‘A comparative literacy study of the (re) presentation of love, status and society in the works of Emily and charlotte Bronte with reference to Wuthering Heights and Jane
Eyre’
‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’ present love, status and society with varying degrees of similarities. Throughout both novels society and status heavily influence each other; and provide insight into character motivation and situation. However, in their dealings with love in many cases they are profoundly different: Jane Eyre is essentially a search for and an acceptance of love; Wuthering Heights explores the destructive power of everlasting unfulfilled love.
The portrayal of status and society deals with the challenges facing society at the time as well as the fundamental aspects such as class. Jane Eyre particularly challenges the changing role and status of women – an aspect explored throughout both novels. The status of women was experienced first had by the Bronte sisters as they were forced to adopt to false male identities in order to get their work recognised.
The portrayal of status and society reflect heavily upon the portrayal of love. As throughout both novels the views of society are voiced through other characters that both scold and bless the protagonists’ love.
The narrative perspective offered in both novels is very different though both are effective. ‘Jane Eyre’ is told through the eyes of the protagonist ‘Jane’, giving us a clear insight into her thoughts and feelings. Whereas Wuthering Heights is told from multiple perspectives though predominantly by the old maid Nelly – adding another dimension to the novel as later we question her motives for relaying her story so freely. The first section is told from the perspective of Mr. Lockwood - a wealthy tenant of the nearby
Thrushcross Grange who visits Wuthering heights. The story begins many years after
Catherine’s death and we are first introduced to the protagonist ‘Heathcliff as a troubled man.
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Due to the first chapters being told from the perspective of the narrator, Mr. Lockwood, we are given a clear insight into society and status from his characterisation of
Heathcliff and we are made immediately aware of the social prejudices he faces and the degradation of his status:
‘ he is a dark skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure.’ 1
To describe Heathcliff as a ‘dark skinned gypsy’ at the time would have been highly condescending, placing him in a lower social class (associating him with crime and poverty) the placing of his looks at the beginning of the description places emphasis upon them, highlighting the prejudices towards appearance at the time. However, Mr.
Lockwood does emphasis his more gentlemanly qualities describing his erect and handsome figure. Although Mr. Lockwood as a character is seemingly passively unprejudiced, through him we learn of the prejudices of society and the precedence placed on status as he adds,
‘Possibly some people might suspect him of a degree of under bred pride:’ 2
The understatement shown by the cautious use of ‘might suspect’ and ‘degree of’ suggests Lockwood is choosing his words carefully as although he his feelings are different he realises not many would feel the same - emphasising the resentment and contempt Heathcliff would face. The use of ‘under bred’ displays the precedence given to the status gained by family heritage name or associations - Heathcliff as an orphan would have none of this. The status of the family played a huge part in individual status
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- as Heathcliff had no family ties it would have been deemed that he had no right to be proud.
Lockwood also provides us with an insight into one of the main themes of the novel, unrequited love and, through his experience, introduces the author’s ingenious use of the elements of the Gothic genre, an aspect common to both novels - the supernatural creating a darker atmosphere of foreboding and intensifying the perception that the relationship, or its conclusion, is ‘wrong’ when Lockwood relies on Heathcliff’s hospitality and the housemaid is forced to lodge him in a mysterious chamber:
“Her master had an odd notion about the chamber she would put him in, and never let anybody lodge their willingly.” 3
Lockwood’s narrative of the terrifying night in the room introduces us to the ghost of
Catherine, the love of Heathcliffs life. Lockwood discovers old diaries of the mysterious women then, as he falls asleep, hears a rapping at the window, he reaches out to what he thinks is a branch but his hands close around woman’s wrist,
‘The intense horror of nightmare came over me; I tried to draw back my arm, but, the hand clung to it, and a most melancholy voice sobbed,
‘Let me in- let me in!’ 4
This is our first introduction to the presentation of love and the destructive power of unrequited love as Heathcliff arrives and wildly cries out for his ‘Cathy’ he longs for her, but cannot reach her; his anguish and dark situation is emphasised by the gothic elements. They long to be reunited but cannot reach each other.
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4 Wuthering Heights Page 36
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The idea of haunted rooms is echoed in Jane Eyre to the same effect when Jane is put in the ‘Red Room’ the death chamber of Mr. Reeds as a punishment.
