The Use of the Supernatural in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

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The supernatural is used widely throughout 'Wuthering Heights' and plays a big part in determining the outcome of the story. The Victorians were very superstitious about the supernatural. Education was already becoming commonplace in Victorian England, and education brought scepticism. The majority of people were very sceptical about the supernatural but not non-believers because of the number of ghost stories that came in this period. The age of the Victorians was an important period where people's perceptions and ghosts changed dramatically, from partially believing in ghosts, to not believing in them at all, yet still being terrified of them. This clearly explains Heathcliff's reaction to seeing the ghost of Cathy. At first, the book was seen as shocking and inappropriate by all its readers.
When the book was first published, readers of the time saw it as extremely scandalous. Despite the fact that the novel doesn't not demonstrate any sex or bloodshed its depiction of the passionate love story of Cathy and Heathcliff was considered highly inappropriate, and was ignored for some time.

Bronte uses the supernatural through the entirety of the novel, however she uses it unconventionally. Heathcliff is not 'supernatural' in the sense that he is paranormal, but in that he appears to be superhuman. He appears bigger, stronger and larger than everything and everyone else around him. A large part of the fearsome power of the novel is the fact that Heathcliff is ultimately still flesh and blood, therefore, the horror and brutality of his actions make him seem supernatural (due to the severity of them). Heathcliff's malevolence proves great and long-lasting, this is shown in the abuse of Isabella, which he describes himself as purely ...

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...e supernatural. Towards the end however, it is unclear to the reader whether Heathcliff is dead or not. "But the country folks, if you ask them, would swear on the Bible that he walks..." suggests his ghost is present, yet prior to this, Brontë doesn't suggest that the villagers are superstitious, so there is a chance that these sightings were not real.

In conclusion, Bronte uses the supernatural and ghosts in Wuthering Heights to emphasise the power of love between Cathy and Heathcliff and proving that love exists beyond the grave and that the quality of love is unending. Furthermore, ghosts are used to assist in the storytelling, to help in enhancing the setting and develop characterisation, particularly in the character of Heathcliff, Nelly and Lockwood. The use of the supernatural enables the reader to be intrigued by the confusing use of extraordinary beings.

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