ñi

Iii

The English Novel: Form and Function tesan's pearls) and at rrre same lime trre whimpering idiocy of the dying sir Pitt (paralleling his rcpulsive attack of morrarity, stre inflicts ,¡nri " larly repulsive mortality on Jos)-f'r she is at once all the inrpcratively aggressive, insanely euprloric irnpulses of a morally sick civiliz:itior, oná an inclividual co¡r
would understan
ON

Wutltering Heights

Emily Brontë's single novel is, of alr Engrisrr novers, rhe mosr reacherous for the analytical understanding to approach. It is treacherous not because of failure in its orvn formal controls on its meaning-for the book is highly wrorrght in form-bur bccat¡se it works at a level of experience

that is u.sympathetic to, or rather, simply irrelevant to the social and moral reason' one critic has spokeu of the quality of feeling in this book as "a quality of sullering":

It has anonymity. It i.s not complete.

perhaps sorne bdlacls represent

it in Erglish, br¡t it sel
rvhich is at once an act of despair a¡rcl an act of recognition or of rvorship. It is the recognirion of an absolute hierarchy. This is also the feeling in Aesclrylus. It is found amongsr genuine peasanrs and is a

. great strength. Developir:g in piaces rvhich yield oniy the permanent essentials o[ existence, it is undistracted and universal.r ; we feel the lack oi "completer,.rr,"

irri.h trris critic refers to, in the nature of rhe dra¡natic figures that Emily Brbntë uses: they are figures that arise on anrl enact their
Sæutíny XIV:4 (r94G-r 9.¡7).

r53

Thc Ettglish Nouel: Fornr and Fu¡tclion

oN lVulhcring Heights

hcight, or a singlc huge rvave breaking unrler the moon, or a barcly in'

what complex and devious, for this is the familiar nature of human motiva. tions. lVe rrright associate perfectly "simple" motivations with anirnal

flicatccl chain of rlistant nlortntains Iost among ¡llists, sccrns to be anirnated by some mysteriotrs, r¡rtivcrsal, half-
no matter horv far tlìey may go into the "hcart o[ tl:rt'kncss," carry rvith them enough threatls o[ this rveb to oricnt tlicr:r socially anassion is "sirtrple" is not to say tlrat it is easy to tlefine: much easier to clefinc arc the lrlotivatiolìs that are somer54

nature or extrahuman nature, but by the sa¡ne token the quality of feeling involved would resist analysis. Ilut this naketlncss frorn the 'rveb of familiar morality and manners is not quite complete. There is the framework Ior¡necl by the con:'ention of narration (the "point of vierv"): ï,e sce the dranra through the eyes of Lockwood and Nelly Dean, rvho belong ñrmly to the rvorld of ¡rractical reality. Sifted through the idiorn of their commonplace vision, the drama taking place among the rnajor characters finds contact with the ternporal and the secular. Bccause Lock'rvood anle dornesticity. For this part of the tale, Lockrvoocl alone is st¡lficient witness; and the fact that norv Nelly I)ean's expelierrcecl old eyes and mcnrory can be dispensed rvith asst¡res us of the present reasonal.rleness ancl objectivity of events, and even infects retrospcction on rvhat has happened earlier-making it ¡rossible for the'tlrearnlejecting rcason to settle courl)lacently for the "nat.ural¡ress" of the entire story. If ghosts havc l¡ce¡r mentic¡necl, if the corrntry peo¡rle srvear tltat Ileatlrcliff "rvalks," rvc can, rvith Lockwood at the end, affirnr otrr skelrticis¡n as 'to "h<¡rv anyorìc could ever inragine unqtriet slurnbers for the sleepers in'that r¡rrict cartlr." Lct us try to (liirr¡rallr these tcclìnical as¡rects oI thc rvork, for the corn-

ol 11'ttlltering I'Ieigltls is orving to tlìenì. lVe rnay diviric the ;rcl.ion of the book irìto tlvo Prrts, follorving each otlìel' clÌronologically, the one associaterl rvith the earlier gcneration (I-Iin
r55

T

The Englísh Noael: Form and Functîon

o¡,t IUuthering ITeights

te

and possessive, perfcctly amoral love of o[ the inragination where myths are crcatccl. 'I'he sccontl action, ccrìtct'cd in tlte ¡rrotractctl eflects of l{cathclift's revenge, i¡rvolvcs two scts of yotrrrg lives ancl trvo slnall "romarrces": tlrc chiltlish rornancc of Catlry anrl Linton, rvhiclr I-Icath-

more closely. [,ssentíally, lVutheríng ÍIeíghts exists for the mincl as a tension betrvccn trvo kintls of reality: the raw, inhuman reality of anony-

si la aE

ar w¡

b¡ AI

the astonishingly ravenous -for Catherine and l:leathcliff belongs to tltat rcalnl