‘while I gazed, it glided up to the ceiling and quivered over my head.’ 5
Jane, terrified by the experience, screams and cries until she is momentarily let out of the room but an uncaring Mrs. Reed pushes her back in resulting in Jane collapsing into a fit of terror. Gothic elements are used to symbolise the betrayal of Mrs Reed – her husband’s ghostly presence a punishment for her ignoring his dying wish that Jane be cared for in their home.
The importance of family status plagues Heathcliff throughout his life; an idea also expressed throughout Jane Eyre. The similarities between Jane and Heathcliff are immediately apparent - both were orphaned from a young age - with the status and treatment of orphans explored throughout both novels. Although their situations are different to begin with: Jane being taken in by her remaining family; Heathcliff left to the care of strangers. Society’s treatment of orphans can be seen in Heathcliff’s arrival into the Earnshaw family, Mrs. Earnshaw’s is particularly repulsed,
‘Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it out of doors: she did fly up – asking how could he fashion to bring that gypsy brat into that house’ 6
No care or compassion is shown by Mrs. Earnshaw; her complete rejection of
Heathcliff clearly displays society’s view and treatment of orphans, Heathcliff is seen as dirty and of a lower class, justifying her motives for wanting to throw him out. In seeing him as threat to her own children, she also displays society’s fears about class, she fears it would be dangerous for her children to mix with the orphan - not just
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because of the physical danger, but the danger that mixing with him would degrade their manners and prospects. Similarly, in Jane Eyre, after witnessing Jane’s seemingly bad behaviour, Mrs Reed removes her natural children from her presence for fear she will negatively influence them.
Further, the ‘class’ of orphans within society is presented very clearly when Jane challenges her treatment she is told,
‘ No; you are les than a servant, for you do nothing for your keep.’ 7
Suggesting orphans are nothing more than a burden upon the family. Indeed, after Mr and Mrs. Earnshaw’s deaths, Heathcliff is reduced by the master of the house Hindley to a servant; Jane gradually becomes a helper to the nursery maid.
The low status of orphans is a device used to immediately create sympathy for the characters as an ‘underdog’; another hurdle for them in their life. By emphasising the abuse they face due to their low status from within the family; both authors condemn it creating further sympathy for the characters: both Jane and Heathcliff are bullied by the young masters of the house. Jane describes how her cousin beat her regularly,
‘He bullied and punished me; not two or three times in a week, nor once or twice in a day but continually.’ 8
This is echoed in Wuthering heights as Heathcliff is bullied by Hindley and his accomplice Nelly,
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‘Hindley hated him, and to say the truth I did the same; and we plagued and went on him shamefully’ 9
As in Jane Eyre, the abuse does not go unnoticed, and nothing is done to stop it. The mistress of the house refuses to interfere as she also hates Heathcliff as he is a burden upon the family- an unwanted ill- mannered ‘ brat’ who she holds no compassion for.
While the presentation of the status of orphans runs is similar in both novels, their subsequent treatment of orphans is very different.
After leaving ‘Lowood’ Jane becomes governess to Adele, the ward of Mr. Rochester, and, ironically an orphan. Jane draws on her own experiences and sees a lot of her former self in Adele treating her with care and compassion to ensure she has a happy life. Yet Rochester ignores and dismisses Adele, and is openly contemptuous towards her, describing her as a,
‘A French dancer’s bastard’ 10
Rochester’s cruel description again emphasises society’s disregard for Orphans.
In Wuthering Heights following the deaths of Catherine and Hindley, the orphan
Hareton is placed in Heathcliff’s care and he grows to embody, as Hindley’s son, all
Heathcliff’s past demons. Ironically, and unlike Jane, given the way that he himself was treated, Heathcliff reduces Hareton to the status of a servant and restricts his education despite the fact that Hareton displays characteristics similar to that of
Heathcliff in his rough manner but he hold many of Heathcliff’s kinder attributes.
Heathcliff fails to recognise and to try to help him overcome the disadvantages of his own childhood situation and instead subjects Hareton to abuse.
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Through both novels the presentation of the treatment of orphans is bleak as they are condemned by society and open to abuse but this, in turn, builds sympathy for them, although, due to Heathcliff’s subsequent mistreatment of Hareton, much of this sympathy is lost.
Despite their ill treatment as orphans in the novels, both protagonists display a huge capacity to love. Jane has no friends and few acquaintances in her childhood so subsequently display s her early capacity to love through her care towards a small doll,
‘I contrived to find pleasure in loving and cherishing a faded graven image, shabby as a miniature scarecrow……… I was comparatively happy, believing it to be happy likewise.’ 11
Jane loves the faded doll despite the fact that it would have been discarded by most, a metaphor for Jane herself - deemed unworthy and unwanted by society due to her low status yet longing to be loved. She gains some happiness in comparison to her situation from feeling that she is making something else happy – a theme that continues in her development as she chooses to become a teacher and later a governess.
