《呼啸山庄》中主人公的双重人格分析!175

《呼啸山庄》中主人公的双重人格!175 编号: 楚 雄 师 范 学 院 成人高等教育本科毕业论文(设计) 专 业 年 级 班 系 (院) 论文(设 计)题目 作 者 指导教师 学 号 职 称 工作单位 工作单位 联系电话 联系电话 论文完成时间: 指导教师评阅时间: 指导教师评定成绩: 答辩主席: 答辩时间: 答辩成绩: 综合成绩: 申请学位: i The Dual Personalities of the Protagonists in Wuthering Heights by Huo Limei Supervisor: Wang Zhixiong A Graduation Thesis Presented as a Partial Fulfillment For the Degree of B.A. in English Department of Foreign Languages Chuxiong Normal University February，201 ii STATEMENTS OF AUTHORSHIP Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, this thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or part from a thesis presented by me for another degree or diploma. No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of the thesis. This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any other degree or diploma. Signed: _________________ Dated: __________________ iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor Mr. Zhao for his invaluable guidance and support throughout the course of this work. I am also very grateful to Mr. Zhu for his helpful comments and insightful suggestions during the research and writing of this thesis. I would also like to thank Mr. Li for taking the time to be my external examiner. Many other people have helped and contributed their time to the research of this thesis. I would like to thank all my group members for their invaluable comments and suggestions. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude toward my classmates, for their valuable suggestions and help in these two years of study as well as their friendship. Thanks to all the other friends I have made at school for making my stay here an enjoyable period of time. I will always be indebted to my family, especially my parents. I would like to thank them for their support and confidence in me. My gratitude goes to everyone at home. This thesis would not have been possible without all thir kindness and encouragem iv ABSTRACT Wuthering Heights is the Flower of English literature; it is a romantic work which describes a thrilling love story. It started from the wildness and ended as a tragedy, in which we see the long lasting revenge and hatred between the two families. It demonstrates the seamy side of the society. This novel built two very complex protagonists because of their dual personalities. In order to make the readers have a better understanding of this novel, this thesis analyzes the main characters, i.e. Heathcliff and Catherine, through their growing background, their behaviors, their language, and their inner worlds described in the novel written by Emily Bronte. From the detailed analysis, we can understand a truth about this novel more clearly, that is, society shaped the people?s character and their character determined their destiny. Key words: Wuthering Heights; Heathcliff;Catherine;Dual personalities 摘 要 《呼啸山庄》是英国文学史上的一朵奇葩。它是一部描写惊心动魄爱情的浪 漫主义文学作品。小说以荒原开始，以悲剧收场，在这期间我们不仅可以看到持续了 半个多世纪的仇恨与报复，还可以理解到当时社会的阴暗面。这部小说的主要人物， 以及他们的双重性格，都反映了环境对人物性格的影响，同时他们的爱情悲剧反映了 人物性格决定了人物的命运。本文主要通过主人公成长的生活环境、行为、语言以及 内心世界分析了其主要性格特征，以及该性格特征对其爱情悲剧的影响。 关键词:《呼啸山庄》;希斯克利夫;凯瑟琳; 双重性格 v Contents Page Statement of Authorship ………………………………………………………………………… iii Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………………………………iv Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………………v Contents ………………………………………………………………………………………………vi 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................1 2. The brief introduction about Wuthering Heights .............................................................1 3. Heathcliff?s dual personalities ........................................................................................2 3.1 His extreme hatred ...................................................................................................3 3.2 His profound love .....................................................................................................4 4. Catherine?s dual personalities .........................................................................................5 5.The influence of their dual personalities on their love tragedy .........................................7 6. Conclusion .....................................................................................................................8 Bibliography ......................................................................................................................9 vi The Dual Personalities of the Protagonists in Wuthering Heights 1. Introduction Wuthering Heights is the Flower of English literature; it is a romantic work which describes a thrilling love story. The story started from the wildness and ended as a tragedy, in which we see the long lasting revenge and hatred between the two families. It demonstrates the seamy side of the society. The main characters, their dual personalities and their love tragedy in this novel show us that the social environment shapes the character of the people, and the character leads to the people?s destiny. The protagonists in this novel have been extensively studied in recent years by eastern and western scholars. But most of their articles are so professional, to some degree, that there are some difficulties for general readers to understand. In fact, lots of obvious descriptions the author has given are the most powerful evidence to the protagonists? unique characters. This thesis focuses on the dual personalities of Heathclif and Catherine, and analyzes the formation of their dual personalities and the influence on their love tragedy through their growing background, their behaviors, their language, and their inner world described in the novel. This thesis begins with the brief introduction about Wuthering Heights, and then cites some wonderful depictions in the novel to support the analysis of the main characters? dual personalities and the analysis of their love tragedy. 