Introduction One of the vital challenges which mankind has always faced is alienation. The nineteenth century gothic novels, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1845-46), artistically demonstrate the never ending cycle of being an outcast in society and share the common point in presenting the character’s sense of disjunction and alienation. Frankenstein is the petrifying account of a brute which was given life and fabricated by Victor Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights, is the soul-stirring story of hatred and infatuation amongst three generations. The alienation of self in both of the novels can be discerned through the struggles and impediments that the characters face while discovering their true
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Therefore, reflecting upon the characters in both novels, the significance of setting in their portrayal can be pinpointed. As a result, it can be witnessed how the gothic setting serves to frame the fractured personality of the characters. The characters are racked with pain and are torn between two personalities which causes misery and subsequent deterioration. Their alien beliefs and ideas intercedes in their lives and speech.
Thus, these traits shaped one of the fundamental themes of both Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, the alienation of identity. The theme of the divided self is mainly in line with this argument. The following research question is attempted in this essay: How does the theme of the divided self manifest itself in Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein through a psychoanalytic discussion of the defense mechanisms of denial and …show more content…
HeathCliff is much more intricate than the ordinary protagonist and his ethics are doubted numerous times throughout the novel. As previously mentioned, Wuthering Heights has many Gothic elements such as a disturbed family line and hysteria, which partly arise from HeathCliff. He was taken under the wing of Mr Earnshaw and brought into the Earnshaw family. Heathcliff was always thought of as a nonnative presence in society and among the Earnshaw household. The only individuals who were affectionate towards him were Mr Earnshaw and Catherine. After Mr Earnshaw’s passing, Hindley, his son became the vendor of the estate. Due to past tension and abhorrence between HeathCliff and Hindley, Hindley compelled HeathCliff to be a worker and deprived him of an education. Also, HeathCliff was abused and beaten continuously by Hindley. The only thing which kept HeathCliff hopeful was his everlasting and wistful love for Catherine which surpassed the partitions of life and death. Their division is seen when Catherine returns from Thrush Cross Grange to Wuthering Heights after being attacked by the Linton’s dog. She returns as well mannered woman. This seperation not only arises from the different families and homes but also from Catherine’s decisions and actions. His continuous love for Catherine was another main cause of his duality because he was deprived of eloping
Therefore, reflecting upon the characters in both novels, the significance of setting in their portrayal can be pinpointed. As a result, it can be witnessed how the gothic setting serves to frame the fractured personality of the characters. The characters are racked with pain and are torn between two personalities which causes misery and subsequent deterioration. Their alien beliefs and ideas intercedes in their lives and speech.
Thus, these traits shaped one of the fundamental themes of both Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein, the alienation of identity. The theme of the divided self is mainly in line with this argument. The following research question is attempted in this essay: How does the theme of the divided self manifest itself in Wuthering Heights and Frankenstein through a psychoanalytic discussion of the defense mechanisms of denial and …show more content…
HeathCliff is much more intricate than the ordinary protagonist and his ethics are doubted numerous times throughout the novel. As previously mentioned, Wuthering Heights has many Gothic elements such as a disturbed family line and hysteria, which partly arise from HeathCliff. He was taken under the wing of Mr Earnshaw and brought into the Earnshaw family. Heathcliff was always thought of as a nonnative presence in society and among the Earnshaw household. The only individuals who were affectionate towards him were Mr Earnshaw and Catherine. After Mr Earnshaw’s passing, Hindley, his son became the vendor of the estate. Due to past tension and abhorrence between HeathCliff and Hindley, Hindley compelled HeathCliff to be a worker and deprived him of an education. Also, HeathCliff was abused and beaten continuously by Hindley. The only thing which kept HeathCliff hopeful was his everlasting and wistful love for Catherine which surpassed the partitions of life and death. Their division is seen when Catherine returns from Thrush Cross Grange to Wuthering Heights after being attacked by the Linton’s dog. She returns as well mannered woman. This seperation not only arises from the different families and homes but also from Catherine’s decisions and actions. His continuous love for Catherine was another main cause of his duality because he was deprived of eloping