Category: Wuthering Heights

Introduction

Masculinity is a term used to categorize human behave that uses a lot energy and force. Baker (164) explains that masculinity refers to the ‘manliness’ of a character. A female who exposes male qualities is identified as threatening to the society.

Masculinity may explain the character of the forceful male or the threatening female who bears the forces of a man. In the Wuthering Heights (Bronte E. 59), Heathcliff demonstrates masculinity when he was a child. He endures pain without crying or complaining. Ellen describes that “he gave little trouble when sick” (60). This was the source of admiration to Ellen for the despised boy.

Gothic is a category of art associated with creation of anxiety and shock. Heller associates Gothic with haunted old buildings, family lineages entrapped in curses, and supernatural powers among other things (Lonoff & Hasseler 68). Jane’s description about the abandoned boats forms part of Gothic portrayal (Bronte C. 8). Cottom discusses that the “institution of the family sets stage for creativity of the inhuman agencies” (1073).

The narrator also expresses shock and anxiety that makes them unreliable (Lonoff & Hasseler 68). Gothic masculinity is a form of art that uses the male figure as a symbol of anxiety and shock. Cottom explains that the Gothic uses “manipulation of the thoughts, and images to the figure of a malignant demon” (1077).

Gothic masculinity uses a male character to overpower the malignant demon such as in the Wuthering Heights. From these phrases, Gothic masculinity may refer to the maleness of the figure or character that creates anxiety in a story. In Jane Eyre, masculinity is expressed through the threatening female character.

Female Gothic is associated with a female figure becoming the cause of anxiety (Lonoff & Hasseler 68). In the Wuthering Heights, Catherin’s childhood character is male Gothic because he behaves like a man. Her version of a ghost forms the female Gothic (Lonoff & Hasseler 67). Catherine represents the unexpected behavior of a girl or woman.

Seclusion as a necessity for masculinity

Seclusion refers to the separation of the main character from a comfortable place to another region where he hardens. On his return, the person demonstrates changes in opinion or form. Cottom (1069) explains that seclusion from the world is one of the characteristics of Gothic.

According to Cottom, it is “a trademark motif” (1069). In the Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is separated from his home for three years where nobody but himself knows how he survived. In his return, the narrator uses a transformation of his body to that of a ghost.

Lockwood narrates that “A ray fell on his features; the cheeks were sallow, and half covered with black whiskers; the brows lowering, the eyes deep-set and singular… What! I cried, uncertain whether to regard him as a worldly visitor” (Bronte E. 147).

Cottom (1069) explains that Gothic exposes an experience of uncertainty. The initial explanation of the narrator makes the reader expect a ghostly visitation. Lockwood’s experience with ghosts makes the expectation almost certain for the reader. The transformation may also be a symbol of the changes in the character’s mind.

Heathcliff was once separated from his home when he was a child. The first separation that hardened him. It made him a child who neither complains nor cries. He shares the same characteristic with Jane Eyre. Goddard explains that a child needs to be “separated from the mother to attain manhood” (26).

In many societies, the mark may be physical such as circumcision in some African societies. In Heathcliffs’ case, the changes are psychological. The changes have made him a hardened boy and Jane a hardened girl. Complete separation results in complete masculinity.

Gothic masculinity also expresses the mystery of the male character to survive in difficult conditions. Baker argues that Gothic masculinity uses a “transgressive hero whose intellect and passion places him outside normative social and ethical bounds” (166).

The social and ethical bounds expect some form of femininity in a male figure. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff expresses an excessive passion that drives him away from Wuthering Heights. The discovery of being despised by Catherine for a husband exposes his excessive passion.

His surviving under the big storm remains mysterious to the society. He was aware of what was going on in Wuthering Heights despite being hidden in another place. He knew that Catherin had got married to Edgar Linton. The others had never heard of him for three years (Bronte E. 150). Heathcliff appears to be more intelligent than the others.

His running away may be put into the Baker’s explanation that “excessive emotion and transgressive desire are controlled or expelled” (166). Heathcliff seems not to have controlled the excessive emotion but to have expelled it after the long seclusion.

The last part of Heathcliffs’ seclusion is when he dies and he is buried. Comparing the death scene of Mr. Earnshaw to that of Heathcliff, there is seclusion in the latter. While Mr. Earnshaw was surrounded by the children and workers, Heathcliff dies in an image where he still appears alive. He smiles exposing his teeth and lifts his hand as if resting (Bronte E. 536). The scene scares Ellen.

