Emily
Bronte, who was born in 1818, wrote a cannon, Wuthering Heights,
in her 30 years life. The novel was unique in that time, not only
the writer was a woman, which was not known until 3 years after the
novel was published, but also it contains some rebellious concepts to
conservative English society in 19th century. When it is
analyzed, position of women in Victorian society, class distinction
of 19th century and some features of Gothic fiction can
bee sen in the novel.
Firstly,
the novel shows the position of the women in that era even before it
is read, since Emily Bronte uses a pen name, a male name Ellis Bell,
in order to diminish the criticism and prejudices against the novel.
Women were supposed to be the angel of the house in 19th
century. Therefore,in order to be a good housemate,they let men do
serious things such as writing. I think it is because men were afraid
of loosing their power against women, because the pen is the power
symbolically. People who are able to write books,can affect or
manipulate the others. As an example of the pen is equal to power,
the judge breaks his pen after giving sentence of death penalty.
Breaking the pen, shows who has the power and who the decision maker
is. However,thanks to the increasing need of human resources because
of the Industry Revolution, women started to take part in the society
more and more and thanks to the feminist awakening, they were able to
write and take the pen/power in their hands. Additionally, women
characters of the novel are another reflection of the Victorian
society. There is a male dominant narration in the novel,which even
created an idea that the real writer of Wuthering Heights was
the brother of Emily Bronte. For example, women characters are
depended on men and they are treated bad. However, I think it was
just a misogynistic claim,because 19th century was a male
centric century and what Emily Bronte wrote about the Catherine and
her passions was brave enough.
Secondly,
class distinction of the 19th can be seen in Wuthering
Heights. After the Industry Revolution, a new class occurred in
the society. They did not have royal blood, but they were not like
lower class,too. They learnt how to be a gentlemen or a lady,
educated themselves and took the economic power thanks to merchant
class. In the novel the most dominated class of the 19th
century English society,Middle Class, can be seen. Mr. Earnshaw is
the best example of Middle Class in the manor, Wuthering Heights. He
is gentleman, he educates his children,Hindley and Catherine, and
takes an orphan,namely Heathcliff, tries to make him a gentleman,too.
In Trushcross Grange, Mrs Linton is the best example of Middle Class
lady. She both educates her own daughter Isabella like a lady and she
teaches Catherine how to be a lady,too, while she is staying in their
manor for a while. Mr Lockwood is another example of Middle Class
gentleman in the novel. He is bored in the downtown, and wants to
live far from it for a while,which is a common routine for his class
of people, probably to show their difference that they can afford it
and uprising individualist ideas. It is obvious he raised up in a
more domesticated region,because he speaks in a sophisticated
language and behaves kindly to people around him.
Finally,
even if Wuthering
Heights
is not regarded as a Gothic novel directly, it still has some
features of it. Gothic fiction is a genre of literature that combines
of both horror and romance. The main features of Gothic fiction are
supernatural events, ghosts,darkness, villains,madness and Gothic
architecture. In the novel, these features are seen easily. First of
all, the place where the manor Wuthering Heights is located has the
Gothic architecture. It is far from the city,old and huge building.
In the novel Mr Lockwood defines it as
“ the architect had foresight to build it strong:the narrow windows
are deeply sen in the wall, and the corners defended with large
jutting stones.” ( C. 1, pg 4). In
addition to this, the weather is always gloomy and harsh with lots of
raining and stormy. There are also paranormal activities in the
novel. Mr. Lockwood experiences one when he sleeps in the Wuthering
Heights because of the weather. He is disturbed by Catherine’s
ghost. “I
tried to draw back my arm, but the hand clung to it, and a most
melancholy voice sobbed, ‘Let me in – let me in!’ … As it
spoke, I discerned, obscurely, a child’s face looking through the
window - … (V1 ch. 3, pg 26)”
At
the end of the novel, when Mr. Lockwood comes and learns what
happened when he is in downtown, the main narrator Nelly Dean tells
him about Heathcliff's ghost that
“ I hope its tenant sleeps as soundly. But the country folks, if
you ask them, would swear on the Bible that he WALKS: there are those
who speak to having met him near the church, and on the moor, and
even within this house. (V2
ch. 20, pg 354).
Lastly,
Heathcliff's mental disorder and villain actions are the other
examples of the Gothic fiction. He treats his own son so bad and
makes him get married with Cathy even if he does not love her. He
also believes in ghosts and summons them. “Come
in! come in!” he sobbed. “Cathy, do come. Oh do – once more!
Oh! My heart’s darling, hear me this time – Catherine, at last!”
(V1 ch. 3, pg 30) I have a strong faith in ghosts: I have a
conviction that they can, and do, exist among us! (V2
ch. 15, pg 304)
To
sum up, Emily Bronte,pseudonym Ellis Bell, wrote her only novel
Wuthering
Heights in
Victorian Age and position of women,class distinction and some
features of Gothic fiction can be seen in her novel as a reflection
of the century that she lived.
Cengiz
GÜLER / Erasmus Student.
The
sources which are used
Mina
URGAN – The History of English Literature (1986-1993)
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