CÁC YẾU TỐ GÔ-TÍCH CHỦ ĐẠO TRONG TIỂU THUYẾT ĐỒI GIÓ HÚ CỦA EMILY BRONTE

So far, Emily Bronte has been recognized as one of the best English authors with her masterpiece Wuthering Heights. With the aim of drawing a detailed and vivid “picture of analysis” of dominant Gothic elements appearing in the only novel by Emily Bronte, the study takes three main aspects of Wuthering Heights into consideration. Firstly, the setting of the work obviously should be the one representing the Gothicism distinctly. The author emphasizes the extreme landscapes and harsh weather through the eyes of an outsider – Lockwood. Gothic atmosphere is reflected in the isolation of the two houses from other societies and also the feelings of creep bringing about by the haunted castle. Secondly, the Gothic villain in Emily’s novel devotes his whole life to take revenge on people both in the Heights and the Grange as he believes they have wronged him. However, at last, everything he gains does not entertain him at all. The miserable mental life he has to suffer in the later part of the novel is definitely the revenge he takes on himself. The final significant element I consider in my thesis is how the author characterizes her heroines relying on traditional stereotypes of Gothic literature. What is noticeable is that despite depicting her heroines with several features that is similar with traditional ones, Emily Bronte finds a way to make hers distinctive, breaking the norm, beyond the cage of patriarchy. Emily gradually makes her female characters shift into more lively figures.

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION

GRADUATION PAPER

Dominant Gothic Elements

in Wuthering Heights - the Only Novel

by Emily Bronte

Supervisor: Lê Thành Trung, M.A.

Student: Nguyễn Mai Ngân Course: QH2010

HÀ NỘI - 2014

ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ

KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP

CÁC YẾU TỐ GÔ-TÍCH CHỦ ĐẠO TRONG TIỂU THUYẾT ĐỒI GIÓ HÚ

CỦA EMILY BRONTE

Giáo viên hướng dẫn: Th.s Lê Thành Trung Sinh viên:Nguyễn Mai Ngân

Khóa: QH2010

HÀ NỘI - 2014ACCEPTANCE PAGE

I hereby state that I: Nguyen Mai Ngan, QHF2010.E4, being a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (TEFL) accept the requirements of the

College relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library.

In term of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited

in the library should be accessible for the purposes of the study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper

Signature:

Nguyen Mai Ngan

Date: 05/06/2014

table of contents page

Acknowledgements iii

Abstract iv

Chapter 1: introduction 1.1 Statement of the problem and the rationale for the study 1

1.2 Aims and objectives of the study 2

1.3 Significance of the study 2

1.4 Scope of the study 2

1.5 Research methodology 3

chapter 2: literature review 2.1 What is Gothic fiction? 4

2.1.1 History of the Goths 4

2.1.2 Connection to the Gothic Novel 4

2.2 Female Gothic 6

2.3 Review of previous researches on Wuthering Heights and the Gothic 7

2.4. Emily Bronte and the novel Wuthering Heights 10

2.4.1 Emily Bronte 10

2.4.2 Wuthering Heights 11

2.4.2.1 Setting 11

2.4.2.2 Summary 12

Chapter 3: ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION 3.1 Gothic elements in the setting of the novel 13

3.1.1 Extreme landscapes and weather 13

3.1.2 Isolated and haunted house 14

3.2 Gothic elements in the theme of revenge 18

majorly seen in the actions of the Gothic villain - Heathcliff

3.2.1 Heathcliff’s revenge on other characters 19

3.2.1.1 Heathcliff 's revenge on the Earnshaws: 20

Hindley and his son Hareton

3.2.1.2 Heathcliff 's revenge on the Lintons 22

3.2.2 Heathcliff’s revenge on himself 25

3.3 Gothic elements in the Female Characters 27

3.3.1 Catherine Earnshaw 28

3.3.2 Isabella Linton 35

3.3.3 Catherine Linton 39

CHAPTER 4: Conclusion

4.1 Summary of key points 43

4.2 Limitations of the study 45

References

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I am particularly thankful to many people for their invaluable help during the conduct of my study My teachers at college of Languages and International Studies,

VNU, friends and family have given me support and have in one way or anothercontributed to the work presented here

First and foremost, I would like to express my profound gratitude to Mr Le

Thanh Trung, MA - my supervisor and advisor who has been encouraging me sincethe start He follows the research from the initial stage giving support and constructivecriticism He is also the one thanks to whom I was introduced to English literature andheld the intention to study on the field

Furthermore, I would like to give my heartfelt thanks my friends who havealways been helpful to me during the time of conducting this study, without their help

it would not have come to fruition

Last but not least, my sincere thanks will come to my family, without the loveand support from them this thesis would not have been as successful

ABSTRACT

So far, Emily Bronte has been recognized as one of the best English authors

with her masterpiece Wuthering Heights With the aim of drawing a detailed and vivid