The seclusion through death is necessary to release his image as a ghost that haunts the streets. He joins Catherin’s ghost to haunt the streets. This is evident from the boy crying in the streets because he has seen the ghostly couple.

He weeps that “There’s Heathcliff and a woman yonder, under t’ nab” (Bronte E. 538). One can say that Heathcliff’s ghost is bold enough to haunt the streets compared to Catherin’s which only haunted Wuthering Heights. The ghostly couple has more courage after being joined by Heathcliff.

Seclusion allows the secluded character to form images of his/her own and to disfigure objects into moving creatures. It can be seen at the boy taking care of sheep. It can also be seen on Ellen when he stares at Heathcliff, and Lockwood when he sleeps alone in a haunted room among other instances.

Seclusion intensifies anxiety and draws attention to the unexpected. In Jane Eyre, seclusion is associated with the Gothic images that Jane forms (Bronte C. 23). The ghosts may come from the vaults or the abandoned boats.

Male domination over female ghosts

Male domination is the main characteristic of Gothic masculinity in the Wuthering Heights. Male characters are able to dominate over female ghosts. The dominant male characters in the Wuthering Heights are also able to control female and other male characters. The male dominance is seen in romantic love, economic power, and ghosts among other things.

Goddard argues that masculinity is attributed to “power relations in which the male is always dominant” (24). The dominance also appears as a perception of others. In Wuthering Heights, the perception of others is able to grant Heathcliff Gothic masculinity.

This is evident in Catherin’s perception on Heathcliff that “He is more of myself than I am” (Bronte E. 127). Catherine was recognized as the threatening female but she perceives Heathcliff to possess more of Gothic masculinity than herself. Goddard (37) argues that masculinity is expressed as an admiration of her deficiencies in what Heathcliff possesses.

In Wuthering Heights, men dominate over ghosts. When Lockwood was sleeping, he had an image of ghosts that made him scream. His screaming wakes all the others in the house. His image was able to harm that of Catherin. However, it was his pleading that made the ghost release his hand.

Lockwood narrates that “I pulled its wrist on to the broken pane, and rubbed it to and fro till the blood ran down and soaked bedclothes, still it wailed, ‘Let me in!’ It maintained its tenacious gripe” (Bronte E. 39). From the description, it appeared that Lockwood had control over the ghost but from his screams the other people in the house thought he was being strangled.

The courage to fight back on ghosts portrays Gothic masculinity on Lockwood. Lockwood expresses his dominion by saying that “I shall not forget the effect my action produced” (Bronte 40). Unlike the others, Heathcliff was not moved by the screams and makes a joke about it.

Heathcliff says unsympathetically that “don’t repeat that horrid noise: nothing could excuse it, unless you were having your throat cut” (Bronte E. 41). Lockwood appears to be a victor over ghosts and Heathcliff appears so hardened that nothing can scare him. In this case, Heathcliff appears to be what Brownberger describes as “a man’s man” (15). It means he is superior to other men.

The Gothic may be portrayed as a dream but the anxiety it creates appears real. Cottom explains that “Rene Descartes’ ‘Meditations’ was the first Gothic novel” (1068). Meditations are images that are portrayed in a dream. It allows the author to use things considered irrational or unnatural without limits.

Another situation that exposes Gothic masculinity in Wuthering Heights is when Ellen finds Heathcliff exhuming the bodily remains of Catherin from her grave. Ellen is worried to say “You were very wicked, Mr Heathcliff! Were you not ashamed to disturb the dead?” On the other hand, Heathcliff replies that “I gave some ease to myself. I shall be a great deal more comfortable now.” (Bronte E. 462).

Heathcliff wants to get a clearer picture of the ghost that haunts him. It was unusual to pursue ghosts into their hiding places especially in the times when the book was written. Modern people may have seen many horror movies to gain courage for adventure. Heathcliff explains that he has “a strong faith in ghosts” (Bronte E. 462).

His courage surpasses the natural by claiming that he wishes he was buried with the body alive as he was found in her grave. It would appease him (Bronte 463). Heathcliff thinks about kicking ghosts (Bronte 464). It shows unnatural courage.