Heathcliff, despite his ill treatment, also shows a great capacity to love in his early years as is shown through his devotion to Catherine, despite her teasing of him,
‘The boy would do her bidding in anything’ 12
Heathcliff’s devotion to Catherine continues throughout his life but, as her devotion to him declines, he descends into bitterness and envy and madly begins to seek revenge.
Both novels interesting use the medium of orphans to explore society, status and their presentation of love. Each novel deals with ‘love’ from different perspectives; Jane
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Eyre is essentially the search for love whilst a Wuthering Heights displays the dangers of unrequited love as Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship declines. As an orphan
Jane’s first exploration into love is to search for a substitute mother figure. The search for a substitute mother is a theme that runs throughout the novel as Jane herself for fills the role as she subsequently becomes a teacher then a governess to a young orphan girl.
After Jane’s experience in the red room Mrs. Reed decides it is time to send Jane to a charity boarding school, not because she wants to give Jane her wish of going to school but as an excuse to get rid of her. It is at ‘Lowood’ that she meets Miss Temple - a kind young woman who offers care and advice to the girls; it is Miss Temple that shelters
Jane from pain, promotes her intellectual development and acts as a positive and inspiring role-model:
‘She had stood by me in the stead of mother, governess, and latterly, companion’ 13
The degrading effect of the status placed upon orphans is made very clear and condemned by Bronte in Jane’s perception and acceptance of her future,
‘Words as liberty, excitement, enjoyment; delightful sounds truly but no more that sounds for me; and so hollow and fleeting that it is mere waste of time to listen to them.
But servitude! That must be a matter of fact.” 14
Jane believes that her only path is servitude - forced from a young age into this role by
Mrs. Reed she now seeks to fulfil it believing it to be her only path. While this would be the limit of her ‘capabilities’ in the context of the times, we see Jane as being
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capable of so much more. Bronte both recognises and challenges these limitations: Jane fits the stereotypical role yet she is headstrong.
Interestingly Jane’s first encounters with Mr. Rochester lead to the most passionately feminist speech in the novel as she rebuffs Mr. Rochester’s condescending accusations and harsh questions,
‘women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel;
…….. they suffer from to rigid restraints, too absolute stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow minded in their more privileged fellow creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing piano and embroidering bags’
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Jane’s recognition of the role of a female is not necessarily acceptance of it - she condemns the narrow minded perception of women. However, the attributes she mentions would have been much more relevant to upper class women who could afford nanny’s and nurses to be the carers.
The restrains placed on women are also displayed by Emily Bronte in Wuthering
Heights through her presentation of love. As they grow older, the love between
Catherine and the tempestuous Heathcliff grows and develops. Due to the constraints of society, Catherine is expected to marry a wealthy man, who can provide for her as women where to have little wealth of their own.
As an orphan and the young lady of the house the development of their relationship would not have been welcome as a future marriage offered in society’s opinion few advantages to Catherine. Nelly’s narrative offers contemporary views on such a relationship –Nelly’s condemnation creating a further spark of sympathy.
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However, the blissful friendship and love of their childhood is shattered as Catherine meets Edgar Linton, from neighbouring Thrushcross Grange. This is a major turningpoint in the novel and in the status of the main characters: during her time at the grange
Mrs Linton strives to turn Catherine into a respectable young lady; Hindley reduces
Heathcliff to the status of a low servant. Catherine arrives back in a beautiful dress, quite the young lady. When she arrives Heathcliff is as clearly besotted with her as he is hurt by her unessential insult that he is dirty and, in a fit of rage, he leaves. This rivalry between the Linton’s and Heathcliff develops as Catherine begins to take an interest in
Edgar Linton.
Despite Catherine’s desire for Heathcliff, social pressure leads her into the arms of
Edgar . This is made explicit when Nelly questions Catherine - asking specifically why she loves him to this she cannot reply directly - only listing his physical attributes until she finally says,
‘And he will be rich, and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighbourhood, and I shall be proud of having such a husband.’ 16
Her reply mirrors the reality of a society where marriages were often made because of social advances, in marring Edgar Catherine secures herself a comfortable future. In this she also displays her own vanity but also the vanity of society as she claims, with his wealth, she will be the greatest woman in the neighbourhood displaying the need for wealth to bring status. However, it appears she does not truly love him - her heart will always lie with Heathcliff:
“It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that not because he is handsome, Nelly, but because he is more myself than I am.”