uttelly; ancl the succcssful asscrtion of a healthy, culturally viable kind of love l¡etrveen Cathy and I'Iarcton, assertcd as I'Ieathclifl's crucl cncrgics lla¡; antl dcc:ry. Ilirdirìg thc two "actiorìs" is the ¡relrltrring figu re of I-Ieirthclif[ hintself, tlcnro¡rlovcr in thc fìrs t, l):rtcrclifl

nranages to pervert

Ilinrlirrg the¡¡r also is thc frlrnir¡s narrâtiorìîl convention trr "point of vierv": thc voices of Nclly I)can a¡rcl Lc¡ckrvootl al'c alrvays in our ears; one or tlìe othcr of tllcrn is alrvays ¡rrescnt at a sccrìe, or is thc co¡rlìclant o[ solnconc rvho wls l)rcscnt; tlrlou¡;h l,<¡ckrv<.¡otl rve encorrrìtcr Ilcathcliû at thc begirrnirrg of tlrc book, antl throrrch his cycs we iook on I'Ieathclil['s gl'avc ut tlrc crì(1. Still a¡lotl¡cl l)at-tcrn tlr:rt ìrinds the two actio¡ìs is the rcpctition of $'hat rve sl¡all call thc "nvo chilth'en" figure-trvo childrcn raiscd virtually as brothcr arrrl sistcr, in a viL¡rant rc-

-¡¡¡¡-l-ggl_e-ltl"_!lÌ-ç seio..l_9.

lationship of charity and passion antl rcal or ¡rossiblc nretarnorphosis The figure is rc¡reated, rvith variatiou, thrcc tirncs, in the rclatiorrships

o[ the r¡lain clìaractcrs. Of this rvc shaÍl spcak again I:rtcr.'I'he tech¡¡ical continuities or ¡rattenrirrg of the l¡ook coulcl, then, bc sirrrplificd in this

$

L Hcarhcliff

..q

t. l lcarhclifl

Il, a)

f

b)

Cathy ¡nd Linton (pâro(ly ron¡¡ncc in middlc rimc) ("two childrcn" figurc) Cathy end ¡{arctor¡ (dorncstic rorrrance in timc Itrcscnr)

("two chllcltcn" Iigurc) f)can

l¡ckwæd

Wlrat, concrete¡y, is tlìe ellcct of tl¡is strict l)âttcÌnirìg ancl binrling? cloes it "nrean"? The tlesign of the bo<¡k is drawn in the spirit of intc¡rse conrpositional ri.gor, ol linútalion; the charactem act irì tltc spiriI o[ ¡rassionate irnntoclcracy, of cxcess. Lct r.¡s co¡¡siclcr tlris contrast a littlc r56

but disrupting all around them rvith their monsrrous appctite for an inhr¡man kind o[ intercorrrse, anrl finally (lisintegrate(l fron withi¡l by the very energies out of rvlliclt they are nrade. It is this vision o[ a rcality rac ¡raintirrgs ofler also. Blrt in those anciênt. paintings there selves as hurnan,

is o[tcn a

tiny IìuÌnarì figure, a fìgure that is obviously that of a philosophcr,

for instance, or tlìat o[ a ¡rcasant-iu other rvoxls, a htrrnan figtrre decisively bclorr¡;ing to and rcprescntine :ì ¡1¡l¡1¡¡s-1el¡e is placed ill dirninu" tive ¡rcls¡lective besitlc thc enornlously cascacling torrent, or ryho is scen driving his rçatcr l¡r¡llalo throrrgh the ovenvhehning mists or faceless snolvs; and this figure is outlinerl sharply, so that, though it is extremely tiny, it is very dcfinite in the giant surrounding indefìnitcness. The eflect is one of contrast betw'cen finite anrl infinitc, l¡enveen ¡he limitation of thc known anrl hrrman, and the rrnlinritedne.ss of the unknorvrr and the

nonlrurnan. So also

i¡t lVutltcring I-Ieigltts: set over against the rvildet-

ness

a

What

the violcnt figures of Catherine anrl Heathclifl, portions o[ the fìux of nature, chiklren of rock and heath and ternpest, striving to itlentify them-

of i¡rhr¡rlan rcality is the quierly secular, vohrntarily limitetl, safely hurnan reality that ryc fincl in the gossipy concourse of Nelly Dean and

rvay:

and Catherin¡ (mythological roma¡cc in tinrc part) ("two (hildrcn" figurr)

¡nous natr¡r¡rl cncrgics, arrd the rcstr-ictive leality o[ civilizctl habits, nranners, ancl cortes. 1'hc first kin
Lockwood, the o¡re an oltl farnily servant \r'ith a strong gri¡r on the necessary emotiorìal economies that make life endurable, the other a city visitor in the cou¡ltry, a nra¡ì rvhose very clisinterestedness and facilìiy of feeling and attention inrlicate the manifokl errotiona¡ economies by rvhich city pcople particulally ¡rrotect thcl¡rselves frorn any disturbing note of the ironic cliscord berrvce¡t civilizerl life and the insentient rvilcl flux of nature in which it is islandcd. 'fhis second kind of reality is given also in the romance of Cathy antl Hareton, rvhere book learning and gentled manners and do¡nestic charities form a little island of complacence. The tension betrvecn rhese r.rvo kinds of reality, their inveterate opposition and at tlre sanìe titrre tbeir continully one rvith another, provides at once tlre conterìt a¡rd the fonn o[ lI/utlrcring Heigltts. We see the tension gr.a¡rhically in the cliagranr given above. 'I'he inhuman excess of Heathcliff's and Catherine's passion, atì excess that is carried over into the secr57