“picture of analysis” of dominant Gothic elements appearing in the only novel by

Emily Bronte, the study takes three main aspects of Wuthering Heights into

consideration Firstly, the setting of the work obviously should be the one representing

weather through the eyes of an outsider – Lockwood Gothic atmosphere is reflected inthe isolation of the two houses from other societies and also the feelings of creepbringing about by the haunted castle Secondly, the Gothic villain in Emily’s noveldevotes his whole life to take revenge on people both in the Heights and the Grange as

he believes they have wronged him However, at last, everything he gains does notentertain him at all The miserable mental life he has to suffer in the later part of thenovel is definitely the revenge he takes on himself The final significant element Iconsider in my thesis is how the author characterizes her heroines relying ontraditional stereotypes of Gothic literature What is noticeable is that despite depictingher heroines with several features that is similar with traditional ones, Emily Brontefinds a way to make hers distinctive, breaking the norm, beyond the cage of patriarchy.Emily gradually makes her female characters shift into more lively figures

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Statement of the problem and rationale for the study

When mentioning the literature in 19th century, nobody can bypass Wuthering

Heights - the only novel which laid the foundation of Emily Bronte’s significant role

in literature Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights has been described as “the one perfect

work of art amid all the vast varied canvasses of Victorian fiction” (Cecil, 1965).When first issued in 1847, it was not warmly accepted, Victorian readers found thebook shocking and inappropriate in its depiction of passionate, ungoverned love and

cruelty Although it took a long period for Wuthering Heights and its author to win

world recognition, today, the novel was regarded as a masterpiece of Englishliterature, and Emily Bronte as one of the greatest authors

Wuthering Heights is based partly on the Gothic tradition of the late 18th

century, a style of literature that featured supernatural encounters, crumbling ruins,

moonless nights, and grotesque imagery, seeking to create effects of mystery and fear.

According to Oxford dictionaries, Gothic novel is an English genre of fiction popular

in the 18th to early 19th centuries, characterized by an atmosphere of mystery and

horror and having a “pseudo-medieval” setting But Wuthering Heights exceeds its

genre in its “sophisticated” observation and artistic subtlety

The novel has been studied, and discussed from every imaginable criticalperspective Although there are many experts studying of this work in the world, very

few critiques or analysis regarding Wuthering Heights have been written by

Vietnamese critics If any, the preferable issues are character analyses or themes oflove or relationships, for example, rather than genre

In this thesis, therefore, I want to take the Gothic genre as well as its elements

in the novel into consideration To be more specific, what I would like to see in thispaper is how Emily Bronte received the Gothic and how her work is influenced by the

genre The analyses of the work focus on the expression of Gothic fiction in thesettings, the theme of revenge and the characterization of female gothic in the story.

1.2 Aims and objectives

The ultimate objective of this study is to draw a detailed and vivid “picture ofanalysis” of dominant Gothic elements appearing in the only novel of Emily Bronte -

Wuthering Heights because Emily realizes characterization through Gothic elements

and in the novel; they function as a means to reveal the suppressed feelings of themajor characters Consequently, readers would be able to have a thorough andprofound understanding of the influence of these elements on the development of thework

1.3 Significance of the study

As stated above that there are few data related to this literary work as well asthis issue in Vietnam, the study could be a useful reference source for further studies.Also, it will help people who are interested in this novel understand more about thegenre of the novel as well as Gothic features Hopefully, the paper will providestudents with an overview on the historical and social background of the novel, thus, to

a certain extent, can contribute to the studying of English literature in Victorian time ingeneral and in Bronte’s works in particular Especially, university students may havemore materials which will support them during the first semester of the third yearwhen they study “ English Literature”

1.4 Scope of the study

It can be seen that Wuthering Heights is not merely a Gothic novel but it

obviously contains elements of the genre Also, Emily applies the type of literature toseveral aspects of the novel However, this study will concentrate on depicting thoseGothic features in the Emily’s work, focusing on its setting, theme of revenge majorlyseen in actions of the villain Heathcliff and the three female characters

As a result, the documents used in this thesis are mostly in English.

Thereafter, the data are read thoroughly so that the information can beevaluated and the most suitable and reliable ones are picked up being analyzed Afterhaving edequate knowledge and information, it would be much easier for me to reflectand evaluate the work of fiction Besides, the material of literary history and literarytheory also consults as reference to the theoretical background for the subject

Finally, the entire outcomes are filtered and recapped into refined manuscriptsbefore reaching the conclusion

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1. What is Gothic fiction?