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The love Heathcliff and Catherine share, goes beyond that of physical attraction they are so compatible they ‘become’ each other. This also signals to the fact they are inseparable even if they are separated they will still be together this links to the start of the novel as Heathcliff clings on to Catherine’s ghost as, ironically, this conversation is overheard by Heathcliff.
Social advancement is also apparent in Jane Eyre in the presence of Blanche – a woman of who seems intent on securing marriage to Rochester:
“probably she loves him; or, if not his person, at least his purse.” 18
The fact that she may not feel true love for Mr. Rochester is understood by Jane but not condoned. The tone of her thoughts displaying her condemnation about the appearance of love for social gain.
After some time it becomes apparent that Rochester is reciprocates Jane’s feelings of love for him. Their love blossoms in apparent secrecy as they become closer. However, further gothic elements cast a shadow on the relationship in Adele’s dream about the fall of the great chestnut tree which symbolises and foreshadows the brutal separation of Rochester and Jane.
When Jane returns to Mr. Rochester he proposes to her and she accepts, they are both blissfully happy. The comments of the elderly house keeper provide us with insight into the prejudices of the time:
‘Gentlemen in his situation are not accustomed to marry their governesses.’ 19
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18 Jane Eyre Page 259
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Like Catherine marrying Heathcliff, Rochester would, in terms of class, be degrading himself in marrying Jane. However, unlike Catherine, he marries for love. In this the
Bronte sisters create an interesting comparison between the status of men and women.
Catherine has to gain wealth and status from marriage - Rochester can marry and stand to gain nothing but love, displaying the purity of a love which transcends social boundaries.
Catherine’s elated reaction to Heathcliff’s return serves to portray her deep unhappiness in conventional marriage to Linton. However, the strained relationship between
Heathcliff and Linton sparks her prolonged illness after Linton demands she chooses between him and Heathcliff- a choice she cannot make.
At the height of her illness she writes to Heathcliff - fearing she is dying. In a climatic scene Bronte displays the true depth of their love as Catherine proclaims that she never wants to be apart – Heathcliff’s aggression towards Nelly displays the full extent of his love and possessive nature,
‘he gnashed at me, and foamed like a mad dog, and gathered her to him with greedy jealousy’ 20
Despite his inner turmoil Heathcliff displays his kinder side as he leaves her to the care of Linton as he realises he has the facilities and the means to make her comfortable.
Catherine’s death is full of pain but also rebirth through young Catherine being born prematurely at midnight. Again Bronte uses the elements of the gothic to display the perception that the relationship was ‘wrong’ – midnight’s connotations of witchcraft and wrongdoing are emphasised by Catherine’s death.
Heathcliffs reaction is again filled with elements of the gothic but also displays his true and whole devotion to her as her as he cries,
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‘be with me always – take any form- drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss where I cannot find you! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!’
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Heathcliff request that she haunt him links back to the beginning of the book, she appears to Lockwood and haunts Heathcliff. In this speech he professes his deep love - mirroring Catherine’s sentiments earlier in the novel when she claims he is more herself that she is: they are one.
The destructive power of unrequited love is forcefully displayed; as Jane leaves
Rochester due to his confession that he already has a wife. His revelations reveal the true power of society’s influence over marriage and supposed love as Rochester explains how his father and brother set him up with a young girl who they suspected of being insane for money,
‘My father, and my brother Rowland, knew all this; but they thought only of the thirty thousand pounds and joined to plot against me.’ 22
The true evils of society are explored as he is sacrificed by his family in order to gain wealth, displaying the precedence placed upon wealth no matter what the cost.
Marrying for wealth is explored and condemned persistently throughout both novels.
Society’s influence on Heathcliff can be seen clearly as he ruthlessly attempts to marry his own son to the young Catherine in an attempt to enhance his wealth and status by acquiring Thrushcross Grange but also to execute his revenge on those around him who have caused him pain, Edgar Linton.
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Heathcliff manipulates every situation to bring Catherine and the young Linton together and eventually their relationship blossoms. In Catherine and Linton’s love we also see the impending danger of unrequited love seen in the pervious generations as their immature love letters are discovered by Nelly who promptly destroys them believing it is the right thing to do, she somewhat cruelly burns them all threatening to tell
Catherine’s father. Nelly may believe she is protecting Catherine, but, as before, the dangers of unrequited love are present in the symbolic burning of the letters as fire is often used to represent hell, destruction and suffering
At this point in the novel Nelly’s own motives for retelling the story are brought into question as she ponders whether Mr. Lockwood could fall in love with the young
Catherine and save her.
