哥特式艺术手法在《呼啸山庄》中的应用.docx

运城学院外语系课程论文

The Application of Gothic Art in Wuthering Heights
哥特式艺术手法在《呼啸山庄》中的应用

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完成时间：2016/6/19

The Application of Gothic Art in Wuthering Heights

Abstract:An mysterious poet and novelist, her only powerful novel Wuthering Heights not only creates a harrowing tale of passion and tragedy with happy ending, but also shows a  full picture of Victorian Age, is Emily Bronte In this romantic novel, Emily not only creates Gothic atmosphere, but also explores some major themes of love and passion, revenge, nature and culture, religion. And Points out that Emily Bronte in the theme, characters, environment, image and plot structure, etc, are borrowed the Gothic tradition. They are violating Victorian values and tastes. Actually, Wuthering Heights is no more than an autobiography of Emily herself. Through it, Emily's gloomy psyche, mysterious life and Victorian social criticism are better expressed.

Key Words: Emily Bronte; Gothic; Wuthering Heights

哥特式艺术手法在《呼啸山庄》中的应用

摘要:艾米莉.勃朗特是一个神秘的诗人和小说家,她唯一有影响力的小说《呼啸山庄》不仅创造了一个悲惨的故事的激情和悲剧结局,而且也显示了维多利亚时代的全貌。在这个浪漫的小说中,艾米莉不仅创造出了哥特式的氛围,也探索了一些主题的爱和激情,报复,自然与文化、宗教。指出艾米莉.勃朗特在主题,人物形象，环境刻画，意象及情节构造等方面都借了哥特传统。他们违反了维多利亚时代的价值观和品味。实际上,艾米丽的《呼啸山庄》只不过是一部自传。通过它,艾米丽的悲观心理,神秘的生命和维多利亚时代的社会批评更好的表达。

关键字：艾米莉.勃朗特；哥特式；《呼啸山庄》

Contents
1. Introduction 5
2. A survey of Gothic 5
2.1 Definition of Gothic 5
2.2 The origin of Gothic Novel 6
3. Emily’s Gothic Heritage 7
3.1 Theme 7
3.1.1 Love and passion 7
3.1.2 Revenge 9
3.1.3 Nature and culture 11
3.2 Gothic Features inWuthering Heights 12
3.2.1 Gothic Features in theme or plot. 12
3.2.2 Gothic Features in characters 13
3.2.3 Gothic Features in other aspects 13
4. Emily’s Gothic Innovation 14
4.1 Combination of romanticism and Realism 14
4.2 Use of Symbolism 15
4.3 Feminism in the context 16
5. Conclusion 17
Bibliography

1. Introduction
Emily Bronte (1818-1848) is a famous English poet and novelist in the 19th century
She wrote many poems of her own, and some of these have been esteemed greatly as 
Passionate utterances of the author’s innermost feelings and thought. However, she is now remembered and extolled chiefly as the author of one novel, Wuthering Heights  is her sole romantic masterpiece. Wuthering Heights is Emily Bronte’s only but eminent work. For 3 decades, it has attained great attention. Scholars have done their researches from various perspectives, which mainly center on: the love between Heathcliff and Catherine, religious conception indicated in the work, technics applied in the work, gothic features in Wuthering Heights, feminism and revenge
Wuthering Heights expresses deep criticisms of social convention, particularly those 
Surrounding issues of gender.Emily Bronte composed a Gothic romance,which mainly-focuses on the themes of revenge spiritual feeling between the main characters, obsession,selfishness and responsibility.

2. A survey of Gothic
2.1. Definition of Gothic
The word “Gothic” came from the name of a Germanic tribe. Goth was famous for their barbaric and brave character. Under the influence of some philosophers in Renaissance, the word “Gothic” was used to mean wild, barbarous, crude, mystery, dark times, medieval, etc. In the middle of 18th century, the word began to be used to describe a new kind of novel. By the 1790s, the Gothic novels had been established formally as a literature genre and developed into a literary trend in England as well as other countries in Europe and American. Thus the 1790s was called the “Gothic
Decade” in history. In the most general terms, Gothic literature can be defined as writing that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and melodramatic narrative devices, and an 
overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, and dread. Often, a Gothic novel or story 
will revolve around a large, ancient house that conceals a terrible secret or that serves as the refuge of an especially frightening and threatening character.Continue Reading BelowDespite the fairly common use of this bleak motif, Gothic writers have also used supernatural elements, touches of romance, well-known historical characters,  
and adventure narratives in order to entertain their readers.There are important, 
though not always consistent, connections between Gothic literature and Gothic 
architecture. While Gothic structures and decorations were prevalent in Europe for 
much of the Middle Ages, Gothic writing conventions only assumed their present, 
recognizable shape in the 18th century.

