《呼啸山庄》希斯克利夫的性格及其成因分析

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1、濃丿本科毕希斯克利夫的性格及其成因分析学院外国语学院专业英语辅修、双学位年级2009 级学号222008314011139姓名聂欢欢指导教师王勤玲成绩二O一一年五月The Analysis of Heathcliffs Character andIts reasons in Wuthering HeightsNie HuanhuanSupervisorWang QinlingA Thesis Submitted inPartial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree ofB. A. in EnglishSCHOOL OF FOREIGN

2、 LANGUAGESSOUTHWEST UNIVERSITYMay, 2011AcknowledgementsMany people have made invaluable contributions, both directly and indirectly to my research. I would like to express my gratitude to all those who helped me during the writing of the thesis.Firstly, I would like to express my warmest gratitude t

3、o Professor Wang Qinling, my supervisor, for her instructive suggestions and valuable comments on the writing of this thesis.Secondly, I was indebted to all the teachers in the School of Foreign Languages who taught and helped me in the past two years.Besides, my thanks would go to my beloved family

4、 for their loving considerations and great confidence in me all through these days. And I wish to thank all my fellow classmates who gave me help and time in listening to me and helping me work out my problems during the difficult course of the thesis.At last, I would like to extend my heartfelt gra

5、titude to the author whose words I have cited or quoted, and to the scholars upon whose ideas I have freely drawn.ContentsAcknowledgementsAbstract3摘 要41. Introduction52. The Analysis of the Character of Heathcliff62.1 A Coudy, Cruel, Mad and Evil Man62.2 The Process of Evolution of Heathcliffs Chara

6、cter72.3 Heathcliffs Resistance73. Reasons For the Lose of Humanity83.1 The Oppression of Social Class 83.2 The Concept of Money and Pedigree94. The Recurrence of Humanity115. Conclusion12Works Cited17The Analysis of HeathclifsfCharacter and ItsReasons in Wuthering HeightsAbstractThe image of Heathc

7、liff, the hero of Wuthering Heights, has been analyzed and evaluated by others scholar. It is extremely cruel that he took vengeance on Catherine, Lintons and the next generation in that way, which make people consider him as a brutal, cold-blooded and evil person. However, this perspective is not c

8、onvinced. This thesis mainly analyses the character of Heathcliff and the change happened in him from boyhood to manhood. During the time, Heathcliff become very awry. There are two direct reasons resulting in this, the one is the insult from Hindley, the other is that Catherine betrays his love. Ne

9、vertheless this is not enough to make him become such a person. The essential reasons can be divided into two aspects, which include oppressing of social class and concept of money and pedigree. In this time, Heathcliff rises up in resistance, dynamical and untamed. In return, it hurt himself deeply

10、, even he pays the cost of his own life. As a passive victim and the figure of tragedy, he deserves our pity. At finally, the inveterate love for Catherine leads him to head for good. In order to extricate himself from existent straits, keep human dignity and obtain the freedom of soul, he becomes a

11、 bundle of extreme contradictions. Just such a Heathcliff having writhen features occupies an important place in the history of Literature.Key Words： Heathcliff, Character, Wuthering Heights呼啸山庄中希斯克利夫的性格及其成因分析摘要呼啸山庄是一部伟大瑰丽的作品，对于书中主人公希斯克利夫的形象， 有无数的学者进行了分析和评价。他对凯瑟琳和林顿家以及下一代人的报复方式 是极其残忍的，这使人们觉得他是一个十恶不赦

12、的，阴冷的，疯狂的恶魔。但这 样的看法是不完全正确的。本论文从全书来看，客观的分析希斯克利夫的形象，从年少时的善良变成了 一个暴戾残忍的恶魔，希斯克利夫的人性发生了扭曲。而直接致使希斯克利夫的 人性扭曲的原因有两个，一是来自亨德莱德侮辱，二是凯瑟琳对爱情的背叛，但 这两个外因，还不足以使希斯克利夫成为魔鬼的代言人。根本原因是希斯克利夫 刚勇无畏的天性与当时的社会背景产生了严重的抵触，一是阶级压迫，二是金钱、 门第观念。在这样一个时代里，希斯克利夫采取的是暴风霹雳般的反抗，很有力 度和野性，但也因此使自己深受伤害。作为一个被动的承受着，一个悲剧人物， 他是很值得人们同情的。由于他对凯瑟琳刻骨铭心

13、的爱，最终指引他走向“善”。 为了摆脱生存困境、保持人性的尊严、获得心灵的自由，人类面临的严峻考验和 艰难抉择，作为这样一个极端矛盾的结合体，具有扭曲性格的希斯克利夫这一文 学角色将永远在文学史上占有一席之地。关键词：呼啸山庄；希斯克利夫；性格成因1. IntroductionIn the history of English literature, Wuthering Heightwsritten by Emily Bronte is always esteemed the most peculiar novel and an inscrutable book, since at first

