JC
‘Wuthering Heights’ really informed my expectations of romantic love! I studied the text at A-Level and it quickly became my favourite book, inspiring a vision of love as something spiritual and stormy, of a feeling that is inherently about a deep sense of connectedness between two people. Which means I can understand why some might have felt uneasy about the first trailer for the new ‘Wuthering Heights’. It does seem to root Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship very much in the sphere of physical desire – an aspect of their bond I don’t think I even considered when reading as a sixteen-year-old. So, in a way, that trailer does feels like a shame. In an era in which so much is already hyper-sexualised, it doesn’t seem necessary to highlight that aspect of Catherine and Heathcliff’s love to the point where that less visible cord between the two characters’ souls becomes so hard to detect. The second trailer, however (see the first clip included below) is less concentrated on that very physical connection between the lovers – and I hope the final film still allow teenagers to recognise am affinity between two characters that, in Bronte’s original text, is fuelled more by some abstract understanding of each other as opposed to that more prosaic feeling of lust.
When working your way through the below, you might want to keep the ‘Wuthering Heights’ dates in mind:
- Novel published: 1847
- Story set: 1770-1802 (approximately)
ACTIVITY 1
Watch the trailers for the two most recent adaptations of ‘Wuthering Heights’. The most recent version (the top video starring Margot Robbie) has been criticised for ignoring Bronte’s description of Heathcliff as “dark-skinned”. What impression do you get – from both videos – of Catherine and her relationship with Heathcliff?
ACTIVITY 2
Now watch the videos for ‘House’ and ‘Chains of Love’ by the startling Charli XCX. The songs are taken from the ‘Wuthering Heights’ soundtrack. Does the mood of the tracks match the mood of the trailers? Discuss.
ACTIVITY 3
How is Catherine presented here? How does the imagery lead our understanding of her situation, character and feelings?
ACTIVITY 4
Read the description of Catherine Earnshaw; then watch the Charli videos and discuss why Charli XCX might relate to Catherine, or why she might be the perfect person to offer a voice to Catherine in 2025.
Catherine Earnshaw
Catherine is a passionate, strong-willed young woman whose personality feels bigger than the world she lives in. She’s impulsive, emotionally intense, and deeply torn between different sides of herself: the wild, free part shaped by the moors, and the socially refined version she learns to perform as she grows up. Her inner conflict—and the depth of her attachments—shapes many of the novel’s relationships and tensions, often in dramatic, unintended ways. Catherine feels torn between her intense emotional desire and societal pressure to marry someone of wealth and status. Women were expected to prioritise social and economic security over personal happiness, making Catherine’s internal conflict emblematic of female struggles of the time. The tension between personal desire and societal duty highlights how women’s choices were often constrained by class and expectation. Catherine is subject to the limitations placed on women: they are judged for their emotional responses and lack the autonomy men might exercise. Women were socially penalised for the very passions men were often celebrated for. Catherine nostalgically recalls a time of freedom in childhood. As a woman, her agency is increasingly restricted by social norms and domestic expectation, emphasising how societal pressures confined women to certain behaviours and roles. Saying that, people are drawn to Catherine – sometimes admiring her, sometimes fearing her, but always feeling her presence. She has a charisma that changes the emotional temperature of any room she enters. Many critics argue that Catherine’s way of speaking – direct, emotional, and unruly – pushes against the expectations of women in the period. Her voice shows impatience with propriety and an unwillingness to be contained by polite discourse. It feels closer to the wildness of the moors than to the polished language of the drawing room. When she speaks freely, she is passionate, mischievous, and reckless – her “authentic” self. However, in more formal environments, her vocabulary softens and becomes socially coded.
So, then why does why does Charli XCX feel like a good fit to, in some way, be the one who takes on the voice of Catherine?
I’ve included some ideas at the bottom of this page if you want to glance at them after you’ve had time to consider your own thoughts.
Use your own knowledge, watch the videos and note down ideas.
The first album of Charli XCX’s that I loved was ‘Charli’ (2019). The video, though, seemed kind of ridiculous (although I did LOVE it) and I didn’t get who she really was. I interpreted the aesthetic differently to how I might now, knowing so much more about her.
