An-analysis-of-Heathcliff’s-Complicated-Character.doc

本科毕业论文(设计)题目： An analysis of Heathcliffs Complicated Character 学院： 外语学院 班级： 英语系08级本科9班 姓名： 李丽丽 指导教师： 赵芳 职称： 副教授 完成日期： 2012 年 6 月 1 日1An Analysis on Heathcliffs Complicated CharacterAbstract: Wuthering Heights is the only novel of Emily Bronte in 19century. Wuthering Heights mainly focuses on the love story between Heathcliff and Catherine. It fully demonstrates many complicated characters. Especially the protagonist, Heathcliff, whose ferocious roar of passion, distinctive and powerful love-hate awareness, and ruthless retaliation, are attracted to the reader. He also became one of the most complex figures in the history of the English novel Wuthering Heights by the tragedy of love to show an amplitude deformity social picture of life. Heathcliff is an impressive character to every reader .He changes from a good teenager to a crazy avenger. Heathcliff has a complex dual character, he is a strong man he can live in a very difficult environment; He is also a man who steadfast to the love .However, maybe because of the living environment, social surrounding, and other reasons he is also stubborn, paranoid, selfishness. This article analyzes the image of Heathcliff comprehensively, by his contradictory character to look for the reasons. So after reading this article people will have a full understanding and knowledge of Heathcliff. Finally to show he is natural kind. Key Words: Wuthering Heights; Heathcliff; living environment ; dual character; complication; love ContentsAbstract (English)IContentsIII. Introduction1II. Analysis of Heathcliffs characters1A. The positive parts in Heathcliffs characters11. Heathcliffs love12.Heathcliffs kindness23. Heathcliffs fortitude3B. The negative parts in his character41. A selfish man42. A revenge man53. An inferior man6III. Reasons of his complicated character6A. Social status6B. The failure of the pursuit of love8C. Heathcliffs personal reasons9IV. The influence10A. The love tragedy10B. The realistic significance11Conclusions12Primary Source12References12Abstract (Chinese)13III. Introduction Emily Bronte was born in a minister family. Her mother was intelligent and demure, but she was sick, Mr. Bronte was dead when Emily was only three years old. Just because of her the tragic childhood she is inferiority. Her disposition was brimming of contradictions; she looked like a boy much more than a girl. It created that her creative work needed to compensate form hallucination in the future. It could be seen from her fiction Wuthering Heights that was combined of soft and strong felling. Heathcliff is the major figure of Wuthering Heights. He was an orphan who was picked up by wealthy people. He was a positive person at first, because of Catherines betraying, his character became extremely complex. In the end of the story, he starved to death. Many people have made judgment on him. Why his character became so complicated, we can find the answers roughly by analyzing his character. This passage will analyze his character from positive and negative aspects. And make a list of reasons for how his character shaped. II. Analysis of Heathcliffs charactersA. The positive parts in Heathcliffs characters1. Heathcliffs loveLove is the eternal theme of humanity。Different social and the different times love has different interpretations. The causes of Heathcliffs humanity could not escape the shackles of love. As an ignorant gypsy outcast, his childhood is extremely unfortunate, pitiful, and even miserable. Because of the tragic experiences, stirred up his desire for the family and love Heathcliff is a very dedicated person; he has a deep love for the heroine Catherine in the Wuthering Heights. He saw her for his life; he can do everything for her. Catherine is very sincere, cute, and kindness. As Heathcliff got along with her, he began to love her. This feeling was stronger and stronger. He thought Catherine as the most important person in his life even more than himself. He said:Catherine, you know, I wont forget you even I forget about myself.” This love is not easy, as the time going on this love became deep-rooted; this love was complex, except of the gratitude, as well as juvenile pure feelings. Their love is tragic, has not a good end. They dont live together happily. Their love like Chinese tragic love story- Liang shanbo and Zhu yingtai did not have a happy ending. Let us work together to recap the couples romantic and mysterious love journey. As the saying goes: no love without reason, no hate without reason. It is so hard to make hate turn into love but it is very easy to make love turn into hate. Their love was just like this. Firstly, Heath cliff and Catherine have similar interests and tastes; they are the children of the storm, the most fun thing of them is braving the roar storms, barefoot running in the barren wilderness. Then they fell in love with each other and he promised the vow of love to her, which witnessed by the grasslands and the blue sky. While it did not last long, Catherine married Linton who was handsome and wealthy. He was very disappointed, left with sad, but he still loved her. At the last moment of Catherine, they embraced with each other; I think this is the most tragic scene of all literary works, the most inspiring hug. Who can not move? Heathcliff crazily dug Catherines grave, lied down with her, stroked her face gently and his mouth also recited something. Catherine has dead many years, in the grave was just a skeleton of Catherine, but in Heathcliffs heart he thought she was still the most beautiful girl in the world. As his death approaches, he confessed to Nelly: the extent of Catherines hold over him, though it was 18 years since her death: I cannot look down into the floor; her features are shaped in the flags.in every cloud, in every tree.