Wuthering Heights

Sylvia Plath

21 pages 42-minute read

Sylvia Plath

Wuthering Heights

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1961

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

The unnamed narrator takes a solitary walk across the flat highlands. She experiences profound alienation and feels entirely isolated from human society. She refuses to remain static, consistently moving forward over the treacherous terrain despite her fears of the hostile environment.

Key Relationships

Judged by The Sheep

Oppressed by The Wind

Symbolically Connected to The Grass

Tempted by The Heather

Burdened by The Sky

Surrounded by The Horizons

Terrified by Lintel And Sill

Briefly Comforted by The Water

A flock blending into the environment like wool-clouds. Unlike the isolated speaker, they know exactly where they belong in the world. They possess vertical pupils, large yellow teeth, and a harsh bleat. They study the speaker without empathy, making her feel as though she is being mailed into empty space.

Key Relationships

Hostile Observer of The Speaker

A powerful gust blowing across the Yorkshire moors. It acts with the unyielding force of destiny, bending the grass uniformly. It actively attempts to funnel away the speaker's body heat as she walks.

Key Relationships

Oppressive Force to The Speaker

Tormentor of The Grass

Supporting Characters

The fragile vegetation covering the ground. It is too delicate for the terrible weather and the harsh company it keeps. Terrified by the approaching darkness, it beats its head distractedly.

Key Relationships

Symbolic Reflection of The Speaker

Victim of The Wind

The wild shrubs blanketing the ground. The roots contain a hypnotic allure for the exhausted traveler. If paid too much attention, the plants silently invite the speaker to sink into the earth and turn her bones white among them.

Key Relationships

Dangerous Temptation for The Speaker

The vast atmospheric canopy overhead. Initially pale, it transforms into a physical burden as night falls. It leans entirely on the speaker, treating her as the sole upright column holding it in place.

Key Relationships

Heavy Burden on The Speaker

The visual limits of the moors. They fail to catch fire and provide warmth when the sun sets. Instead, they continually dissolve into the distance as the speaker approaches them.

Key Relationships

Elusive Boundary for The Speaker

The surviving doorframes of abandoned houses. They have unhinged themselves from human ownership and assumed a ghostly life. The wind passing through their open structures echoes with the moaning sound of black stone.

Key Relationships

Terrifying Presence to The Speaker

The clear moisture running along the eroded wheel tracks in the moors. It presents a momentary image of purity and comforting solitude. It slips quickly through the speaker's fingers, demonstrating the impermanence of any brief comfort found on the journey.

Key Relationships

Sought by The Speaker