-æ:=:=on

IV

uthering lleigltts

The English Novel: Fotm ani! Functíon revetìge' an excess everyrvhere Present ond half of the l¡ook by Fleathclifl's witlì :r 2-in modifiers and mctaphors tlìat scetlìe

verbs and

in languagc

brute fury-this

excess is helcl

within

a nlost rigorous Pattcrn of rcpcatctl

motífsandofwltat'o'""o""n"tcalletlthe"Chillesebox"o[Ncllyf)can's a¡rdLock.rvood,.interlo..,ti,on.T]refornrofthcbook,tlrcrr-a[?lr¡r.tlrat betleel Utt-:llf"Ut to €xccss nrttl thc im' may be expressed "' t '""'io" the contcnt' 'I'he form' in short' is rrulsé-to liñritation or economy-ís fully rcalizecl' work o[ art does il;iã* ltr.rr. onry in ti* rtrí¡of*rotrght' rvith the ¡-Datcrial drat it idcntifics itself ,1.," porriJiti,ies so exhausr.

form

Possibilities' , rhave said al¡ove' t'e should If there has L¡een any cogcncy in what we dramatically' in tertns

these

ask now how

it

is that thc t-'ooL is ablc to rcPrcsent

o[ the inhuman' Âfter all' Catheri¡re and o[ human "charactcr," its vision not merely molecular vibrations in thc Heattrcliff ,r, ".ltoro.,ars," and are so cretlibly' characterizcd that plì*.tJtt srtrge o[ things; indeed' theyancl cosrneticize them' ¡\s "charactlollyrvood has been ol'it to costì'trne rvhat kind o[ love is thcirs? They gnash ters," r'hat are tlìcy? Âs lovers' fronl a Poem One could borrorv for them a line and foam at each other'

lovcrs it-r hcll: "Stu¡rratc' they rend

by John C.o*. Ro"'o'n tlcscribing eachotlrerrvlrelrtlreykiss.,,Tlrisisnot..rolrrarrticlove,''astlratter¡rrhas consitlered

i' not even sexuallove' ¡raturalistically ""¿ì' _theilnpulsetor]estructionistoopureirrit,toosimpleanddirect' the poss! popular meaning;

ihe implication is not o[ Catherine says she is ÉIeathcliff' untl

bilityofa..nìating,,,foronet]oesnot..ma!c''lvitlronesel['Sinrilarly,aftcr his lile' he horvls thnt he canrìot live rvithout

Iter cleath, when Fleathclill Nellie says.that he "howled, not like a cannor li'e rvithout his sour (ancl relationshi¡r and thc dcsiiny suggestcd man, lxrt likc a savage u.*r"i, thc l¡ccartse the collìPlcx attcndilnt nìoare not those o[ aclt¡lt hulran ]overs' the c'roìional i'rprications of But tivarions of adurr rife arc lacking. al'e ncvcr "acltrlt"' i¡r thc scnse o[ Catltct'iue's arrd ÍIcathcliff's passion of the clomcstic alld social retherc being in that passion any recognition to'tp'i"*ities' of adult life' Whatever could sponsibilities, o''a 'pititt'oí 'f.'t llc happíly togcthcr' rvould be sornchappen to these truo, it tltcy coulcl irlesponsible' wiltlly.impulsivc: thing altogeth.. "ro.i"l, "*o'"1' savagcly <1uitc rantlom activity of childit rvould l-¡e the enthusiastic, expc'ir'"'"ntnl'

., =,t ,; ,riuro sclrorcr

i¡r lris cssry "[iction antl 'I-hc cxanrincs tlìis aspccr. of. rtrutl¡¿rirr¿ /I¿ic¡r¿r and Ersa¡r o¡t lúoàir¡' Ficlion (Nerv York:

lr"t'i*,'jj'iï

c':i'iqì"' rlìÀ::Anrlodical nònalct PrÈss ComPanY, r95z)' t'

.,.

