The Victorian age presented norms and values in a way that was distinguished by focusing on how different social classes and people from different races, religions and genders acted. A feeling of difference and otherness was usually created when people tried to move from their social classes, racial category, gender or any other classification as this was regarded in society as being detachment for their belonging and identity. The writings of Emily Bronte showed great effect of such ideas and this is clear in her masterpiece Wuthering Heights as she presented this via her characters Heathcliff and Catherine. The current paper is discussing how the author presented different views of human characters than those stereotypes of the Victorian age in a challenge that shoed parts of the society at that time and inner feelings of human characters.
A group of shibboleths were found in the nineteenth century as they included the social class of people, gender and race. In that age there was a dominant patriarchal thinking that was prevailing among people, it was the idea of giving freedom to men only and not women, deprive women from their independency and education, making men stronger in all fields and making women inferior to all men in all areas of life. (Srayisah, 2017) The English people also had a superiority feeling at that time over all races so the novel presents this through the English people look at Heathcliff as being not English and refused called a dark-skinned gypsy. This was also applied in religion as people saw Christianity to be the superior religion over all different religions. Class conflicts and differences were also features of the Victorian age, there were middle, working and high classes and that high rich class was seen to be the most superior of all. This made people to be known and referred to according to the class, gender or religion they are belonging to.
In Wuthering Heights, the author Emily Bronte is presenting a model of challenge to the society concepts at that time related to differentiation of people based on social class, race, religion and gender. She tried to focus on the phenomenon of social class, religion, race or role displacement to a different one, this can be clear from the words: — "But Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire [...]" (Chapter 1: p.15). This can be regarded in the main characters of the novel Catherine and Heathcliff who are grown up together and each belongs to a different social and racial level as Heathcliff that orphan black boy was brought up in the same house with Catherine that Victorian girl who belongs to a family of the middle class but with good origins and is just set to a certain role for a female at that age. Neither Heathcliff nor Catherine accepted the inferiority supposed on them by society and they rejected both their limited roles, Heathcliff rejected being a poor local class child and Catherine rejected the girl's trivial limited role. (Althubaiti, 2015)
The society displaced each of Heathcliff and Catherine in a separated area and level as for example, Heathcliff was first displaced when Mr. Earnshaw adopted him and raised him in Wuthering Heights and he has no known origins but to be seen as a gypsy- Mr. Earnshaw introduces him to the family by referring to him to be "as dark almost as if it came from the devil" (Chapter4.p.45), here he is racially displaced by that English family that saw him as a frightening creature, this was clear in the first impression of Catherine and Hindely to see him: "And I pray that he may break your neck: take him, and he damned, you beggarly interloper! and wheedle my father out of all he has: only afterwards show him what you are, imp of Satan." (5.65) Then the displacement completed by the good treatment of Mr. Earnshaw to Heathcliff and that he preferred him on his son as this made Heathcliff put himself in a higher rank than Hindely while the social fact is that Hindely is the superior British gentleman and this caused a conflict in Heathcliff character. (Yang, 2012) Another displacement that was completely different was made by Catherine as she opposes the female role that was assigned to her and went with Heathcliff in male qualities and activities, she was displaced by conditions to live and be raised with Heathcliff to be acting through masculine qualities as a strong girl who is well educated, she enjoyed practicing masculine activities that gave her freedom and happiness. She was also displaced by the marriage to Edgar Linton that Heathcliff saw as a rejection to him and this also displaced him to be another person and a rich man. (Leung, 2008)