Then this came out during Covid – it felt so different to everything on ‘Charli’. I REALLY couldn’t work out who Charli XCX was!
Then there’s ‘1999’, also from ‘Charli’. It was my first introduction to Troye Sivan. Charli also introduced me to Kim Petras. And then there’s Raye’s story of how Charli was the first major artist within the industry to offer her support. These facts are not necessarily linked to Catherine (except maybe to highlight that Catherine could have done with a Charli in her own life!) but they do underline the point we made when studying Fontaines D.C. in an earlier class: it is so important that our favourite artists introduce us to other important art (like Olivia Rodrigo did by covering Fontaines’ ‘I Love You’). Charli has opened the door to ‘Wuthering Heights’! Go through that door! Read the novel!
Eventually I bought a ticket to see Charli live. I’d been more reticent than I might usually be as I just couldn’t picture who her audience was and I was concerned that I would be invading a space that just wasn’t for me. And, leading up to the gig, I still wasn’t sure what to make of Charli. But the show was – inevitably – brilliant. And the people watching – of course – brilliant too. When she talks to the audience, she says things like: “you look cute”, and at first I thought this felt kind of meaningless, but actually the more you listen to Charli’s music, the more you realise nothing about her is meaningless. Her music consists of a complex code of ideas and sorting through them is fun. Ultimately, what you understand more than anything about Charli is that she’s just not easy to read because there’s never been an artist like her before.
ACTIVITY 5
Read the 8 Charli lyrics and the 8 Bronte quotes. Create 8 pairs (1 Charli lyric + 1 Bronte quote). Make your decision based on what both are suggesting about love e.g. love is shown to be agonising. Pair the quotes that seem to be saying the same thing about love! OR your teacher can give you one Charli lyric at a time. You will have the Bronte quotes in front of you. Decide as quickly as possible on which Charli lyric you would connect it to, buzz in and justify your choice.
Charli XCX Quotes
- “it’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl” (‘Girl, so confusing…’)
- “I just wanna go back, back to 1999
Take a ride to my old neighborhood
I just wanna go back” (‘1999’) - “You’re like an ocean breeze” (‘Beg for You’)
- “Hurting you feels like I’m hurting as well! (‘White Mercedes’)
- “Something about you brings me to life” (‘Lightning’)
- “You struck me down like lightning” (‘Lightning’)
- “These moments really set me free” (‘Every Rule’)
- “I’ll love you forever” (‘forever’)
Emily Bronte Quotes
- A. “they forgot everything the minute they were together again” (Nelly, the narrator)
- B. “I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy, and free… I’m sure I should be myself were I once among the heather on those hills.” (Catherine)
- C. “I am Heathcliff!” (Catherine)
- D. “I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!” (Heathcliff about Catherine)
- E. “My soul’s bliss kills my body, but does not satisfy itself.” (Heathcliff)
- F. “Joseph (the servant)… would… lecture her all the same as if she were a little girl” (Nelly, the narrator)
- G. “the sea could be as readily contained in that horse-trough” (Heathcliff – he is talking about Catherine’s heart being so deep that the average man’s own heart would have have as little chance of holding all her emotion as a horse-trough would have of holding the sea)
- H. “Be with me always–take any form—drive me mad. Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!” (Heathcliff)
Below are the colour-coded pairings I decided on. You may have made different choices and that’s fine!! But you could consider my pairings and discuss the reasons for my choices.
