Heathcliff’s Ambivalent Persona inWuthering Heights

Reading Heathcliff through the Prism of Confinement

Heathcliffs ambivalenta persona i Wuthering Heights

Tolkning av Heathcliff i ljuset av fångenskap

Arlind Karanezi

Faculty of Humanities and Social ScienceEnglish15 CreditsSupervisor: Anna LinzieExaminer: Åke BergvallAutumn Term 2019

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Abstract

The protagonist, Heathcliff in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, is found as an

orphan and taken to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw. Through a close connection

with one of the children at Wuthering Heights, Catherine, and experiences of physical

and mental confinement, Heathcliff forges his complex and ambivalent identity within

Earnshaw’s family. Many critics seem to consider Heathcliff an unusually complex and

ambiguous character. Still, this essay shows that the text is quite clear when it comes

to the function of Heathcliff if he is interpreted through the prism of “confinement” as

a key motive. Additionally, Heathcliff’s behavior and actions as a result of his

confinement, will be explained with the help of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical

concepts, namely, defense mechanisms. Because of the psychological confinement, this

essay shows how Heathcliff’s struggle influences three important thematic areas:

identity, behavior and liberation. Subsequently, this struggle leads Heathcliff at using

strategies of defense and ill-treatment of other characters. Ultimately, Heathcliff’s

psychological liberation is possible only in another realm of existence, that of the

afterlife where his death and reunion with Catherine coincide.

Keywords: Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff Earnshaw, confinement, identity,

behavior, defense mechanisms, psychological liberation.

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Sammanfattning

Heathcliff, som är huvudpersonen i Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights, återfinns

föräldralös och förs till Wuthering Heights. På grund av erfarenheter av fysisk och

psykisk instabilitet konstruerar Heathcliff sin komplexa och ambivalenta identitet

inom familjen Earnshaw, genom en nära anknytning till Catherine. Många kritiker

tycks anse att Heathcliff är en ovanligt komplex och tvetydig karaktär. Trots allt, denna

uppsats visar att texten i själva verket är mycket tydlig när det gäller Heathcliffs

funktion om han tolkas genom "fångenskap" som ett huvudmotiv. Dessutom, med

hjälp av Sigmund Freuds psykoanalytiska begrepp som försvarsmekanismer,

skildringen av Heathcliff och hans handling som ett resultat av hans fångenskap

kommer förklaras. På grund av psykologiska fångenskap, denna uppsats visar hur

Heathcliffs kamp påverkar tre centrala tematiska områden: identitet, beteende och

befrielse. Därefter, denna kamp leder Heathcliff till att använda strategier för försvar

och misshandel av andra karaktärer. I slutändan, Heathcliffs psykologisk frigörelse

kan bara vara möjlig i en annan existentiell sfär, i det ögonblick då hans död och hans

återförening med Catherine sammanfaller.

Nyckelord: Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff Earnshaw, fångenskap, identitet,

beteende, försvarsmekanismer, psykisk befrielse.

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In the novel Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë, many situations

of confinement are represented to the reader. For instance, the male protagonist

Heathcliff is locked in the attic as a boy while growing up, and perhaps more

importantly, he becomes psychologically confined. This psychological imprisonment is

mainly generated by the other protagonist, Catherine, but also her brother Hindley. As

critics have pointed out, confinement in Wuthering Heights occurs as a result of the

need of containing and controlling others (Crouse 179). By trying to maintain the

situation under their control, the characters of Wuthering Heights confine one

another. Heathcliff is the central character in the novel when it comes to confinement

and the destruction that follows from it; therefore, it is of essential importance to

analyze Heathcliff’s confinement to understand his destructive motives. Concerning

the motives of villainous behavior, this essay intends to interpret Heathcliff as an

ambivalent persona under the influence of psychological imprisonment. Furthermore,

to better understand Heathcliff’s behavior and actions, psychoanalytic theory, such as

defense mechanisms, will be used to analyze this issue.

Regarding Heathcliff’s identity as a character, a close reading of key passages

shows that Heathcliff’s identity is obscure, and this ambivalence can be the reason for

his erratic behavior. Because of his behavior and destructive tendencies, many critics

see Heathcliff as “a villain and destroyer of the world”. But according to Samantha

Przybylowicz in “(Dys)Function in the Moors: Everyone’s a Villain in Wuthering

Heights”, “Heathcliff is placed in this position through the Nelly/Lockwood narration

frame, which causes him to appear to exceed the villainy of other characters” (7). Due

to the ambiguous identity that he is presented to the readers, it may seem as Heathcliff

is impossible to understand. This essay, however, will focus on examining Heathcliff’s

obscure identity through the prism of confinement. The reading shows that the text is

quite clear when it comes to the function of Heathcliff if he is interpreted through the

prism of “confinement” as a key motive. Three central thematic areas in the text, which

will be analyzed in this essay, concern Heathcliff’s identity, Heathcliff’s behavior, and

Heathcliff’s liberation.