2. The brief introduction about Wuthering Heights “„Wuthering? is a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather.” (Bronte，2009:2) And this indicates a tragic story. “Wuthering Heights” is the name of a grange in a mountainous area. One day, its old owner Mr. Earnshaw brings home a gipsy foundling to meet his surprised family. Mr. Earnshaw treats the child, Heathcliff, as his own son. His own daughter, Catherine, 1 changes her initial attitude of ridicule and befriends the “brother”, but his son, Hindley, makes a point of seeing the intruder as one of the servants of the house. Nelly, the nurse, is unhappy but kind toward the poor boy. Years pass, and Old Mr. Earnshaw dies. Catherine falls in love with Heathcliff, but agrees eventually to marry young Edgar Linton of another farm, Thorncross Grange. Because of some mistakes of Catherine, Heathcliff disappears. A few years later, he resurfaces, goes to see Catherine , and revives her old flame for him, but he torments her ruthlessly, taking advantage of Edgar?s sister Isabella?s innocent love for him, eloping with her and eventually deserting her. In the meantime, he stays with Hindley at Wuthering Heights, tricks his “brother” into gambling, and encourages him to slide to alcoholism. Soon Hindley loses his farm out to Hathcliff and dies miserably, leaving his son, young Hareton, behind. The emotional upheaval that Catherine is put through proves too much for her weak nerves. It causes the immature birth of her daughter, Cathy, and sends her to her early grave. Isabella ends up giving birth to a weak son, Linton, sends him back to her brother, and dies. Heathcliff sends his man over to claim his son, Little Linton, and take him back to Wuthering Heights. Over ten years pass, and the younger generation grows up. Heathcliff then lures Cathy over and forces her to marry his invalid son. Her father Edgar dies in misery, then Linton dies soon, and Heathecliff now owns the two properties. He brutalizes Hareton and Cathy. But he suffers from his psychic wound immensely. He often cries out at night for his long dead Catherine, has visions of Catherine clutching at his windows, and one windy rainy night he decides that it is time to give up and die. Young Cathy and Hareton unite in the end. “Generally, this is a story of revenge. In fact, it reveals fully the rebellion and the abundant emotion of the author.” (Hou, 2005:337) And the power of the novel comes first and foremost from the psychic complexities of the two major characters, Catherine and Heathcliff. 3. Heathcliff’s dual personalities Heathcliff is one of the most complex heroes in the English novels, and most readers was attracted by this person, especially by his roaring passion of love and his sharp 2 contraction between love and hate, and his ruthless ways of revenge. 3.1 His extreme hatred As the product of environment, the fate of Heathcliff is doomed. In other words, the environment makes Heathcliff?s character, and his character brings his own fate. Heathcliff is a foundling in the street of Liverpoor. Because of this he doesn?t like talking too much, even he is taken to Mr. Ernshaw?s family. This makes him seem sullen and patient. After his benefactor dies, Hendley becomes the owner of Wuthering Heights, and the new owner treats him like a dog, and drives him from his company to the servants, deprives him of the instructions of the curate. In order to rebel against the “tyrant”, Heathcliff becomes the so called pagan, who promises fair to grow up as rude as savages. What?s worse, Catherine, his only companion, decides to marry Edgar, the handsome and rich owner of Thorncross Grange. Then the revengeful fire begins to devour in its flames whoever stands between him and his beloved. When he decides to be revenged on the people who take the misfortune to him, he also decides that he would gain his tragic fate. Heathcliff?s mad revenge seems to be against the logic, but it shows his rebellious spirit most incisively. This is a special rebellious spirit shaped in a special environment. If Hendley hadn?t deprived Heathcliff of his educational right, and hadn?t treated him so badly, he would not have become a bad man; If Catherine hadn?t chosen to marry Edgar, Heathcliff would not have become a terrible man. Heathcliff lives in a society which money dominates everything, and poverty is shameful. Because of poverty, Heathcliff loses everything including his beloved person, even his dignity. Therefore, after all the sufferings, he swears to get everything that belongs to him. In the capital society, the most powerful thing is money; therefore, Heathcliff chooses to occupy all the prosperity which his enemies have possessed instead of killing them directly. In a word, Heathcliff?s extreme hatred is shaped by the people and the social environment step by step. 3 3.2 His profound love After Old Ernshaw?s death, Catherine is the only one who treats Heathcliff well. She cares for him with all her heart, and she always accompanies him, no matter what happened, even if her brother treats Heathcliff as a dirty dog. Heathcliff loves this lady, the only one who doesn?t mind his lowly identity with all her heart and soul. Though he suffers lots of unimaginable distress, his love for Catherine has never stopped. When he hears that Catherine would debase herself if marrying him, his heart breaking into pieces. Desperate as he is, he leaves alone and makes up his minds not to meet Catherine again. Years by years, however, he begins to realize that the room in his heart is only for Catherine. He