14、 it was censured as “gloomy, indecorous and morbid-minded (Zheng Kelu 248) ”, “a direful and brackish novel (Yang Jingyuan 129-130)”. In this book mainly represents the transitional process of Heathcilffs character from transformed humanity to the recurrence of humanity. Heathcilff was an orphan fro

15、m Liverpool adopted by Mr. Eamshaw, the old master of Wuthering Heights. However, he was not popular except Mr. Eamshaw. When Mr. Eamshaw introduced him to his families, everybody didn t like him, especially his son Hindley. Hindley often beated and insulted him, but he bore his treatment fairly wel

16、l because of the love of Mr. Eamshaw. Unfortunately, Mr. Eamshaw gone off, his treatments became worse, his right of being educated is deprived and he must labour out of doors as hard as any other lad on the farm. However, he put up with everything because he could forget everything in the minute he

17、 and Catherine are together again. One Sunday, Heathcliff and Catherine met Edgar and his sister Isabella, something happened to change. Catherine and Edgar began their love, which made Heathcliff intolerable. Because of the amour-propre, Catherine married to Edgar. On heading of Catherines decision

18、, Heathcliff left Wuthering Heights for three years. When he came back, he became very cut-throat and heartless, which represented thoroughly by the way where he got back at everybody of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. And he restored the humanity finally.During the repaying to others, Hea

19、thcliff became a cloudy, cruel, mad and evil man. In fact, Heathcliff was a tragedy figure and he also suffered a lot. His befalling is worthy to be pitiful. The change of Heathcliffs character from sitting down under to impersonal, has aroused the literates highly attention. The reasons of the chan

20、ge are multiple. Many literates are searching for this (E.L.Gilbert 123). From the analysis to the reasons, we can get farther understanding to love and hatred (Zhang Tongle 135). And to the time that the novel describes, we also have more knowledge about it. This paper, therefore, attempts to make

21、a general survey into the change of Heathcliffs character, analyzing the reasons resulting in the change, with focus made on the humanity of Heathcliff not his beastliness.2. The Analysis of the Character of Heathcliff2.1 A Cloudy, Cruel, Mad and Evil ManWriters shaped a cloudy, cruel, mad and evil

22、figure, Heathcliff, the hero of Wuthering Heights. In the night when Catherine decided to marry to Linton, Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights. Three years later, he came back filled with hatred and vengeance plan for crazy revenge. Firstly, to despot Hindley who used to ill-treat and insult him, be

23、cause of being familiar with his weaknesses of intemperance and gambling, he deluded gradually him to the snare contrived beforehand, which made Hindley lose out his all property. At finally, he became the master of Wuthering Heights. Hindley trying on put-out him, but he actually hurt himself with

24、his knife, and fallen senseless with pain. However he mahogany kicked him and threw him on the floor. “He used divine restraint to subdue himself, so Hindley didn t lose his life (Emily Bronte 168)”. So was His barbarism and cruelty.When facing with harmless Hareton, the little son of Hindley, Heath

25、cliff pay him back with his own coin. He made Hareton suffer what he did ever. He treated him as a servant, deprived his access to be educated, and taught him “everything except bestial things is useless and looked down on ”. (Emily Bronte 207) On purpose, he fostered Hareton as a fatuous and rude m

26、an with a foul mouth. As for his rival Edgar Linton, he mainly afflicted him from his heart. He made use of his sister Isabella s simplicity and infantilism to bam her, and made her marry to him. After getting married, he abused her so that his wife had to get away from him and apart from her relati

27、ves. Even his son little Linton that Isabella gave birth to him was also regarded as the bait, for tempting that Cathy falls in love with him. When Edgar would go off because of the serious disease, he captivated Cathy and Nelly, which was blanked, and bruited the rumor that they were got into the b

28、og and saved by Heathcliff. To force Cathy to marry Linton, he captivated Cathy for four days and five nights until he gained his ends. By this token, his depravity and craftiness were not outdoing by others. Even though to his son, he still had not a bit of kindliness, just because his name was the

29、 same with his uncle, and he was cowardly naturally and his appearance was more similar with his mother. After his son left testament that all the fortune was bequeathed to him, and the bequest help him figure for Thrushcross Grange, Linton s merit disappear. He didn t care about his son s fate any

30、more, would not spend any money on sending his son for doctor and even forbidden servants to look after him. Linton lived in the surrounding until died away after two months. So he treat his son, therefore, Heathcliff was bestial against humanity.2.2 The Process of Evolution of Heathcliffs Character