“Gothic fiction is hardly “Gothic” at all It is an entirely post-medieval and even post-Renaissance phenomenon” (Hogle, 2002)

According to Oxford dictionaries, Gothic novel is an English genre of fictionpopular in the 18th to early 19th centuries, characterized by an atmosphere of mysteryand horror and having a pseudo-medieval setting

2.1.1 History of the Goths

The Goths, one of the many Germanic tribes, fought numerous battles with theRoman Empire for centuries In this sense, “Gothic” has decidedly negativeconnotations The Goths were the chaps who along with Vandals, Huns and assortedbarbarian invaders, sacked the Roman Empire and destroyed classical culture,replacing classical buildings with the more primitive versions of their own.1

2.1.2 Connection to the Gothic Novel

The word “Gothic” was not at first used relating to the literary genre Duringthe Renaissance, Europeans rediscovered Greco-Raman culture and came to beassociated with a certain type of architecture The term “Gothic” as applied toarchitecture resonates with ideas of “grandeur, massive size and space, alongsideintricate, delicate gardens of stonework…” (Williams, 2006, p.1) Obviously, therewas no connection between the type of architecture and the Goths, the reason was justpeople at the time considered these buildings barbaric and definitely not in theclassical style and as a result marveled at In the eighteenth century, “Gothic” had got

1 As stated by Williams, R in his Gothic Elements in Jane Eyre and Wuthering

Heights, 2nd (2006)

both negative and positive connotations as the term could be used applying to anything

“medieval” or what came before the previous hundred years, being “remote,mysterious, complex, disordered and exaggerated” (Williams, 1)

The term "gothic" is really used to refer a certain type of novels several yearslater As David De Vore, Anne Domenic, Alexandra Kwan, Nicole Reidy wrote in

their article The Gothic novel: “[People in this period] named because all these novels

seem to take place in Gothic-styled architecture - mainly castles, mansions, and, ofcourse, abbeys.”

Gothic horror emerges, like the detective novel, popular romance and sciencefiction, with modernity David Punter ties its rises to the Industrial Revolution,but paradoxically in the midst of the 18th century “Enlightenment” the Gothicharked back to an idea of the pre-modern The term “Gothic”, originally amedieval style of architecture came to mean “all things preceding about themiddle of 17th century”

(As cited by McCracker, 1998)

The English Gothic novel began with Horace Walpole's The Castle of

Otranto (1764), which was enormously popular and quickly imitated by other

novelists and soon became a recognizable genre It was, as the writer said, “an attempt

to blend the two kinds of romance, the ancient and the modern”, with “terror as itsprincipal engine to prevent the story from ever languishing” (Walpole, 6)

Leading to his research “The Gothic - Function and Definition”, Snorri

Sigurdsson wrote:

Martin Luther King had a dream of a better world, a world where injustice wasdone away with and everyone lived in peace and harmony Horace Walpolealso had a dream – but not one of a happier world or peace His dream led him

to write a novel that became the first Gothic novel

Early Gothic novels include Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) and Matthew Lewis's The Monk (1796) or William Beckford's Vathek (1786) Mary

Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) shows the early link between the gothic and science

fiction, which continue up to present.2

The genre then disseminated its components into various forms such asVictorian novel, plays and operas, magazine, newspaper articles and stories,

“sensational novels” for the working class and women, poetry, painting, etc In the1890s, there was a concentrated revival of Gothic fiction, particularly in prose

narrative, highlighted by “such now-classic Gothic” (Hogle, p.2) as Oscar Wilde’ The

Picture of Dorian Gray (1890), Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”

(1892), Bram Stocker’s original Dracula (1897), and Henry James’s serialized novella

The Turn of the Screw (1898)

During the 1900s, it was observable that the Gothic spread out “across thewidest range in its history, into films, myriad ghost stories, women’s romance novels,television shows and series, romantic and satirical musical plays, and computerizedgames and music videos, not to mention ongoing attempts at serious fiction with manyGothic elements.” (Hogle, J E.,2002, p.2)

In the late 20th century, there was an expanse in the academic study of Gothicfiction at many colleges and universities and also in the genre publications

2.2. Female Gothic

One of the earliest forms of Gothic literature, the Female Gothic often aims tosocialize and educate its female readers and is usually morally conservative

When Ellen Moers wrote of the "Female Gothic" in Literary Women in 1978,

she created a new term bringing about a new way of thinking about women and theGothic genre The woman admits that a definition of the Gothic was less easily stated,

“except that it has to do with fear” (Moers, 90) Also Fred Botting states that theFemale Gothic is "easily defined: the work that women writers have done in the

2 As in Botting, F (1996) Gothic London: Routledge, page 162-8.

literary mode that, since the eighteenth century, we have called the Gothic" (Botting,p.123).3

The Female Gothic can also express criticism of patriarchal, male-dominatedstructures and serve as a representation of feminine liberty This form is often centered

on gender differences and oppression In Gothicism works, readers usually observe afemale protagonist pursued and persecuted by a villainous patriarchal figure inunfamiliar settings and terrifying landscape.4

This kind of fiction first gained controversial celebrity in the late 18th and early

19th century The initial development of this form was led by writers such as ClaraReeve, Sophia Lee, and Anne Radcliffe, and later by Mary Shelley, the Brontes andChristina Rosetti