The reader is tantalized by the unexpected Heathcliff’s character upon the dead. Baker explains that “the original self does not exist instead a radically disrupted masculine subject” (167). Baker argues that the unusual character, who he calls the abject, “creates taboos and defends unitary subjectivity from plurality” (167).

Heathcliff’s unitary subjectivity is that he is supposed to see Catherin’s corpse to calm himself from the ghost that has been visiting him for 18 years (Bronte E. 463). Plurality requires that the dead should not be disturbed. He expresses lack of fear over ghosts. This is form of Gothic masculinity in the Wuthering Heights.

Baker (168) argues that the abject can understand the ways of the unusual because he is one. Nelly narrates that he seems to be roaming outside at night like a vampire (Bronte 527). The abject character also uses reason to justify his actions. Heathcliff explains his disturbing actions rationally.

Baker (166) argues that Gothic masculinity combines rationality and madness. Heathcliff identity with the ghost is expressed when he asks Ellen that he may also lie next to Catherin’s remains because the cheek of her ghost touched his while he slept (Bronte E. 462). Baker (170) recognizes self-identity as a form of enlightenment to the abject. He uses Cartesian self-identity ‘I’.

This identity is supported by Qualls’ argument that Nelly Dean felt as if she was not among “a person of her own species” (Lonoff & Hasseler 57). Gothic masculinity is expressed through Heathcliff’s identity with the dead. Heathcliff expresses power over the dead.

Masculine dominance through economic power

Male dominance is also expressed through economic power. Gothic masculinity in the Wuthering Heights is linked to economic power. The transfer of wealth to a cuckold is Gothic. Brownberger (4) explains that cuckoldry was a condition that was dreaded in the 19^th century. It that made Bronte to assign it to the Wuthering Heights.

Brownberger (4) argues that Heathcliff takes control of both the Wuthering Heights and the Thrushcross Grange in the same manner as a true cuckoo. The eviction of natural inhabitants is what makes Heathcliff’s possession of economic power Gothic masculinity. It was frightening to think of such an event in the age of cuckoldry. Bronte expressed a new form of plot by allowing a cuckold to play the role of dominance.

Heathcliff is given economic and intellectual dominance over true inhabitants of the land. Brownberger argues that Heathcliff’s “stoicism and self-sufficiency shows that he satisfies the ideal Victorian masculine role” (16). A cuckold was expected to be weak and inferior to the normal male person at the time.

Bronte created a character that surpassed the categorization of cuckolds in that period. She created an ideal male from one who is considered inferior. It is the creation of the ‘other’ that makes it Gothic masculinity (Goddard 37).

The male is recognized as the provider of family needs. Goddard (37) explains that by providing for the family, the man is perceived as masculine. Heathcliff’s ability to provide for all the others makes him appear masculine. Being a cuckold, his situation creates Gothic masculinity.

Goddard (24) argues that masculinity depends on what the society perceives. In Jane Eyre, her masculinity is an expression of her gained wealth (Bronte C. 99). A woman appears masculine if she dominates. Jane Eyre appears masculine through her role in society and achievements.

Male dominance is also expressed through force and cruelty in the Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff allows Catherine to snatch the keys from his hands but then he grabs her and slaps both of her cheeks with powerful blows. Catherine is confused and allows the keys to fall on the floor (Bronte E. 433).

Heathcliff shows physical dominion over the female character. Goddard claims that men may try to “assert their power by abusing female vulnerabilities” (28). The cruelty makes Nelly and the others to perceive him as a monster. The male is also portrayed as decisive over female indecisiveness.

Heathcliff claims that “I would not allow anyone to inconvenience me, if I could hinder it” (Bronte E. 3). Qualls argues that female characters have been used to express indecisiveness (Lonoff & Hasseler 54).

In the Wuthering Heights, male dominance is also expressed through romantic love. Men appear dominant in choosing and controlling their lovers. It is the case with Edgar Linton and Catherine. Catherine would like to choose Heathcliff but the ‘present’ conditions do not allow such a choice of degradation. Cottom (1067) argues that Gothic ruins perspective and sympathies.

When he takes his place to house Catherine after Edgar’s death, he appears to have won. When he dies, he appears with Catherin as ghosts. It goes against the common thought that cuckolds are soft. Brownberger argues that “a revenging cuckold was unheard of” (17).

