ABSTRACT
Adoption in one form or another is a recurrent motif in some of the greatest works of western literature through the ages, starting with Sophocles’ story of Oedipus. Literature often contains profound psychological truths and observations about the human condition, and this applies no less in relation to adoption. One way of thinking about Emily Brontë’s classic novel Wuthering Heights is as a cautionary tale of adoption (of course it is far more than just this). The novel dramatically illustrates some of the primitive states of mind and emotional dynamics associated with adoption. Close attention to selected details of Wuthering Heights is revealing, and the novel confi rms Emily Brontë’s rare and extraordinary insight into relationships and the human psyche.