Also mentioned in their book, Fred Botting, Dale Townshend Taylor & Francis(2004) add “the central figure [of the genre] is a young woman who is simultaneouslypersecuted victim and courageous heroine.” (p.124)

2.3. Review of previous researches on Wuthering Heights and the Gothic.

Among the literary works of Emily Bronte, the genre that is most noticeable in

her own writing is probably the Gothic Wuthering Heights (1847) is notable for its

atmosphere, and for its typical characteristics such as multiple narration, frameworknarratives, inhuman characters, ghosts, violation of graves, the revenge motif, sadism,doubles and captive heroines, which explain why the novel is often placed in theGothic genre.5

3 As also mentioned in the very first page of The Female Gothic:Then and Now by Andrew

Smith and Diana Wallace

4 The idea is taken from A Glossary of Literary Gothic Terms by Douglass H Thomson Page

10

In the world, there have been studies of Wuthering Heights in many aspects

such as setting, characters and relationships between them, the love and revengebetween Catherine and Heathcliff While Dawson (1989) was attracted to find ways toapproach this novel, Adam would like to dig further into the use of fiction factors like

dreams in the work which was demonstrated in an article “Wuthering Heights: the

Land East of Eden” (1958) Allan R Bruck carried out a study on the narrators,

audience and message of Wuthering Heights Stephanie Verhoff examined the wild versus domestic through narrative structure, doubling, and romance in Wuthering

Heights which discusses a conflict between the civilized and domestic and the

untamed and wild The story of the second generation brings to a conclusion theconflict between domestic and wild.6

Besides, the relation between Wuthering Heights and the Gothic form has been

discussed in some ways It has been demonstrated in most research that Emily “usedthe Gothic to explore her own creativity, but that her novel reached new levels oforiginality; the book is filled with Gothic themes but is not merely a Gothic novel”(Oda, 2009, p.1) Edith M Fenton, for instance, has discussed how Emily Bronteproduced the realistic features and individuals in her theatre of the moors, taking

Gothic Romance as a “stage” Patrick Kelly distinguishes the sublime in Wuthering

Heights from the Gothic: “[i]n Catherine’s words, ‘Whatever our souls are made of,

his and mine are the same’ It is this last and deepest mystery of character, finallyinexpressible though it is, that Emily Bronte intimates through the sublime” (Kelly,

5 As I have read in Women Writers: Emily Bronte (1989) by Lyn Pykett

6 The same idea can be seen in Verhoff, S (2005)’s Wild versus Domestic:

Narrative Structure, Doubling, and Romance in Wuthering Heights

1994) In addition, Syndy McMillen Conger, taking a feminist view, states that the

novel demonstrates women’s right to be respected as human beings in the convention

of the Gothic

Also concerning about the issue, Robyn Williams’s Gothic Elements in Jane

Eyre and Wuthering Heights take into consideration two novels: Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Bronte’ Jane Eyre In the very first words of this

work he says that exploring the Gothic elements in Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights

is “rather a daunting task” yet “fun”

…I set out to try to pin down the term “Gothic” and found myself in a forest ofmeanings and attitudes that have attached themselves to the word over time

(Williams, 2006)

The author provides readers with a comparative view on the two novels,nevertheless, from my point of view, the analysis is not deep enough for those whowant to go further in the issue

Another critic studying on Emily Bronte and the Gothic - Yukari Oda, in her

analysis of female characters in Wuthering Heights, suggests that Emily gradually

makes her female characters shift into more lively figures, and Gothic heroines are

“transformed into several versions of more animated women” in Wuthering Heights,

and “echo” each other, “mirror” each other, and “collaborate with” one another toprovide a whole view (Oda, 2009)

Investigating the elements of the Gothic in the Emily Bronte’s novel, GuðbjorgSkjaldardóttir (2012) concentrates on the sublime Landscape, the Elements, theSupernatural Effect, the Antiquated Castle and the Villain-Protagonist He claims “thetrue sublimity of Emily Bronte’s Gothic story lies, not in the classic elements of theGothic, but in her vision of man falling from nature.” The critic mainly focuses on thesetting and the surrounding elements rather than analyzing the novel protagonists

ZHAO Juan (2011), in his Female Consciousness in Wuthering Heights,

investigates the female consciousness in the tale and analyses how Catherine rebelsagainst the male-dominated society and pursues her love The author claims that in

Emily Bronte’s novel, she did not “directly call for free live and equal marriage” likethe contemporary female novelists (Juan, 2011)

As mentioned in the very first part, very few critiques or analyses regarding

Wuthering Heights can be found in Vietnam Nguyen (2003) carried out a study on the

wildness in the novel in which she provided a lot of her understanding about thisliterary work as well as her profound analysis on the sense of wildness, the

environment and the characters of Wuthering Heights Another study was conducted

by Le (n.d) who paid much of his attention to love and feud presented in the novel.However, as far as I am concerned, themes or character of the work have receivedmuch interest from Vietnamese critics than Gothic genre Thus, I decide to conduct mypaper studying the genre and its elements in the novel

