Gothic and Vampiric Themes in Wuthering Heights Essay Example

characteristic, while its structure is influenced by the movements or forces it reacts against. The Gothic genre underwent a transition as it continued and proliferated, both in collaboration with and in opposition to Romanticism.

Walpole argues that Gothic fiction is fundamentally oppositional, deriving its power from rebellion, which prompts us to consider how it challenges and defies conventions. Garrett suggests that the Gothic genre portrays isolated individuals and extreme experiences that involve madness, excessive passion, or criminal transgressions, all of which are closely interconnected and deviate from traditional societal norms (3-4).

The triangulation symbolizes the extremes of human experience, where the individual clashes violently with their society, becomes fixated on their partner, or becomes lost in their own madness. These situations are variations of the undercurrents that flow through everyday life. The Gothic genre intensifies love into passion, self-reflection into obsessive fixation, and discontent into criminal behavior. This fascination with marginal experiences extends beyond the early Gothic era of the 18th century and persists in later works. Some, like Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, only touch on Gothic elements, while others, such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, are fully aware horror novels.

The connection between madness, crime, and passion, whether direct or indirect, is not only evident in Wuthering Heights but also connected to death itself. Bronte explores these extreme states of being, much like Lewis' The Monk did almost a century earlier, which caused outrage among critics due to its intense portrayals. The novel shocks and disgusts readers with its cruelty, inhumanity, and diabolical hate and vengeance. Critics describe it as wild, confusing, disjointed, and improbable. Bronte's portrayal of violent passion, suicide, self-induced sickness, mental disturbance, and the complex

character of Heathcliff challenges conventions and pushes boundaries with its profoundly Gothic sensibilities. The recurring Gothic motifs in the novel can be interpreted as an expression of self-fragmentation, a condition considered unnatural. The novel's theme of ghosts, spirits, revenants, and vampires becomes a catalyst for psychological crisis, re-evaluation, and the possibility of either recovery or collapse.

The Gothic genre employs supernatural elements to depict extreme situations reminiscent of mental illness, as exemplified in Wuthering Heights. Through this approach, it delves into various themes commonly found in nineteenth-century literature, such as the self's connection with society and mystical/transcendental aspects. By offering a more concentrated and heightened exploration of these subjects, the Gothic genre stretches the limits of psychological and spiritual strain. It can be perceived as a more introverted version of realism, allowing for profound introspection due to its melancholic nature. The Gothic encounter portrays the existence of marginalized individuals, who confront societal norms and personal boundaries.

Gothic literature, as a highly metaphorical medium, delves into the complexities and nuances of various themes through the use of monsters. These creatures, whether grotesquely physical beings with animalistic traits or ethereal phantoms that dissipate in mist and moonlight, have undergone thorough analysis. As observed by Garrett, Gothic fiction is often seen as intentionally subversive or examined for the ways in which its horrors reveal societal anxieties regarding sexuality, gender, and the threats posed by different races or criminal groups – essentially anything that challenges the prevailing social order or its ideologies. Therefore, Gothic monsters occupy an equally ambiguous position as the narratives they inhabit.

In order to understand Gothic fiction, it is necessary to examine its monsters, who represent

its dual nature. These monsters can be understood as both literal and metaphorical Others. For example, Dracula is often seen as a corrupter from the East, embodying both sexual and ethnic Otherness. Similarly, Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights is described as a fiendish creature with demonic inclinations due to his mysterious origins. It is less common, however, to interpret Gothic monsters as reflections of other characters or of the readers themselves.