Charli XCX Quotes
- “it’s so confusing sometimes to be a girl” (‘Girl, so confusing…’)
- “I just wanna go back, back to 1999
Take a ride to my old neighborhood
I just wanna go back” (‘1999’) - “You’re like an ocean breeze” (‘Beg for You’)
- “Hurting you feels like I’m hurting as well! (‘White Mercedes’)
- “Something about you brings me to life” (‘Lightning’)
- “You struck me down like lightning” (‘Lightning’)
- “These moments really set me free” (‘Every Rule’)
- “I’ll love you forever” (‘forever’)
Emily Bronte Quotes
- A. “they forgot everything the minute they were together again” (Nelly, the narrator)
- B. “I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy, and free… I’m sure I should be myself were I once among the heather on those hills.” (Catherine)
- C. “I am Heathcliff!” (Catherine)
- D. “I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!” (Heathcliff about Catherine)
- E. “My soul’s bliss kills my body, but does not satisfy itself.” (Heathcliff)
- F. “Joseph (the servant)… would… lecture her all the same as if she were a little girl” (Nelly, the narrator)
- G. “the sea could be as readily contained in that horse-trough” (Heathcliff – he is talking about Catherine’s heart being so deep that the average man’s own heart would have have as little chance of holding all her emotion as a horse-trough would have of holding the sea)
- H. “Be with me always–take any form—drive me mad. Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!” (Heathcliff)
ACTIVITY 6
Finally, let’s look more closely at the language Charli uses in her ‘Wuthering Heights’ soundtrack. If we assume Charli is inhabiting the character of Catherine, what are we learning about the significance of love in ‘Chains of Love? How is love being presented in ‘Chains of Love’?
“Chains Of Love”
I’d rather lay down in thorns
I’d rather drown in a stream
I’d rather light myself on fire
I’d rather wear all these scars
I’d rather watch my skin bleed
In the eye of your storm
I can’t let go
Shattering like glass
Yes, they’re breaking up my heart
The chains of love are cruel
I shouldn’t feel like a prisoner, oh
My face is turning blue
Can’t breathe without you here
The chains of love are cruel
I shouldn’t feel like a prisoner, oh
No matter how hard I try
I’m here so permanently, yeah
And I wait for your call
I can’t let go
I know the chains of love won’t break
I know the chains of love won’t break
Shattering like glass
Yes, they’re breaking up my heart
The chains of love are cruel
I shouldn’t feel like a prisoner, oh
My face is turning blue
I can’t breathe without you here
The chains of love are cruel
I shouldn’t feel like a prisoner, oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh-oh
I know the chains of love won’t break
I know the chains of love won’t break
That’s it for today! Although, of course, we’ll be digging into Charli XCX’s life-affirming music again VERY soon!!
Earlier, I asked: Why does Charli XCX feel like the perfect popstar to soundtrack ‘Wuthering Heights’?
Here are some thoughts:
1. Chaotic, emotional intensity → Heathcliff & Catherine energy
Charli’s music—especially her “brat” and hyperpop eras—is driven by:
- volatility
- obsession
- emotional whiplash
- destructive longing
That “feral but glamorous” emotional vibe mirrors Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship: fierce, messy, self-immolating, and larger-than-life.
2. Hypermodern distortion fits the novel’s gothic extremes
‘Wuthering Heights’ isn’t a cosy period romance. It’s:
- harsh
- stormy
- abrasive
- psychologically extreme
Charli’s sound—metallic synths, distorted beats, sudden drops—captures this storm-on-the-moors mood better than traditional romantic strings ever could.
3. She mixes vulnerability with menace
Charli’s lyrics often oscillate between:
- “I’m fragile and spiraling”
- “I’m powerful and untouchable”
Catherine Earnshaw is built from that same contradiction. So is Heathcliff.
4. Aesthetic irreverence suits the novel’s anti-romantic core
‘Wuthering Heights’ is famously not a polite Victorian love story. It violates expectations, breaks genre rules, and centers unlikeable, obsessive characters. Charli’s work embraces:
- messiness
- anti-pretty aesthetics
- chaotic self-expression
Her sound pushes against norms just like the novel did.
5. “Hot evil girl” energy = gothic heroine energy
Modern internet language actually maps surprisingly well:
- Charli’s persona → unhinged, dramatic, glam, emotionally explosive
- Catherine’s persona → unhinged, dramatic, glam, emotionally explosive
The match writes itself.
6. A contemporary reframing makes the characters feel alive
Charli’s music gives everything a “now” feeling—urgent, modern, impulsive. If someone were to adapt ‘Wuthering Heights’ for the present day, her soundtrack would instantly:
- strip away the costume-drama stiffness
- foreground the raw obsession
- lean into the toxic romance instead of polishing it
It makes the story feel like a fever dream instead of a museum piece.