A Comparative Analysis of the External and Internal Components of the Two Revenges in Wutheri.doc

毕业论文(设计)A Comparative Analysis of the External andInternal Components of the Two Revenges inWuthering Heights and The Scarlet Letter1. Introduction32. Reasons for revenge42.1 Objective elements for Heathcliffs vengeance42.1.1 Heathcliffs life experience42.1.2 The abuse from Hindley52.1.3 Betrayal of Catherine62.1.4 Ambiguous class status72.2 Subjective elements for Heathcliffs vengeance82.2.1 A sense of inferiority82.2.2 Twisted character82.2.3 A blend of love and hatred92.3 External reasons for Chillingworths avenge102.3.1 Adultery of Hester102.3.2 Puritanism122.4 Internal reasons for Chillingworths avenge132.4.1 Selfishness132.4.2 Hatred132.4.3 Chillingworths true natureevil in heart143. The Similarities between the characters and the ways they revenge153.1 Typical villains of gothic novels153.2 Inability to forgive163.3 Self-destruction174. The differences in significance and functions of revenge in these two stories184.1 Emily Brontes vision of humanity and evil represented by the image of Heathcliff18 4.2 Nathaniel Hawthornes concept of the “original sin” symbolized by Chillingworth195. Conclusion20Inability of characters to forgive others is shown to be the cause of deep unhappiness. Heathcliffs inability to forgive Catherine for marrying Edgar, his failure to forgive Hindleys abuse on him indirectly leads to their tragic love story and the misery of his destiny. However, when Cathy dies, Heahcliff has forgiven her betrayal. “Kiss me again, but dont see your eyes! I forgive what you have done to me”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 148). Chillingworth, yet, couldnt forgive Hesters adultery even though he doesnt revenge on her. “Therefore, as a man who has not thought and philosophized in vain, I seek no vengeance, plot no evil against thee. Between thee and me, and scale hangs fairly balanced. But, Hester, the man lives who has wronged us both!”(Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1994: 75). Yet he would not give up the revenge on Dimmesdale. He tells Hester in their interview. “I shall see him tremble. I shall feel myself shudder, suddenly and unawares, sooner of later, he must needs be mine!”(Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1994: 75). “His fame, his position his life, will be in my hand, Beware!”(Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1994: 76).163.3 Self-destruction17Heathcliff and Chillingworth come to destruction in the end. Hawthorne says after the death of Dimmesdale, “ All his strength and energy to desert him; in so much that he positively withered up, shriveled away, and almost vanished from mortal sight, like and uprooted weed tat lies wilting in sun” (Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1994: 260). Heathcliff, the same, lives in deep desire for the reunion with Catherine in the heaven, died in the end. He said at the end of the novel“ You have left me so long to struggle against death, alone that I feel see only death1 I fell like death!”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 268).17Fortunately, just before they died, they give up vengeance and do some good deeds. Chillingworh “Has bequeathed a very considerable amount of property, both here and in England, go little Pearl” (Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1994: 261). Perhaps this act, to some extent, redeems the person who has the blackest sin. Heathcliff gave up his plan to block the engagement between Cathy and Hareton. As he said to Nelly, “I have lost the faculty of enjoying their destruction, and I am too idle to destroy for nothing”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 295). Maybe his last mercy helps him regain somewhat of humanity.17Heathciff and Chillingworth are similar in their images, but these two characters revenges have different significances and functions under the two authors.184. The differences in significance and functions of revenge in these two stories184.1 Emily Brontes vision of humanity and evil represented by the image of Heathcliff18Wuthering Heights reflects the harsh reality of English society in the 19th century and is a critical realism masterpiece. “In Victorias period, the rich are enormously proud of their success and property; the secular sense of hierarchy penetrates into the daily life of common people; money and property is nothing but everything. Under the control of this concept, the spirit of human is suppressed and humanity is twisted and deformed. At this time, Emily who has strong rebelling and strong desire for freedom wrote Wuthering Heights and created the character Heathcliff to disclose the evilness of the society”(綦小风, 2006). Heathcliffs humanity was twisted, broken and destroyed under the cruel reality of the society. In the world reined by Heathcliff, the love between Cathy and Hareton breaks through the hard soil of hatred. Only the pure love can save a degenerated soul and heal the injured heart. The stormy and fierce environment in the heights, the obvious prejudice toward the poor changed Heathcliff, from a kind boy to a vicious villain, and he lost his humanity during the revenge. Emily Bronte shows us that the oppression of the social environment on ones spirit and desire brings about the dissatisfaction or even revenge, which leads to the destruction of ones humanity. Yet, only true love can revive the lost soul and human nature. Heathcliff eventually regains his soul and humanity through the reunion with his beloved. Emily Bronte reveals and criticizes the evilness and unfairness of the society by creating the character of Heathcliff. And Heathcliffs revenge could be considered as Emily Brontes rebelling against the oppression from the society.18The novel reflects on Emily Brontes vision of evil in human nature. She thinks that evil is not inborn. But human might become an evil and take avenge under the influence of such factors as the hardship of life, fierce environment, class status and so on.194.2 Nathaniel Hawthornes concept