One of the reasons why this analysis is so compelling is the prevalence of doubling in Gothic fictions. Being a literature that thrives on opposition, it is fitting for its creatures to embody contrasting figures. Among the long-standing characters in Gothic fiends, the vampire stands out as one of the most ancient. Its legends originated in Eastern Europe way before Gothic writers embraced the vampire for their stories. However, what is intriguing is the enduring fascination with vampires. As a literary species, vampires lack any defining traits that unify them: Le Fanu's affectionate Carmilla introduces the possibility of homosexual love to her victims, Polidori's Lord Ruthven compels his victims to honor a pledge, while Stoker's Dracula, the oldest of them all, offers neither love nor friendship but instead desires to annihilate all connections and establish a new world order. Nonetheless, vampires share a dualistic quality - they can be both the self and its counterpart, the Other. Their monstrous nature is shaped by the fact that they were once human; they are neither entirely connected to nor completely separate from us. In many ways, they represent the epitome of Gothic monsters - just like the genre itself - filled with ambiguities and alternatives, vampires are contradictory

double-figures.

The least explored aspect of literary vampires is the concept of psychological transferal. This idea suggests that when a vampire attacks, not only does it harm the victim's physical health, but it also destabilizes their mental well-being. This characteristic can be seen in Gothic literature predating Dracula, particularly in Wuthering Heights. In Bronte's novel, psychological vampirism is a frequently used motif that serves as a metaphor to examine the boundaries between individual identity and otherness. The invasion of the self by external forces, which later manifested in different forms such as foreign invasion, disease transmission, or spreading vice, originated on an individual level for Bronte through encounters between selves. The notion that one person's influence (the vampire) can affect another person (the victim) with either negative or liberating consequences holds great appeal as a literary concept.

By infiltrating, the vampire challenges the idea that the self and its boundaries are undisturbed. At first, literary vampires may seem completely foreign. Several scholars have labeled them as an "alien kind" or "invader" due to their diverse characteristics of otherness (see Auerbach, p. 84 and Garrett, p. 123). The vampire unquestionably represents a danger, not only to those it preys upon, but also to the established system that it penetrates.

To dismiss the vampire as simply Other is to oversimplify and ignore the essential qualities of Gothic literature. Gothic literature relies on the use of opposing structures, such as point/counterpoint and image/reflection tropes, to construct alternative narratives. The vampire's semi-physical existence grants it a freedom that humans lack, enabling it to defy material boundaries and enter places where it should not be allowed according to natural laws. For Bronte, the

vampire's hybrid nature, being both physical and phantom-like, offers a unique opportunity to understand the self through a distorted yet reflective lens, revealing its true nature at the extremes of experience. The vampire's connection to its once-human state is just as crucial as its monstrous tendencies, as it symbolizes a kinship with its victims. Those who fall under the vampire's spell are living counterparts, resembling what the vampire once was.

The vampires symbolize the fragmented selves of their victims, existing in limbo between life and death. They represent the threshold between incomprehension and ultimate knowledge, embodying the enigmatic riddle of life and the concept of death as an ultimate understanding. In an era where internal and external forces threatened the individual self, vampires serve as a weighty metaphor for being on the brink of either discovery or dissolution. They reflect the obsession of defining the self and demarcating boundaries between "Ich" and "Nicht ich," while also recognizing that these margins are more blurred than anticipated. Vampirism and its penetration can be interpreted in multiple ways, such as disease transmission, infection, psychological suggestion, or even liberating the breaking of barriers. Wuthering Heights and Dracula occupy opposite ends of this continuum.

Both Stoker and Bronte have divergent perspectives on the significance of maintaining one's self. Stoker emphasizes the importance of preserving mental and physical integrity, while Bronte finds value in the metaphorical merging of selves through vampirism, considering it necessary and liberating. These contradictory views are in line with the overarching preoccupations and inherent duality of the Gothic genre. In Wuthering Heights, vampirism is explored, as it represents the unholy communion of selves and death. Dante Gabriel Rossetti describes

the setting of the novel as Hell, yet it is filled with places and people bearing English names. Nelly Dean mentions hideous incarnate demons, foreshadowing the presence of vampirism. Surprisingly, vampirism is introduced towards the end of the story when Heathcliff undergoes a "strange change" that marks his death (245).