A feeling of "otherness was found to grow in the souls and minds of both Catherine and Heathcliff towards the society they live in. The maltreatment of Hindely to Heathcliff urged him to develop himself and turn to be a rich man who is strong enough to master others and end his inferiority in that society. This lead him to pull Hindley to gambling and to inherit Wuthering Heights, he also played a role of love on Isabella who eloped with him to have a son who helped him by tricks to marry young Catherine and to maintain Thrushcross Grang too-"Heathcliff, -Mr. Heathcliff I should say in future- used the liberty of visiting at Thrushcross Grang cautiously, at first he seemed estimating how far its owner would bear his intrusion. "(Chapter 10: p.82). Catherine Earnshaw has a different role when they learned her to act and wear as a lady of the high class with its different dressing and acting codes, prestige activities and behaviors while she at the same time didn't get rid of all her masculine qualities that added power sense on her character. (Muller, 2012) Edgar was not strong enough in front of her and he tried to please her by any way, "at every meal, Edgar was ready to choke for her absence and pride alone held him from running to cast himself under her feet." (Chapter 12: p100)
Death yet was the last end for each of Heathcliff and Catherine who although succeeded in the defiance they wanted, they couldn't live together. The fortune that was made by Heathcliff and let him enter the high class society didn't even satisfy his needs and desires, he worked hard to get the two houses but this didn't give him what he really wanted, Catherine's love. "Is it not sufficient for your infernal selfishness, that while you are at peace I shall writhe in the torments of hell?" (15.28) He feels that he made great efforts to destroy them but didn't get relaxed or happy, his tries and wars to defeat Hindley and get the house didn't satisfy him as he saw it meaningless as Hindley and Catherine died before seeing him do that, perhaps he wished to tell Catherine and Hindley that he is stronger than the class they belong to and that he was able to be owner of all he was deprived from- "Are you possessed with a devil?" he pursued savagely "to talk in that manner to me when you are dying? Do you reflect that all those words will be branded in my memory, and eating deeper eternally after you have left me? You know you lie to say I have killed you." He sees that when Catherine dies she betrays him, she lies there underground in peace and he is tortured with love and depriving from her. The death of Catherine made him weak enough to leave his agony, he returns to be that young child who doesn't need anything from life but to have funny times with Catherine away from people with their racial judgments and views, this raises their moral to join together away from the society "otherness" and displacement based on differences of race, gender and origins. Then the death of Heathcliff gives the answer to all his conflicts as it ends and tells the reader that all human confinement for natural feelings is ended by nature death when love only stays in Hareton and young Catherine . (Asl and Iran, 2013)
In conclusion, it is important to refer to the strong impact that Wuthering Heights left over readers from all over the world as it is a message to humanity against racism and differentiation, the author presented two main characters that were distinguished by their fights against self-desires, social stigma and love. The novel presented the issue of Victorian age and how the main protagonists of the story faced otherness and displacements beginning from their childhood till they die. Heathcliff conflict to be orphan, gypsy without money or good social origin lead him to master the acts and get the most important things he could but this was in vain when Catherine died and left him defeated by his efforts, his death shows how far human conflicts may be ended when nature take roles and that love can continue.
References
- Althubaiti, t. (2015). 'Race Discourse in Wuthering Heights.' European Scientific Journal. Vol11. No 8. https://eujournal.org/index.
php/esj/article/view/5265 - Asl, M. Iran, T. (2012). 'Recurring patterns: Emile Bronte's Neurosis in Wuthering Heights.' International Journal of Education and Literary Studies.Vol2. No1.
- Leung, W. (2008). ' Re-reading Edgar Linton and Wuthering Heights.' English: Journal of the English Association, Volume 57, Issue 217, 1 January 2008, Pages 4–38, https://doi.org/10.1093/
english/efn007 - Muller, J. (2012). 'Human Nature and Confinement in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.' Journal of STUDENT Research. http://www.jofsr.com/index.
php/path/article/view/77/41 - Srayisah, M. (2017). 'Victorian Women in Literature.' http://cis01.central.ucv.ro/
revistadestiintepolitice/ files/numarul54_2017/12.pdf - Yang, C. (2012). ' A Deleuzian Reading of Wuthering Heights: The Micropolitics of Minorization.' Arts and Social Sciences Journal, Vol. 2012: ASSJ-44 1 http://astonjournals.com/
manuscripts/Vol2012/ASSJ-44_ Vol2012.pdf
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