The World of Heathcliff and Cathy

September 10, 2010

Wuthering Heights and Gothic Literature

I hope you are really excited about reading Wuthering Heights. As I mentioned in class, Wuthering Heights is all the rage (meaning: really hip and trendy) at the moment because of Twilight. Wuthering Heights is Bella and Edward's favorite book, and of course in real life, anything tied to Twilight is popular at the moment. Wuthering Heights is so popular in fact, that in the United States and the United Kingdom, one can purchase special editions of Wuthering Heights with covers that are Twilight inspired.

It does make sense that the two books would be tied to each other. Twilight is a modern day gothic tale of forbidden love between a vampire and a mortal, while Wuthering Heights is a gothic tale of tragic love which is considered one of the finest stories ever written in English. Wuthering Heights has many elements (meaning: aspects) which are of the genre (meaning: type) Gothic Literature. To learn more, watch this video on the hallmarks (meaning: traits) of Gothic literature.

How to be Able to Painlessly Read the Native English Language Version of Wuthering Heights

Your goal for the next year should be to move from the L5 version to the native English language version. This can be done in three easy steps:

1. First read the L5(B1/2) version, which we will cover in this class. This version of Wuthering Heights is available at Amazon.com.
2. After we read the ESL shortened version, you goal should be to read the Advanced ESL (L6/C1/2) version of Wuthering Heights. This version includes a full version of the book plus a dictionary of the most difficult words to your own native language at the bottom of each page! Here are the links to the Advanced ESL versions Wuthering Heights for Spanish speakers, Polish speakers, Chinese speakers, Bulgarian speakers, Albanian speakers and Portuguese speakers. (Note: If you are interested in any other versions, post your request as a comment and I will add the link!)
3. After you read the Advanced ESL version, your next goal would be to read the native English version of Wuthering Heights in English. 

Don't be intimidated by the length of this book. Wuthering Heights is read by teenage native English speakers and is very readable. If you are curious as to what the original version looks like, here is a free online version of Wuthering Heights.

Today's Holidays of the World
Gibraltar: Gibraltar National Day
Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Comoros, Cyprus (Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Dijibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Maldives, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Syria, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Yemen: Id al Fitr (End of Ramadan)
Belize: St. George's Caye Day
China: Teacher's Day

Homework for Friday, September 10, 2010

1. Journal: Go online and read about the life of Emily Brontë. Write a summary of her life story. Do not copy from the Internet. Each sentence needs to be in your own words! This is how you practice your writing skills. It does not matter if it is not as 'fancy' or eloquent (meaning: well stated) as the online version. The goal is to find your own voice as a writer! (150 words)
2. Present Perfect Continuous worksheet - English Bananas.com do first side of the page only!
3. Read the Wuthering Heights handouts. Stop reading at the start of Chapter 2.
4. Start the next ten (10) Vocabulary Notebook entries. Remember, to follow the format from the handout. The most important part is the sentence in your own words. The next ten entries are due September 20, 2010.

~Happy Studying!~