The later chapters of Wuthering Heights present a significant contrast to the earlier text. In these chapters, Heathcliff distances himself from his pursuit of revenge, which involved eradicating all descendants of the Linton and Earnshaw families. Throughout most of the novel, Heathcliff's main focus was on accumulating wealth and assets after Cathy's death. However, it becomes evident that he is no longer interested in worldly matters and instead derives his emotions from an external, otherworldly source. This is revealed when Nelly questions him and he responds, "Where should good news come from, to me?" indicating that his feelings are not derived from conventional sources.

Heathcliff, known for his melancholic and somber nature, is experiencing an uncommon surge of emotion that he cannot fully define as joy. This overwhelming sentiment is provoking a change in him without any apparent logical explanation. Nelly, speaking plainly, questions Heathcliff if he has received any positive news in an attempt to comprehend this sudden transformation. However, Heathcliff firmly rejects the notion that any worldly news could be the cause, questioning its origin altogether. He then confesses to feeling hunger but not the kind that can be appeased by food alone. He elaborates on how little interest he has in his daily life to the point of occasionally forgetting to eat or drink. Nelly finds herself perplexed by his use of metaphors to

describe his state of being, unable to grasp this new facet of his personality. Interestingly, as Heathcliff becomes less preoccupied with fulfilling basic physical needs such as eating and sleeping, Nelly strives earnestly to keep him grounded in them.

She continuously urges him to reconnect with his physical surroundings and consistently questions him about his unusual behavior: "Tell me why you are so strange, Mr. Heathcliff?" (249). Eventually, it is Heathcliff's rejection of all sustenance that causes her to wonder: "Is he a ghoul or a vampire?" Nelly believes that only a wicked, demonic creature could survive, despite all logical odds, solely on "exquisite extremes" (251) of pleasure and pain. After further contemplation, she recalls caring for him as a baby and dismisses her demonic theory as impossible. However, if Heathcliff is not a demon, he is still, in Nelly's eyes, an irreversible sinner.

She expresses worry for Heathcliff’s mortal soul, as she reminds him that, ever since he was young, he has lived a life that is “selfish and unchristian” (252). According to her, if he continues with his self-imposed starvation, the only inevitable outcome will be death. This deliberate act of suicide will make him unworthy of being buried in the sacred grounds of the Kirk, something that he has desired ever since Catherine was buried there. Nelly warns Heathcliff that he is in danger of becoming one of the damned, a state that shares eerie similarities with vampirism.

Heathcliff will be cast out and denied a burial with his earthly love. Because he is not knowledgeable in orthodox religion, he is deemed unworthy of heaven. Like the Undead, he is trapped between life and death,

which Nelly portrays as horrifyingly uncertain. Despite this, Heathcliff is not afraid of the possibility of being a ghost on earth after death. Similar to Catherine Earnshaw, who once dreamed of being an outcast in heaven and was joyfully awakened on the Wuthering Heights heath, Heathcliff suggests that the traditional afterlife would be unfamiliar to him.

He embraces the idea of a possible purgatory, threatening to "walk" after death if his earthly wishes are not fulfilled. He warns Nelly that if she doesn't bury him next to Catherine, it will prove that the dead are not annihilated. By defying mortality and haunting Nelly if she goes against his wishes, Heathcliff demonstrates his strong belief in the blurred boundaries between life and death. Furthermore, he suggests that desires that were unfulfilled in life can be achieved in an afterlife. This belief is the basis of his obsessive longing for Cathy's ghost; being reunited with Cathy symbolizes Heathcliff's version of heaven.

According to the text, the narrator rejects Nelly's criticism of his profane and irreligious state. He does not fear the punishment of being an outcast or living in purgatory, but instead embraces it. This reversal impacts our understanding of vampirism in Wuthering Heights. Typically, vampires are seen as dangerous, corrupting figures who are condemned to eternal non-life and must destroy innocent beings to survive. Heathcliff, like a vampire, is portrayed as mysterious and enigmatic, disappearing during his early adulthood only to return mysteriously transformed and refined.

