Response #5: The Reclusive Beast

Julia McGrath

EL 6520-GBL

Professor Lee

13 October 2021

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Gothic literature uses dreary and supernatural elements to describe a saddening piece. Emily Bronte's gothic novel Wuthering Heights is a creepy yet romantic tale of a man that hated humanity. Because of Healthcliff's traumatizing upbringing, people are trophies in which he mistreats to fill his void of melancholy. Nature is used to describe the tone, mood, and hateful actions of Heathcliff, and how he slowly becomes a cruel and miserable person.

The setting sets up the plot and how the story shall end. Mr. Lockwood is the narrator, and he begins the novel by visiting his new landlord, Mr. Heathcliff. Mr. Lockwood has a rather unique and odd description of his new landlord. Mr. Lockwood narrates,

"I have just returned from a visit to my landlord - the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is certainly a beautiful country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us" (3).

A misanthropist describes a person that holds an extreme dislike towards society and humanity. What is interesting to read is that Heathcliff is the victim throughout the story, and because of his mistreatment from his brother, he develops a hatred for humankind. Throughout the first chapter, Heathcliff appears to be calm and level-headed yet aloof and distant. It seems that in the first chapter, Heathcliff secluded himself from society. Unexpectedly, he "growled" (6) when Lockwood went to approach the dog; however, when the new tenant was nearly attacked, Heathcliff had Joseph, a servant, take care of Lockwood. Heathcliff seems to commit good deeds, but only when telling his servants to help.

Heathcliff does not involve himself in problems but asks his servants to take the lead. His apathetic actions prove that he is misanthropic, as he appears unfriendly and unbothered by others and their injuries. Lastly, his dismissive behavior allows him to avoid people, showing that Heathcliff does not like people. It is important to ask why Heathcliff feels this way, and the novel slowly builds up the climax that explains Heathcliff's life. Heathcliff never has agency except from Mr. Earnshaw, showcasing how a loner slowly delves into their reclusive and dismissive nature of society.

The weather foreshadows the sadness and anger that Heathcliff carries and the overall theme of the story. Mr. Lockwood mentions in his diary how Wuthering (pronounced as weather --- showing how weather impacts gothic literature) Heights symbolizes his landlord: "Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff's dwelling. 'Wuthering' being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather" (4). Wuthering is a term used to describe strong winds; wind can be calm and breezy or fast and deadly. Heathcliff appears mellow and easy-going, but he can become harsh and mean. Gothic literature uses nature and supernatural elements to evoke how a character is and why they act the way they do.

Heights is a metaphor for how extreme Heathcliff's mood shifts can be; he has a vast range of emotions that prove how impatient and distasteful humanity appears through his perspective. Additionally, Mr. Lockwood describes the weather and temperature again in chapter 3. He says, "YESTERDAY afternoon set in misty and cold" (9), showing how cold and sad Heathcliff feels, and the weather does a perfect job setting the mood and its intense shifts. The weather is significant because of Heathcliff's childhood and how his experiences with those closest to him shape his reality, personality, and how he treats others.

When someone is treated as an anomaly, they may treat others the same way. Hindley acted cruelly toward Heathcliff and demoted Heathcliff to a servant when Earnshaw died. Catherine secretly loves Heathcliff but marries Edgar Linton for social advancement and not love. Heathcliff is so angry that Catherine chose Linton and that Hindley held animosity towards him, Heathcliff takes his anger and sadness out on everyone else.

Heathcliff grows to be a bitter man; when he dies, Lockwood's personification of nature changes: "I [...] under that benign sky: watched the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells, listened to the soft wind breathing through the grass, and wondered how any one could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth" (288). The weather proves the wrath that Heathcliff has because he sets everyone else up to die; there is nothing but chaos. Heathcliff does come off as a villain, but his upbringing explains his intense mood swings and hatred of society. When Heathcliff reaches his end, the winds are no longer intense and scary; everything is calm and quiet. The imagery shows how hateful Heathcliff was, and once he died, it was like everything was beautiful and happy. The imagery is important as it shows how Heathcliff becomes the antagonist who seeks revenge but perishes in his misery. When the dread leaves, the setting is calm and steady, symbolizing the chaos Heathcliff kept inside of him until he exploded and projected his rage onto others.

Emily Bronte's gothic novel Wuthering Heights uses the weather and nature scenery as a trope to showcase the coping mechanisms and sadness that Heathcliff suffers. Heathcliff's dark and disturbing childhood becomes a catalyst for the demise of his tormentors and vulnerable humans. The book strings together how when someone feels hurt by the actions and words of others, the misery of the past conflicts with their perception of the world. Lastly, the book proves how when one is disrespected, the person acts out that trauma and becomes sociopathic. The victim starts treating others with the same disrespect. Bronte's gothic novel takes a psychological approach into being an outcast and how maltreatment is like a generational curse, moving from one generation to the next.

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Works Cited

Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights, Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1858.

https://bboldwestbury.sln.suny.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-750251-dt-content-rid-5571053_1/cu rses/202109-OLD-EL-6520-GBL/Bronte_%20Wuthering%20Heights.pdf.