T

r58

|

since no conceivable /¡t¿ma¿ male hood, occult to tlle socializcd adult' Rut l'll(lilììelltal'Ï' cotrlcl be to' a¡rcl fctnale, Ìtot lll'utisll, not antlìroPologically imagine [r'lr the gro\vn'uP really call \çc i.,n.. tt this way as aclults, all that plane, is lçhat tlre lttttrlan t.lle Catlle¡ine ar¡<1 Ifr:¡thr:li[f, as.,charactcrs,'olr l.rool,. givr:s

oI

llrt:lrt-lllr:i""ttt""t

rlcqtrttr:tiotl l)y lrx)tlt arlrl ¡rail itt ^]t.:l-

sr;rrr: r¡[ ¡iy¡rsy fort, tlrr.orrglr
frccrl'ril irr |lliltl'

hootl.

lifc-corrcepts of social antl Cauglrt in the ecotror¡rical fortns of adult ..lrcl-tcrnrcnt,, (strclr as lcacl Cathcrinc to m''rl.y [,
for the imagination' rclationships, atrtl parenthoocl-they are' rhe extent that we see tlìeir [o lt"" o' iz.ed," etrtlorr'ccl lvith "character"' rnisely convulsirrg the forms ttsual explosive confrtsiot'ts, resistatlces' and

prinre passion, is also "l*r' to hu¡¡ra' ach¡lthood. f'heir obsession, their values signifìecl ì:y that malr" altltongh it is utterly destructive of the "othelness," rvhether i¡r conrworcl: thc p"irion to lore tl.. self in sorne iclerrtificatior¡ for $'hich plete itlcniifìcation rvith :rnotlìel pelson (arr lai;sing kintl)' or by al> "rnating" is a st¡t'rosatc only of a tenl)orary-arrrl is taL¡ooetl for the socialsorptiort itrto "nrtt¡re"-t"'t it is a paision tltat the cornplex cultural eco-¡rotnies' ized atlt¡lt, ttisgtrisecl, treltl in check by clarktless to ilr ttre tttrconsciotrs' at best put to lvork irl tltat safely stablcd

turlìthenlillofotìrerobjectives.T'hist.egressivepassionis'seerrintrll. the prosp,,rity i" Catheriue and I-Ieathclifl' and it opeirs ;;;;;lä unconsciousrress o[ child' the irlto pect of disintegration-disintegration hoocl ancl the inolecular

lluidity of death-in a rvord' into

anonymous

natural energy story toltl If the stoly of Catherine and Heathclifi hacl not been amany years its i ncePtion by an old lvonìan as sometlìing that hacl had imagina' in tetl ìlot been limi ago, if the okl rvot¡ran who tells tlìe story had story had l-¡een dram atized ttte if thies, sytnpa hcr in tion and provincial at a temPoral renrove and immediately irr the here'and-¡rorv art d not bttul that it rvould resonate through a dispassioned interur ediator, it is tlou alìy "meaning"' Ileemotionally for us or carlY atly corrviction-even are taboo, reprcsents it cause of the very fact that the impulses else sol'neone as re[ìove, convetricntly l¡e observccl pnly at a conventional of vierv of past, ancl from the juclicial poirrt Ê, q)

.¡'

onnt

..

(\

on llutheríng Heíghts

The English Nouel: Form and Function a saving convention "so¡nconc elsc's" a¡rcl the "long ago" are the mind's perspcctivc' Thus it allow will as sirclt itsci¡ for rnaking a tlist:rnce w¡th catherine's story into past the teclr¡rical displncement of Ileathclifl's ancl functio¡ts itr thc satne way tinre and into the me¡nory of a¡r old wotnan and irrtlulges' protccts antl libcras dreatn displacement,t ii bt'tlt ccnsol's ates.

Significantly, our first real contact with tlte Catherine'FleathclilÌ

dream <¡[ the ghostdrana is established through a clrearrr-Lockrvoocl's

to dr-ear¡r the tlre.arn by,the chilcl at the rvindorv.-Loctìuoocl is rnotivatecl

nrostcasilycorrvincingcircumstanccs;helrasfallerrasleeprvlrilcr.cadirlg l¡ranch is scratchCatherine's diary, and tluring his slccp a temPest-blown wcll'nlannered the Làckwootl' slrr¡uld tut'y Ilut ing on tlrc windorvpane. urbanite, drcam

l/¿is?

I pulled its wrist on to the Lrroken pane' and rul¡bed it the btood ran
'

to and fro till

'

Hareton's hang' The image is probably the most crucl one in the book' forcing I'Iin
into the image of ßut..poctically ttìe drealn has its reasons' cornpacted frorn t¡e "otrtgct to t'yirrg the ît ¡ranc, t¡e riaemonic chi¡l scratc¡itìs ,,in," antl o[ the dreamer in a betl likc I cdfrn, relc¿rsctl by tltat side,,

cteatt'typrivacytoindiscrilrrinateviolence.f.hecoffin-likel¡edshutsof[ "ny

the
ur.,lorryodreragentthantheeffete,alntostepiceneLockrvoocl'itrtoultl than anyhave lost tlris symbolic force; for Lock.rvoo<ì, nrore sr¡ccessfully (tlte ¡rtrn in his in the book, has shut out tlìe Polvcrs o[ clarkness one elsc

any dramatically thororrgh name is obvious in this context); ancl his lack of for dreaming the cruel drearn suEgests thc'se Porrers as exist'

motivation nature, being autonomouslv, not ãniy in the ',out:idenesç" of exrernal sotrl least the in even rvithin' also but yJna ,n" physical rvindowpane, excursion' Prorìe to passionatc