Heathcliff is able to take Catherine after death. In Jane Eyre. Rochester has to pretend to be a woman to get to know the Jane’s feelings (Bronte C. 237). St. John’s description of Jane’s masculinity is that “she is not made for love” (Bronte C. 131). Romance and male dominance are linked through economic power as in the situation that makes Catherine choose Edgar instead of Heathcliff.

Conclusion

Gothic masculinity is expressed through the unexpected dominance of a character and through his/her extraordinary strength. The character challenges and overcomes the common oppressive setting to create his/her own where he/she is free to exaggerate her masculinity.

In the Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is portrayed as an extraordinary figure that emerges out of the despised. He wants to be buried without the attendance of the clergy. His unusual acts do not stop even after he has died.

Works Cited

Baker, Brian. Gothic Masculinities. New York: Routledge, 2007. Print.

Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Print.

Bronte, Emily 1847, Wuthering Heights. PDF file. 26 Apr. 2013. <http://www.planetpdf.com/planetpdf/pdfs/free_ebooks/wuthering_heights_t.pdf>.

Brownberger, Danielle. The Gothic Monster and the Cuckold: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly in Wuthering Heights. n.d.

Cottom, Daniel. ‘I Think; Therefore, I am Heathcliff.’ ELH Journal. 70.4, (2003): 1067 -1088. Print.

Goddard, Kevin. “Looks Maketh the Man: the Female Gaze and the Construction of Masculinity.” Journal of Men’s Studies, 9.1, (2000): 23-39. Print.

Lonoff, Sue & Terri, Hasseler. Approaches to Teaching Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 2006. Print.

Introduction

Heathcliff is the main character of the novel Wuthering Heights, written by the English writer Emilia Bronte. The reader first sees him in the scene when Mr. Lockwood, having moved to a new place of residence, decided to visit his neighbor, Mr. Heathcliff. The place of residence of the neighbor and the man himself made a mixed impression on the guest. A gentleman in dress and manner, Heathcliff was more like a gypsy with “black eyes”, and the protagonist’s house resembled the harsh abode of a simple farmer rather than the estate of a landowner (Bronte, 2017). The reader is immediately attracted by such a non-standard image of the main character.

Heathcliff and Catherine

The first meeting of these two characters took place in early childhood. From an early age, they were solid friends and never quarreled. Heathcliff was a wild, silent child, and at first, did not speak to anyone, as he was not a native child in the Earnshaw family. It was mentioned that “Catherine was much too fond of Heathcliff. The greatest punishment we could invent for her was to keep her separate from him” (Bronte, 2017). The young girl turned out to be the person in whom he found a native and understanding soul.

Heathcliff grew up sullen and unsociable, but the only person he cared about was his childhood friend. Catherine grew up to be a self-willed and unorthodox girl. The heroine had a selfish nature and was, one might say, the only person who was not afraid and did not shy away from the young man. The young men were alike in their immense and passionate love of freedom.

Heathcliff and Isabella

Isabella is a young, educated, well-mannered girl with whom fate played a cruel joke, introducing her to Heathcliff. The young woman “has not her natural advantages”, so the question of marriage was essential to her (Bronte, 2017). From the first meeting, Heathcliff ignored the young girl; however, wishing to take revenge on her brother, the protagonist enjoys sympathy for Isabella, and they marry. This union turns into an absolute hell for the naive girl. Isabella makes a mistake only once, succumbing to a momentary weakness, and allows herself to be taken to Wuthering Heights, but this decision ruins her life forever. Heathcliff has no sympathy at all for Isabella or their son.

Important Event for Heathcliff

The most important and tragic event in Heathcliff’s life was when Catherine chose another man as her life partner. Despite the strong feelings that both heroes had for each other, the girl understood that her childhood friend was uneducated and did not have the proper title. That is why, despite the sincere love of Heathcliff, Catherine leaves for another. This event throws the main character into shock and makes him a cruel person. A young man escapes from the city and returns only after a long time.

Psychological Changes in Heathcliff

The image of Heathcliff appears as a complex, contradictory personality, tormented by deep feelings and inner passions. From the very beginning, the main character bore the stigma of a rejected child, leading endless battles on the way to finding true masculinity and dignity. Initially having a complicated and strained relationship with others, Heathcliff’s soul is tightened by the loss of Catherine, and the hatred in the man’s soul only grows. The image of the protagonist is filled with conflicting feelings, leading against the established order. Such a tragic event as the death of a loved one puts the man in a sad and desperate state.

