Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche as Cathy and Heathcliff in the 1992 film of Wuthering Heights. Photograph: Ronald Grant Archive

Creating Cathy: the story behind Wuthering Heights's wild heroine

How a ruthless warrior queen in a childhood fantasy became the prototype for Emily Brontë’s protagonist

Emma Butcher
Mon 30 Jul 2018


W

hether you love it or hate it, there is no denying thatWuthering Heights holds a strange power. It is both a love story and a screeching train wreck of violence, cruelty and obsession. Its words contain a strength and soul that every writer hopes to achieve, yet few manage. As for the author, although an enigma to the point of myth, Emily Brontë has resonated with readers of all ages worldwide. Brontë’s novel does not shy away from the uncomfortable truths that make us human. And that is why her works strike home, generation after generation.