Heathcliff uses various methods to destroy the Linton and Earnshaw houses, such as stealth, corruption, money, cunning, and manipulation. His villainous actions reach their height during his middle age, increasing over

time. However, in the last weeks of his life, his goal shifts from destruction to merging and reunion, blurring the boundaries between life and death. These contrasting tendencies embody the characteristics of vampirism. Bronte's portrayal of metaphorical vampirism emphasizes the duality found in Gothic literature.

Instead of simply viewing Heathcliff as an entirely evil character who selfishly consumes others in his own quest, Wuthering Heights explores the fragmented nature of his identity and his relentless desire to find his counterpart. The relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff, which is the most significant in the novel, goes beyond love. It becomes a representation of a divided self that is then shattered into individual pieces. As Catherine herself declares, "I am Heathcliff - he's always, always in my mind - not as a source of pleasure, just as I am not always a source of pleasure to myself - but as my own being" (64). Therefore, Bronte contemplates the concept of selfhood and the irreparable damage caused by a self that cannot be rebuilt. Similar to Heathcliff's belief in a permeable boundary between life and death, Cathy asserts that there are no true boundaries between them; their souls are made of the same intangible substance.

Their separation, forced due to their gender divide, dictates their individual paths under different pressures. However, it is evident that both Heathcliff and Catherine cannot fully recover from this separation; they both strive to bridge any gaps that divide them, even ones that seem impenetrable like the boundary between life and death. According to one scholar, Catherine and Heathcliff, like other pairs who were once separated, are more threatening when they attempt to reunite than

when they were unnaturally split (Sedgwick 118). Their impulse to reunite threatens to cross existing borders and constructs that Bronte skeptically views. Since their union is seen as traditionally "unnatural," their unyielding desire to reconnect only makes sense in the untamed, marginalized world of Wuthering Heights. Similar to other Gothic fiction, Wuthering Heights presents a worldview that opposes the rules flouted by Walpole.

The text suggests a world turned upside down, where people who should be together are instead driven apart and labeled abnormal and insane. Contrary to traditional religious beliefs, which promise a peaceful afterlife devoid of passion and dreams, Heathcliff's ideal heaven is one where mortal desires can be fulfilled. Heathcliff, like Cathy in her dreams, finds comfort in the idea of wandering around the places he knew in life. Gilbert and Gubar introduced the idea of inversion as a central theme in Wuthering Heights, where the conventional notion of Hell (represented by Wuthering Heights) is actually Heathcliff and Catherine's version of Heaven. On the other hand, the elegant Thrushcross Grange, as well as the heavenly image preached by Joseph and Branderham, embody their idea of Hell. Bronte's text is clearly subversive, challenging not only traditional religious and societal norms but also established literary themes such as that of the vampire.

In Wuthering Heights, the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff can be likened to an idyllic Hell, a place where their unholy union takes place. This eerie atmosphere makes it the perfect setting for a vampire, a creature cursed by Hell, to exist. A major theme in the novel is mental illness, which Bronte uses to challenge traditional beliefs about the power of individual will.

Both madness and vampirism lead characters to question their own physical and mental states. Cathy, suffering from brain fever, poignantly wonders why she has undergone such a drastic transformation (Bronte 97).

The protagonist is bewildered by the changes she has undergone, to the point where she no longer recognizes herself. This is evident in her inability to identify her own reflection in a mirror, as Nelly remarks, "I was incapable of making her comprehend it to be her own" (96). It is worth noting that vampires, like the character in question, were unable to see their own images in mirrors, although this aspect became more prominent in Stoker's work. The mental and personal disconnect depicted in Bronte's narrative carries an important meaning.

According to Veronica Hollinger (201), the vampire has the ability to challenge conventional distinctions, allowing us to see a reflection of ourselves. However, in line with the belief that vampires have no mirror reflections, we only see ourselves in the mirror. Catherine, despite not exhibiting typical vampire traits, embodies both monster and victim due to her fragmentation. This mirrors the vampire's inability to see its own reflection and serves as a powerful metaphor for Catherine's complete self-alienation. What is truly terrifying for her is that the reflected version she sees is not a monster, but rather herself as Catherine Earnshaw Linton.