2.4. Emily Bronte and the novel Wuthering Heights

2.4.1 Emily Bronte

Emily was born in July, 30th, 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire, England She wasthe fifth child among six siblings in a literary family of Patrick Bronte and MariaBranwell The family moved to Haworth in April 1821 Only a few months after thebirth of her sister Anne, her mother died of cancer at the age of thirty After that,Maria’s elder sister, Elizabeth came to live with the family to help care for thechildren

At the age of 6, Emily joined her three older sisters Charlotte, Elizabeth andMaria at the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge Elizabeth and Maria becameseriously ill at school and returned home In 1825, they died of tuberculosis Bronte'sfather removed both Emily and Charlotte from the school as well However, they wereencouraged to develop creativity and artistic goal Emily read extensively and began tomake up stories with her siblings In 1835, Emily tried leaving home for school Sheand Charlotte went to Miss Wooler's school in Roe Head where her sister worked as ateacher She stayed only a few months and then backed to Haworth because of herhomesickness In September 1838, at the age of twenty, she began to work as teacher

at Law Hill, Halifax However, after six exhausting months, she resigned Then, she

helped her sister with her own school girls at Haworth Four years later, she went toBrussels to learn foreign languages and school management holding an objective toobtain sufficient education to open a small school of their own In 1845, Charlottefound some of her poetry and persuaded her to attempt to publish the work Emily’slife, like her mother’s and sisters’, does not last long In fall a year later, Emily Bronteleft home to attend her brother Branwell's funeral at which Emily catches a severe coldthat spread to her lungs On 19 December, 1848 she died of tuberculosis.

Emily Bronte was the most reserved and least social among Bronte children.She pined for home and for the wild moorland where she lived Like most authors, shewas a product of her environment and this influenced directly in what she had written

and Wuthering Heights was an example All these elements make both her poetry and

Wuthering Heights more attractive

2.4.2 Wuthering Heights

2.4.2.1 Setting

The narration takes place in the harsh and isolated Yorkshire moors in Northern

England, Wuthering Heights practically makes a character out of its geography.

Gimmerton is the nearest town and provides the location for other characters like thedoctor, the lawyer The extreme weather and landscapes in the novel play an importantrole and tend to reflect some of the desolate attitudes of the characters It is easy to getlost in the snow The two main sites of action, Wuthering Heights and ThrushcrossGrange, are conflicting in many ways

Wuthering Heights was written in nineteenth century-the time of new kind of

social morality which resulted from Industrial Revolution (Shapiro, 1969) TheEmily’s novel depicted negative effect of the society by main characters For instance,the effects of racism on relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff when Catherine

is criticized for her love and acceptance of Heathcliff, she decides to marry a sociallyaccepted Linton Heathcliff is despised by Hindley, judged due to his race, is called

gipsy Social class and spouse selection are also demonstrates as when Catherine talks

to Nelly about who she should get married All the things lead to the protagonist’spassion of revenge Putting the action of characters in the whole context, it’s easier tosee Emily’s creation over the works in earlier and also the same stage

2.4.2.2 Summary

The narrative is started by Lockwood who visits the home of his landlord A

subsequent visit to Wuthering Heights makes Lockwood curious when coming backThrushcross Grange and recuperating from his illness Lockwood begs Nelly Dean, aservant who grew up in Wuthering Heights and now cares for Thrushcross Grange, totell him of the history of Heathcliff Mr Earnshaw, owner of Wuthering Heights,brings home an orphan from Liverpool The boy is named Heathcliff and is raised withthe Earnshaw children, Hindley and Catherine Catherine loves Heathcliff but Hindleyhates him because Heathcliff has replaced him in Mr Earnshaw's affection After Mr.Earnshaw's death, Hindley inherits all the property including Wuthering Heights What

he can do is to destroy Heathcliff, but Catherine and Heathcliff grow up playing wildly

on the moors, until they encounter the Lintons Edgar and Isabella Linton live atThrushcross Grange and are the complete opposites of Heathcliff and Catherine WhenHeathcliff overhears Catherine tell Nelly that she can never marry him, he leaves theHeights Catherine gets married to Edgar Three years later, Heathcliff comes back andstarts to take revenge on the two houses He marries Isabella-Edgar's sister, soon afterhis marriage, Catherine gives birth to Edgar's daughter, Cathy, and dies Heathcliffrevenges Hindley by taking all his property then gaining control of ThrushcrossGrange and to destroy Edgar Heathcliff forces Cathy to marry his ailing son, Linton.After Linton and Edgar’s death, he becomes the owner of the two houses However, hesuffers a mental misery, being haunted by the ghost of Catherine till death Haretonand Cathy at last are stated going to get married