Regarding critics, they differ in the interpretation of Wuthering Heights and its

main protagonist Heathcliff. Critics argue that Heathcliff’s behavior can be understood

in motivational terms (Paris 241), and as a character, Heathcliff exhibits patterns of

confinement (Crouse 179). Furthermore, Heathcliff may not be entirely definable

(Boyd 31) as he is a symbolic manifestation of the raging spirit trapped inside

Wuthering Heights (Muller 75). Lastly, it seems that Heathcliff does not achieve his

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freedom, except when he is a ghostly presence (Tong 229).

In this essay, I am going to argue, firstly, that Heathcliff’s identity in

Wuthering Heights is obscure only if analyzed outside the prism of confinement.

Secondly, that Heathcliff confines other characters not only to contain and control

them but also as a means to escape his imprisonment. And thirdly, because of the

harsh psychological reality that he experiences in the text, Heathcliff is in search of

liberty, a sort of peace. In terms of reading, it can be argued that he fails to escape from

his psychological confinement, and that leaves only death as a possible realm of

liberation. In the end, through death, Heathcliff finally achieves psychological

liberation, which coincides with spiritual union with Catherine.

In seeking to understand Heathcliff’s behavior and motives, I turn to

psychoanalytical theories. “Psychoanalysis is a form of study which lays emphasis on

the working of the human mind, its application in literature helps in providing a

better understanding of the literary characters as it gives the reader an insight into

their ‘mental universe’” (Priya 2). Because of the ambiguity, critics study characters

using concepts of psychoanalysis called defense mechanisms. Findings in personality

and social psychology are related to a general theory of the defense mechanisms

(Baumeister, Dale, Sommer 1083). Before applying the defense mechanisms in this

essay, a short introduction to some psychoanalytical terms will be given. Sigmund

Freud is considered to be the founder of psychoanalysis. Freud’s idea is that the

human mind is dual, consisting of the conscious and the unconscious. It is the

unconscious, which is the most important because it contains the primary driving

power behind all our actions and behavior.

Furthermore, according to Freud, the psyche consists of the superego, the id,

and the ego. The id comprises of our ‘primitive impulses’ and is entirely unconscious.

Superego stands outside of the self; and refers to our conscience, and it is about moral

values. The ego is both conscious and unconscious, as it balances the superego and the

id. By defending itself from the unconscious mind, the ego activates some processes in

the conscious mind called defense mechanisms. Freudian defense mechanisms include

concepts like repression, denial, sublimation, and projection. These concepts will be

used to analyze Heathcliff’s behavior and actions in the subsequent sections of this

essay. Defense mechanisms can be used to help to achieve a more definite and

accurate portrayal of Heathcliff as a character, furthermore, to understand his hidden

motives and make it easier to give a better judgment.

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Concerning psychoanalytic readings of literary work, “Freud didn’t invent

psychoanalytic principles; he discovered them operating in human beings. So, any

literary text that accurately describes human behavior or that is the product of an

author’s unconscious will include psychoanalytic principles whether or not the author

had any awareness of those principles when writing the work” (Tyson 32). Heathcliff,

as an ambiguous character-led many psychoanalytical critics to study the protagonists

of Wuthering Heights by using Sigmund Freud’s concepts. In this respect, this essay

will use defense mechanisms to analyze our protagonist and try to show why Heathcliff

is behaving in a certain way regarding some central events in the novel.

Heathcliff’s adoption of defense mechanisms results due to the conflict in him

between the conscious and the unconscious mind. Everything that Heathcliff

experiences during childhood is going to influence his unconscious mind. Therefore, in

this context, to examine Heathcliff as a central character in the novel concerning

identity, we must consider the development of him as a character over time, from his

arrival at Wuthering Heights as a child. Childhood is the most crucial part of observing

how confinement as a central motive in the novel starts with the main protagonist,

Heathcliff. At the beginning of the novel, Heathcliff is an outsider when he is first

brought home, and he is seen as an object and not a human being. Heathcliff is often

referred to as ‘it’ and ‘gypsy’. We can see that tendency to regard Heathcliff with

distaste and want him to be locked up also by Linton’s reaction when meeting

Heathcliff for the very first time: “Frightful thing! Put him in the cellar, papa. He’s

exactly like the son of the fortune-teller, that stole my tame pheasant. Isn’t he Edgar?”