Thewintlorvpaneisthemeclit¡m,treacherottslytransParelìt'seParatalien a¡tcl ter' ing the ,,insicle" from the "outsicle," the "human" from the ritle "other:" I¡nrrrecliately after the incident o[ t¡e clream' the tinre of and Catherine, rhe narrarive is clisplacecl into the chilclhoocl of Lleathclifl

an
(--.- '

clrutrkcnness

ply savagery or revengefulness ,r,å,iuo,ñtg r"t of emotional circu¡nsta¡rccs'

ß't

or h1'steria' lrtrt

this is

the l¡roken glass till the l¡lood runs tlolv¡r and soaks 'wrought on a violence the cruelty Jf ,h. .1..u- is the gratuitousness of tlreanring city' the f¡orn vacationcr chil
,ugg"r,

Lockrvood's clream has tlìe sexton to remove at one side' Psychologically' nothing at all of result orrly the most Perfunctory detcrmiri"tions' antl to prrt ltirn r¡rrcomfortably out of bed'

for thc clre¡mer himself, "*tt¡" ¡6o

pt"å .ärp.r"¿ ,uitil crimson, and critnson-covered chairs a¡rd tables' '"r,a t p,lr" rvhite ceiling borclerecl by gold' a shorver of glass'drops

alrvays-a

t'e purtctiliotts Lockthat we care *oo,l-*'hose antecedents and psychology are so insipid littleabouttlrem-rvlroscral)estheclreaur-rvaif'swristbacka¡ltlfortlron lfhe

.

and "Both of us lvere able to look in by standing on the basetnent' splentlid beautiful-a rvas it rve sarv-ahl atrd leilgc, clinging to the

"Catherine,sleavingthelrlueprintotlrernailsonlsalrella'sarnl,lleatlr. and others like thenr imcliff starnping on Hirt.ll.y', face-these irnages or

t'oottl.

little hangini in silver chainslrom the centre' and shimrnering with lvere not t{rere; Edgar ancl his sisterllaclitentirclytotlìenÌselves.Slrot¡ldrr'ttlreylravebeenhappy?

, ,o[t"t"p-err. Olcl Iúr. a¡rd lvfrs' Linton

'

We sh<¡ultl have thottght ourselves in heavenl"

Ilere the tlvo

ur.u.cgenerate ryaifs look ín from the night on the heavenly

vision o[ the refinerne¡rts and secrrrities o[ the nlost privileged httman Linto¡r chilclren blt¡l¡estare. llur l.Icathclifl rejects thc vision: seeirrg thc hc scnses the menace of outJ), get cannot berirrg antl boretl there (llley She is taken in by terrìPted' fatally is its linritations; rvhile Catheri¡re through the looking outsicle alone Fleathclifl is norv it tlre Lintous, antl rvinclow

"1'he ctrrtains lvere still loopctl uP at orìe corner, ancl I resumed my I intendetl station as a sPy; becatrse, if Cìtherine had rvished to return'

r6l

on Wuthering Heights TIte English Novel: Form and Fu¡tction i'

lI ¡ I

I t'

í ; s

great glass pancs. to. a

million of fragments' unlcss they

shattering their qrrictly-' -' thc lr'otìlan-scrvalìt bror¡glìt let hcr out. Shc sat on fitt'oiu hcr fcct; and Mr' Li'ton ¡nixc
I"p . . ' ¡it.,*u"t¿',ihtl'ãtittf n"tl

Cathcrinc lflrus the fìrst snare is laid by which

will l¡e heltl lor a human

rvinc for her tlclcctatiou' her l;cauti'

rlcstiny-l'rer tcet 'u"tlteri, cní'""t"¿ linrpici as those of tairy talc' u'hcre fr¡l hair corrrl¡cd itl'e rnotifs lìe'c n'e is hcil tltere trtystcriortill Ut :l-t]l:t]T thc changcling in the "othcrrvorltl" ttrarrtagc has been givcrl to eat)' Ûy ltcr ancl by the stralìge nerv food hc to tlrat.tlestiny; latcr slle resists it torto E,tlgar Lirtton, C"tl'c'i"c yieltls it by clcath' Litcrally she "catclrcs hct' rlcntctlly antl fìrt<]s l"' *"y ot¡t of tleath" by throrving oPen the rvintlo'n"

it openl Quici' rvhy tlon't "Open thc rvindorv agair-r,rvitlc: fastcn you move?l' [she saYs to NcllY]' giu" yot" yotlt clcath of êolcl"' I ansrvercd' "llecatrse t '*'o";t*"t o t'h""i" of litc' you rttcatt"' shc said ' ' ' "You rvon't giu"