31、At Heathcliffs childhood and boyhood, the old Earnshaw doted on him, Nelly commiserated him and Catherine liked him. However, Hindley abominated him because his fathers love was captured by him. Although Hindley often hit him, he hardly notified old father these since Earnshaw believed him absolutel

32、y. He never told lies, just was hard-nosed and not sonny enough. After Enarshaw going off, Hindley demeaned him to become a servant and deprived him from being educated, but he still put up with all, listened to Nellys advises and was aspirant, because the love of Catherine was in favor him. However

33、, on hearing of Catherines thinking that she decided to marry Edgar, he broke down. He left Wuthering Heights with endless umbrage. Three years later, he came back with crazy vengeance plan. He did not only aimed at Hindley and Edgar, but also gone down to the next generation. He regarded his son as

34、 a tool of vengeance, trampled Haretons personality and destroyed Catherines daughter happiness. Even his lover Catherine still got his retaliating. Everybody related to Catherine and Catherine were the victims under his vengeance plan. The way to vengeance was wondrously brutal, and the extent of t

35、he vengeance was crazy. Therefore, Heathcliff was out of his senses and metamorphic, and wasn t tolerant by social morality.2.3 Heathcliffs ResistanceIn the facing of such a society and crackdown, Heathcliff retaliated against his suffering, and the resistance was as strong as rain storm (Lv Qiuwei

36、93). Among the people retaliated, no one could overcome him, no matter physically or mentally. Hindley indulged in drinking and gambling, which resulted in losing all his fortune. Although he grinded his teeth with hatred, and readied to kill Heathcliff with swords and guns, Heathcliff beat him fina

37、lly. Edgar. Linton was elegant, cowardly by nature and more ineffective. To their next generation, Hareton was thankful to him, took the foe for his father. Little Linton was invalid and fearful on seeing his father. Since little Cathy stood up to him, even if it meant fists, she also had to submit

38、to his savage. Therefore, Heathcliffs victories were countless. For instance, he got the wealth of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, defeated Hindley and Edgar. Linton thoroughly, frustrated Isabella and little Cathys dash etc. However, ironically, the measure he took for revenge still was t

39、he same with high social measure of value.3. Reasons For the Lose of HeathcliffsHumanity3.1 The Oppressing of Social ClassHeathcliff was a homeless boy who didn t get any kindness from others until old Earnshaw adopted him. Nevertheless, he wasnt out of difficulty, but got stuck in enmity toward oth

40、ers. He silently spent his childhood in curse, fist that others put on him. Therefore, under the surface of calm endurance, their evil behave planted a seed of hatred in his heart. Hindley, the little master of Wuthering Heights, abominated Heathcliff the first time he saw him. Given his father s bl

41、ame, he dared not publicly retaliate against him. When he became the master of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff was under the control of him absolutely. His insult and the ravages of inhumanity to poor Heathcliff that made Heathcliffs personality distorted in the darkness and ignorance. So we can see,

42、years later, what he said about revenge on little Hareton, which reflected Heathcliff abominable and the accusation against Hindley and the society.Heathcliff was deprived of his rights to freedom and education, and he was a drudge, the object of Hindley and even Joseph. But to keep valuable human n

43、ature, he struggled to keep up with the pace of Catherines reading, and attempted to get himself shipshape and polite.However, his strength got well below the social storm pushing him to the agrestic and simplicity abyss. Hindley restrained him from everything civilized by any way. Lintons joked abo

44、ut him and took precautious against him as if he was a contagion. All insults to his spirit were rather fatal to prideful and vengeful Heathcliff, which made him have to desert the struggle.From the quantitative to qualitative changes, Heathcliff was distorted. Outwardly, the reason that caused Heat

45、hcliff to change himself, was the oppression of Hindley. “The way he treated Heathcliff in made a saint become a demon.”(Shang meng 59). The oppression of Hindley not only had his personal emotion, but also represented the propertied classs oppression and exploitation that the poor suffered from. As

46、 long as there was even a little money for living, he can leave tyrant. Instead, he was on his uppers, having to depend on another, suffering from Hindley s cruelties and working hard like a slave. Consequently, the oppression of capitalist class represented by Hindley was the first reason resulting

47、 in Heathcliffs tragedy. In the 1830s, capitalist was developing, and gradually exploded its inherent vice; contradictions between working class and bourgeoisie became increasingly acute. The unemployed could not fill their stomach. A great quantity of child worker died under cruel tortures, which w

48、as a turbulent times. Heathcliff was the one of victims. And because of the common phenomenon of racial discrimination in the society, Heathcliffs black hair and eyes were always the objects treated with disdain.3.2 The Concept of Money and PedigreeBefore Heathcliff leaving Wuthering Heights, althou