(P353).He always said: Why did you betray your own heart, Catherine.you love me, what right had you to leave me?(P197) Catherine was his life, his soul, so he said: I cannot live without my life; I cannot live without my soul.”(P204).Life for Heathcliff after Catherines death was a meaningless existence. He felt that he belonged to her both in body and in spirit and has already been buried beside her.How deep love it is! Beyond life and death! I think it is hardly to be understood, but it is so great. Heathcliffs will is quite firm, he insists on his love, this is positive.2. Heathcliffs kindnessHe was an orphan, since childhood everyone around him discriminated against him and bullied him. So when the old master of Wuthering Heights, old Earnshaw, giving a shelter toto him, he was filled with gratitude. Catherine regarded him as a close friend too. But Hedley has been hostile to him; he believed that Heathcliff took all his fatherly. In Hedleys heart in the past time, his father paid all the attention to him and hoped to make him into a real gentleman. He also made all his efforts towards the goal that his father had set for him. So he thought he was the person who his father was concerned with. However, since Heathcliff came to his home, his father was very concerned about him. Hedley thought that Heathcliff had taken his fathers love away. Therefore, he started to revenge to Heathcliff. Such as he did not regard him as a usual person and called him a gypsy pig, if there is an opportunity he would whip Heathcliff. Whats more, on one occasion, he gathered a large group of people besieged Heathcliff. Facing to these insults, Heathcliff did not yield; he also rarely went to report these things to old Earnshaw, although he thought old Earnshaw believed in his words very much. Because he was kind-hearted, at the same time, he thought that old Earnshaws love were far greater than these hurts. Old Earnshaw gave him a new family which he had longed for; even more his new name was first called by the Mr. Earnshaw. In his mind, he regarded the old Earnshaw as his new father; he would do everything he could to repay his gratitude. This idea had taken root in his heart; in any case he would endure. Undoubtedly, it was a major turning point in his life. Although he was very stubborn, bathed in the recovery love of father, he could not give up everything in front of him but strived to become one of the members. This is enough to prove that he is a kind man. Since he lived in Wuthering Heights, he was very industrious and diligent. He was very sad when old Earnshaw died. He cried and called: father father And he said to Catherine:”fathers died.”(1) After this, Hedley deprived of his right to education, he still endured. Love can conquer everything, to Heathcliff，any pain can be acceptable. Above all, it proved that he was a kind man. He knows to repay the person who helps him.3. Heathcliffs fortitudeEmily believes that the wilderness bears a great spirit a wild, strong, indomitable will. Heathcliff is an orphan; he lost his parents when he was very young. He has lived with brave not afraid of any difficulties. He had measles, very uncomfortable. Most people will find it is too unbearable; they will have to complain to other people, sometimes attack others. But he endured it silently never told to anyone. Just arrived in Wuthering Heights, everyone hated him (except Mr. Earnshaw) especially Hedley, always discriminated him, beat him. In order to protect a pony he stood the iron weight sand, the cold fist that Hedley threw to. It can be said that the powerful suffered abuse, while he survived tenaciously. After old Earnshaw died, Hedley finally could make bully on Heathcliff boldly. Heathcliff tried his best to deserve rejection, following the death of Mr. Earnshaw, he suffered from crueler mistreatment .According to Nelly. Hedleys treatment to Heathcliff was enough to make a fiend of a saint(P106). He was reduced to be a servant, working on the farmland, forced to separate from Catherine. Hedley rushed Heathcliff, not allow him to stay together with anyone else, and deprived of the opportunity to the curate teachings. Hedley insisted that he should work outside, forced him to work as hard as he could with the other boys in the manor. Heathcliff received constant reminder of his lower status e.g. He still lifted up his head and lived strongly. HeathCliff could strongly face to so many of the injustices; one of the most important reasons is that Catherines love. When Catherine returned from the Grange, she showed an elegant lady style, no longer the disheveled look; while Heathcliffs dirty clothes were full of mud and dust, the face and hands were covered with a black layer so he had to hide behind a chair. Hedley were glad to see his embarrassing look and let Heathcliff like other servants to welcome Miss Catherine, which seriously damaged his self-esteem. He accepted all things because of love. This is a manifestation of a strong character. However, since Catherine back from Grange she became vanity, longing for wealth, food and clothing. Finally, Catherine made a decision that she was going to marry Linton. This completely hurt his heart Love is his life, his hope, his all life. Now everything is shattered, he chose to leave. But Heathcliff was tenacious; leaving is not a failure but to enhance his own power. He would recapture all the things that belong to him. This is a wise and strong decision. He thought as long as he became strong, everything would be different. He did what he thought. Above all is the performance of his optimistic personality. In one word, Heathcliff is a brave, kind and strong man.B. The negative parts in his character1. A selfish manMaybe all people think that Heathcliff is a great person, because he can devote everything to the love even his own life. It is not every