Where Heathcliff Leaves the Story

By the end of the story, Heathcliff is too tired and loses the ability to enjoy the destruction he has brought to others. All the terrible events of his life lead to the fact that the main character loses his mind. Even on his deathbed, the main thing for Heathcliff is his love for Catherine, and the character says that he “cannot look down to this floor, but her features are shaped in the flags!’ (Bronte, 2017). After the death of Heathcliff, calm and harmony ensues in Wuthering Heights.

Reference

Bronte, E. (2017). Wuthering Heights. Ripol Classic.

Introduction

Each historical period produces its own ideals of feminine beauty, and the Victorian era is no exception. According to Hoffman-Reyes, morality, chastity, fragility, decency, docility, and frigidity were among the main “outwardly demure attributes” of Victorian feminine beauty (9). These qualities were expected from 19th-century women and encouraged through various conventional practices and behavioral norms, including engagement in work, eating, grooming, and other activities.

Based on this, a beautiful female body may be regarded as an “aesthetic artifact” crafted through the values and concepts of the dominant ideology (Hoffman-Reyes 1). Thus, it is also valid to say that the images of female bodies in literature convey symbolic meanings that allow readers to interpret them within a broader cultural and social context of historic times when a literary piece was written. Considering this, the following question may be asked: which social and cultural qualities does Catherine’s body image in Wuthering Heights has and how does it evolve throughout the plot?

Main body

At the beginning of her adulthood, Catherine is represented as an ideal of 19th-century feminized beauty. Living in Thrushcross Grange after her injury, she engages in customary practices and adopts the local lifestyle. With the help of her mistress who tried to raise Catherine’s self-respect “with fine clothes and flattery,” the character changed her manner of dressing (Brontë and Brontë 43). From “a wild, hatless little savage jumping into the house, and rushing to squeeze us all breathless” Catherine transformed into “a very dignified person, with brown ringlets falling from the cover of a feathered beaver, and a long-cloth habit, which she was obliged to hold up with both hands that she might sail in” (Brontë and Brontë 44).

Although this manner of dressing and looking was considered beautiful, the character later found it restricting. However, not only did this feminine clothing limited her movements but also interfered with her independence, freedom of choice, and behavior. For instance, Catherine might not untie her hat herself as it could disarrange her curls (Brontë and Brontë 44). This image of a dignified lady whose very dresses seem to not allow her to relax and move easily is in sharp contrast with Catherine’s body image as a child.

Before the injury and a few-week stay in the Grange, the character was both freer and happier. She could race with Heathcliff, walk in the moors, and enjoy all other things that children like doing. It is valid to say that the earlier state of freedom was Catherine’s true identity, whereas the later transformation into a lady can be regarded as its loss. Through wearing more lady-like clothes, she began to comply with social and cultural expectations of what a Victorian woman should look like and how she must behave.

Consequently, she started to realize these restrictions and the detrimental effects of the cultural environment on herself. In the end, this realization and the drastic difference between the imposed body image and her natural inclinations led the character to an intense identity crisis and a state of psychological distress.

Conclusion

Based on the abovementioned observations, it is valid to say that the literal limitations of Catherine’s new manner of dressing correspond with the more metaphorical ones. Her new clothes and the overall body image serve as symbols of female suppression in the society of the 19th century. As the character transits into womanhood, she loses the freedom of expression and the ties with everything that brought her joy before.

Works Cited

Brontë, Emily, and Anne Brontë. Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey. Cambridge University Press, 2013.

Hoffman-Reyes, Lisa Michelle. Subversive Beauty – Victorian Bodies of Expression. Dissertation, University of South Florida, 2014.

The societal conflict is, perhaps, one of the most poignant aspects of Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. Shedding light on the human nature, as well as on the specifics of interactions between the members of the Victorian society, the book offers an exhaustive description of the problems that the lack of clarity in the social and class relationships creates.

Although Wuthering Heights was not the first novel that brought the impact of social and class ambiguity on the specifics of interpersonal relationships to the public’s attention, Emily Bronte clearly offered a new outlook on the problem. Wuthering Heights addresses the issues of social and class ambiguity by not merely incorporating the problems into its plot but making them a part of the very fabric of the narration. Specifically, the relationships between Cathy and Heathcliff should be considered a prime example of the great divide between the representatives of different social strata.