49、gh he lived a miserable life disgracing humanity, he could swallowed everything without saying a thing because of Catherine keeping him company. “They forgot everything the minute they were together again.” (Emily Bronte 72) They went after freedom, disliking being committed to anything. The shared

50、trait made them share a soul. It was even as Catherine said, “He is more myself than I am”, “if all else remained, and he were gone, the universe would seem a stranger ”, “I am Heathcliff ”. Heathcliff exclaimed from within, “Id not exchange my condition here for Edgar Linton s at Trushcross Grange,

51、 not for a thousand lives ”, “I was not alive without my soul ”. (Emily 35)In his life, Catherine was his soul-mate. The shocking words expressed what passionate love it was, which people cant help being touched by. In front of love, Heathclif was admirableness. (Robert Kiely 157) However, in front

52、of living, he was untitled.Although Wuthering Heights was a remote place, it was not standing alone. The secular utility values, the concept of money and pedigree of capitalist society inevitable had an effect on Catherine, so Edgar s wealthy family and the natural grace attracted Catherine. At the

53、same time, Mrs. Hindley transformed her with splendid clothes and slimy words, and Hindley stop Catherine from continually keeping in touch with Heathcliff to widen the gap between them, drawing a clear line of demarcation, which made Catherine know that her status was different widely from Heathcli

54、ffs, and shown the difference between Heathcliff and Hindley. Under the temptation of money and pedigree, Catherine made wrong decision that she would marry Hindley, since she loved Heathcliff deeply and Heathcliff did the same. When hearing that Catherine said that it would degree her to marry him,

55、 Heathcliff became sadder and more silent. At this instant, Heathcliff lost the source of the life he lived by. In this world, the Catherine s love was the one for him. If all else perished, and her love for him, he should still continue to be; and without Catherine s love, loses friend, and love, a

56、nd all. He had suffered too much insult in his live before, but Catherine s love for him gave him inexhaustible power. If Hindleys cruelties he subjected to planted the seeds of hatred in his heart, losing Catherine s love was a fuse to detonate Heathcliffs hatred and the proximate cause resulting i

57、n Heathcliffs distortion. If Hindley killed his hopes, then such Catherine s betrayal him to impasse, making him become a crazy avenger. Heathcliffs keen affection turned to lavished hate, only to sink ever deeper into the dark mire.Heathcliff was obsessed with becoming the devil, and the tragedy ha

58、ppened inevitably. Had he accepted good education and got world warmth, he would have been more tolerant and broad. Toward revenge he could take more civilization measures but not the way to requite like for like. He took the measures of the upper circles, wealth and birth as well as social position

59、. Like Linton, after being in agony for losing his wife, he became a hermit. Charlotte Bronte mentioned in To Williams. W. S. If given careful training and merciful treatment, the dusky gipsy boy would be a man, but harshness and stupidity made him become a devil. (Yang Jingyuan 96) Although her wor

60、ds were full of discrimination and disdain, on the other hand, leading to Heathcliffs degeneration was the surrounding lacking of love. Environment can make a man as well as destroy him. Because environment preexisted personal quality, and environment shapes personality, so a particular environment

61、must shape a particular characteristic.Heathcliff has no inherited place in either the closed system of the house at Wuthering Heights, or of the larger social whole, think the thematic indeterminacy of Wuthering Heights occurs as a result of the fact that Catherine and Heathcliff cannot be circumsc

62、ribed by the two . Therefore，manipulating his everything from behind his craziness was social environment. He was only nobody crushed so much as to be abnormal, and the victim of grim hierarchical society and money society.4. The Recurrence of HumanityAs a rejected child adopted by old Earnshaw, Hea

63、thcliff was plain and genuine. He got more Earnshaws favor than his son Hindley. Hence he did have his own peculiarity. By the describing of Heathcliffs childhood, writer didn t definitely tell us Heathcliffs virtue, but with others protection, the writer gave us a hint that primitive Heathcliff was

64、 kind and remarkably hardy (Marianne Thormahlen 86).Heathcliff manifested his kindness in the following ways. To Catherine, his love for her lasted as long as his live. To his rival Edgar, at first he was possible of forbearance. In fact, he loved Hareton, and he respected servant Nelly, which were

65、hidden. Therefore, the distorted and transformed humanity was temporary and reversed. When his revenge reached the high tide, Heathcliff (who is of course also affected by Haretons marked physical resemblance to the elder Catherine) powerless to corrupt the boy: the love that, of even the curates tuition as a measure of revenge on the lads father; his project is killed by a love he could not eradicate, a love that, respect Haretons affection for and allegiance to Heathcliff can love grow between the two you