Inhertlclirirrm,shcoJrctrsthc'rvirrtlorv'lca¡rsoutirltothcwitlt'crrvintl'antl calls across the moors to Flcathcliff'

vcnture? l¡ind a rvay' "Fleathcliff, if I dare you now' rvill you follorvecl mcl" alrvays you thenl . ' You are slorvl" ' ' to follow her (thouch he
rcnlovctl)' hc rcturns to tlìe l'Ieißhts

fury o[

ott thc livinu tlrc l-Ii¡rtllcy has ba'rci thc door-to rvLcak -for lrisfrt¡stration.Itisyearslatcrtlr:rtLockwootl.art.ivesattlrcllciglrts

o,,.t,p.na.hisuncorlrfortal¡lenighttltcre.I',ockrvoocl'sor'rtcryinhistll.eanl liccn cartgltt incluc-

flcathclifl rvho has brings I_Icathclif[. to t]le ruírtrluri',

tablyintltclruura¡rtogra¡l¡llcrvitlrjtsilrtcr.tlictionsltlrrgaItcrCjatllc¡illc rrcîclrcry o[ thc rviil
hc forccs thc lvintlorv gct "irl," whilc Flcathciift' though Wlrc¡r hc.dics' Nclly l)catr tliscovcrs "ut'i.'' g"' into thc night, cannot wintlorv <¡[ tlt:rt oltl-[;rshionctl urllirr-likc the rvinclorv srvinging n¡in' tt" l6¿

has been potrring in dur' bed rvhere Lockrvood had hacl the dream' Rain says' Nelly man' ing the night, ttrenching the dead

lrair trom-tr-is.to-r1n11i; I hasped the windorv; I combecl his black long

Itrie(ltoclosclriseyes:toextirì8uislì,itpossiblc,tlrattrighttul,.life.not

iit. grr" of exultatiárr

beforc an! one clse beheltl it. They'rvould

shut: they seemed to sneer at nly attemPts

' '

as "the cloutlecl windorvs o[ Earlier, I{eathclifl's eyes have been spoken o[ rtses oI tlre..rvindorv,' hell,,fro¡n which a..fìencl'' looks out. All tlre otlrer

tlratrvelravespokcnoflrereare¡ìotfigttratir,elrutpertectl!¡taturalistic rrses,tlìor¡ghtheirsyrnbolicvalueisinescapable'ßuttllefactthatl{elthsymbol in a metaPhorical clifl;s eyes rcfttse to close in death sr¡ggests the rvindo$'open)' eluci
ing rvìrh sinr¡rlicity the nreÃing ot the-'lrvinclo¡ri" 3P ",t:lt":1:io".bt::I":n antl linriting tle.i1ti¡ies ,hi-t.tn.,.ttn,t¡. dc¡iths gt,tlte ¡slrJ ¡ntl ttre litnilid and its hri"otherness" sotrl's the ,.[-Sgl]-1çlrq!¡.119rr, u ,"1ro*tion benvcen

t -l.lr"r" -'rnantless.

the quality is srill rlìe cliftìcutty of rlefìning, rvith arry ¡>rccision, o[ l-Ieathtl¡e conccption in vivitlly most o[ tlle clacnronic that is realizctl

alrvays to give tlte r:Iiff, a rlilficrrlty that is nr;rinly dtre to our tcn
'thatl)arto[tlrcsoulitsclfrvtliclris..otlrer',tlrantlreconsciousPart'But ììrodern nì)tlìology' sincc l\far-rin Luthcr''s rcvival of this archetype [or. "otherness" elcmental the with it has terrrlcrt to for.get its relationship

functions of of the otrtcr u'orlcl arttl to itlentity itsclf solely rvith the dark since every' relevant' is cthically it work, thc sotrl. As att irnage of soul (as in "ignorantly" evet-r unconsciously, thing that the soul docs-even cle' the whereas jutlgrnent' ethical for itself tl,e ãns" of Occliprrs)-offers thc for figr'rre the I',t¡ritallismperpctr.rated not. rlo r:rcnts alld the ani¡lrals

irrragirration;Ir,Iiltongavcititsgreatestaestlìeticsplenrlor,i¡rtlrefallen introtltrccd o,gãl tlrro,,g¡ rv¡or. tìre ¿ivite bcauty stiil shonc; lìicllartlson it,inthepe,so,,otLovelace,toalritlfatuatedlni
The ¡'tte
oN lltullrc¡itry Heìghts

Tlte Englislt Noucl: Folnt and' Fuzctíon

ancl alien

cvcl'l l>ecomc a conrctly lìgttrc a rcally trgly custonrer, so ugly that he can at'r:ltctyllc oI rvllitfi rvc arc
rvith as to l]lrrl)osc; an energy tlrrotrglr civilizariorl, c¿llì¡lot i
tlr¡¡[<::tttlrc¡rro¡riti:rtctt,tllatcattltttitltr:slrt:t':ttr:tlizctlittlohrrtttltttly for its t'lr¿s¿ lrc gi'crr rcligir.,rrs t'cc.gttiti.tt ir,,t.,ur."t,tt,tl,.,tri"l,, thitt '<¡t' lÍc:rthIlrrt tlcstt'ttctivctlt:ss' ctì()l.iltous fcr.tility ¡rnrl its ",rnrr',,.,,,, l)otctìti:ll hc is, st.l ttl spclrk, clil[ tlocs hlrr.c ltrtttt:ttt slta¡>c arrtl l,tr,,,a,r rclatitlrrslril,ls;