person can do, we should admire him. However, his love is also selfish. As a saying that all of us know says:love is selfish”, so Heathcliff is right. Yes, to some extent, it is right we can understand, but if your love has hurt other people and these are very cared you it should not be accepted. No matter how great about this love, how moved this love? For example, Heathcliff loved Catherine quite deeply, higher than the mountains, wider than the earth. But for the love he hurt many people. First was Catherine, although she betrayed him to marry the Linton. May be this is her fault, and she felt sorry to him. Since Heathcliff came back he tormented her in spirit. Let her be condemned in the mind, lived in fear. Catherine loved him, but she did not know what she could do at that moment. Finally, she depressed and died. Second was Linton, in order to revenge that he had stolen Catherine from him, he wrest the ownership of Grange from the Linton family and secured it for himself. He made Edgar Linton lose everything. In order to make Catherine angry, also for the purpose of revenge Edgar Linton, Heathcliff married Edgar Lintons sister, Isabella. In front of Catherine, he performed that he loved Isabella very much. Let Catherine sad, even made her crazy. He did not love Isabella, he treated her cruelly. How narrow is his love, how selfish is his love! His own love was not achieved, not let the next generation to achieve, either. Cathy and Hareton fell in love with each other, but he compelled Cathy to marry Lintonhis son. He did not love Isabella, to their son, was also very cold, and thought of him as a tool for revenge. After all Hareton is his son although he came to the world not because of the love, but they were families. So terrible what Heathcliff did to his son! Is he not a selfish person? He is a selfish person.2. A revenge man After the death of Catherine, Heathcliffs lust for love has gone. Revenge is then totally his existence. Revenge was Heathcliffs dominant personality and quickly became evident. After returning, he was even crazier. The impulse to revenge on all those people who he regarded as having wronged to him became his overpowering passion; it was also his most favorite thing. He treats Hedley brutally as a special sort of revenge on Hedleys cruel treatment of himself during his childhood. Hedley loved drinking, especially, after his wife died. So Heathcliff had a good idea. He wanted to ruin Hedley by encouraging his excessive drinking and gambling. So he tempted Hedley lost all things, even took away his home. At last he won all the property of Hedley. Hedley died in debt. Except Hedley, his revenge was also directed towards Edgar Linton, who he recognized as having stolen Catherine from him. His revenge on Edgar is complete, he made a series of plans to wrest the ownership of Grange from the Linton family. Besides estate, making him lose his sister and wife, Heathcliff also tormented Isabella- - Edgar Lintons sister. He married her but did not love her, he treated her cruelly. He further took revenge on the next generation. He treated Hedleys son Hareton very badly, then compelled Cathy to marry Lintonhis son. After young Linton died, Cathy and Hareton fell in love, which Heathcliff tried to destroy. After the death of Catherine, Heathcliffs lust for love has gone. Revenge was then totally his existence. Revenge seemed to be the whole of Heathcliff.3. An inferior manHeathcliff was very patient, very inferior from childhood. Because no parents, no brothers and sisters to give him love, in addition to the old Earnshaw and Catherine, nobody likes him. When he saw the elegant Catherine came back from the Grange, he hid himself behind the chair, afraid to come out; when Catherine decided to marry Linton, he had no choice but to run away from home. If he could take initiative to compete with Linden strived for Catherines heart, his fate may change from then. But his lack of courage, he thought simply that he could not compete with Linton who was young, beautiful, and wealthy. So he left, leave all the pain for him, causing him to produce such a deep hatred of the people around him. So he is inferior.III. Reasons of his complicated characterA. Social statusThe tragedy of the love between Heathcliff and Catherine is caused by the society; Heathcliffs complicated character was also maybe caused by the society. The low social status is the twisted roots of the character of Heathcliff. During the Victorian era, wealthy elite were puffed up with pride, extortion, the wealthy elite of the hierarchy was a rights discourse. When the feudal aristocracy irrevocably approaching extinction, compelled by the secular living environment, they are gradually transformed into the bourgeoisie, the pursuit of money and the worship reached a degree of insanity. Secular hierarchy rampant everywhere, identity first, money first, the spirit of the people subject to strong repression, human nature was cruelly distorted. Heathcliff lived in such an environment; therefore there were two sides of his character, either positive or negative. Either side is very complicated. When Heathcliff was born, he was abandoned. He did not who were his parents. He supported himself hard. Until he met Old Earnshaw, he was adopted by Old Earnshaw. Old Earnshaw brought him back to Wuthering Heights from Liverpool, then he was only 7-year-old.His social status was low originally. Coming to the new environment, he was less subject to be respected fortunately, the love and kindness of the old Earnshaw equally conferred on him the same rights as other children. If this situation continues, in this wealthy home, he was destined to gain his own happiness, fame, gold, money and status.But all these are a fantasy. Living in Wuthering Heights for some days, Heathcliff and Catherine were intimacy. Old Earnshaw