Cultural Critical Perspective

The very first paragraph of this essay drew me in. The enigmatic nature of Emily Bronte and the description of her as "stronger than a man, simpler than a child, her nature stood alone" is what has always fascinated me about her; and the observation that Wuthering Heights is a story so detached from the rest of the world, politically and historically, is an interesting one to consider. Would the book have the same impact had it been more interconnected with some type of culture other than its own, other than the small world of Wuthering Heights? I think that the self-contained nature of the novel adds that mysterious dark air that makes the novel what it is. It has such a secluded, otherworldly air, and I think this also contributes to the strange characteristics of Heathcliff, Catherine, and all the other characters in the novel. The culture within the novel, the culture of the Grange and the Heights and the relationship between the two, is rich in and of itself, and possibly even more so because of the lack of an outside influence.
Something else I found interesting about Armstrong's text was her discussion on the incorporation of photography into society and how it "brought the more remote regions to the metropolis in much the same way that Wuthering Heights did" (438). She talks about how the photographer is detached from the photograph as much as Emily remained detached from her writing, but I think I disagree with this-- from all the descriptions I've read about Emily and her personality, I think that there's a lot of her characteristics in this novel-- distant, melancholy, troubled. She didn't necessarily recount a story of her life or deliberately placed herself within the pages, but I believe that she's as much a part of the novel as a photographer is a part of the photograph. You can't see the photographer in the picture, but there's a trace of him and his artistic eye in the picture-- it's how you can look at an Ansel Adams photograph and know immediately who took it without being told. The artist always incorporates his or her own style or approach into the art being produced.

Wuthering Heights

I've read Wuthering Heights before, about four years ago in high school. And this is one of those "the place you are in your life determines the context of the book you're reading" scenarios, for sure. Because I recall thoroughly enjoying this the first time I read it, and I believe I connected to the characters and found the writing impeccable. Perhaps it was because there was so much interaction with the book (given that it was a high school course), with projects and discussions and multiple essays that I was fooled into thinking I enjoyed it simply because I had so much incessant exposure to it. I still enjoy the atmosphere of the book-- I feel like it's somehow a cozy read mingled with anticipation, and it is nice to return to the complicated story within the story of Nelly and Lockwood, and to be reintroduced to the complex array of characters like Heathcliff. I just don't seem to have a deep connection to the book like I felt I did before? Maybe it's because I know the characters and don't identify with them the way I used to, or maybe I just wasn't as exposed to literature the first time I read it so I felt like it was one of the first real classics I enjoyed. I'm not sure, I think I will see where my opinion goes as I keep reading-- I vaguely recall the story picking up pace and gaining momentum and I think there are some interesting plot twists and scandals. We'll see!

Forbidden Reading

The section that I found most significant, or at least the one that elicited the biggest reaction, was the section on forbidden reading. I found myself immensely grateful that society as a whole has become more liberal about things that were so controversial and taboo centuries ago. The book-burnings across all different cultures and the elimination of the "old spirit" in favor of the new was shocking; the incredible lengths taken to censor reading material just because it no longer aligned with what the public was wanted to know or believe made me appreciate the right I have today to be able to read whatever I want without fear of penalty. I think it's important to be able to trace history via literature, and that wouldn't be possible if the book-burning tradition had remained so prominent and consistent an activity. I find that what irks me more than almost anything else is someone with a mind closed to many if not all cultures, belief systems, and ideas aside from their own. The quote by General Videla on page 289 cemented this disdain: "a terrorist is not just someone with a gun or bomb, but also someone who spreads ideas that are contrary to Western and Christian civilization." I think it's vital that people be able to try to know as much as possible about everything, and to have their minds absorb all different mentalities and beliefs and philosophies from every corner of the world-- otherwise their life is confined and sheltered and so limited that it's almost a waste in my opinion.