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【Abstract】Emily Bronte created one of the greatest novels in 19th British literary history---Wuthering Heights.Through this works，the writers tries to severely criticize the feature in western civilization： negation of the self.
【Key words】Wuthering Heights； western civilization； negation of the self
1.Introduction
In her masterpiece—Wuthering Heights，Emily Bronte realizes that western civilization negates the self and displays her hostility toward it.Wuthering Heights could be read not merely as a dramatization of the nature of passion； it could also be read as a demonstration that the norms and values of western civilization are a negation of the self—negation of the life of passions and instinctual life.
2.Negation of the Self： the Cases of Heathcliff and Catherine
At the beginning of Wuthering Heights，Catherine and Heathcliff live a happy wild life in the undivided world of childhood.Freud points out that “each child enters the world as uncivilized as our primitive ancestors” （Reed 212）.Catherine’s behavior is beyond Nelly’s sympathy.Her joy is never allowed and understood by the convention： a tongue “always going—singing，laughing，and plaguing everybody who would not do the same，a wild，wicked slip she was，” “she was never so happy as when we were all scolding her at once，and her ready words； turning Joseph’s religious curses into ridicule，” “doing just what her father hated most，” “she put all of us past our patience fifty times and oftener in a day…” （Bronte 37）.Again when Mr.Earnshaw leaves for Liverpool，he asks his two children what present they expect.Catherine’s answer is a “whip.” Gilbert and Gubar view this as “a powerless young daughter’s yearning for power，” “to insulate her from the pressure of her brother’s domination” （115）.However，it can be interpreted in another way.By then Catherine has no conception of patriarchy.She chooses a whip just because she likes it.
As for Heathcliff，he is an orphan before Mr.Earnshaw takes him home，“starving，homeless…in the streets of Liverpool” （32）.So from the very beginning，he is abandoned by his parents，by the society，if not yet the civilized society.Then he appears at the Earnshaw family as a “gipsy，” an “it” to them.Mr.Earnshaw is ready to “fling it out of doors” （32）.Once again he is refused to be accepted by the civilized society.
It is the savage primitive nature that draws Catherine and Heathcliff together.Catherine’s celebrated “I am Heathcliff” speech signifies her relationship with Heathcliff at best： I cannot express it； but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is，or should be，an existence of yours beyond you.What were the use of creation，if I were entirely contained here？ My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff’s miseries，and I watched and felt each from the beginning： my great thought in living is himself.If all else perished，and he remained，I should still continue to be； and if all else remained，and he were annihilated，the universe would turn to a mighty stranger： I should not seem a part of it….My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath： a source of little visible delight，but necessary.Nelly，I am Heathcliff！ He’s always，always in my mind： not as a pleasure，any more than I am always a pleasure to myself，but as my own being.（74）
“An existence of yours beyond you” would refer to the existence beyond the conscious—the unconscious.This is what she means when she describes Heathcliff as： “he is more myself than I am.Whatever our souls are made of，his and mine are the same； and Linton’s is different as a moonbeam from lightning，or frost from fire” （73）.They grow up “as rude as savage” （41）.Their uncivilizedness may be illustrated in their running wild in the moors.Heathcliff represents Catherine’s animal self—her a-moral nature.
However，this savage undivided self is challenged since very early in their lives.Again to quote Freud，he sees the family as the “founding unit of civilization” （Reed 211）.In Freud’s opinion，the family plays a role of the “civilizer of children： it is primarily through the family that each civilization transmits its values to the younger generation” （Reed 211）.The opening childhood scenes in Wuthering Heights show the most immediate influence of the Earnshaws on the child Catherine and Heathcliff.Mr.Earnshaw’s request： “why canst thou not always be a good lass，Cathy？” （Bronte 37），tries to tame her into a “lass” appreciated by the convention，the civilized society.Hindley’s ill treatment especially of Heathcliff is a big threat to their affinity and undivided self.“Hindley calls him a vagabond，and won’t let him sit with us，nor eat with us any more； and，he and I must not play together，and threatens to turn him out of the house if we break his orders….swears he will reduce him to his right place” （19）.Frances—Hindley’s wife，also tries to reform Catherine’s manners and dress according to the upper-class codes of the conduct.All these display the efforts of civilization to repress the wild primal self. Catherine’s stay at Thrushcross Grange acts as a crucial role in the whole story.It has transformed the wild girl into a dignified lady.The change marks Catherine’s step out of her undivided childhood and her separation from Heathcliff—her instinctual self.Compared with Wuthering Heights，Thrushcross Grange is obviously the seat of culture.This world of culture estranges Catherine from Heathcliff and from her instinctual self.Heathcliff represents her “pre-human nature in all its purity” （Celly 32）.It is her visit to the Grange that “holds Catherine for a human destiny” （Celly 32）.The rebellion of Heathcliff and Catherine is essentially a flight to preserve the kingdom of childhood—the savage primal self.