CHAPTER 3: ANALYSIS & DISCUSSION

3.1 Gothic elements in the settings of Wuthering Heights

The influence of the Gothic literature that can be first observed in Emily

Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is setting of the castle of the same name The writer has

used Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights as well as the environment ofYorkshire to depict the isolation and separation from all other societies

The castle plays such an important role that it has been called the maincharacter of the Gothic novel.7 Wuthering Heights’s isolation and ghostly impressionpresent the genre’s archetype while the weather mirrors the passion and wildness of itsinhabitants The houses, the wild weather, and the mysterious feeling combine tocreate a truly Gothic setting of the novel

3.1.1 Extreme landscapes and weather

Within the novel, Wuthering Heights is first introduced to readers through astorm, which gives a strong feeling, provides an unusual insight that visitors mayperceive at first view Wuthering Heights is a place of passion, life and a sense ofwildness It is an ancient mansion located on a high vertical ridge overlooking aninhabited wasteland Mr Lockwood when first comes to the Heights experiences: “…

on that bleak hill-top the earth was hard with a black frost and the air made me shiver

7 As mentioned in The English Gothic Novel: A brief Overview from

Academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu

through every limb…, till my knuckles tingled and the dogs howled…” (Bronte, p.8).

Or another time when “[they] came to the chapel, [he] have passed it really in [his]walks, twice or thrice; it lies in a hollow, between two hills: an elevated hollow, near aswamp, whose peaty moisture is said to answer all the purposes of embalming on thefew corpses deposited there” (p.20)

In addition, the extreme weather in the moor is also illustrated several times inthe Gothic novel At the night when Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights andCatherine spends the night outdoors in the rain, sobbing and searching for him, “it was

a very dark evening for summer: the clouds appeared inclined to thunder”

About midnight, […] the storm came rattling over the heights in full fury Therewas a violent wind, as well as thunder, and either one or the other split a tree off

at the corner of the building: a huge bough fell across the roof, and knockeddown a portion of the east chimney stack, sending a clatter of stones and sootinto the kitchen-fire” (Bronte, p.72)

To Lockwood, the moors serve as a confusing expanse that is not an effortlesstask or even almost impossible to pass through on his own The moors confuse him,especially when it snows, the roads seem to be a big trouble He sees them as "one

billowy, white ocean" (Bronte, p.26) full of pits, depressions, rises, and deep swamps,

“a line of upright stones, continued through the whole length of the barren” (p.27) Themuddy parts of the roads can mean death for anyone who does not take caution just in

3.1.2 Isolated and haunted house

The two houses are both located at such bleak and desolate place, which estates

on the moors are distanced from one another, renders them difficult for people to getaccess to

For Wuthering Heights, even its name reveals the severe conditions, a widemoor and inaccessible to many people The building also contrasts with the refinementassociated with its neighbor, Thrushcross Grange Before entering the house,Lockwood observes several features relating to Gothic architecture as the deep set

“narrow windows”, “large jutting stones”, and “grotesque carving” (Bronte, p.4) Hislandlord's house was constructed in 1500 - a long time before the stage of thenarration It can be considered another Gothic trapping, as the settings of many Gothicnovels were often medieval buildings with baleful past The nature of the building isexpressed right in its name: “‘Wuthering’ being a significant provincial adjective,descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormyweather.”(p.4)

As mentioned in previous part, the location of the house causes difficulties forpeople to travel through even those who are familiar with the territory For an outsider

as Lockwood, when visiting the Heights in a snow storm, he may have to take risks ofbeing lost in the marshland without any guidance “I had on one side of the road,[…]aline of upright stones continued through the whole length of the barren: these wereerected and daubed with lime on purpose to serve as guides in the dark,[…]deepswarms on either hand with the firmer path” (Bronte, p.27) In addition, thesurrounding area is depicted as a bleak landscape “with a long line of mist windingnearly to its top […], the sough that runs from the marshes joins a beck which followsthe bend of the glen.” (p.79)

Besides, Wuthering Heights is also portrayed with old, dark and haunting

and possibly haunted Even its location is inhospitable - its nearest neighbor is fourmiles away, and its position on the moors leaves it exposed to the roughest weather:

“one may guess the power of the north wind blowing over the edge, by the excessiveslant of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt thorns allstretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun” (p.4)

It is not difficult to observe in the describing that the construction itself isgloomy and unwelcoming: “the narrow windows are deeply set in the wall, and thecorners defended with large jutting stones” (Bronte, p.4) The house is also very old –the date “1500” appears in plain sight, right at the main door, acknowledging readersthat it may have a long and dark history “It is not so buried in trees […] and it is notquite so large… You will perhaps, think the building old and dark at first” (p.174)

Images of windows and doors are used intentionally by Emily in the novel, aspeople and ghosts are always trying to climb in or out, people are getting locked, doorsare slammed, keys are hidden, and so on Several actions and emotions of thecharacters are observed by the windows Also considering the Gothic elements, but inboth novel Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, Robyn Williams states that “the window[figuring] spectacularly in Lockwood’s dream, […] introduces the essential