2.2 the origin of Gothic Novel
1.Gothic novels originated from The Castle of Otranto, written by Horace Walpole in Britain at the end of the 18th century, which created the early classical Gothic novel mode.
Its birth is deeply connected with the ideas of Cemetery Poets(墓园派诗人）at that time, as well as with Gothic aesthetic stantard raised by Edmund Burke. The publication of the Castle of Otranto quickly raised imitations of Clara Reeve,
Sophia Lee, William Beckford and the alike. Gothic style had become the most
 popular and expanded from Britain to the whole European countries and the U.S.
2. In 1790s, gothic novels gradually became two branches.
One is horrible Gothic Novels.
Features: This branch of gothic novels insist on traditional ways. Morbid evil are added in order to make the novel more mysterious and horrible.
Representative:
Matthew Lewis (1775-1818), The Monk (1795)
Charles Brown，1771-1810), Wieland (1798)
The other one is sentimental gothic novels.
Features: the stories still happen in the castle, but the over-mystery and extremely
 horrible effects are discarded. This makes the stories more logical.
Representative:
Mary Radcliffe (1764-1823), The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794)
Sally Wood (1759-1855), Julia (1800)
Isaac Mitchell (1759-1812), The Asylum (1804)
3. Emily’s Gothic Heritage
3.1 Theme
Bronte explores some major themes of love and passion, revenge, nature and culture. They are not only obscure, but also reaching the depth of the metaphysical. These themes express vividly the human psyche of self-conflict.
3.1.1 Love and passion
At first, Catherine's attitude towards Heathcliff is ridicule, but gradually she treats him as brother. Years later, Catherine falls in love with Heathcliff. However, after paying a visit to Thrush cross Grange, she begins to change her initial ideas. The civilized atmosphere, wealth and fame influence her deeply. So she thinks she could not marry Heathcliff, but Edgar Linton. It would be a degradation to be married to Heathcliff. Marrying Edgar will be different. "She can dress and behave well, and has a chance of being rich." At the same time, Catherine thinks if she marries Edgar, she can help Heathcliff to rise by using her status and Edgar's money, and place him out of her brother's power. On one side, Catherine needs Edgar Linton; on the other side, she needs Heathcliff. She is in the contradiction of psyche all the time. She does not want to lose Heathcliff or Edgar, be-cause Heathcliff is her soul and Edgar is her vanity. This exactly portrays the selfish of Catherine. But she finds she has made the greatest mistake—marries Edgar. She is not happy in marriage life. Catherine said, "My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary." Catherine can distinguish the two different love between Heathcliff and Linton, it shows that she is so clearly about her own heart. To Catherine, Heathcliff is her great thought in living. She loves Heathcliff so much, she is Heathcliff. So the civilized life is not suitable for her, she is the weaker in the patriarchal society. She has no choice but marries Linton against her will. Catherine has try her best to find her true love, actually she is the victim of the capitalist society.
Heathcliff is an orphan; he has no parents and name. He just likes the son of nature. From him, we can see the energy of nature, free and humanity. He loves Catherine than Catherine loves him. He is different with Catherine. His love to Catherine never changes, but Catherine abandons him to marry Linton. Heathcliff does not betray their love. Though Catherine marries Linton, he still shows his utmost patience and waits for her to define her emotions. His love is simple and pure. Heathcliff devotes himself to love Catherine; anyone's love cannot compares with his love. He could not live without Catherine. "Two words would comprehend my future—death and hell: existence, after losing her, would be hell."

