A Seed Rooted in the Desert.docx

A Seed Rooted in the Desert.docx

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ASeedRootedintheDesert

ASeedRootedintheDesert

—AnAnalysisofHeathcliff’sLoveandDream

PanShuxian

06EnglishdepartmentNo.60405157

Abstrct:

Undoubtedly,EmilyBrontë’sonlynovelWutheringHeightsisaquintessentialnovelofBritishLiteratureof19th-century,whichcouldbecomparedwithShakespeare’scomedies.

Thispaperaimstomakeamuchmorecompleteandin-depthanalysisofHeathcliff’sloveanddreamandtheobjectiveisthreefold.Tobeginwith,itaimstodemonstratethecomplicatedrelationsamongmoney,love,dreamandrealityinthisnovelalongwiththeirrespectivedefinitions.ThenthereasonswhyHeathcliff’sloveanddreamisdestinedtofallareshowedthroughadetailedanalysisofthemaincharactersinthisfiction.Althoughtheirtragedyiscausedpartlybytheirowndeficiencies,thesocialfactorsplaythemainparts.Heathcliff’sloveanddreamisdestinedtofallduetotherelentlessreality.Truelovecan’tsurviveinthetideofmaterialismandutilitarianisminindustrialworld.Thirdly,Heathcliff’sgreatnessandimperfectionispresentedthroughcarefulanalysis.AndHeathcliff,whoisconsideredanunforgivablecharacterinthestory,hashisgreatnessandperfectionasafaithfullover.

Itconcludesthatauthenticlovecan’tsurviveinanunjustandmoney-orientedsociety,whichcanonlydocrueldamagetothecommonpeople’sidealhappiness.Thetragedyinthenovelisnotmerelyalovetragedy;itisalsoasocialtragedy.

Keywords:

money;love;dream;reality;tragedy

1.ABriefIntroduction

Onitsfirstpublication,EmilyBrontë’sonlynovelWutheringHeightswasreceivedwithgreathostility.Butattheturnofthecentury,thefameofWutheringHeightswasgraduallyrising.EmilyBrontëwasregardedasthemostgiftedofthethreeBrontësisters.Alargenumberofcriticalessaysonherworkshavebeenpublishedinvariousviewpoints.TheBrontëSocietywasestablishedin1894forthepreservationofBrontërelicsandthestudyofBrontëworks.WutheringHeightswasthebestessaythatawomanwritercouldproduceinnineteenthcentury.（Brontë2）Undoubtedly,itisaquintessentialnovelofBritishLiteratureof19th-century,whichcouldbecomparedwithShakespeare’scomedies.

ThroughthenarrationofNelly,thereadersaretakenintothedarkmysteriousworldsurroundingHeathcliff,theprotagonistofthisfiction.HeisawaifpickedupinthestreetofLiverpool,treatedkindlybyoldMr.Earnshaw,butinsultedanddegradedbyHindley.HeisinlovewithCatherine,theyoungladyofWutheringHeights.Butseducedbythewealth,CatherineintendstomarrythehandsomeandwealthyEdgar.Heathcliffrunsawayindespair.Threeyearslater,hereturnshometotakerevengeonHindleyandEdgarwhohethinkshavehinderedhisunionwithCatherine.TormentedbyherloveforherhusbandandheroverwhelmingpassionforHeathcliff,Catherinegrowssickanddiesingivingbirthtoadaughter,Cathy.Drivenmadatherdeath,Heathcliffhastenshisrevenge.But18yearsafterCatherine’sdeath,thingstakeanotherturn.Hebeginstoseeherghost,forgetseverythingandstarvestodeath.ThusherealizeshisdreamofbeingtogetherwithCatherine.Asalovestory,thisisoneofthemostmoving:

thepassionbetweenHeathcliffandCatherineprovesthemostintense,themostbeautifulandatthesametimethemosthorriblepassionevertobefoundpossibleinhumanbeings.（Zhangetal.266）

Bynow,manyresearchershaveelaboratedonthereasonsforthelovetragedyfromdifferentaspects.Someattributeittothesocialfactors,sometoCatherine’svanity,andstillsometoEmily’sownexperience.But,therearestillsomeotherreasonsthathaven’tbeenexplored.

Basedontheclueoftherelationsamongmoney,love,dreamandreality,thispaperattemptstomakeamuchmorecompleteandin-depthanalysisonthelovetragedyinWutheringHeights.Firstly,therelationsamongmoney,love,dreamandrealityarediscussedinchapter2alongwiththeirrespectivedefinitions.Then,thereasonsforHeathcliff’slovefailureanddreamcollapsearepresentedinchapter3,whicharerespectiveanalysesofsocialfactors,Heathcliff’sowndeficiencies,Catherine’seffect,Hindley’seffectandtheotherreasons,supportedbytheexamplesfromWutheringHeightsandideasfromotherresearchbooks.Inchapter4,somecommentsonGatsby’sgreatnessandimperfectionswillbemadeandtheconclusionwillfinallybepresentedinchapter5.