‘supernatural’ ingredient in a Gothic tale” (Williams, 2006, p.16) In the tale,Heathcliff is often depicted standing in the doorway of Wuthering Heights observingwho crosses the threshold What is more, at the center of the house is Catherine's oak-paneled bed providing with the setting for the more mysterious and terrifying episodes.They are Catherine's ghost fighting to get in against Lockwood's brutal refusal, andlater the discovery of Heathcliff's rain-soaked corpse The new comer to the Heightsdiscovers that the house may be haunted when he sleeps in the old bed of deadCatherine His sleep is distracted by a troubling dream in which a child – Catherine –scratches at the window “in the gusty wind, and the driving of the snow” The child, in

“most melancholy voice”, pleads to be allowed in after roaming the moors for twentyyears Being a stranger to the world of Wuthering Heights, he is terrified and alarmed

by the appearance of Catherine’s ghostly form, and proclaims that the house is

“swarming with ghosts and goblins!” (p.23) In his conversation with Heathcliff,Lockwood supposes that “[Catherine] wanted to get another proof that the place washaunted, at [his] expense” (Bronte, p.23) Surprising to the visitor, Heathcliff flings toopen the window and “in uncontrollable passion of tears” (p.24) begs her to come backagain The reaction of the master to this proves that what Lockwood has justexperienced is not a dream at all Additionally, the symbols of open or closed doors

and windows are also seen till the end of Wuthering Heights On last pages of the

novel, the doors are left open being the sign of the freedom of the inhabitants ofWuthering Heights At Heathcliff’s death, his window is discovered “swinging open,and the rain driving straight in” (p.281) The scene makes readers to believe thatHeathcliff’s soul has finally been released from his own cage to join his beloved.Bronte has used the ghostly setting of the house and the events that take place onpurpose to emphasize the Gothic feel of the story

Unlike its neighbor, Thrushcross Grange is described “elegant andcomfortable a splendid place" (Bronte, p.40) In spite of this, the house is alsoexpressed as an isolated house from the society, which maintains little contact with theworld outside although it gives readers the sense of brightness, civility andsnobbishness “Exactly an hour for every mine of the usual way” (p.27), ThrushcrossGrange is a much newer house in a protected area of the moors that keep the housesafe from the winds The way Emily portrays the house was much milder than whatshe does with Wuthering Heights, so it comes out more welcoming to outsiders:

…it was beautiful - a splendid place carpeted with crimson, and covered chairs and tables, and a pure white ceiling bordered by gold, a shower

crimson-of glass-drops hanging in silver chains from the centre, and shimmering with

little soft tapers (Bronte, p.40)

Considering the transfer of Gothic action from exotic to familiar location EmilyBronte’s contribution to the Gothic genre, Winifred Gérin (1971) explains that “no

its author, than Wuthering Heights” (Gérin, p.225) Of the same opinions is Brendan

Hennessy (1978): “[ ] the story with all its passions is rooted in the reality of the

simple domestic life of the English countryside” (Hennessy, p.38) Emily’s sister

Charlotte remarks that “[The novel] is rustic all through It is Moorish, and wild, andknotty as a root of heath” There is no doubt that Emily was perfectly familiar with thelandscape she was writing about Her painting of it is realistic and skilfully

incorporated into the thread of narration In the preface to Wuthering Heights Charlotte

Bronte also praises her sister’s descriptions of natural scenery: “Ellis Bell did notdescribe as one whose eyes and taste alone found pleasure in the prospect; her nativehills were far more to her than a spectacle; they were what she lived in, and by, as

much as the wild birds, their tenants, or as the heather, their produce” (Wuthering Heights, Preface).

The place becomes an active participant in the story People living in theHeights and the Grange are characterized as the reflection of their surroundings TheGrange represents “civilization, warmth, and goodness”; the Heights signifies

“wildness, cruelty, and evil” In other way, just as the surrounding moors shape thenature of its inhabitants with the harsh actuality, the castle reflects the emotions andpsychological experience of many of the novel's characters, bringing about severalhappenings throughout the story

3.2. Gothic elements in the theme of revenge majorly seen in the actions

of the Gothic villian – Heathcliff

The second Gothic element that should be mentioned in Wuthering Heights isthe theme of the revenge In Gothic literature, Gothic villain is a character who is

“isolated from others by his fall and either becomes a monster or confronts amonster”8, takes revenge on the ones who have treated him or her in a harsh way In

8 The quote is taken from Textual Characteristics of The Gothic on Resources.mhs.vic.edu.au

Bronte’s novel, Heathcliff has been subject to both physical and spiritual violencesince he was brought to the Heights With the aim to define Heathcliff’s as a Gothicvillain, Wiesenfarth (1988) alleges “[Heathcliff] [belabors] men and [captivates]women for his financial benefit and his pleasure in revenge” (p.64)9 In this part of mypaper, Gothic feature in the villain’s reprisal is analyzed through his actions to othercharacters in the work and to himself as well.

