The Duality of Violence and Passivity in Relation to Environment in Wuthering Heights Characters in Wuthering Heights exemplify the effect of dual natures and the destructive impact such internal struggles can have on filial relations. The motives that drive the characters are inextricably linked to the warring forces inside them that are the impetus for the rash and ruinous actions that are common to both major households in the novel. Consequently, the prevalence of duality throughout the novel signifies the importance of a double nature in characterizing humanity. Catherine is the most relevant example of contradictory natures as they define her personality throughout her life. Therefore; in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, the recurring …show more content…
As Isabella is in “the firm clutch of Catherine, (100)” it is clear that Catherine has not changed for the sake of her marriage and still harbors the same pull towards Heathcliff and forceful inclinations that she possessed at the Heights. At this point in her life, her struggle between passivity and violence is manifested in her feelings toward both Edgar and Heathcliff. She is inexplicably drawn to both of them and does not endeavor to choose between them because she finds them both integral to her survival. This results in dynamic changes that alter the Grange itself. While married to Edgar and living in Thrushcross Grange, an inhabitance that once seemed characterized by its peace, Catherine brings strife between the inhabitants, especially when she reunites with Heathcliff. Isabella and Edgar, who once represented the epitome of passivity, are drawn to violence at the intrusion of Heathcliff into their own home, as encouraged by Catherine. While the Lintons are products of Thrushcross Grange, Catherine exhibits control over their natures by drawing out violent actions from characters that are otherwise known for their frailty. This reveals that Isabella and Edgar exhibit this same duality and can be persuaded to reveal their violent tendencies because it is opposing forces are a defining aspect of humanity. As a result of …show more content…
Every point at Catherine’s life showed that, regardless of her ability to manipulate others, she ultimately could not control her own inconsistency nor could she accept it. Therefore, she serves to show that failing to overcome duality can be fatal because it is not environmentally driven part of the human
During the elections, Queen Emma faced much criticism in the islands for her gender, background, and character. In a letter written by Curtis Jere Lyons, he says on the native bulletin, the words “We do not wish to see the petticoat putting on breeches (or inside of the breeches)” were written above the Queen’s proclamation . By referring to clothes and dress, these words were attacking Queen Emma’s gender. Whoever wrote it did not want to see a woman as ruling monarch. In addition, an article published in The Chicago Tribune in 1874 speaking about the elections states, “The popularity… is purely personal, as she has no hereditary rank and little force of character”. Claiming that Queen Emma’s popularity in the elections was “purely personal” erases
The novel of Wuthering Heights involves passion, romance, and turmoil but most significantly carries cruelty as an overarching theme. Cruelty is apparent throughout the work most importantly when dealing with relationships between Heathcliff and Hindley, Heathcliff and Hareton, and even the emotional cruelty between Heathcliff and Catherine.
With the coming of age of Catherine and Heathcliff, the hapless families of Earnshaw and Linton brave the storms that brew between them and realize that they must rise up to meet what they have forced upon themselves. Foremost, the main characters, Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar are never quite as they appear to be, and are constantly changing in both dynamic and static ways. For example, Catherine is the one who changes the most. As she states, “In my soul and in my heart, I’m convinced I’m wrong … I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas: they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind,” (p. 79). This expresses how she feels as if she has been
Another aspect which is relevant today and forever it shall remain relevant is selfishness. Catherine's selfish character was depicted when she wanted both Edgar and Heathcliff at the same time. In the beginning, she was introduced as a 'high spirited' character who was wild. However, she drastically changes throughout the book. When she hurts her leg and is forced to stay at Thrushcross Grange, she returns to Wuthering Heights as a well dressed and dignified lady. She was easily swayed to the superior lifestyle of the Lintons and began to look down upon Heathcliff. She even laughs at his rough and dirty appearance and says "I didn't mean to laugh at you. I could not hinder myself Heathcliff. Shake hands at least! What are you sulky for? It was only that you looked odd. If you wash you face and brush your hair, it would be alright. But you are
In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Heathcliff’s strong love for Catherine guides his transformation as a character. While Heathcliff enters the story as an innocent child, the abuse he receives at a young age and his heartbreak at Catherine’s choice to marry Edgar Linton bring about a change within him. Heathcliff’s adulthood is consequently marked by jealousy and greed due to his separation from Catherine, along with manipulation and a deep desire to seek revenge on Edgar. Although Heathcliff uses deceit and manipulation to his advantage throughout the novel, he is never entirely content in his current situation. As Heathcliff attempts to revenge Edgar Linton, he does not gain true fulfillment. Throughout Wuthering Heights, Brontë uses Heathcliff’s vengeful actions to convey the message that manipulative and revenge-seeking behaviors will not bring a person satisfaction.