Irtlrrilllytlcstrtlctivctocir,ilizcttirlsrittrtitllralisrlr.Itisllccltttscr¡fllis hc so

"clrcllìy"' cthically sPc;rkirrg, a¡Ibivalcrrr:c tlrat, thorrgh hc is thc of a hcro' as llc
..c:rttqlttirr,,tlrclrrtlrtatr;trvokirlclsotrealityi¡.rtersectirrlrim_asthcytlo,

as they clo' ilrtlced' in sotltc'tt'hat cliflcrcnt balance' in Catheline; the porvers of cl:trk
u,ith

llyrorric inca¡ttltti<>n of grrilt); trcvcrthe¡ì"trry .qu"ti.¡n lor rhc figrrre t'cnlains' Let us follorv it a little thc less, the cthicll relcvilrrcy o[

ltu¡rlatlrv
fuI.th".,l:cforcrett¡rtrirrgtolirrrily.Ilrorltë,sI.IeatlrclifI.l¡lthclatcrtrirrc. rcappcars rvith aìr clìol'lìlous tccrìtlì certtLtry, in tlre nrivcls t'f l)ost'oevski' it

its orvu, thnt inlrabits l:elorv co¡rsciot¡stìess'

.l.lrcirrrageryoftlrelvillclow¡latreisrrtetalrror¡rlric'sttggestit]gatotal

also rvith a greaI strcr]gthclì'
spirit

<¡[ [r'ce

oI a separating nrediurn changc o[ nt,,.-l" of being by tlre bìeaking-thr
Tlte

ittvcstigation atltl cl'c:t'

etlticalsensel.¡ecatrseitisrrotilrforrlrctlrvitlrtlratsc¡lscatall:itisllI.tl. ¡rattrral by rvhich the founclly inforlned rvith the att¡tu(lcs o["atritttist.tt,"

rvorld_tlratworlclrvlriclris..otltcr''tlla¡latltl.'otltsi(lco[''thectltrsciotrsly to tllc hunran-n/'l)ca1's Lo act rvith 1n c¡ìcr¡ly sirrrilal individualizetl

rvith soul ctrergy btrt of a trtystct ious energies of the soul; to be pelnrcatc
strangest ancl

"other"' th¡rt cxists bettvecn .oî,aiot"t''t" arltl the hrs given to her Ernily tllat ligrrlatiorr 'l!¡'orltö l¡r¡klcst attrl ¡llost ra
positively ctlric;tl l'lttlrcr' tive cxpcrience; with tlris rcåricntario¡r, it bccol¡'rcs it rcvcrts to its Fnt¡sl¡¿¡' l)octor tlran negatively so. In f'homas I[alrn's instirrctivc part tllc oI tyPe the as carlier ancl lnofe constant signilìcaDcc, nIìd tlrll'egcrtcrâtc l;ut cLhically porver' of thc sor¡1, a great antt fertiìi'ing man' thercfore a Sreat dangcr to ethical

'Ortrintcrestinsketclringsonre¡llrascsoftlrehistoryofthisarchctylre lrasl¡eelrtoshorvtlìatithashad,illlnoclcrnnrytlrology,cor]st'tt]tly¡1 'I'he cxccption is l-leathcliff' l-,l.l111'!l' sr:rtus in relation to erhical thor.rght. is floocl o-r eartlÌquakc or rvhirlthan rclcuat't ethic:tlly clifl is ¡ro-morc ".i"" ancl "guilt" as i;i;:,lril;';;i"rprrriu,. to'spcak or hi¡rr in rerms'ot thc creatt¡rcs o[ tlrc or it is to spe,a!- in this rv:ry of ìl'e n"tutol clcments an(l rnytlÌology ancient rhe rypc rc'c'ts to a nìorc t';-n',fii,-t.. In the confotrncls and bafTlcs so 'irn, i-'àìr, ."rti.. rymbolisnr. lvi,itrcrirtg I.Icights

r

psychologically-to the,.i'rlar.k ot'cr¡rcss, by rvhich the sotrl is reiatecl

ì lrtlr.,

conrcs tlì;1>r'inci¡rlc,rf ¡"t'¡;r'cit, tlrc

itself kintl that the conscious ht¡nran soul' bent on securing

'l:íe

it ntctu¡ìtoIl)hic lìgure oI

follr oI this ry,ltc ot' <:lassic

l¡rc:rk-

fìgrrl'e is

a

tltrot¡qlr attcl trattslor¡natiorì' ancl sllatlolvetl L¡r'orç' girt *ittr colcletl Ilair ancl o l:oy '**itl' clark hair rçith ancl charity o[ 1;:lssiolt' a¡rtl b<¡untl i¡l kinship rtltl i¡r a relatiånshiP beatrtiThe relationshi¡rthe in a nretarrror¡rhosis c¡[ soure kincl potentíal :rrrtl hrp¡ry' ful tlark boy rvill be brightenetl' nlttlt angelic .tl :tÏ ::i:'i:

ful

golclerr

girl: this, uppn'e"tly'

is rvhat slto.uld hap¡rerr'

llut

the clynattrtcs

of Ernily ßrontö's of the change are not pt'f"tily trustl\'orthy' Iu otre the anrbiva' l-Ieathclifl' chiltt the be rnight a chilä 1vho Poems, A.r.rit,ing his darkness' lcnt dark boy wiil eviclently sink [urther into loue thee,ltoY; f or all divtne' AII ltüI of God' tlry leatures sltine'

