A Breath of Fresh Air: Wuthering Heights

   Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights literally talks about breaths of fresh air; there is nothing but fresh air on the moors. It is also a breath of fresh air in literature. While unfortunately not a common part of school curriculums, Bronte is widely regarded as a great author. She can also be regarded as a feminist. The women in Wuthering Heights, though they have their issues, are strong personalities. It is told from a woman's perspective. The narrator, Nelly, is only a maid, though she plays a vital role in raising the children. Heathcliff and Edgar's lives depend on Catherine and after Catherine the mom is gone, young Catherine has Edgar gripped.

    Students need to read more books from a woman's perspective. Nelly tells the story with a critical eye, though she is a caring, motherly figure.
    This story focuses on what matters in life- relationships, love, homes and the stages of a life. Often, books written by men are driven by action and pride.

Just a High School Feminist

    Why do we only read books written by men in high school? Ok, well, I guess that is not entirely true. Some books are written by women, about men. Take Frakenstein. Women are frail. Justine, a woman accused of murder, is not even strong enough to fight back at her trial. She shows her helplessness when she says, "I have no power of explaining it." Victor Frankenstein states that, “I looked upon Elizabeth as mine - mine to protect, love and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own." The theme prevails- women are frail, women are possessions, women are not worthy of being autonomous. The rest of them- all boys books. Ray Bradbury, Joseph Conrad...Shakespeare. There are no sweet romance books where everything goes well or books about life's troubles that have a happy ending. No. It is all action. Bad things happen. People die and there is no sweet lesson behind it. In Hamlet, what is the purpose of everyone dying? To show that if you are a bad person you'll die?
We need to read books in high school from women's perspectives as well as men's. It is important for kids to read about heroines as well as heroes. We wonder why there is a need for feminism still today and perhaps the answer lies in high school curriculums. Perhaps if children were not constantly reading male dominated books where women are not as capable as men, the next generation would not be indoctrinated with the idea that men are more capable of running the world.