As Linton’s health declines, Heathcliff becomes desperate to unite his son and
Catherine - leading him to extreme measures as he traps Nelly and Catherine in
Wuthering Heights and refuses to let them leave until Catherine and Linton are wed.
Nelly is released five days later to discover the pair have married.
After leaving Mr. Rochester, Jane discovers a whole new life as she becomes acquainted with the Rivers family who she eventually discovers are her cousins. Mr.
Rivers is a priest and offers her a position as governess at a new public school again
Jane for fills the role as a carer. Gradually, Rivers and Jane become closer and he proposes:
‘A missionary’s wife you must- shall be. you shall be mine: I claim you- not for my pleasures, but for my sovereign’s service.’ 23
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Rivers is pressured by his elders to marry and selects Jane, despite the fact he does not truly love her, as ‘suitable’ for the ‘role’ of a missionary’s wife. Jane makes it very clear she ‘scorns’ his proposal - in doing so again refusing to succumb to society and sticking to her values displaying herself as a strong female protagonist . Bronte juxtaposes this with Mr. Rochester proposal- for love- defying all social boundaries.
Jane after much strife decides to return to Rochester only to discover the house of
Thornfield has burned down in a fire caused by his insane wife, whilst she fell to her death he was severely burned leaving him with terrible deformities and blindness. The symbolic use of fire displays the danger of false love as Mr. Rochester is now deformed and his ‘wife’ dead as they married because of greed, the house – a symbol of wealth - is destroyed along with the status.
Bronte beautifully displays the power of love and its ability to shatter social boundaries as Jane returns to Mr. Rochester and loves him still despite his deformities,
‘and bear my infirmities, Jane; to overlook my deformities’
‘which are none, sir to me. I love you better now, when I can really be useful to you.’ 24
Although in her continued love she displays the power of love, Bronte again displays a confusing presentation as Jane again conforms to the role e of a carer - fitting to the social constrains of women as the carers. However, in this circumstance it highlights the extent of Jane’s love as she wasn’t to care for him and be with him despite his deformities. Bronte ends Jane Eyre on a hopeful note as she successfully displays the power of true love and the evils of false advantageous love.
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‘Wuthering Heights’ also ends on a hopeful note for the power of true love as the love between the young Catherine and Hareton grows. When Mr. Lockwood returns in 1802 he returns to a scene of tranquillity as Hareton sits and reads with Catherine, they are obviously blissfully in love as she rewards him with kisses for his reading. In his absence Heathcliff, according to Nelly, declined into inescapable madness. Tormented by the resemblance between Hareton and his Catherine, Heathcliff skips meals and avoids company Bronte blends in elements of the gothic to intensify his decline:
‘is he a ghoul or a vampire’ I mused. I had read of such hideous incarnated daemons’ 25
Bronte attaches evil connotations to Heathcliff, this horrific imagery reflecting the way that Heathcliff sucked the life out of his son, Hareton, and Edgar Linton – even taking joy in the Lintons’ deaths to exact his revenge. Nelly found him dead in his room, eerily she couldn’t close his eyes but she made sure he was buried as he wished beside
Catherine she described to Mr. Lockwood reports that now Heathcliff and another ghost can be seen wandering the moors.
Wuthering Heights is essentially a novel of two parts -the first follows the unrequited love between Heathcliff and Catherine leaving little or no hope as she dies and he descends into evil. The second follows the relationships of young Catherine- her marriages to Hareton offering hope. In her defiant love for Hareton Catherine shows many of the qualities displayed by Jane who loves. Rochester despite his deformities.
Throughout both novels society and status heavily influence each other; as society often places precedence on wealth to gain status. This heavily influences the perception of love and both authors highlight the danger of false love, marriage for wealth or social gain and the status and role of woman. Wuthering Heights violently displays the danger
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of unrequited love as Catherine marries for both wealth and status whilst Jane Eyre displays the power of true love to overcome the prejudices placed by society. In their dealing with love both novels involve themselves strongly with
‘orphans’ and how they can raise themselves above their apparent status as in Jane Eyre but also how the abuse can have an everlasting degrading effect such as in the case of
Heathcliff. Although the novels individually deal with the presentation of love, status and society the conclusions reached by both novels are remarkably similar - true love will prevail.
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