included brief explanations of four out of my five genres on the
following page. You may visit the link to my project to see the pedagogical piece,
along with a reflection and my references.

MY ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
How does literacy impact identity?

Link to my project: https://rthomasmgp.weebly.com/

 CONTEXTUAL PIECE: MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES SHARED
ON A TRAIN RIDE TO NOWHERE
This genre explores the relationship between literacy and
identity through a historical, literary, and cultural lens. I have
imagined that three scholars representing these different
perspectives have a casual conversation on this topic, as
they are riding on a train to nowhere.

JOINED FROM ACROSS THE

MOORS: WUTHERING
HEIGHTS' "FAMILY TREE"
This painting is inspired by Frida
Kahlo’s painting My Grandparents,
My Parents, and I (Family Tree). It
explores the ironic union of the
Earnshaw and Linton families in the
novel.
LETTERS OF LOVE: RECOVERED ARTIFACTS
OF CATHY AND LINTON'S TEXTUAL AFFAIR
These letters explore how Cathy and Linton
could possibly cultivate a romantic relationship
only through writing. These letters are all
imagined, but they integrate and reflect on
moments from the text. This genre explores how
one's relationship to reading and writing can
literally shape their relations and emotional ties
to others.
LITERACY AND IDENTITY INFOGRAPHIC
This infographic explores the question of how literacy
impacts identity (and vice versa) by thinking about the
formation of identity with respect to language, how
different identities shape classroom learning, and the
relationship between reading and identity. It
concludes with questions that call attention to who
(what authors and characters) we read and how they
may impact the way in which we interpret ourselves
and interact with others.

Image Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Emily-Bronte