Heathcliff loves Catherine with all his heart and soul, Catherine lovers Heathcliff, she can never live and be happy without Heathcliff .The love of the two souls for each other is of a special kind. Their story is just like a modified, morbid version of the Romeo and Juliet story. But their passion for one another seems to be the center of Wuthering Heights; it is more lasting than any other emotion displayed in the novel. Nelly criticizes both of them harshly, condemning their passion as immoral, but this passion is obviously one of the most compelling and memorable aspects of the book. It is not easy to decide whether Bronte intends the reader to condemn these lovers as blameworthy or to idealize them as romantic heroes whose love transcends social norms and conventional morality.
Actually, the book structures two parallel love stories, the first half of the novel centering on the love between Catherine and Heathcliff, the less dramatic second half features the developing love between young Cathy and Hareton. On the one hand, the love story of Cathy and Hareton is that it involves growth and change; on the other hand, Catherine and Heathcliff’s love is rooted in their childhood and is marked by the refusal to change. Moreover, their love is based on their shared perception, same characters and interests. Their love is strangely not sexual but spiritual. Their love is creative and destructive. Their disastrous problems of their generation are overcome not by some climatic reversal, but simply by the inexorable passage of time and the rise of a new and distinct generation. Catherine and Heathcliff suffer so much, their spirits units finally. They begin their story with separation, and ends with spiritual union. Their natural and pure love is permanent and it transcends life and death.
3.1.2 Revenge
Revenge is another major theme of this novel, the revenge is mainly from Heathcliff. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff's station is below everyone else. But Mr. Earnshaw favors eventually him to his own son and he gives Heathcliff the status in this house. After hearing the dialogue between Catherine and Nelly, Heathcliff disappears. Three years later, he comes back and becomes a rich man. When he goes to see Catherine, he finds that Catherine has been married Edgar Linton. He feels hopelessly. So Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights again and lives in there as well as begins to seek his revenge. He hates his enemies with great vengeance. Initially, he focuses his hate toward Hindley, then to Edgar and to a certain extent, then to Catherine. However, he resumes his love to Catherine, but this torments Catherine brutally. His violent love brings Catherine to her grave at the birth of little Cathy. Hate and revenge intertwine with selfishness drive Heath-cliff to do things bad and irrational. By taking advantage of her innocent love, Heathcliff marries Isabella Edgar Linton's sister and elopes with her. However, Heathcliff does not love her at all, he treats her ruthlessly and deserts her finally. Seemly, Heathcliff wants to put Hindley and Hareton under his control. Under Heathcliff's clever tricks and encouragement, Hindley begins to gamble and slides to alcoholism. Finally, Hindley loses his farm and dies miserably. In the mean time, Heathcliff treats Hindley's son young Hareton brutally. Heathcliff's revenge to Hindley is successful. Moreover, Heathcliff forces young Cathy to marry his own sick son. After the death of Edgar and Linton, Heathcliff succeeds in owning the Linton's' property. Unfortunately, his son dies and Cathy falls love with Hareton. Heathcliff never feels happy at the defeat of his enemies. He endures the suffering of his psyche and dreams of his dead Catherine. He gradually wares that his revenge is pointless, and his only will is reunion with Catherine after death. At the windy rainy nights, he dies and re-unites with Catherine's spirit. In the end, Cathy and Hareton lives together happily.
Revenge looks as if it was all that the novel is about. However, the more important is the deep meaning it implies. The status and characters of Heathcliff makes him opposed to the cultural world. Several eternal elements form his complicated psyche as well as his morbid and characters. Actually, he is an op-pressed of the rigid class system. The maltreated Heathcliff struggles and fights with his oppressors all the time. Revenge be-comes the only interest in his life. His revengeful love fire mainly directs to the people, who stand between him and his beloved. Isabella, Cathy and Hareton are only instruments for him to take revenge on Wuthering Heights and Thrush cross Grange. Ironically, his obsession with revenge seemingly outweighs his obsession with his love. For Heathcliff, revenge is a more powerful emotion and that is why he does not fully forgive Catherine for marring Edgar. His revenge is not for revenge only, actually it is one way to find his ideal back. However, it is useless to help him returning to the natural life on moors in his childhood and Catherine could not reincarnate again. Both of him and Catherine are victims of capitalist society. They are all rebels against the bourgeois matrimonial system. But Catherine's rebellion is only in her childhood, Heathcliff devotes himself to rebelling of his whole life and the need to revenge himself for his oppressors has lead him into a twisted life. His revenge seems destined for a tragedy. Their pure love is destroyed by the class prejudice of the bourgeoisie. Considerations of class status crucially inform the major characters' motivation. Catherine thinks that she will be the greatest woman of the neighborhood if she marries Edgar Linton. That is exactly the beginning of their tragedy. The wealth, status and fame of bourgeois society are the poison to their spirits. Their anomalous love is rebellious energy against norms and laws of the horrible society.
3.1.3 Nature and Culture
Wuthering Heights holds nature and culture in constant dialogue, and Bronte plays them against each other constantly. She create