Who Is Symbued In Gothic Literature?

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is the story of Heathcliff, an orphan found on the streets and adopted by the Earnshaws – an upper class family. Once his adoptive father died, he was treated more like a servant and his life was made miserable by his jealous “brother” Hindley. The woman he loved, Catherine Earnshaw, chose to marry another man, Edgar Linton, and Heathcliff spent the remainder of his days attempting to ruin the lives of those around him in order to gain revenge for his youthful mistreatment. Brontë, publishing her novel in 1847, crafted a classic piece of gothic literature where she writes about the uncanny embodiments of werewolves and vampires. Popularized during the Victorian era, gothic novels contained elements of the supernatural

The superhuman aspects imbued in gothic literature are especially interesting as they allow authors to subtly make a social commentary about their community. In this gothic tale, the persistent howling symbolizes those people in our society who are unsocialized, feral even, and follow no rules while the vampires represent the people in our world who are reserved, well-dressed, and have good exterior facades. However, vampires also represent the strict social rules and suffocating social boundaries observed by the upper class during the Victorian era. While it seems like Wuthering Heights is a tale of love and revenge, the Victorian reader may have interpreted it as a story abound with supernatural and mystical forces.

The Linton family – especially Edgar and Isabella – possess traits similar to those of vampires. Vampires are described

Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw’s children, Hindley and Catherine, as well as the adopted Heathcliff, all behave like werewolves. Werewolves are loyal, have a deep desire for freedom, and have powerful emotions. Bonded by true love, Catherine and Heathcliff represent werewolves from the same pack and they remain loyal to each other despite appearances. Werewolves can’t control their emotions. when they express their emotions, they do so in the extreme. Hindley is violent; Heathcliff rages for revenge; Catherine often goes through melancholy fits. Vampires, typically show reserved emotions. Isabella stays loyal to Heathcliff who treats Isabella very poorly. It finally takes Heathcliff throwing a knife at her head for Isabella to leave him. Catherine, in contrast, is ready to abandon people at a moment’s notice. Edgar and Catherine’s love is sweet, whereas Heathcliff and Isabella’s love is cold and distant. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love, although unrealized, is very strong, and passionate. Catherine Earnshaw is talking to Nelly and she mentions, “[Heathcliff’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” (Brontë 81). When Catherine says they're the same, she means they both have the qualities of the same species - werewolves. When Lockwood first arrived to Wuthering Heights he said there was, “a swarm of