'The Secret Garden' to 'Wuthering Heights'

'She did not cry, but she lay and hated the sound of the heavily beating rain, she hated the wind and its "wuthering."' - The Secret Garden, Chapter 13.

OK, by using that quote, it looks as though the only link I can find is that both books use the word 'wuthering'. And I suppose the connection is related to that, as 'wuthering' is a Yorkshire dialect word - and Yorkshire, the Moors in particular, is the setting for both of these books. Other than that, and the extensive use of this vernacular in dialogue, the stories aren't that similar, at least not on paper. One is a children's novel, one for adults. One rejoices in life, one appears consumed by death. One is a coming-of-age story, while the other is a Gothic romance. But the setting in both is a key aspect.

The moor plays a huge part in creating the atmosphere in both cases and acts almost as a character itself. For Mary in The Secret Garden, it is the moor and the 'wuthering' wind which awakes her, both literally and emotionally, allowing her to begin to learn about herself and others around her. In Wuthering Heights, the moor is the fitting home for the self-destructive lovers, Cathy and Heathcliff. The moor represents the unrestrained, untamed and liberated nature of life, which can be both a good and a bad thing. Mary leaves a closeted and lonely life in India to come to  the Yorkshire moors, where she gains freedom and health. Cathy and Heathcliff roam wild on the moors, becoming more primitive and feral, until Cathy chooses to give this up for a more civilized life. Even Heathcliff has to leave the moors to make his fortune.

I also think that the fact that the moors in both cases are in Yorkshire, rather than anywhere else, is important. It gives the location a sense of otherness and also freshness, both with the way the climate is described and the language of the local characters.

So The Secret Garden took me through the Yorkshire moors to Wuthering Heights. Next time I'll see what novel connection Wuthering Heights will lead me to.