For me, it’s Heathcliff and Catherine’s relationship in *Wuthering Heights*. Throughout TV and film people portray their love (and the novel in general) as a stunning romance story. And yes, the novel looks at their complex relationship, but it is ultimately a revenge tragedy.
It’s a novel about a man (who after getting rejected by the woman he loves) dedicates his life to ensuring that she and everyone connected with her is miserable. How this story became associated with a beautiful tale of love, I will never understand.
Are there any characters/novels/ideas that you think are often misunderstood?
by Sad_Bat_9059
2 Comments
I agree about WH— I think people are told it’s Romantic (Byronic hero, over the too emotions, gusty moors, tragedy) and hear “romantic.”
I’d choose Romeo and Juliet. My Shakespeare professor argued that at the very end it’s really clear that the two warring families learned absolutely nothing, and she was pretty convincing. Right at the end the Montagues say, “we’re gonna build a giant statue commemorating our son and this tragedy!” and the Capulets immediately reply, “And we’re going to build one too, maybe bigger!” and you just see it starting all over again. (I an paraphrasing 😁) But I’ve never seen that take in any of the movies, there’s a weird message that committing suicide will bring your families together, which… I don’t know, when you think about that it’s not great.
More the movies than the books, but The Hunger Games. Yes, the people in the capital have fancy clothes and are funny. No, you’re not supposed to want to copy them because they are a bunch of emotionally detached psychopaths that watch children fight to the death for entertainment.