Molly Harding English Literature Coursework

How are religious theologies about heaven and hell presented and questioned in Wuthering Heights in contrast to Northanger Abbey? - Molly Harding
Wuthering Heights can be described as a gothic novel which explores religious theologies and their worth. The character of Heathcliff is pivotal in this notion as he is characterized as a questionable embodiment of hell whose actions prompt Bronte to propose to her audience as to whether Christian theologies about heaven and hell are relevant, and whether they exist at all. Northanger Abbey as a partner text holds stronger Christian values and can be seen to mock the gothic ideas expressed in Wuthering Heights through a range of literary techniques and devices. Bronte quickly uses dark imagery in physically describing Heathcliff to make him appear an almost demonic character. The repetition of the adjective dark throughout the book is an important motif in Heathcliffs characterization such as can be seen where he is called a black haired child (page 25) and his eyes a couple of dark fiends, so deeply buried (page 39). This metaphor could be suggesting an internal darkness mirrored externally and the connotations of darkness are of badness which questions theologies of hell being present in the novels Byronic hero rather than the traditional Christian theologies of a God. Alternatively it could be argued that the descriptions of dark actually relates to Heathcliffs ethnic origin and is irrelevant in regards to the characterization of his hellish nature. This concept is utilized in the 2011 film adaptation in which Heathcliff is played by an actor of African descent. At the time of the novels writing in the Victorian era religion was a large part of everyday life; Bronte however was not a strong Christian which explains her forwardness at making such bold statements which could be considered blasphemous. Northanger Abbey also describes the protagonist Catherine as having dark lank hair, this, similarly to Wuthering Heights, gives a gothic element to its central character, but in contrast because of the adjective lank, it makes her seem weak and suggests that all her ideas and theologies are in her head and a figment of her imagination - in contrast to the total embodiment of darkness in Heathcliff.

The dialogue used by Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights presents and explores the theology of hell as being inflicted by his love Catherine rather than a higher power. Heathcliffs connection with Catherine is deep and reaches an almost spiritual level which causes him to muse that existence after losing her would be hell. This metaphor connotes that, to Heathcliff, death is peace and not necessarily the afterlife. The hyperbole of hell could suggest that Heathcliff sees the infliction of hell as being in Catherines hands and symbolizes that she has the power over him that at the time, would have been believed to be held by an the omniscient power of a Christian God. At the time of Brontes writing, the belief that judgment would have been carried out by a Christian God was a widely accepted theology in Victorian Britain, so Brontes ideas would have created controversy amongst the many devout Christians of the era. Critics could argue that the novel is anti-Christian and that Bronte was voicing her own theologies through Heathcliff. The Catherine of Northanger Abbey, in contrast to the deep yearnings of Heathcliff, seems to want a partner on a more shallow level and only yearns for the excitement of the gothic conventions displayed in Wuthering Heights such as where she says Is there anything extraordinary in there? (Page 141)
Word Count - 570 In further exploration of the significance of Heathcliffs character it could be seen that he is not just an embodiment of hell but a depiction of the nature of hell itself. This questions theologies about heaven and hell and forwards to us the idea of them being present in people and not just in Page | 1

Molly Harding English Literature Coursework

the believed and accepted Christian afterlife. It is more subtle descriptions of Heathcliffs actions and nature which compliments this theory as it is written that when he enters Lockwoods room he does so with a candle dripping over his fingers (page 18). The imagery created here is off a being unable of feeling physical pain, it is a sensory image of Heathcliff being at one with fire, fire

being an elemental symbol of hell and has religious connotations of Heathcliff perhaps being the devil himself. People of the Victorian era would have believed in heaven and hell and its subsequent figures, however the idea of Heathcliff actually being a symbol of hell is what makes, and would have made, the novel so gothic and frightening for its initial audiences as it is questioning their traditional Christian beliefs and theologies. These descriptive phrases about Heathcliff also work towards creating the sublime which gothic authors strived for in the 1800s. The critic Derek Traversi wrote that Heathcliff and Catherine actually wanted to create their own higher reality, thus implying they are deep spiritual beings and not of this world. Similarly in Northanger Abbey, Catherine also views General Tilney as a dark character who is without any feeling (chapter 24) when she is possessed with the idea of his murderous antics. However the imagery created by the fairly simple diction here is of a heinous rather than hellish man. Her suspicions are later rubbished anyway which is Austen mocking gothic literature through Catherines character, in contrast to Wuthering Heights where gothic conventions are heavily present throughout and made to seem an intense reality. Another significant character in exploring religious theologies is that of Joseph, the devout Christian of Wuthering Heights. He could be seen as being used to juxtapose Heathcliffs character and question what the correct theology in life is. Joseph regularly opposes Heathcliff in the novel branding him a flaysome divil of a gipsy (page 167). The use of dialect here makes Joseph seem less intelligent therefore Bronte could be siding with Heathcliff and disregarding Josephs ideas about Christianity. In context there would have been many people like Joseph preaching Christian theologies but because Bronte lived the anti-Christian life Nelly accuses Heathcliff of having this could be the reason why she seems to be more in favour of Heathcliffs ideologies. Critics have argued that in fact Wuthering Heights is an anti-Christian novel as it presents Catherine and Heathcliffs transcendental thinking as more worthy than Nelly and Josephs teachings- therefore Joseph could be Brontes way of criticizing Christian theologies. In contrast, although Northanger Abbey isnt a particularly religiously driven book, it seems to hold some value in Christian theologies as Henry Tilney reminds Catherine as she is being taken with her gothic ideas that they are Christians (page 144) making them seem sinful and having adverse morals to Wuthering Heights. Word Count 531 1,101 Total Wuthering Heights goes full circle in its narrative and concludes with the idea that Heathcliff is a supernatural character whose demonic prowess is ever present even in death, thus suggesting that Wuthering Heights is opposed to religious theologies of its time period. When Nelly endeavours to close his eyes after his death she states they would not shuthis parted lips and sharp white teeth sneered too. This is very devilish imagery of lifeless eyelids battling closure as that is an impossibility which has a strong connotation of resisting
Page | 2