Cathy, who was once a wild and independent child, has now become a magistrate’s wife, completely detached from her past and even her own identity. This realization is quickly followed by madness as Cathy fully comprehends the permanent separation from Heathcliff and the irreversible changes to herself. The feeling of alienation causes Cathy to suffer

from brain fever, leading to a collapse of her mental stability. Bronte suggests that without a sense of wholeness within herself, Cathy falls apart internally. Similarly, victims of vampires question their sanity, unsure if they are being attacked by a physical being or if it is merely a creation of their unstable minds. The line between vampires and hallucinations is blurry, as they both have the ability to penetrate deeper than just the surface of one's body.

The mental states of those attacked, much like delusions, are indeed impacted. Cathy, who heavily relies on her psychological and spiritual bond with Heathcliff, falls ill due to the artificial separation created by societal norms such as marriage, class, and most importantly, self-imposed division. Heathcliff acknowledges this when he tells her that she is responsible for her own despair and that she willingly created a divide between them (125). Bronte, in a self-reflective manner, suggests that Cathy embodies both the vampire and the victim. She is the one who acts as the aggressor, causing harm to her own mind and self, while simultaneously suffering from the resulting fragmentation. Catherine finds herself trapped in her own purgatory, caught between the heaven of Thrushcross Grange and the hellish Heights, where she ultimately yearns to be.

The use of colorful Gothic language and imagery in Wuthering Heights is particularly notable during "mad" episodes and deathbed scenes. The contrast between rosiness and pallor, representing health and illness respectively, is prominently displayed. Catherine's recovery from illness is marked by her enduring "paleness of face," a trait that continues even after she fully recovers, leading Nelly to believe it is a sign of her future decline

(121). In her final meeting with Heathcliff, Catherine once again appears pale and almost corpse-like, except for her radiant eyes, which have a disturbingly vengeful expression: "her present countenance had a wild vindictiveness in its white cheek, and a bloodless lip and scintillating eye" (123).

Catherine's paleness is unusual since she is known for her explosive personality and hot temper, which has been present since her childhood. These outbursts would leave her flushed and gloomy. During one rage, she accuses her husband Edgar of being cold-blooded and claims that his veins are filled with ice water while hers are boiling. This tranquility infuriates her. Catherine is repeatedly associated with heat and rage, strength and good health. However, she undergoes a transformation into a pale, corpse-like woman. This change marks a bigger shift as she disconnects from the earth and turns towards life beyond death. Her appearance, previously characterized by glowing vitality, now possesses an otherworldly beauty that horrifies Heathcliff when he sees her. He interprets her altered appearance as a sign that she is destined to surpass earthly limitations, even their own attachment.

Cathy takes on a vampire-like appearance in her final days, blurring the line between life and death. Her pale features and flowing white robes resemble burial shrouds, making her seem like a ghostly figure from the afterlife. But along with this transformation, Cathy desires a change. She is tired of being confined and longs for an escape from the limitations of her physical body. She seeks a transcendence that goes beyond traditional spirituality and heaven. Her escape would allow her to come back to earth as a phantom presence, able to experience it without

the constraints of mortality, as a woman who walks.

In the text, we see that she desires the freedom vampires possess, along with their connection between life and death. Bronte once again defies societal norms by presenting a different perspective on the limbo state that vampires exist in. Unlike Nelly's conventional interpretation, this limbo state is not feared for its uncertainty. Instead, it becomes a space filled with enormous potential. Clearly, Cathy, who experienced profound unhappiness even in her dreams of "heaven," will undoubtedly explore a different afterlife experience, one that may be offered by a transitional state like Un-death.

