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Connecting it All

Hamlet
Enders Game
Oedipus Rex



In the three previous titles, each one consists of a hero who achieved greatness in different circumstances. Hamlet was a prince who had prestige and honor. He brought forth justice to the death of his father. Ender Wiggins was a child prodigy who saved the earth from the threat of bugger destruction. Oedipus Rex, sought justice and release the torment of the gods on his people.

However, none of these stories had a happy ending. Towards the end of each drama a twist is revealed to ironically shatter all of the greatness that each hero hoped to achieve. Hamlet does bring justice to his father s death, but in the process tastes death himself. Ender Wiggins destroys and entire species only to discover that they themselves were peaceful and resentful of their past deeds. Oedipus Rex finds that the blame for his people s suffering rests upon his shoulders, and in the process loses everything dear to him.

Heathcliff follows a similar ironic path. Possessed by love for Catherine, he becomes a relentless monster in an attempt to win back her favor. Then she dies. Heathcliff then realizes how hopeless his dream is now and focuses his anger on destroying anyone that is closely tied to her except himself. I n the end, he just about accomplishes this task. Then, he is struck with the realization that all of his work has not helped to bring Catherine back, but to only push her farther away. He realizes that he has made himself an unloved creature. He comes to this realization too late to change. He dies distant and alone when he could have embraced his children and with that achieved some of the love he had been hoping for his whole life.



BRAVE NEW WORLD


In Brave New World, a young man,John, feels strong emotions towards a young woman,Lenina. However, the rules of the new world forbid such an emotion to exist. Therefore, the young manabandons his hopes and secludes himself in isolation. In the end John meets a bitter death as his only way of coping with the loss of Lenina.

In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff also feels a burning love for Catherine. Due to his social status, he is denied the right to live happily with her forever. Heathcliff then secludes himself from all other persons and their affections. In the end, Heathcliff's enduring love destroys him emotionally and physically.



"A Doll's House


Nora, in "A Doll's House", is the ideal picture of a woman of her time. She busies herself with the tasks of making a home, while looked down upon by her husband. She makes great sacrifices for his well being and loves him dearly.

This however is repaid only by scolding and punishment. Nora finally breaks free from her prison and leaves her husband. Isabella, in Wuthering Heights, give her heart and love to Heathcliff. She remains obedient and loyal to him despite his cruel treatment and insults. Finally, Isabella has enough and summons enough courage to leave Heathcliff and his cruelty. She strikes out to find a world of her own with courage and a hope for better days.

"The Sandbox"


In the short play, "The Sandbox", the character of Grandma is portrayed as a dying being while her relatives look on uncaringly. This same idea of death appears in Wuthering Heights. The death of Hindley Earnshaw is considered of little importance and more of a convenience of having a burden lifted from the family's shoulders. His funeral is nothing more than a meaningless ritual and the only oration given about is life is one of insult. When Heathcliff dies he follows the same path. His passing gives releif to the remaining family members and servants.



Crime and Punishment


The main character in Crime and Punishment exhibits eccentric qualities nad behavior throughout the novel. This is linked his dark past. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff himself becomes slightly eccentric as he relentlessly pursues Catherine. His love and past experiences drive him mad as he tries to reach his ultimate goal of having Catherine for himself, and crushing his rivals.



The Catcher in the Rye


Within Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye , Holden Caulfied is an outcast in his society like Heathcliff is within the Victorian society. Both struggle to find their place in the world.



Heart of Darkness


Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness provides an in depth look of evil that can possess a man's soul from greed and envy. The story of Mr. Kurtz shows how one man's greed turned him into a raving lunatic with godlike aspirations. Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, deals closely along the same topic in its own respects. Mr. Heathcliff becomes infactuated with Catherine and chases her his whole life. After his death he becomes greedy and envious of everything once possessed by his rival, Edgar. He succeeds in stealing everything he can and disgraces the Linton name. This pursuit doesn't leave him happy, instead he becomes a half crazed man who is starving for affection of others.



The Misanthrope



"...his life is not worth a fathing, and I won't spend a farthing on him..." (267)
"Living among clowns and misanthropists, she probably cannot appreciate a better class of people, when she meets them." (278)
These two passages from Wuthering Heights represent the "misanthropal" attitudes of Heathcliff.



Tess of the D'Urbervilles



Throughout both Tess and Wuthering Heights, incestual relationships occur. The branches of the familiy trees intertwine.



The Devine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood



Like Catherine, ViVi is loved by all she touches in some form or fashion. When she disappears from Sidda's life, as Catherine does in her death, her presence is felt in her day to day activities.

The Big Connection!!!



Throughout the novels, respect, or actually the "lack thereof," weaves itself in each book in some form:
Like in Oedipus, their is a lack of respect in the oracle as he tries to change his fate and fails.
Claudius neglects to respect the life of his brother due to his greed to obtain the crown.
Sidda fails to respect her mother due to preconceived notions of her character. She overreacts to childhood experiences without knowing the truth behind her mother's actions.
The World Controller has little respect for the feelings of the people he controls. His goal to create a society without emotion, takes away from the liberties every person should have.
The Misantrope has no respect for any other human being due to his quick judge of character. No one is given the chance to prove themselves worthy of his attention.
Holden holds no respect for attoritative figures in his quest to rebel from society. He believes himself an outcast because he narrowmindedly thinks that the society does not respect him.
Nora shows no respect for the time period she lives in. Society deems rebelion as a sence of disrespect, but she ignores that.
The "Sandbox" protrays a lack of respect for the elderly as the daughter lead her mother to a place to leave her to die.
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