Molly Harding English Literature Coursework

traditional Christian theologies. All these physical descriptions amount to imply that Heathcliffs methods have succeeded and betray theologies about an all-conquering goodness of Christian theologies of the Victorian era. Suzanne Birkett suggested that eyes were used in the novel as a portal to the other world, and that Heathcliffs eyes always had supernatural implications and connected with the underworld and devils. All these gothic conventions were popular at the time in Victorian literature but Wuthering Heights was one of a kind and brave in its individual theologies communicated through its characters. Northanger Abbey on the other hand greatly opposed and could be seen to parody the religious theologies linked to the gothic ideas in Wuthering Heights. The Catherine of the partner text is shown to be relatively shallow in her ideas about gothic novel. When asked about her appetite for gothic literature, in particular The Mysteries of Udolpho she merely quips it is a nice book. This is very simple diction unlike that used in Wuthering Heights which makes the theologies and conventions used in it seem silly and insignificant in the bigger picture. So in conclusion both novels explore different religious theologies. Wuthering Heights carries very gothic conventions in its ideas about heaven and hell and seems to embody characteristics associated with a Christian hell through its male protagonist. The novel creates its own theologies about the transcendental thinking of Heathcliff and Catherine and makes it seem more worthy that the traditional theologies of the Victorian era. Reading Northanger Abbey enlightened my understanding of Wuthering Heights as it made me see how strong the gothic conventions prevail in the novel in contrast to the partner texts Christian theologies and mocking of such conventions. Word Count 372 Total Words 1,473

Bibliography Academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu (2003) Religion, Metaphysics, and Mysticism in Wuthering Heights. [online] Available at: http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/wuthering/mystic.html#rel ig [Accessed: 22 Mar 2013]. Opac.iwcollege.ac.uk (n.d.) AutolibXML Web OPAC - full details. [online] Available at: http://opac.iwcollege.ac.uk/opac/opacreq.dll/full?Search_link=AAAA:417:20279650&u serid=&oidg=&lastlinks=AAAA:1543:37817328$$AAAA:8630:61623006$$AAAA:35 38:64460539$$AAAA:1040:73163593$$AAAA:3989:77557876$$AAAA:8834:19730 304$$AAAA:7617:80150178$$AAAA:4010:9564972$$AAAA:7061:33801357$$AAA A:2725:40645808$$AAAA:9011:62711441$$AAAA:607:84943441$$AAAA:7640:45 865683$$AAAA:1900:82186024$$AAAA:4573:15190729$$AAAA:4932:34476516$$ AAAA:M:919992001755$$AAAA:1544:88034575$$AAAA:2224:60738449$$AAAA:
Page | 3

Molly Harding English Literature Coursework

6887:3814791$$AAAA:1963:35746303$$AAAA:8069:3088568$$AAAA:4273:24744 551$$AAAA:2447:90793200$$AAAA:1758:39972561$$AAAA:6567:41404999$$AA AA:8145:50913442$$AAAA:8714:87987439$$&nextlinks=AAAA:5313:19040441$$ AAAA:3635:58323978$$AAAA:5330:16490831$$AAAA:3962:18496744$$AAAA:74 65:6037896$$AAAA:7:909123$$AAAA:1002:41402934$$AAAA:5819:24514896$$A AAA:1201:97158002$$AAAA:4012:68372735$$AAAA:5627:25736770$$AAAA:399 5:12549794$$AAAA:5262:90702581$$AAAA:7044:36767108$$AAAA:3169:446620 01$$AAAA:2676:96221601$$AAAA:6955:68084074$$AAAA:1632:44563858$$AAA A:8543:5101117$$AAAA:5189:17802274$$AAAA:1019:82786808$$ [Accessed: 22 Mar 2013]. Wuthering Heights (2011) [DVD] UK: Andrea Arnold.

Page | 4