(50). The outsider position of Heathcliff is related to his lowly status as an orphan, a

“waif”. Since the orphan Heathcliff has no family connections (“not a soul knew to

whom it belonged”, 45), he is presented to us as a “waif” (Andrado 196), which means

“a person, especially a child, who has no home or friends” (dictionary.com). Because

no known background can be attributed to him in any way or another during

childhood, it can be said that Heathcliff has an obscure identity already from the

beginning of the text. Having such a mysterious origin makes Heathcliff free from

social attachments, on the one hand, whereas it makes his identity more complex and

ambiguous, on the other. Because of this original lack of a sense of identity, Heathcliff,

throughout the novel, seeks a place within the Earnshaw family and their home and

struggles to establish domestic relations to counteract his sense of being a waif.

Indeed, some aspects of his early days at Wuthering Heights indicate that he has a

right to be part of the family. Old Mr. Earnshaw names Heathcliff after a son who died

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in childhood, and this can be seen as having the effect of favoritism over Hindley.

Therefore, Heathcliff’s arrival in Wuthering Heights is received with hostility and

intolerance, especially from Hindley, who relegates him to the role of a servant. Nelly

comments that Hindley’s treatment of Heathcliff “was enough to make a fiend of a

saint” (67). If Heathcliff is seen as a replacement for the dead child, it will make

Hindley’s behavior towards Heathcliff seem more reasonable to the reader. “Keep the

fellow out of the room, send him into the garret till dinner is over” (57). Hindley

physically confines Heathcliff by telling Joseph to lock him in the garret. Heathcliff’s

development as a character in the text starts from his experiences of being “sent into

the garret” and “put in the cellar”. Ultimately, leading to Heathcliff’s activation of the

defense mechanisms, namely repression. Repression is the exclusion of distressing

memories, thoughts, or feelings from the conscious mind pushed into the unconscious

mind (www.britannica.com). According to Freud, repression is one of the most

common defense mechanisms, where everything that the ego and superego tell us not

to do or think is forced into the unconscious mind. These kinds of ‘cruel’ and

‘inhuman’ experiences during childhood, remain restrained and pushed into

Heathcliff’s unconscious mind, eventually creating the conflict in his conscious mind.

Heathcliff, an orphan and alone with no attachment to elevate himself, lacks the

satisfaction of the basic psychological survival needs like the need for love and

belonging. The frustration of not feeling safe lead Heathcliff to establish some kind of

defense mechanism. Bernard J. Paris in “Imagined Human Beings: A Psychological

Approach to Character and Conflict in Literature” claims that “Heathcliff’s initial

defense is detachment. Heathcliff is showing to Hindley, Catherine, and Nelly, in

effect, that they cannot hurt him” (P. 243). Heathcliff begins to withdraw and seems

very reserved toward the rest, or as Lockwood describes him as “a man who seemed

more exaggeratedly reserved than myself” (3). When Mr. Earnshaw brings him to

Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff protects himself against Hindley. “He seemed a sullen,

patient child,” says Nelly, “hardened, perhaps, to ill-treatment: he would stand

Hindley’s blows without winking or shedding a tear, and my pinches moved him only

to draw in a breath, and open his eyes as if he had hurt himself by accident, and

nobody was to blame” (59). This part of Heathcliff’s protective behavior becomes more

reasonable to the reader, as it is a natural instinct to defend oneself if one is being

attacked. Therefore, Heathcliff does not only protect himself; on the contrary, he

counteracts each time he is attacked. Above all, Heathcliff attacks Hindley, and by

using Mr. Earnshaw’s favoritism, he tries to control him. By attracting Hindley’s abuse,

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Heathcliff finds a way of partly gaining control over him by threatening to have him

penalized by his father. For example, “You must exchange horses with me: I don’t like

mine; and if you won’t I shall tell your father of the three thrashings you’ve given me

this week, and show him my arm, which is black to the shoulder” (61). Heathcliff

behaves in this way as long as Mr. Earnshaw is alive, but after Mr. Earnshaw’s death,

Hindley gets his revenge on Heathcliff.

Physically and mentally abused, Heathcliff needs opportunities to develop

himself socially and psychologically. This kind of improvement is possible through his

close connection with Catherine. Though withdrawn and detached from the rest of the

other characters, Heathcliff forms an attachment with Catherine as it helps him gain a

sense of belonging through the affiliation, he enjoys with her. This attachment makes

it possible for Heathcliff to form an identity, on the one side, but it makes it more

difficult to figure out who he is, on the other side. Therefore, because of Catherine’s

attachment, the identification of Heathcliff for critics such as Pabha Nidahni de

Andrado and Bernard J. Paris is one of the most challenging tasks to accomplish. So,

who is he? “Is Heathcliff a ghoul or a vampire?” (98) as Nelly, the housekeeper

wonders, or “A fierce, pitiless, wolfish man” (283) as Catherine describes him?