makes himself rich and hopeful enough to return to reclaim his lost Catherine. When he realizes that it?s impossible for him and Catherine to return to the past. He despairs once again. He uses every means to destroy his enemies, and even innocent persons are involved in his revenge, such as Isabella. All the things he has done seem just for Catherine. Had Catherine married Heathcliff at the beginning, Hethcliff?s evil, violent, and devastating revenge would never have occurred, people would not have died, and life would have been different and moved on for all. Chapter XV describes the pathetic scene of the final meeting between Heathcliff and Cathy just before the latter?s death. Heathcliff covers Cathy who is at the last gasp with frantic caresses, said sadly—“You teach me now how cruel you?ve been— cruel and false. Why did you despise me? Why did you betray your own heart, Cathy? … What right bad you to leave me?...You broke your heart, and in breaking it, you have broken mine. So much the worse for me, that I am strong. Do I want to live?...would you like to live with your soul in the grave?” (Bronte, 2009:204)The serious questions Heathcliff asks draw tears from all the readers, and make us realize how profound his love for her is. Heathcliff is a person who is as hard as a rock, as rough as the sawteeth, and he regards the love as the most important thing in his life. The only thing he thinks and cares is the love between Catherine and him. After Catherine dies, Heathcliff is inconsolable: “Life after losing her will be hell!” All the time, especially in his last days, Heathcliff fervently expects the spirit of Catherine to 4 come and visit him at night. He raves with a gush of grief, “Do come in, my heart?s darling!” “Haunt me!” “I can?t live without my soul!” “Oh, Cathy, my life!” and he torments himself to a “queer” end. Though his hatred is like a violent storm, when he sees his own shadow and the love between him and Catherine, he stopped his revenge on the next generation, and even says that it is an absurd ending. From his torturous monologue, a despair and deserted soul can be heard crying and shouting. His agony, his trouble, his sorrow, his pressure, and his loneliness can be felt. In short, how much Heathcliff?s love for Catherine is, then how much his hatred for his enemies is. 4. Catherine’s dual personalities Catherine?s character is filled with contradictions. On the one hand, she is pure and free; on the other hand, she is peacockish and worldly. Just because of this, she has thrown herself into a dilemma since Edgar Linton proposed marriage. This makes her mind collapse at last and she dies in childbirth. At the beginning of the novel, the characters seem to live in an ancient time, and the scene is just like a moor. In her childhood, Catherine is treacherous. She always reacts against her father and her brother. In this process, she falls in love with Heathcliff, who is a “barbarian”. She can bear all the punishment from her brother, except the separation from Heathcliff. Catherine begins to hate the meaningless freedom as she grows up. After she comes back home from Thorncross Grange, Catherine seems to become another person. She says to her Heathcliff, “It was only that you looked odd. If you wash your face and brush your hair, it will be all right: but you are so dirty!” (Bronte, 2009: 65) She is attracted by the “cultured life” in the Lintons, and she starts to long for it. In the place where she hears that Heathcliff is termed a vulgar young ruffian, and worse than a brute, she takes care not to act like him. In her inner heart, however, she is a wild girl, so at home she has little inclination to practice politeness that would only be laughed at, and restrains an unruly nature when it would bring her neither credit nor praise. Acquisitions that flatter her from 5 the first, lead her to adopt a double character without exactly intending to deceive anyone. Catherine has thrown herself into a dilemma since Edgar Linton proposed marriage. On the one hand, she is eager for the honorable life in Thorncross Grange, where she can become a rich and great woman; on the other hand, she loves Heathcliff with her soul, just as she says that she is Heathcliff and Heathcliff is her, but she knows that they will become beggars if she marries him. On the surface, her bemusement is the choice between Heathcliff and Edgar. In fact, what makes her bewildered is the contradiction between the ideal love and the reality. In their society, money is the most powerful thing, and money is everything. If one is poor, it means he has nothing and he is a loser. Heathcliff is poor, and he lives in the lowest rank. In people?s eyes, of course, he is a loser. Catherine knows it clearly. Therefore, she is so naive that she wants to use Edgar?s prosperity and position to protect Heathcliff from her brother?s control. Finally, she makes up her mind to marry Edgar. Only after she becomes Mrs. Linton does she begin to realize that she is wrong. She says, I was only going to say that heaven did not seem to be my home; and I broke my heart with weeping to come back to earth; and the angels were so angry that they flung me out into the middle of the heath on the top of Wuthering Heights; where I woke sobbing for joy. That will do to explain my secret, as well as the other. I've no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn't have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire. (Bronte, 2009: 99) From these words, it can be seen that she is regretful and confused, because things do not make progress as smoothly as she thought: Heathcliff has disappeared, and she can?t step into Edgar?s world, and Thorncross Grange is totally an