The culture of set societal rules and conventions urges Catherine to be with Edgar, compelling her to be ‘the greatest woman of the neighbourhood’ due to them being relatively firm in their gentry’s status. This suggests the importance of her social status against the nature of her love for Heathcliff stating, ‘we would be beggars’, through employing the word ‘beggars’ the reader crafts the idea of her belief that she won’t survive without her status. Catherine admits ‘It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him’ Thus implying a swelling sense of her vanity and pride; enough to enjoy the position she gains from being married to Edgar despite her admiration for Heathcliff, being ‘more than (herself) than (she is)’and
Through self-centered and narcissistic characters, Emily Bronte’s classic novel, “Wuthering Heights” illustrates a deliberate and poetic understanding of what greed is. Encouraged by love, fear, and revenge, Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, and Linton Heathcliff all commit a sin called selfishness.
Wuthering Heights is a novel which deviates from the standard of Victorian literature. The novels of the Victorian Era were often works of social criticism. They generally had a moral purpose and promoted ideals of love and brotherhood. Wuthering Heights is more of a Victorian Gothic novel; it contains passion, violence, and supernatural elements (Mitchell 119). The world of Wuthering Heights seems to be a world without morals. In Wuthering Heights, Brontë does not idealize love; she presents it realistically, with all its faults and merits. She shows that love is a powerful force which can be destructive or redemptive. Heathcliff has an all-consuming passion for Catherine. When she chooses to marry Edgar, his spurned love turns into a
In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte uses the setting of the English Moors, a setting she is familiar with, to place two manors, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The first symbolizes man's dark side while the latter symbolizes an artificial utopia. This 19th century setting allows the reader to see the destructive nature of love when one loves the wrong person.
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte was published in 1847 and received many contradictory judgements. One main judgement that criticized the novel was how multiple characters can have a change in characterization depending on the reader. Many of the novel's characters, such as Heathcliff, possess positive values, but readers tend to focus on their negative qualities which allows these characters to change. Growing up poor and homeless, Heathcliff’s character changes many times throughout the novel as he grows older and possess negative qualities towards other characters. Later residing as an old, lonely master, Heathcliff’s change in character at the end of Wuthering Heights signifies that he has gone mad and leads to intentions that Heathcliff has not committed suicide, but lost all will after all he has been through.
Heathcliff is introduced in Nelly's narration as a seven-year-old Liverpool foundling (probably an Irish famine immigrant) brought back to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw. His presence in Wuthering Heights overthrows the prevailing habits of the Earnshaw family, members of the family soon become involved in turmoil and fighting and family relationships become spiteful and hateful. Even on his first night, he is the reason Mr. Earnshaw breaks the toys he had bought for his children. "From the very beginning he bred bad feelings in the house". Heathcliff usurps the affections of Mr. Earnshaw to the exclusion of young Hindley-: "The young master had learnt to regard his father as an oppressor rather than a
was to run away to the moors in the morning and remain there all day."
Abuse and neglect began at the hour of his birth. Hareton in “Wuthering Heights” is a secondary character that can sometimes go unnoticed, but is an important character whose life of abuse, both physical and mental represents the core of the story. The constant abuse that Hearton receives early in his life drives him to adapt a behavior that greatly resembles “Stockholm syndrome”, which is when sufferers feel a deep emotional connection to their abuser followed by respect and care. Although Stockholm syndrome is a new term, its effects have long been seen in people all over the world as abuse is not a modern problem. The physical and mental abuse and neglect that Hareton Earnshaw receives from his drunkard father Hindley, and later in life from Heathcliff leaves him with many characteristics of Stockholm syndrome such as respect for his abuser, mind distortion, mistrust of other, feelings of loss when Heathcliff his abuser dies, and loyalty, but soon after Heathcliff's and Hindley's death he learns to embrace life and recovers with the help of Catherine Linton, the woman he learns to love, becoming the beneficiary of the novel at the end.
Human beings can be truly deranged creatures. Often times they are seen as elevating and putting themselves on a pedestal. They will treat people who are not the same as them as they are garbage and worthless. Although it is not their fault to simply put it, it is human nature. More specifically the ugliness of human nature. The complex characters in Wuthering Heights are guilty of this. Their circumstances drive them to do unthinkable things which unfortunately have drastic outcomes. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is a beautifully written novel that shows the ugliness of human nature as seen through the depiction of toxic relationships, displaying revenge and vengeance in the differentiation of social class.
The novel ‘Wuthering Heights’ (1847) by Emily Brontë and the film adaptation ‘Wuthering Heights’ (2011) by Andrea Arnold each convey respective values and perspectives reflective of the contrasting contexts and forms of each text. The novel, set in the Romantic period, is centred around two families living on the isolated, Yorkshire moors, and the explosive interactions between them. The concept of confinement contrasts against the freedom of nature throughout the novel. Nature is another key theme and a fundamental aspect of the Romantic period, used to present ideas such as rebellion and freedom. Finally, passion within human relationships is thoroughly explored through Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship within the novel. However, as the film adaptation is a product of a contemporary post-feminist, post-colonial time period, these themes can now be explored through lenses such as racial discrimination, feminism, and human connection.