The dilemmas of the communication between the members of different classes and social strata become the most evident in the conflicts that are related directly to the relationships between the characters in the Wuthering Heights. Making the most obvious example, one must mention the relationships between Cathy and Heathcliff starting from the point at which she decides to decline Heathcliff’ proposal and marry Edgar:” I’ve no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn’t have thought of it” (Bronte “Chapter 9”). The lead character states directly that these are not the personal issues but the social and the class-related ones that set her and Edgar apart.

The scene mentioned above, though being rather short, sheds a lot of light on the tragedy of the social and class ambiguity. The fact that Cathy dismissed the idea of marrying Heathcliff for the sake of a more promising marriage with Linton coupled with her bitter realization of her loss shows that there are no clear characteristics for either of the social strata represented in the novel. In fact, the scene in which the understanding of Cathy’s mistake hits her becomes the point at which the social and class ambiguity peaks in the novel (Sahin 587).

The development that Heathcliff undergoes, however, cannot be deemed as one-dimensional, either. More to the pit, the very character can be described as a graphic representation of the vagueness in the differences between the social and the class-related levels in the society. Indeed, a closer look at the transformation that the character undergoes will show that, from a sweet, innocent, and noble yet poor man, he turns into a social idol whose manners and demeanour leave much to be desired.

Heathcliff commits terrible things to exert his revenge upon Cathy; furthermore, he makes his wife, an innocent person, who had nothing to do with their conflict, to begin with, suffer. Differently put, the shift from a noble, if somewhat simple, attitude that made him so attractive at the beginning of the novel into a merciless and egotistic brute aligns with his transformation from belonging to the lower class population to reaching the divine pinnacle of the upper class.

The identified switch in the character’s development points quite clearly to the lack of balance between the members of different social strata and classes in society. In fact, the drastic lack of balance makes one’s personality dissolve completely, making a tremendous step backwards in personal and ethical development, as Heathcliff’s character arc shows quite graphically.

It would be wrong to claim that Bronte strips her characters off of their dignity; instead, she allows the readers to track their slow descent into insanity and misery, making it clear that they are the only source of misery that they are experiencing is rooted in their own imperfect concept of the societal structure and the clichés about the classes that the society is divided into.

Furthermore, the characters subvert these clichés quite successfully as the representatives of the lower-class stratum act in a much nobler and ethically appropriate way than those that are identified as the crème of the society. The fact that neither of the characters undergoing the transformation is capable of returning back to the previous stage of their ethical and moral evolution, therefore, becoming better and correcting their mistakes, creates the impression of impending doom and adds a tint of fatality to the novel (Brown 82).

In other words, assuming that the characters’ social position is responsible for the actions that they take and the choices that they consider appropriate would be quite a stretch. While the significance of the social pressure is not to be underestimated the people described in the novel make conscious choices that they deemed as appropriate in the identified scenarios. It is not the change in the social position that makes Heathcliff torture his wife, and the suffering that he has been under throughout his entire life does not justify the cold-hearted attitude that he assumed when communicating with her (Chapman 84).

In fact, the subject matter can be viewed from the most basic perspective, i.e., the concept of a struggle between the need for financial wellbeing and the need for emotional comfort. According to Jankova, the entire novel is shot through with the theme of a conflict between an emotional attachment and the financial, or the societal, power: “The theme of conflict between power and passion in both novels is introduced by two pairs who seek their balance in order to achieve happiness” (Jankova 3).

Therefore, Bronte makes it quite clear that the characters’ happiness hinges on the basic yet very complicated choice that they have to make. Though on the surface, it is about choosing between the actual feelings and wealth, on a deeper level, it implies the choice between two areas of comfort, i.e., the solid and predictable yet passionless wealth-based one and the thrilling yet possibly physically devastating emotional connection.

Furthermore, the conflict between the social and the class ambiguity can be rendered through the juxtaposition of the materialism and the basic human values in the novel. As stressed above, Cathy chooses materialism over the humble charm of Heathcliff, the person that she actually loves. At this point, the character manifests her materialistic nature. It is quite remarkable that Heathcliff, though also succumbing to a drastic change after his emotional journey, is not affected by the materialistic aspect of his existence. While he admittedly becomes richer and gains a better social status, the money that he receives does not seem to corrupt him.

