I really loved this class, it was by far my favorite class this semester and the only light in what seemed like a dismal semester. The readings were fantastic, I truly liked reading every one of them and though I might not have liked everyone, I have actually learned something from everyone. How often does that happen in a class? Certainly not in any I am taking this semester. The discussions in this class were some of the best I have had in English classes and that is what made this class for me. As frustrating as they could be at times with different opinions, ideas on "sorority girls" and intense arguments, they were all great. At times, I learned so much from a fellow student and I changed completely the way I thought about a poem or a notion of romanticism. This is not to mention the most frustrating times when I personally could not find the words to describe the amazing ideas I believed to have in my mind. The discussions were also a lesson in discipline, respect and courage.
I personally did not enjoy Wuthering Heights that much. In truth, the challenge of reading it at finals time might have been a driving force behind this belief because I loved the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy as my last post shows. There is always something about destruction, the anti-hero and consumption that draws me into characters; they are always some of my favorites. I think that it was right for this to be the ending of the class though. This novel is all about ends; end of generations, end of love, hope, desperation and humanity. The utterly destructive nature of the characters as well as the settings of this novel is a really great final thought. I think the romantics (well I guess not Byron) really cared and thought about what the consequences to their actions were. This can certainly be applied to our reading of this novel and the terror of Wuthering Heights. Nice way to wrap it all up. Guess even the class was wrapped up in a little bow with a moral on the end.
Agreed. This was my favorite class by far as well. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't like Wuthering Heights. If you ever find time to reread it, pay close attention to the psychodynamics of Heathcliff and Catherine's relationship and the ambiguity of the ghosts.
ReplyDeleteYea, "Wuthering Heights" is definitely an amazing text. The end of it is somewhat 'wrapped up,' but at the same time not. Even though Heathcliff, being a dark, isolated, sadistic, gypsy doesn't believe in an afterlife, or in hell, he does see his death as a beginning, as well as an end. He finds a spiritual quietude as he begins to look forward to his death, inventing a coffin for his lover. His spirit soothed is soothed by the thought of his death, a place in which he can finally reach Catherine and be with her forever, intertwined, somehow. I wish we had gotten more time to talk about "Wuthering Heights," because by the time I had gotten my thoughts collected again, as I have read it a lot, we were already finishing up the last class! It came so quickly, like the repo man was coming to disturb our happy family and our sweet furniture.
ReplyDelete(Ahh, Heathcliff... you're so beautiful.)