of the “original sin” symbolized by Chillingworth195. Conclusion20Through the comparison of the two figures of Heathcliff and Chillingworth, we learn about their reasons for vengeance. Heathcliffs life experience, and the ill- treatment from Hindley and the lost love and his ambiguous class status all lead to the twists of Heathcliffs personality. He dedicates himself to elaborate the revenge plan on two generations. Hesters adultery and Chillingworths selfishness and his hatred for Dimmesdale that fit Chillingworths evil nature and all that lead to a distortion of his personality. So, these two villains spent their lifetime on plotting and practicing revenge that is the biggest similarity between Heathcliff and Chillingworth. They are both typical villains of gothic novel and cant forgive others wrong. Finally, these two figures come to selfdestruction. Yet the different significances of these two vengeances also give us a much clear look into the two authors of these novels. Emily Bronte creates Heathcliff to show us that in Victorian England, the concept of money and class status were everything and they suppressed humans spirit and desire. Heathcliff, under the social environment loses his humanity and soul through his avenge. Emily Bronte believes that pure love can revive Heathcliffs humanity, which denotes that human is not evil natured, but Nathaniel Hawthorne creates Chillingworth as a symbol of evil. He thinks that human is evil natured and sinful, which is the basic idea of his interpretation of the “original sin”. Chillingworth takes evils job and is condemned by the author throughout the story.20Both Wuthering Heights and The Scarlet Letter have two themeslove and revenge. Love is fulfilled but becomes tragedy, while revenge is achieved yet brings pain and sorrow to the people involved. To some extent, we could say love serves for the foundation of vengeance. These two avenges give us a hint that a humans living environment and characteristic may influence his behaviors and distort his nature, thus he can be a demon whose duty is to do harm to others.21References221. IntroductionBoth Wuthering Heights and The Scarlet Letter are about revenge theme. The two characters that take revenges on others of these two novels, Heathcliff and Chillingworth have some similarities that deserve further research. Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, portrayed as a vicious beast, is brutal, selfish, and inhumane, yet he remains absolutely submissive and loyal to the woman he loves deeply. He avenges on those who have treated him badly. Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter is a man of cold intellect. He lacks human sympathy and compassion and so takes secret vengeance on the man who has a love affair with his wife. Their vengeful machination drives the entire plots of both novels and result in tragic love stories. Self-destruction is their final ending. These two avenges have distinct significances. The author of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorn, reveals to us his viewpoint on the “original sin” through Chillingworth, while the author of Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte shows us the destruction and revival of humanity of Heathcliff under the influence of social environment, and evil is not innate. However, there are objective and subjective elements that cause these two characters revenges. In my thesis, I will explore how these external and internal aspects are combined to influence the two villains characteristics and their behaviors. I will also analyze these two figures similarities and the different functions of their vengeance for both stories.2. Reasons for revenge2.1 Objective elements for Heathcliffs vengeance The objective factors that motivate Heathcliffs vengeful act mainly include his miserable life experience, the severe abuse from Hindley, the betrayal of his beloved Catherine and his ambiguous class status in that society.2.1.1 Heathcliffs life experienceHeathcliff was an orphan wandering in the street of Liverpool. Mr.Earnshaw adopted him. But his arrival in the Earnshaw family was not so welcomed. Even Catherine herself at the beginning despised him. Nevertheless, they fell in love and grow intimate as days went by. After Mr.Earnshaw died, Hindley who thought that Heathcliff had possessed his fathers affection degraded Heathcliff to a servant. His beloved Catherine chose to marry Edgar Linton, a graceful, well-mannered man. Her primary social ambition is to become “the greatest woman of the neighborhood” (Emily Bronte, 1994: 78). Heathcliff run away when he once overheard Catherine saying that it would degrade her to marry him. Years later, when he returns to Wuthering Heights, it turns out that he became a wealthy man. His life experience might be called miserable and changeable. Such life experience, one of the subjective reasons for his later revenge, in a sense, helps shape the formation of his vicious personality.2.1.2 The abuse from HindleyHindley regards Heathcliffs entrance into the family as a kind of intrusion into his position in the family for Mr. Earnshaw loves his adopted son much more than his own son. Nelly tells Lockwood: “The young master had learnt to regard his father as and oppressor rather than a friend, and Heathcliff as a usurper of his parents affections and his privileges”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 36). Hindley left home after being humiliated in a confrontation with Heathcliff. He came back to reclaim the Heights after Mr. Earnshaws death, seeking to degrade and revenge Heathcliff and separate the tie between Catherine and Heathcliff. Hindley reduces Heathcliff to a laborer and “deprived him of instructions of the curate” (Emily Bronte, 1994: 44). Hindley even “shoved him back with a sudden thrust, and angrily bade Joseph keep the fellow out of the room, send him into the garret till dinner is over”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 57). Hindleys abuse has planted a revenge seed in Heathcliffs heart so that when he returns to Heights