What makes hi truly wicked is the emotional turmoil that he has been through and not the wealth that he acquired on his journey to prosperity. In fact, as Bouziane stresses, the tension between the materialistic elements of his life and the love that he experienced in his life has been an integral part of his existence since his very childhood: “Hindley becomes tyrannical […] He drove him [Heathcliff] from their company to the servants, deprived him of the instructions of the curate, and insisted that he should labour out of doors instead” (Bouziane 170).

It could be argued that the changes described in the novel, in general, and the transformation of the lead characters, in particular, can be attributed to the changes in their personality and not to the financial wellbeing that Heathcliff finally gains. On the one hand, the latter’s shift from a rather likable and generally benevolent character to a vengeful beast can be interpreted as the result of the pain that he has been exposing himself to since Cathy turned his proposal down and chose Edgar. Indeed, Heathcliff did not gain the despicable propensity to violence that he displays the third act of the novel overnight; instead, it stems from the grudge that he has been bearing for quite a few years (Bullen 113).

Similarly, the revelation that Cathy finally experiences as she realizes that the lack of the social status and the unavailability of the class privileges that she is capable of enjoying would not have impeded her happiness with the person that she loved cannot be viewed as a sudden strike. The dissatisfaction and the disappointment that has been brewing for years finally found their release in her regret.

Furthermore, it could be argued that the decisions made by the two characters are driven by entirely different types of power. Whereas Cathy engages in cool-blooded calculations of what social opportunities the marriage will open in front of her, Heathcliff acts under the spur of the moment, taking advantage of every minute of his interactions with others.

Nevertheless, as stressed above, the fact that the characters shape and change under the pressure of the factors that can be defined as a change in their societal status makes a clear case for the portrayal of a rapid shift in the values system of each character involved. It is quite remarkable that both characters are pitiful and miserable in their lack of moral fabric and their craving for acceptance in society. Therefore, the lack of balance between the social and class statuses, as well as the absence of correlation between them, displayed in the novel, manifests itself with every choice that the characters make (Ingham 24).

Furthermore, by following the behavioural patterns that the society foists on them, both characters become even more miserable in the process, therefore, aggravating the situation and proving that the identified lack of balance not only disrupts their relations but also affects each of them very deeply. In fact, the inconsistency between the wealth, social recognition, and the basic moral values that they used to possess torments the lead characters to the point where Cathy dies, leaving Heathcliff heartbroken.

The act of repent that Heathcliff finds himself in as he realizes that Cathy is dead, in fact, can be considered as a step toward redemption and the final reconciliation with his self. In fact, in a similar way, the contempt that young Cathy, the daughter of the diseased lead character, displays for Hareton Earnshaw can be viewed as the extension of the relationships between her mother and Heathcliff, which takes the idea of the social imbalance to the next level.

The way that Cathy treats Hareton makes it quite clear that the problem of social inequality is unlikely to ever be vanquished. Instead, it is bound to remain the foundation for relationships between the representatives of different classes for quite a while: “‘My name is Hareton Earnshaw,’ growled the other; ‘and I’d counsel you to respect it!’ ‘I’ve shown no disrespect,’ was my reply, laughing internally at the dignity with which he announced himself” (Bronte “Chapter 2”).

By showing how the gap between different social strata and classes shapes people’s relationships and determines essential life choices made by them, Bronte makes it quite evident that there is a strong social and class ambiguity. Though the standards foisted onto the people from all walks of life might seem ridiculous, they are also binding, making one lean toward specific choices that would have seemed inappropriate in another scenario.

Furthermore, Bronte paints a frighteningly realistic picture where the characters are doomed to make the same mistakes over and over again, aggravating their situation and only making themselves and the people around them more miserable as they conform to the concept of the social classes. In addition, the author proves that the presence of ambiguity in the concept of the social and class-related position is intrinsic and can be attributed to human nature. Leaving the readers on a powerful and ambiguous note, the novel calls for the reconsideration of the current societal values and concepts.

Works Cited

Bouziane, Katherine. “Materialism versus Human Values in the Victorian Novels: The Case of Great Expectations and Wuthering Heights.” Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) Special Issue on Literature 3.1 (2014): 167-173. Print.

Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. 1847. Web.