3.2.1.Heathcliff 's revenge on other characters

Depicted in the novel as a typical Gothic tyrant, Heathcliff’s entrance into thestory is very Gothic-like, he is mysterious, dark and exceedingly dangerous Emilyillustrates the man’s reprisal in several transgressions, the death that the victims finallycatch, though he does not commit a murder directly, all results from the man

Heathcliff’s life is tragic when he is still at his early age since he is “a gipsybrat”, “a poor-fatherless child”, and comes from the class which do not receiveacceptance of the contemporary society (Bronte, p.31-2) From the first timepresenting himself publicly, Heathcliff attracts the readers by his “black eyes”, “closedteeth” and “his fingers sheltered themselves” (p.3) That Heathcliff is always “sullen”and “dirty” makes other members in the Earnshaws hate him, except for Mr Earnshawand Catherine, whom he then falls in love with (p.31-2) When his foster father dies,his tragedy becomes even worse Not only does he become Hindley’s servant but he isalso doomed and thought little and scorn by other people Just Catherine plays andtalks to him in sympathy after Earnshaw’s dead It is easy to realize that “Miss Cathy

http://resources.mhs.vic.edu.au/creating/pages/origins.htm

9 According to Joseph Wiesenfarth in Gothic manners and the classic English novel

and [he] [are] now very thick” (p.32) and “[she is] much too fond of Heathcliff”(p.35) In addition, people in the house find that “the greatest punishment we [can]invent for her [is] to keep her separate from him” (p.35) However, his love forCatherine is so great that he believes they deserve happiness It is also their love thatmotivates him to overcome all unfairness He does not acknowledge that they are intwo different classes, and the huge gap between a servant and a mistress would lettheir love never be approved If Catherine did not accidentally meet and love EdgarLinton, Heathcliff would always be a happy man in love as the one he falls for evenloves him more than herself As when sharing with Nelly, she cannot deny that the

“gipsy brat” (p.31) is “more [herself] than [she is]…” (p.68), “[she IS] Heathcliff…he

is always…in [her] mind” (p.70-1)

The climax of Heathcliff’s tragedy comes when he overhears the conversationbetween Catherine and her nurse, Nelly The man can hardly stand it when his loversays that their marriage would do her no good but “degrade” her (p.68) Catherine’sdemand for psychological security and material comforts overbalances love in spite ofher bond and desire to be with Heathcliff10 It is Catherine’s conscienceless words thatlead Heathcliff to his new life filled with sorrow and hatred for the Earnshaws and theLintons

Also, Heathcliff never forgets his harshness childhood and on his return toWuthering Heights, after three years, the yearning to revenge on all those havingruined his life becomes his overwhelming passion Arnold Kettle explains thedeviation into vengefulness: “Heathcliff becomes a monster: what he does to Isabella,

to Hareton, to Cathy, to his son, even to wretched Hindley, is cruel and inhuman

10 The same idea can be found in Goodlett’s Love and addiction in Wuthering Heights , page

124

beyond normal thought He seems to achieve new refinements of horror, new depths ofdegradation.”11 (Kettle, 1968, p.58)

3.2.1.1 Heathcliff 's revenge on the Earnshaws: Hindley and his son Hareton

Hindley Earnshaw - the son of Mr Earnshaw and the brother of CatherineEarnshaw - who had created all the pain in Heathcliff’s childhood must be the one onwhom Heathcliff most longed for taking revenge on Hindley’s cruelty in past makethe feud in Heathcliff burn up, as he tells Nelly Dean that he would love to “[paint] thehouse-front with Hindley's blood!" (Bronte, p.41) He also claims “gravely”: “I’mtrying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back I don’t care how long I wait, if I can only

do it at last I hope he will not die before I do!” (p.51)

Coming back to the Heights as a wealthy and educated man, he starts hisrevengeful plan by slowly draining away all the resources, land and health fromHindley He uses his position lending the alcoholic and gambler Hindley his money,then easily puts him into debt Obviously, Wuthering Heights becomes the mortgage,thus enabling “a no one from nowhere”12 to become the owner of the house NellyDean reports Mr Lockwood about the transference:

The guest was now the master of Wuthering Heights: he held firm possession,and proved to the attorney […] that Earnshaw had mortgaged every yard ofland owned, for cash to supply his mania for gaming; and he, Heathcliff, was

the mortgagee (Bronte, p.159)

11 As cited by Almeida, A E in his Wuthering Heights: “Curioser and Curioser” The

Trinity Papers (2011)

12 As Robyn Williams calls Heathcilff on the text of a talk Gothic Elements in Jane Eyre and

Wuthering Heights (2006), page 14.