The Mystery of the Moors: Purgatory and the Absence/Presence of Evil inWuthering Heights

Abstract

The moors surrounding Wuthering Heights, Thrushcross Grange and Gimmerton are mysterious not only owing to their description in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, but also owing to their direct influence on the characters in the novel. Specific instances of character exit and return from the world outside these moors create significant changes in these characters, off-scene. The nature of these instances of character change, and also the nature of what that mysterious realm outside the moors might actually be is explored in this essay in terms of good and evil, particularly in relation to heaven, hell and purgatory.