- Published: September 16, 2022
- Updated: September 16, 2022
- University / College: Western Sydney University
- Language: English
- Downloads: 13
Written in the 19th century, the concepts explored within “ Wuthering Heights” would be terrifying towards its audience. The 19th century was an age whereby there was a huge expansion of the British Empire; therefore there was a lot of new cultural difference introduced into Britain at this time. Therefore the concept of the “ other” would have been one which was unfamiliar, and unaccepted to a 19th century audience.
Our protagonist and “ gothic hero” Heathcliff is a character which would have scared a society and this is symbolised by his degrading treatment by all those who are considered as “ normal”. The “ unreclaimed creature” is immediately dehumanised through his descriptions as “ it”, and is immediately victimised by all the other characters within the stories. Catherine “ spits” at him and Hindley often strikes him. But I think it is Heathcliff’s “ dark” skin tone arguably scares his companions into acting in such a way.
Like other dark figures such asOthelloin Shakespeares “ Othello” Heathcliff posses the capability to love a “ thousand” times better than Edgar Linton, thus suggesting that he posses the capability to love a thousand times better than us, the audience. He is what Freud described as a monumental figure- he is larger than life. His capability to love like a God causes us to immediately denounce him into an “ imp of Satan”, a “ devil daddy” and practically shove him into the category of the sub- human.
This is simply because we as humans want to see ourselves as the best and like God; Catherine for example assumes herself as entering “ heaven”. However she even acknowledges the supernatural capabillity of Heathcliff describing his love as the “ eternal rocks beneath” even though there is no “ visible delight”. This only leads to the angels “ flinging” her out of Heaven because of their anger and onto the Heights- the dwelling of Heathcliff. Her infatuation with this “ black villain” only proves that h e is greater than the normal and the ordinary i. e. the British therefore us.