he first makes Hindley indebted by gambling and takes possession of Heights. When Hindley dies, Heathcliff in turn inflicts the same abuse on Hareton, Hindleys son. As one part of Heathcliffs life experience, the abuse that he suffered when he was in Heights under Hindleys rule is another subjective reason and a foreshadowing for Heathcliffs later revenge.2.1.3 Betrayal of CatherineCatherine is a self-contradictory woman, she loves Heathcliff deep in soul but she cant resist her ambition for the social status and wealth. She tells Nelly “It would degrade me to marry Heathchliff now; 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. Whatever our soul made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton is as different as a moonbeam from lighting or frost from fire”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 73). Her desire for a socially prominent life style guides her decision: she would not marry Heathcliff. Heathcliff could not accept such a fact. For him, Catherines marrying with Edgar is a kind of betrayal to their love. As Heathcliff said to Catherine “ I want you to be aware that I know you have treated me infernally, infernally!”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 112). Heathcliff is jealous of Edgar and hates that his beloved woman likes him. The betrayal of Catherine is the most important factor that triggers his hatred of the Lintons and the thought of revenge on them. Love of Catherine is the only thing that keeps him stay in Heights. But when the only thing that kept him there has been discarded by Catherine for his humble identity, he found that the real situation of the society is: wealth and status are everything. So making great fortune is the preparatory step for his later avenge plan. The betrayal of Catherine is the most important external factor that triggers Heathcliffs hatred of the Lintons and the thought of revenge on them.2.1.4 Ambiguous class statusIn the 19th century, England was developing into a modern democratic and industrialized country. There are clear distinctions in class status. “At the top of British society was the Royal family, followed by the aristocracy, then by the gentry, and then by the lower classes, who made up the vast majority of the population” (Net.1). The Earnshaws and the Lintons are members of the gentry, while Heathcliff and the servants are the lower class people. The shifting nature of social status is demonstrated most strikingly in Heathcliffs identity. He starts as a homeless child and becomes a young gentleman (by adoption) then goes back to a common laborer and ends up a gentleman again. Heathcliff attributes the abuse of Hindley and the betrayal of Catherine to his low social status. His ambiguous class status leads him to realize the cruelty of the society. All upper-class characters, Hindley, the Lintons, Catherine, look down upon him. And undoubtedly, the unbridgeable gap in social positions of the two lovers makes their romance unrealizable on any practical level. “A discussion of whether or not a man was really a gentleman would consider such questions as how much land he owned, how many tenants and servants he had, how he spoke, whether he kept horse and a carriage”(Net.1). Then, we know why Heathcliff returns and becomes a rich man and why he tries to take possession of the Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Because of his possession of land, tenants, servants, he can be called a real gentleman. This social factor is the least obvious yet necessary external reason for Heathcliffs vengeance.2.2 Subjective elements for Heathcliffs vengeance2.2.1 A sense of inferiorityFrom the moment Heathcliff came and started living with the Earnshaw family, he receives unfair treatment, Hindleys blows and knocking, Nellys pinches and Josephs thrash. He feels that he has been deprived of the right of being self-esteemed and being loved. And all these deeply hurt his delicate young heart. So at the early age, he feels that he himself is inferior to others living in the Heights, even though he may not have realized this. In order to regain self-respect and superiority, he chooses avenge. Only when he takes over Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, he finally obtains the right to control everything, and thus has the greatest chance of avenging as well as the power to bully the enemies. All these can give him a sense of satisfaction so as to balance the inward sense of inferiority. This psychological deficiency, even though is minor importance, forms his character. And this is one of hidden subjective factors that gradually produces Heathcliffs plan of avenge. 2.2.2 Twisted characterWhen Heathcliff was a child, he was not as brutal as he later becomes. “He was as uncomplaining as a lamb, though hardness, not gentleness” (Emily Bronte, 1994: 37). We may see his stubbornness and persistence. He never complains about his suffering to any other, nor shows any signs of pain. He seemed as sullen patient child, hardened, perhaps to ill treatment. He would stand Hindleys blows without winking or shedding tears, and my pinches moved him only to draw a breath and open his eyes”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 36). His love for Catherine is a good proof of these characteristics. However, his characteristic is gradually formed under the influence of his bitter life experience and harsh living circumstance. He becomes spiteful, mad, brutal, cold-blooded, and has no passion to anyone except Catherine. Such a twisted character leads to Heathcliffs tragic destiny by taking the road of avenge. 2.2.3 A blend of love and hatredAs Catherine describes her love for Heathcliff to Nelly: “If all else perished, and he remained, I should still contrive to be; and if else remained, and he was annihilated and universe would turn to a mighty stranger, I should not seem a part of itNelly, I am Heathcliff! He is always, always a pleasure to me, but as my own being”(Emily Bronte, 1994: 74). The only thing Heathcliff has is his immortal love for Catherine, even though he left Wuthering