Catherine’s choice of marriage furthers the estrangement and represses the “animal self.” Vico argues that “each choice to marriage could be seen as re-enacting the initial founding act in its movement from a pre-social to a civilized state，whether consciously regarded as such or not” （Reed 218）.The marriage decision in Wuthering Heights secures the civilization’s stability.Catherine’s marriage choice has frequently been seen as expressing her desire for power and socio-economic status： “Edgar will be rich，and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighborhood，and I shall be proud of having such a husband” （Bronte 71）.By choosing Edgar—the civilized gentlemen，Catherine represses and negates her primal self—Heathcliff represents.This choice has its price.
Catherine later keenly feels the repression and negation of the primal self：
I cannot say why I felt so wildly wretched： it must have been temporary derangement，for there is scarcely cause—But supposing at twelve years old，I had been wrenched from the Heights，and every early association，and my all in all，as Heathcliff was at that time，and be converted at a stroke into Mrs.Linton，the lady of Trushcross Grange，and the wife of a stranger： an exile，and outcast，thenceforth，from what had been my world… （115）
Catherine feels she is married to a stranger.She is “an exile，an outcast” at Thrushcross Grange，which separates her from Wuthering Heights—“what had been my world，” that is from her nature.Thrushcross Grange embodies the realm of alienation from the primal self.So the marriage involves repression of the self—life of passions and instinctual life of man.This is that，in Rousseau’s or Nietzsche’s term，“the sensual and the spiritual” is split and set against each other.Thus the dignified lady—Mrs.Linton is a negation of the self. Heathcliff’s return re-awakens Catherine’s primal self and deepens her inner struggle between her primitive uncivilized self and her gracious refined ego.This struggle leads to her malaise and delirium.During the last days of her life，Catherine cannot recognize herself in the mirror.In fact she can no longer stand the dividedness of the social ego and the primal self.She refuses to admit the social ego.“I had no command of tongue，or brain” （114）.“I am tired，tired of being enclosed here” （147）.This malaise gradually becomes intolerable.And it eventually results in death.Her death is surely meant to call into question the values of civilization，under which the individuals cannot survive.Even after death，Catherine’s appeal for the primal self never stops：
…A most melancholy voice sobbed—
‘Let me in—let me in！’
… ‘I’m come home： I’d lost my way on the moor！’
… ‘It is twenty years，’ mourned the voice： ‘twenty years.I’ve been a waif for twenty years！’… （22）
3.Conclusion
Western civilization distrusts and represses the body，and views with horror the assertion of the human spirit.Emily Bronte’s work forms part of the protest against this idealistic civilization.In this she belongs to the company of Rousseau，Nietzsche，and Lawrence.
References：
[1]Bronte， Emily.Wuthering Heights.New York： Bantam Books， 1981.
[2]Reed， Donna K.“The Discontents of Civilization in Wuthering Heights and Buddenbrooks.” Comparative Literature.41（1989）： 209-29.
[3]Celly， Ashok.Emily Bronte， D.H.Lawrence and the Black Horse.Delhi： Pragati Publications， 1997.
