西安外国语大学陕西西安710000
AnAnalysisoftheGothicElementsinWutheringHeightsAbstract
EmilyBronteisoneofthemostfamousBritishwritersinthe19thcentury,andhermasterpieceWutheringHeightsisconsideredtobeaclassicofBritishliterature.ThisthesisdiscussestheGothicelementsinvolvedinWutheringHeightsinthreechapters.ChapterOnefocusesontheGothicthemes.ChapterTwoelaboratestheGothiccharactersofthenovel.ChapterThreediscussestheGothicenvironment.ThroughtheanalysisoftheGothicelementsinvolvedinEmilyBronte’sWutheringHeights,thisthesishelpsthereadersgetmoreauthenticpicturesandmuchbettercomprehensionofthegreatnovel.
Keywords:Gothicthemescharactersenvironment
1.GothicThemesinWutheringHeights
1.1GoodnessandEvil
ReadersmaylearnaboutthegoodnessandevilfromdifferentinpidualsinthenovelasinthetraditionalGothicnovel.DifferentfromanyotherEnglishnovels,WutheringHeightsnotonlyshowsthegoodnessandevilindifferentpersons,butalsosurpassesthesimpleconflictbetweenthegoodnessandtheevilinthegeneralGothicnovels.Readerscanfeelthetruesthumannatureinthenovel.
1.2LoveandRevenge
TraditionalGothicthemesareoftenconcernedwithconspiracy,killing,rape,incestandsoon.WutheringHeightsisanarrativestoryofloveandrevengeinvolvingconspiracy,hatredandfightfortherightsofproperties.InWutheringHeights,themainthemeisaboutHeathcliff’srevengeinvolvinghatred,conspiracy,fightingfortherightofinheritanceandthedestructivelovebetweenHeathcliffandCathrine,bothofwhichcoincidewiththeGothicthemes.
2.GothicCharactersinWutheringHeights
2.1ImageofHero
Heathcliffistypicallya“hero-villain”.Hebecomesadevilwhenheisfrustratedinloveandismistreatedinlife.Hecanbetakenasa“roguehero”modelfromhisbothenthusiasticandevil,boththepersecutingandpersecutednature.Hismentalityisextremelydistorted.Inaword,itcanbeseenfromtheaboveanalysisthatHeathcliff,asa“hero-villain”,hasvividandcomplexinnerworldwithcontradictorycharacter.Heathcliffiscoincidentwiththeimagesofthegothicnovels.
2.2ImageofHeroine
TraditionalGothicnovelslackofpsychologicaldepthwhendepictingcharacters.Theyarekeentomakeshollowterrorandtopursuethepureexcitementandshortfeelingoftension.Tosumup,fromtheresearchontheGothiccharactersoftheheroandtheheroine,thereaderscouldhavemoreroomtodeveloptheirownthoughtandenhancethedepthofthoughtandtheaestheticawarenessofGothicnovels.
3.GothicEnvironmentinWutheringHeights
3.1NaturalEnvironment
UsuallythewriteroftheGothicnovelmakesthestoryhappeninaancientperiodoraremoteplace,whichwillleadthenovelandthereadersintodeephorror.Fromthesedescriptionsthereadersnotonlycanfeelthefearofthenarrator,butalsohavethefeelingoffrightfromthebottomoftheirinnerheart.ThisistheeffectandthepowerthenaturalelementsoftheGothicnoveslcreate.
3.2SupernaturalFactors
Besidesnaturalenvironment,supernaturalphenomenaarealsousedbyEmilyBronteinthenoveltostrengthentheGothicflavor.InWutheringHeights,Emily,usingthecolorfulimagination,employsthebackwoodsandwildnatureasthenovel’sbackground.ThecombinationofthetraditionalGothicelementsandtherealisticstoriesmakesthereadershaveadeepimpressionontheartisticfascinationofthisnovel.
Conclusion
WutheringHeightsisgenerallyconsideredasEmilyBronte’sgreatestnovelandaclassicofBritishliterature,whichembodiesEmilyBronte’screativecharacteristics,especiallyintheaspectofGothicelements.Throughasketchanalysisofthenovel,EmilyBronte’susingofGothicelementsmirroredinitisimpressiveandthought-provoking.ItwillmakethereadersrecognizeGothicelementsofWutheringHeightsandhaveadeepercomprehensionofthisnovelaswell.
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