Despite its metaphysical focus, Wuthering Heights should not be overlooked in terms of its social, political, and economic implications. While the vampire as a symbol for national parasite, foreign invader, and cultural danger has been extensively analyzed, its depiction in Wuthering Heights is often overlooked. Heathcliff's arrival immediately triggers suspicion and fear, which is expressed in terms of his ethnicity. Nelly, who serves as the voice of Yorkshire's practicality and traditional values in the text, describes the Earnshaws' response to him: "Mrs."

Earnshaw … did fly up – asking how he could bring that gipsy brat into the house, when they had their own children to care for? ” (29; emphasis mine). Even Mr. Earnshaw, who until his death remains Heathcliff’s biggest supporter, stubbornly defending him above his own children, introduces him with a double-edged phrase, “take it as a gift of God, though it’s as dark almost as if it came from the devil” (28). Heathcliff’s darkness marks him as an ethnic Other, a being of unknown origin who enters the Earnshaw household. Additionally, it is associated

with the demonic, as if he comes from hell itself.

Later, Hindley refers to him as the "imp of Satan" (31), which leads to a proliferation of devilish imagery associated with Heathcliff throughout the text, including vampires. This suggestion, that being of a different ethnicity was akin to being devilish, was a commonly held stereotype during the nineteenth century. The fear of racial mixing, known as "miscegenation," posed a threat to the purity and strength of the race. Ethnic minorities were seen as potential sources of racial corruption, either through their mere presence or, more effectively, through heterosexual relationships. Thus, Heathcliff's intense bond with Catherine, who comes from a respected lineage, presents an even more terrifying danger. The children born from such a union would be seen as illegitimate products of racial mixing, embodying the "pollution" that poses a threat to the vitality of the Earnshaw family line. Ethnic Others were also seen as a symbol of moral danger, representing the infiltration of demonic elements into conventional society. Although Bronte's interpretation of the demonic deviates from these accusations, these tropes still emerge in her text.

According to Nelly, Heathcliff poses the most significant economic threat in the household, breeding bad feeling from the start. There is a suspicion that he will take away what belongs to the Earnshaws. Hindley sees Heathcliff as both a usurper of his father's affections and his rights as the eldest son.

The anger of Mrs. Earnshaw is expressed regarding her husband's decision to rescue a "gipsy brat" at the expense of their own legitimate children. This situation of limited resources leads to their worries about appropriation. Heathcliff, as the outsider, becomes a danger

to their economic stability and their very means of survival. Ultimately, Mrs. Earnshaw's fears become true as Heathcliff metaphorically drains his oppressive family, seizing what was once Hindley's. If Hindley represents the established Anglo-Saxon class, Heathcliff's arrival not only threatens Hindley's personal security but also the integrity of the entire society.

The text highlights how Heathcliff utilizes his economic prowess, comparable to Dracula's infiltration of London, to bring about the downfall of the Earnshaw and Linton families. Heathcliff surpasses the boundaries of the existing social hierarchy and supplants its former occupants. Additionally, he mysteriously disappears for three years and returns with refined manners, devoid of any traces of his past degradation. Nelly observes that his voice has acquired a foreign tone and his demeanor suggests a military background. This period of ambiguity mirrors Dracula's meticulous preparations to assimilate into British society and establish a new order. Nelly's distrust towards Heathcliff's activities during his absence further accentuates the unease caused by his reappearance.

The text implies that he may have been a spy, selling national secrets to foreign countries for profit. Once again, the text highlights the potential of vampires to corrupt and breach national and cultural security. After eighteen years since Cathy's death, Heathcliff undergoes a parallel transformation as he nears death. However, the effects of this "strange change" on him are drastically different from Cathy's. Instead, his metamorphosis is invigorating; he experiences tremors of delight and is driven by an "otherworldly" force that prevents him from needing sustenance or sleep. In contrast to Catherine, who becomes pale and ghostlike, Heathcliff appears incredibly vibrant.

Although Nell describes him as pale, he trembles with a curious and joyful

glitter in his eyes (247).