【基金项目】山东工商学院青年科研基金项目“艾米莉·勃朗特的现代性特征”（项目编号2014QN043）。
作者简介：李敏（1981-），女，山东惠民人，山东工商学院大学外语教学部，讲师，硕士，研究方向英美文学。
【Key words】Wuthering Heights； western civilization； negation of the self
1.Introduction
In her masterpiece—Wuthering Heights，Emily Bronte realizes that western civilization negates the self and displays her hostility toward it.Wuthering Heights could be read not merely as a dramatization of the nature of passion； it could also be read as a demonstration that the norms and values of western civilization are a negation of the self—negation of the life of passions and instinctual life.
2.Negation of the Self： the Cases of Heathcliff and Catherine
At the beginning of Wuthering Heights，Catherine and Heathcliff live a happy wild life in the undivided world of childhood.Freud points out that “each child enters the world as uncivilized as our primitive ancestors” （Reed 212）.Catherine’s behavior is beyond Nelly’s sympathy.Her joy is never allowed and understood by the convention： a tongue “always going—singing，laughing，and plaguing everybody who would not do the same，a wild，wicked slip she was，” “she was never so happy as when we were all scolding her at once，and her ready words； turning Joseph’s religious curses into ridicule，” “doing just what her father hated most，” “she put all of us past our patience fifty times and oftener in a day…” （Bronte 37）.Again when Mr.Earnshaw leaves for Liverpool，he asks his two children what present they expect.Catherine’s answer is a “whip.” Gilbert and Gubar view this as “a powerless young daughter’s yearning for power，” “to insulate her from the pressure of her brother’s domination” （115）.However，it can be interpreted in another way.By then Catherine has no conception of patriarchy.She chooses a whip just because she likes it.
As for Heathcliff，he is an orphan before Mr.Earnshaw takes him home，“starving，homeless…in the streets of Liverpool” （32）.So from the very beginning，he is abandoned by his parents，by the society，if not yet the civilized society.Then he appears at the Earnshaw family as a “gipsy，” an “it” to them.Mr.Earnshaw is ready to “fling it out of doors” （32）.Once again he is refused to be accepted by the civilized society.
It is the savage primitive nature that draws Catherine and Heathcliff together.Catherine’s celebrated “I am Heathcliff” speech signifies her relationship with Heathcliff at best： I cannot express it； but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is，or should be，an existence of yours beyond you.What were the use of creation，if I were entirely contained here？ My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff’s miseries，and I watched and felt each from the beginning： my great thought in living is himself.If all else perished，and he remained，I should still continue to be； and if all else remained，and he were annihilated，the universe would turn to a mighty stranger： I should not seem a part of it….My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath： a source of little visible delight，but necessary.Nelly，I am Heathcliff！ He’s always，always in my mind： not as a pleasure，any more than I am always a pleasure to myself，but as my own being.（74）
“An existence of yours beyond you” would refer to the existence beyond the conscious—the unconscious.This is what she means when she describes Heathcliff as： “he is more myself than I am.Whatever our souls are made of，his and mine are the same； and Linton’s is different as a moonbeam from lightning，or frost from fire” （73）.They grow up “as rude as savage” （41）.Their uncivilizedness may be illustrated in their running wild in the moors.Heathcliff represents Catherine’s animal self—her a-moral nature.
However，this savage undivided self is challenged since very early in their lives.Again to quote Freud，he sees the family as the “founding unit of civilization” （Reed 211）.In Freud’s opinion，the family plays a role of the “civilizer of children： it is primarily through the family that each civilization transmits its values to the younger generation” （Reed 211）.The opening childhood scenes in Wuthering Heights show the most immediate influence of the Earnshaws on the child Catherine and Heathcliff.Mr.Earnshaw’s request： “why canst thou not always be a good lass，Cathy？” （Bronte 37），tries to tame her into a “lass” appreciated by the convention，the civilized society.Hindley’s ill treatment especially of Heathcliff is a big threat to their affinity and undivided self.“Hindley calls him a vagabond，and won’t let him sit with us，nor eat with us any more； and，he and I must not play together，and threatens to turn him out of the house if we break his orders….swears he will reduce him to his right place” （19）.Frances—Hindley’s wife，also tries to reform Catherine’s manners and dress according to the upper-class codes of the conduct.All these display the efforts of civilization to repress the wild primal self. Catherine’s stay at Thrushcross Grange acts as a crucial role in the whole story.It has transformed the wild girl into a dignified lady.The change marks Catherine’s step out of her undivided childhood and her separation from Heathcliff—her instinctual self.Compared with Wuthering Heights，Thrushcross Grange is obviously the seat of culture.This world of culture estranges Catherine from Heathcliff and from her instinctual self.Heathcliff represents her “pre-human nature in all its purity” （Celly 32）.It is her visit to the Grange that “holds Catherine for a human destiny” （Celly 32）.The rebellion of Heathcliff and Catherine is essentially a flight to preserve the kingdom of childhood—the savage primal self.