2.RelationsAmongMoney,Love,DreamandReality

2.1.ADefinitionofMoneyandMoney’sSignificanceinMercantileSociety

TheearlyyearsoftheVictorianEnglandwasatimeofrapideconomicdevelopmentaswellasserioussocialproblems.TheIndustrialRevolutionbroughtgreatprosperitytotheindustrialcapitalists.Whileamongtheworkingclass,therestillexistedwidespreadpovertyandwretchedness.Thegulfbetweentherichandthepoorwaswidened.Andthenationwasfilledwiththemoney-worshipandUtilitarianism,andthewidespreadmisery,povertyandinjustice.Anditwasasocietywheremoneydecidesone’ssocialstandingandhappiness.ToanupperclasswomanlikeCatherinewhohadnoinheritancerights,tomarryawealthymanwasherchoice.Membersoftheupperclass,therefore,sacrificedmoralityandrighteousnessinordertogetmorewealth,andtheybecamearrogantandcarelessaboutothers’well-beingslikelaterHeathcliff,whotookbothWutheringHeightsandThrushcrossGrangeintohishands.“Hehasnobodyknownwhatmoney,andeveryyearitincreases.Yes,yes,heisricherenoughtoliveinafinerhousethanthis,butheismuchnear-close-handed;andifhemeanttoflittoThrushcrossGrange,assoonasheheardagoodtenant,hecouldn’thavebornetomissthechanceofgettingafewhundredsmoreItisstrangepeopleshouldbesogreedy,whentheyarealoneintheworld!

”（Brontë30）Theonlythingtheycaredforwasmoney,whichwasthesymbolofwealth.Andforthepoorworkingclasspeople,theirliveswerethemostmiserablelikeHeathcliff’searlylifeinWutheringHeights.Whattheydidintheirwholeliveswastomakeutmosteffortstochangetheirlivesforthebetter,nomatterwhetherthemeanstheyusewerejustorunjust.AsfarasHeathcliffwasconcerned,itwasbecauseofhavingnomoneythatCatherinebetrayedhim,andalsoitwasbecauseofhisgreedinessformoneythathetookthetwohousesintohispossessionunscrupulously;asforCatherine,shemarriedEdgarformaterialcomforts-orratherformoney.Thuswecanseewhatsignificantrolemoneyplayedinone’slifeintheperiodthisstorytookplace.

2.2.ADefinitionofLove

Asthemostsignificantemotiontohumanbeings,loveispermanent,selflessandsacredessentially.Itshouldbebasedonmutualfaithandmutualunderstanding.Tolovesomeoneistoloveeverythingofhisorhers,includinghisorhershortcomingsandfaults.Thatisifwelovesomeoneweshouldregardhimorherasourownlifeandsoul.Thereshouldexistacoincidenceoftwosouls.Theaimofloveistobringaboutsuchatotalcoincidenceofsoulsthattheyareinterchangeable.HeathcliffbecomesCatherine’slife,andshehis.Whenthesouldiscovershisothernessresidinginabeloved,thedesireisnotjusttobeorcometogetherwiththeotherbutalsotobecometheother.（Buchensec.3）

Ifsomeonelovesanotherperson,heorshecanonlyachievelovebylovingforlove’ssakeonly.Ifloveismingledwithtoomanyotherthings,itwillbeindangerwhentheconflictscannotbeharmonized.InWutheringHeights,thelovebetweenHeathcliffandCatherineismingledwithmoneyandworldlyitems.AlthoughHeathclifflovesCatherineforlove’ssakeonly,andCatherinealsolovesHeathcliff,shechangesherloveeventually.SeducedbyEdgar’swealth,socialstandingandthecomfortablematerialenvironmentofThrushcrossGrange,shefinallybetrayshersoulandbecomesMrs.LintonandthehostessofThrushcrossGrange.

2.3.ADefinitionofDream

Adreamiswhatonethinksabouthisfuture,isafantasythatcansootheadespairingheartwithgreatcomfort.Dreamsgiveonethecouragetorecognizeandpursuehisdivinepurposeinlife.Everyoneshouldhaveadream,andeveryoneshouldtrybesttorealizehisorherdreamthroughlegalandmoralmeans.Withoutdreams,whichcanprovidesomeonewithgreatmotivation,one’slifehasnomeanings.Drivenbythemotivation,heorshecanmakeeveryefforttochangetheirlivesforthebetterandgetclosertotheirdreams.Besides,inordertorealizetheirdreams,theycanstandthepresentmiseriesandoppression.AsforHeathcliff,tospendhislifetogetherwithCatherineandmarryherandbetheheirofMr.EarnshawandfinallytobethehostofWutheringHeightsishislifetimedream.ItishisdeterminationofrealizinghisdreamthatmakeshimsomeektoHindley’sabuseandneverstandsupforhimself.Aslongasthereisadreaminhisheart,whichencourageshimtogoforward,hecanbearthepresentabuseandoppression.ButCatherine’sfinaldetachingfromhimturnshisdreamintoanightmare.Thusheloseshislifemotivationandrunsawayheartbroken.

2.4.RelationsAmongMoney,Love,DreamandReality

Moneyisthebasisofallmaterialthings,andwithoutmoney,liveswillbegreatlydifficult.Love,asthepurestemotionofhumanbeings,shouldbebuiltontwopersons’deepfeelings,notonthemoney.Ofcourse,inreallife,iflackingmoney,ourliveswillbedifficulttomaintain.Butitdoesn’tmeanthatthelovecan’tbemaintained,onthecontrary,itsometimesmaybefirmer.Therealityiswhathappensinourreallife.Adreamiswhatonethinksabouthisfuture,isafantasythatcansootheadespairingheartwithgreatcomfort.Therealityiscruelwhiledreams