I I

t. I

Dat'ling enlltusiast, holy clúld'

.

uoild's uarring uild' '[oo*lteaacnly nou ltttt dooned lo be IIcII-Iîhe in hcart aul nisetY'3 Too

gãod

s 7'lte Co¡tþlct¿

lor

Poerns

Coluntl¡ia Univcrsity Press'

thís

ol Enrily latte llrontä' crlitcrl by C' IV' tlatficltt l9{r)' P' ¡21'

(Ncrv York:

t6b

or't úVuthering Heights

The English Noael: Form and Functíon is the "parent"

involved in the relationship: is it not the infant who "guardian angcl" for here? Parcntal cllarity is the fecling of the golden it is' in a dcgree' of as 'fwo Children" "The in Poems' her dark charge of young Cathy Catherinc for Heathclifl clrrring their childhood, and 'I-he t[c pocrn' botfi in f¡ct that, first for Linton ancl thcn for l-Iarcton. in tl¡is elrrsivc seems' the infant and the spectral lover have goldcn hair at least sequence' fantasy, to be a mork of perversion of the mctamorphic Litrtotr' and Cathy young of of its having gone alvrJ 1as in the case' too, who is not dark but fair).

Ilrtlrerelatiorrslripo[Catlrerincan
alrvays kc¡rt

typical form. She is goldcn, hc is tlark' I-Iis dacmonic origin is a fìcntl' .rp"r,, ty rciterations of the likelihootl that hc is really a ghorrl' also' Cathcrinc Antl bchavior' in so merely not and an oflspring of hell, frot¡t "not is Chi¡lrcn" "The Two in Poc¡'s, chil¿ like tlrc griardian

l¡ites, l¡cr choscrl l¡eavctr dcsccncled": she has furior¡s tantrums, shc lics, she

toyisarvhip.Tl-reyareraiseclasbrotlrcrandsister;tlrerearcthr.cerefer. .o tlreir sleeping in tlre same be
.,'..,

decent," hc says, comparing himself rvith Edga¡

"Iwishlhadlighthairandafairskin,antlrvasdressedandbehaved as well, a¡rd had a chance of bcing as rich as he will bel" and Nelly.ansrvers,

"You're fit for a prince in tlisguise framc high notiorls o[ nry birth .

Were

I in your ¡rlacc, I

rvoultl

.

(If Heattrclifl is rcally o[ claemonic origin, he is, in a sensc' indcc
figule

reuealed irr original splenclor: the dynarnics of the "two chilclrcn" also points to that I)otclìtial transfornration.) sonlc alluling alrcl astonishbc ing ácstiny sceurs possible for the tro. l.Vltat t¡at p¡c'o.rcnon trlight

it is frustlatctt by Cathcrilre's nrarriagc to Edgar, which doorns FleathclilÏ to l¡c "hell-like in hcart and ntisery"'

oa ,,ta"rr, we canllot know, for ¡68

catherine's decision dôoms her also, for she is of the same daemonic substance as Heathclifi, a¡rd a civilize
In these several pairs, the relation of kinship has various resonances. Betwee¡ Catherine and Heathcliff, identity of "kind" is greatest, although rhey are foster brorher and sister o'ly, 'L'¡e foster'kinship provides an imaginative irnplicit reaso¡r for the utrnatt¡ralness and irnpossibility of their mating. Lnpassioned by their brother-and-sisterlike identity of kirtd, they can only destroy each other, for it is impossible for trvo Persons to be each odler (as catherine says she "is" Heathcliff) rvithout destruction

of the physical limitations that individualize and separate' In Emily

Brontë's use o[ the symbolisrn of the i¡rcest motive, the 4ncestual impulse appears as an arrempt to make what is "outside" oneself identical with what is "inside" oneself-a performance that can be construed in physical and human terrns only by violent destruction of personality bounds, by rending of llesh and at last by cleath. With Catherine's daughter and young Linton, r'ho are cousins, the

implicit incestuousness of dre "two children" figure is suggested morbidly by Linton's disease and by his finally becoming a husband only as a corpse, With Cathy and Hareton Earnsharv, also cousins, Victorian ..ameliorism" finds a rvay to sancrion the relationship by symbolic emascu-

lation; Cathy literally teacltes .the clevil out of Flareton.-aqfl-39.,llqem" of the old nassion for identifìcation. between the two takes the ancl ma ting, the daemonic qualitY metamorphosis With r69