Catherine’s choice of marriage furthers the estrangement and represses the “animal self.” Vico argues that “each choice to marriage could be seen as re-enacting the initial founding act in its movement from a pre-social to a civilized state，whether consciously regarded as such or not” （Reed 218）.The marriage decision in Wuthering Heights secures the civilization’s stability.Catherine’s marriage choice has frequently been seen as expressing her desire for power and socio-economic status： “Edgar will be rich，and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighborhood，and I shall be proud of having such a husband” （Bronte 71）.By choosing Edgar—the civilized gentlemen，Catherine represses and negates her primal self—Heathcliff represents.This choice has its price.
Catherine later keenly feels the repression and negation of the primal self：
I cannot say why I felt so wildly wretched： it must have been temporary derangement，for there is scarcely cause—But supposing at twelve years old，I had been wrenched from the Heights，and every early association，and my all in all，as Heathcliff was at that time，and be converted at a stroke into Mrs.Linton，the lady of Trushcross Grange，and the wife of a stranger： an exile，and outcast，thenceforth，from what had been my world… （115）
Catherine feels she is married to a stranger.She is “an exile，an outcast” at Thrushcross Grange，which separates her from Wuthering Heights—“what had been my world，” that is from her nature.Thrushcross Grange embodies the realm of alienation from the primal self.So the marriage involves repression of the self—life of passions and instinctual life of man.This is that，in Rousseau’s or Nietzsche’s term，“the sensual and the spiritual” is split and set against each other.Thus the dignified lady—Mrs.Linton is a negation of the self. Heathcliff’s return re-awakens Catherine’s primal self and deepens her inner struggle between her primitive uncivilized self and her gracious refined ego.This struggle leads to her malaise and delirium.During the last days of her life，Catherine cannot recognize herself in the mirror.In fact she can no longer stand the dividedness of the social ego and the primal self.She refuses to admit the social ego.“I had no command of tongue，or brain” （114）.“I am tired，tired of being enclosed here” （147）.This malaise gradually becomes intolerable.And it eventually results in death.Her death is surely meant to call into question the values of civilization，under which the individuals cannot survive.Even after death，Catherine’s appeal for the primal self never stops：
…A most melancholy voice sobbed—
‘Let me in—let me in！’
… ‘I’m come home： I’d lost my way on the moor！’
… ‘It is twenty years，’ mourned the voice： ‘twenty years.I’ve been a waif for twenty years！’… （22）
3.Conclusion
Western civilization distrusts and represses the body，and views with horror the assertion of the human spirit.Emily Bronte’s work forms part of the protest against this idealistic civilization.In this she belongs to the company of Rousseau，Nietzsche，and Lawrence.
References：
[1]Bronte， Emily.Wuthering Heights.New York： Bantam Books， 1981.
[2]Reed， Donna K.“The Discontents of Civilization in Wuthering Heights and Buddenbrooks.” Comparative Literature.41（1989）： 209-29.
[3]Celly， Ashok.Emily Bronte， D.H.Lawrence and the Black Horse.Delhi： Pragati Publications， 1997.
【基金项目】山东工商学院青年科研基金项目“艾米莉·勃朗特的现代性特征”（项目编号2014QN043）。
作者简介：李敏（1981-），女，山东惠民人，山东工商学院大学外语教学部，讲师，硕士，研究方向英美文学。