Alex Arze's Wuthering Heights Reading Diary

Chapter 7, page 45 Wuthering Heights, "No, no, I'll allow nothing of the sort! Are you acquainted with the mood of mind in which, if you were seated alone, and the cat licking its kitten on the rug before you, you would watch the operation so intently that puss's neglect of one ear would put you seriously out of temper?"

I absolutely love this 'mood,' so to speak, because I'm in it all the time! This book appears to be mostly serious with very little humor in it, but the small nuggets of gold, humor, that is, are hilarious! The fact that she should even mention this really put me into a laughing fit.

Chapter 9, page 53 Wuthering Heights:

But with the help of Satan, I shall make you swallow the carving knife, Nelly! You needn't laugh; for I've just crammed Kenneth, head-downmost, in the Blackhorse marsh: and two is the same as one — and I dwant to kill some of you, I shall have no rest till I do!
But I don't like the carving knife, Mr. Hindley, I answered, it has been cutting red herrings — I'd rather be shot if you please.

I really liked this passage, again mostly because of the humor. But there's three things in particualr that I found most amusing about this: 1) He claims that since one is the same as two, he'd like to kill part of her. This alone is hysterical since one is DEFINITELY not the same as two. But then, 2) Nelly points out the logical fallacy in the previous statement by saying that the carving knife has been used to cut Red Herrings, also a type of logical fallacy. Although it's not the same sort of logical fallacy, the further irony is that she is using the statement AS a Red Herring! Thus she points out two types of logical fallacies in one statement, and further 3) goes on to say that she'd much rather the gun instead.

Chapter 9, page 59 Wuthering Heights "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff, now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire."

I really liked this passage as well (I know I say that about all of them), but more because of the seriousness, the twist to the story, than humor. This is one of the most significant plot advancements, in my personal opinion, in the entire book. This is where she truly proclaims her love for Heathcliff by saying that he is more of her than she is. This perfectly reflects the previous portion of the chapter as well, talking about why she love Edgar Linton. She can't give a single good reason as to why she loves him but can give a perfect reason as to why she loves Heathcliff

Chapter 10, page 73 Wuthering Heights

"The event of this evening has reconciled me to God, and humanity! I had risen in angry rebellion against Providence — Oh, I've endured very, very bitter misery, Nelly! If that creature knew how bitter, he'd be ashamed to cloud its removal with idle petulance — It was kindness for him which induced me to bear it alone: had I expressed the agony I frequently felt, he would have been taught to long for its alleviation as ardently as I — However, it's over, and I'll take no revenge on his folly — I can afford to suffer anything, hereafter! should the meanest thing alive slap me on the cheek, I'd not only turn the other, but I'd ask pardon for provoking it — and, as a proof, I'll go make my peace with Edgar instantly — Good night — I'm an angel!"

A rather long piece indeed, but a very interesting one. Of course, we all have those moments where we make a 'New Year's Resolution,' so to speak, and we claim that we'll stick by that for the rest of our lives (or at least for the remainder of the year), but it doesn't really stick. She goes and apologizes to Edgar, but of course turns around in later chapters and completely disregards this 'resolution'.