antipathetic world for her. In order to go along well with her husband, she has to hold back. But however she holds back, she can?t suppress her love for Heathcliff. When Heathcliff comes back, she faces the most difficult choice again. From the attitude of Edgar towards Heathcliff, she 6 realizes that Edgar and Heathcliff can?t be possessed at the same time. But her love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, as winter changes the trees. And her love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. She is Heathcliff! He?s always, always in her mind: not as a pleasure, any more than she is always a pleasure to herself, but as her own being. So she can?t accept the separation again. However, the contradiction between moral standard and her true love makes Catherine go insane. Eventually, she chooses to die, and this is the only way she is able to take. Only death can help her to release from all her confusion and contradiction. Only death can help her to live with her true love forever. 5. The influence of their dual personalities on their love tragedy Thanks to its protagonists? dual personalities, the love story that Wuthering Heights describes is so thrilling. Heathcliff is sentimental and tough, but he is tyrannical in his inner heart. Catherine is pure and inelegant, but she is also peacockish and worldly. On the one hand, they love each other heart and soul; on the other hand, they don?t believe each other. When staying together, they can?t help quarrelling with each other and doubting their love. Heathcliff is eager for being respected, and he wants to be equal with Catherine. When Catherine becomes an elegant lady, he suspects that she has changed, and even suspects that she looks down him. Knowing Catherine decides to marry Edgar, he is so angry that he doesn?t catch Catherine?s words:“My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary.” (Bronte, 2009:103) Therefore, he leaves Catherine with strong hatred. Catherine is very worldly just like the common people, but she is pure in her inner heart. She wants to marry Edgar Linton to live like the aristocracy, but the love for Heathcliff has been filled in her heart and bone. She believes that she can use Edgar?s money and social position to release her Heathcliff from her brother?s control, but she doesn?t realize that this idea can?t be tolerated by the society. And this makes her gradually step into the world which is covered with contradiction and mental torture. Catherine?s 7 dual personalities cause her tragedy, and this tragedy has aroused the readers? sympathy. As she lies dying, she says, “I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy, and free… and laughing at injuries, not maddening under them! Why am I so changed?” (Bronte, 2009:159) She regrets her choice, but now she has to face it. Suffering lots of pains, she gives up her life at last. The tragedy is caused by Catherine and Heathcliff themselves. If Heathcliff had believed Catherine?s love, he would not have left her. If Catherine had followed her own real feeling, she would not have chosen to marry Edgar to become an elegant woman. If Heathcliff had married Catherine, there would not have been so many tragedies. Their fate is determined by themselves. Because of their own characters, their love is doomed to be a tragedy. 6. Conclusion This thesis, just as the name suggests, is about the analysis of the dual personalities of the protagonists in Wuthering Heights. The design of this topic is somewhat difficult for me because I have no idea where to start and how to arrange the whole essay. However, I am quite fond of reading novels owing to its vivid characters, complicated plot and profound connotation. Therefore, when I read Emily Bronte?s Wuthering Heights, I decided to write a paper based on it, whereas all seems to be so hard when I set out to do it. The outline has been revised again and again, with some of my favored parts cut down and some unfamiliar parts added, which means that I have to consult another set of books. Besides I have to read lots of books to get more information about this novel. It is hard to conclude a comprehensive view about its protagonists? complex characters . Only with all these materials well prepared, could I start my writing. Hard though it may be, this process of preparing and writing this thesis proves to be meaningful. Not only have I got very familiar with Wuthering Heights, but I have got the opportunity to read more articles about Emily Bronte, who is one of my favorite novelists, and I also know better about the literary history in that period. After all this hard work, my thinking is more exact and scientific, and I respect academic productions better. What?s 8 more, I become very skillful in searching for information by using different approaches. In the capitalist society, money is everything. The protagonists in Wuthering Heights strive to survive in such a society at the cost of everything including the most sacred emotion for human beings—love, so they wear their mask unconsciously. The social environment shapes the character of the people, and the character causes the people?s destiny. Therefore, in the final analysis, the tragedy of the love between Heathcliff and Catherine is caused by the society. It is expected that this thesis can help general readers understand the main characters and their love tragedy in this novel. 9 Bibliography Bronte, Emily. 2009. Wuthering Heights. Shanghai: Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press. Gilbert, E?L. 1996. 《勃朗特姐妹研究》.徐晓雯译.上海:外语教学与研究出版社 桂扬清，2002.《英美文学选读》. 北京:中国对外翻译出版公司 何英娇，2005.《世界文学》.北京:光明日报出版社 侯维瑞，2005.《英国小说史》.南京:译林出版社 袁翠珍，1992. 一个扭曲的灵魂——简评《呼啸山庄》的主人公希斯克利夫.《外国文 . (1): 219 学研究》 10