Brown, Erica. Comedy and the Feminine Middlebrow Novel: Elizabeth Von Arnim and Elizabeth Taylor. New York, NY: Routledge, 2012. Print.

Bullen, James B. Writing and Victorianism. New York, NY: Routledge, 2013. Print.

Chapman, Raymond. Forms of Speech in Victorian Fiction. New York, NY: Routledge, 2014. Print.

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In Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, there are numerous instances of depicting character’s communication by means of looking rather than speaking. The power of human gaze is not always given sufficient attention in literary works, but Brontë employs this effect quite often in her novel. Both men and women in Wuthering Heights express their passion, fear, strength, pain, apprehension, and a range of other feelings and emotions through looking at other characters. The power of gaze as depicted in the book makes a compelling impression and helps the reader to understand the characters’ true intentions and sensations better than any utterances could.

The passage selected for close reading refers to the narrator’s (Lockwood’s) depiction of the time he met a young lady and did not dare speak to her despite being attracted to the girl. There is much symbolic meaning behind all the ‘gazing’ words in this excerpt. By saying that the young girl was “a real goddess in [his] eyes,” Lockwood reveals that he is extremely captured by her beauty (Brontë 7). However, the narrator immediately follows this thought by remarking that he has been looking at the girl only when he remained invisible – “as long as she took no notice of me” (Brontë 7). Remarking that he was “over head and ears” indicates that Lockwood is deeply fascinated by the object of observation (Brontë 7). Further, he notes that despite the absence of a verbal expression of his feelings, even “the merest idiot” would have realized what was going on at that moment “if looks had language” (Brontë 7). Indeed, they had language, for the girl perceived Lockwood’s thoughts and gave him a returning look – “the sweetest of all imaginable” ones (Brontë 7).

However, as soon as the narrator realized that the object of his passion detected his emotions, he “shrunk icily” into himself and became “colder and farther” with the girl’s every next look (Brontë 7). In this sentence, there is no description of the narrator’s gazing practice, but it is obvious from the context. At that point, instead of looking at the girl, the young man looked away to hide his feelings. As a result of such a sudden change in the man’s conduct, the lady “was led to doubt her own senses” and decided to leave immediately (Brontë 7). Lockwood remarks that such a “curious turn of disposition” led to his gaining a reputation of “deliberate heartlessness” (Brontë 7). Even though he considers this attitude to be “undeserved,” it is obvious from the context that his gaze and averting of the gaze played a crucial function in defining the relationships between the two characters.

The passage is short, but it allows identifying several significant issues referring to the character’s personality. First of all, it is evident that Lockwood feels much more convenient when looking at someone than when being observed. He explains in detail how beautiful the girl is and how he enjoys watching her, but the moment she notices his gaze, he turns away. Such conduct also signifies that the man is afraid of being rejected. When he is unnoticed, he can fantasize about being together with the object of his passion. However, when she sees him, she may refuse to communicate with him, hence the fantasy can be destroyed. Thus, Lockwood becomes disappointed and upset when the lady returns his look. The female character is presented as somehow dangerous and transgressive since she violates the privacy of the male character’s secret thoughts and desires.

At the same time, the fact that the girl gives the narrator “the sweetest of all imaginable looks” means there is nothing to be afraid of (Brontë 7). Under such circumstances, the question arises as to why he turns away from the girl’s gaze and makes her feel doubtful about her senses. A possible explanation is that Lockwood lacks self-assuredness and belief in his masculinity. This situation shows that he is an introvert and does not feel comfortable when his intentions become detected. The significance of this passage to the novel is in preparing the reader to perceive the nature of relationships between men and women throughout the book. The main character of Lockwood’s narration, Heathcliff, loses the love of his life, Catherine, to another man, due to the lack of belief in himself and impossibility to provide her with the life she deserves. The passage is also important since it is one of the first examples when the author employs the ‘gazing’ words to convey the characters’ emotions and feelings.

The selected passage offers several important topics for analysis: passion, hesitation, fear, uncertainty, and doubt. With the help of ‘gazing’ words, the author managed to present a picture worth more than words could have told. Characters reveal much about their strong and weak sides even though they do not utter a single word. Emily Brontë’s use of visual expression instead of verbal one in Wuthering Heights allows the reader to perceive the intended themes more thoroughly and offers issues for further analysis.

Work Cited

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Planet eBook, n.d.