Novel Symbolism Paper
Abnormal Symbolism of the Ghost in Wuthering Heights
The ghost of Catherine Earnshaw is a very important aspect of Wuthering Heights because she represents the lack of closure between her and Heathcliff. From Catherine’s inability to tell Heathcliff that she loved him to Heathcliff’s hopefulness in the afterlife so Catherine will still exist, the lack of closure is evident in the novel. Ghosts in literature usually symbolize evil or demonic presences, while the ghost of Catherine is used to represent romance rather than evil. According to Ellen “Nelly” Dean, the main narrator of the story, some of the villagers claim to see Heathcliff and Catherine’s ghosts out on the moors years after their deaths (Brontë 417).
I originally planned to focus on the moors as my main symbol. Finding the correct books in the library was much easier than I thought it would be. As I went further into the research, though, it became clear that finding all of the required information on the moors in all of the required sources would be very difficult. The dictionary of symbols and the two holy books that I planned to use proved to be completely useless—the holy books were written in places that do not have moors at all and were written in times when transcontinental travel was extremely uncommon, so the authors would never have known of the moors existence. After coming across these problems, I realized that I had to change my symbol to something more universal. Ghosts were perfect since I knew they had been mentioned throughout the years, especially in the holy books.
Ghosts traditionally symbolize bad omens and anything to do with evil. They are connected with demons and devils, as well as the supernatural. The ghost is us...
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The complicated nature surrounding Heathcliff’s motives again adds an additional degree of ambiguity to his character. This motivation is primarily driven by Catherine’s marriage to Edgar and past rejection of Heathcliff, since he was a servant whom Hindley disapproved of. Prior to storming out of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff overhears Catherine say, “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now…” (Brontë 87). The obstacles that ultimately prevent Heathcliff from marrying Catherine provide insight into Heathcliff’s desire to bring harm to Edgar and Hindley. The two men play prominent roles in the debacle, Edgar as the new husband and Hindley as the head figure who refused Heathcliff access to Catherine. Following this incident, Catherine says, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same…” (Brontë 87). Catherine’s sentiment indicates she truly would rather be with Heathcliff, but the actions of others have influenced her monumental decision to marry Edgar. Furthermore, Heathcliff is motivated to not only ruin Edgar’s livelihood, but also gain ownership of his estate, Thrushcross Grange. This becomes clear when Heathcliff attempts to use Isabella
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Imagery is used in the story very often and is used by giving the reader a mental picture of what is being described. There are many examples of imagery in this story with the use of metaphors and similes such as “The doors go shutting in the distance, gently knocking like the pulse of a heart.” this imagery allows the readers to picture in their mind the image of the ghost roaming the house and shutting doors in their wake. The title A Haunted House is an irony in itself most people associate haunted house with horror and evil creatures, but in reality this story is the opposite of that, “This gentle tale both references and refuses many of the characteristics of conventional ghost stories, and so ‘we see no lady spread her ghostly cloak’.43 A ghostly couple preside over the house, ensuring its safety and that of those who live in it. Their stirrings are not those of destructive poltergeists.” Woolf decided to reject the conventional ghost stories that have been told time and time again and give people a different view on ghost by making the ghost in this story protagonist who are just reminiscing about good times and the love they share throughout the story. this shows the readers that things are not always as it seems and to not judge a book by its
...ctive. Catherine is pushed to death and Heathcliff to brutal revenge, bordering on the psychotic. Yet before Cathy’s death, the knowledge that the other loves them is strong enough to make Wuthering Heights such a classic love story, and “that old man by the kitchen fire affirming he has seen two of 'em looking out of his chamber window, on every rainy night since his death,” shows that as they walk together on the moors, their self destruction may have led them to death, but also to what they most desired-being together.
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The ghost of Cathy is not a true spirit, for Lockwood in order to release himself, pulls Cathy's wrist down onto the broken glass causing blood to flow (negative imagery which creates a dark atmosphere),Lockwood's interaction with Catherine's spirit moves him from being an outside observer to an active participant in the plot. The ghost of Catherine acts as a symbol in chapter 3; other symbols in the novel are 'the moors' which of course resemble 'Heathcliff'. One of the most obvious things that some might notice when analysing 'Wuthering Heights' is that the dark descriptive language is used to create or darken the tone and atmosphere of the book, an example is during Lockwood's dream when the preacher shouts out, "Drag him down and crush him to atoms", that quote is no doubt negative and reflects the moods of the characters, such as Heathcliff. Furtherly a quote which shows negative and gothic imagery is when Lockwood describes cutting Catherine on the glass, he says, "I pulled its wrist on to the