Heathcliff is a dynamic character: he does not possess the proper

characteristics of the gentleman or the showy characteristics of the

dandy. He also does not exhibit the moral qualities of the priest or

Carlylian hero. However, Heathcliff shows tendencies/characteristics of

being a prophet (self-forging and independent) and a Byronic hero

(mysterious, cryptic, and rebellious). Boyd, Meghan. Wuthering

Heights. A Psychoanalytical and Masculine Study (p.31).

Meghan Boyd points to the complexity of Heathcliff’s identity, also seen in the novel as

fragments of a changeable personality, always in the process of transformation rather

than established. Additionally, other critics consider Heathcliff as “a less convincing

character, not genuine but rather a force of nature” (Schakenraad 345). Furthermore, “The

dominant image of Heathcliff that emerges, is neither that of a ‘moral force’ nor a ‘demon’, but

that of a tragic sufferer” (Hagan 323), and “Every time the reader’s vision of Heathcliff is

made definite by a specific comparison, Heathcliff becomes more human less demonic”

(Homans 12). Even the characters in the novel struggle to understand, who Heathcliff is.

Hence, Isabella and Edgar speak about him as follows: “Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so,

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is he mad? And if not, is he a devil?” (124). This devious personality allows Heathcliff

to keep everyone under control, and by threatening and terrifying characters,

Heathcliff is introduced to us as an evil figure. However, if Heathcliff is analyzed

through the prism of confinement, it is possible to see him differently as a less

fragmented character and more understandable in terms of plot elements related to

the key motive of confinement. The outsider status of Heathcliff does not necessarily

indicate that he is evil if the function of his character in the text is regarded as a

projection of psychological imprisonment. Furthermore, Heathcliff’s changeable

identity indicates and reflects a character who implements traditional gender roles by

displaying masculine dominance as a means of confinement, establishing power over

others. Traditional gender role and demonstration of power as a means of dominance

is a common aspect in Victorian social class. In this sense, Heathcliff is more original

as a character when seen through reading as a representation of Victorian hierarchical

and conservative society.

Consequently, different personalities of Heathcliff are visible if he is shown to us

in the light of circumstances and constraints. Each time Heathcliff as a character is put

under pressure from his surroundings, one of his multiple personas comes out.

Additionally, Q.D. Leavis in “A Fresh Approach to Wuthering Heights” considers

Heathcliff to “be made up of so many inconsistent parts” (p. 107) and argues that; “by

always showing the psychological reasons for certain kinds of behavior [this novel

shows that] there is nothing mysterious or incredible…in essentials, about Heathcliff”

(p. 119). In line with Leavis’s argument, the present essay shows that Heathcliff’s

ambivalence is readable and understandable through the prism of confinement.

The following section will discuss the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff,

“as this relationship may have more to do with symbolic imprisonment, possession,

and control rather than romance” (Muller 75). Therefore, it is essential to analyze this

relationship as it has a direct influence on Heathcliff’s behavior. Both characters

develop a close bond continually growing, to the point that Catherine’s image

interconnects with Heathcliff’s identity. As John Hagan explains:

Catherine’s feeling for Heathcliff is one of the closest, apparently most

instinctive affinity-even identity; that this feeling is extraordinary

intense; that it is, indeed, the deepest kind of passion she knows; and

she experiences it as an absolute necessity of her being (p.315).

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In the text, Catherine is represented as a completing part of ‘the incomplete’

Heathcliff, especially during childhood when Heathcliff is a waif. As “Heathcliff’s

vindictiveness and devotion to Catherine is as a defensive reaction to the deprivation

and abuse to which he was subjected in childhood” (Paris 242). Therefore, the

connection between Heathcliff and Catherine gets stronger, but so does the need for

control, as Catherine tries to control Heathcliff on many occasions. Catherine says to a

dirty Heathcliff: “If you wash your face, and brush your hair it will be all right. But you

are so dirty!” (94). Catherine wants Heathcliff to be the way she desires and demands

more commitment from Heathcliff. However, Heathcliff finds courage and answers:

“You needn’t have touched me! I shall be as dirty as I please, and I like to be dirty, and

I will be dirty!” (95). Though Catherine tries to control Heathcliff, she does so in an

attempt to take care of him. As seen in the text, in attempting to control and

simultaneously love Heathcliff, Catherine creates a love-hate relationship between the

two. Furthermore, Catherine ridicules Heathcliff and plays with his uncertainty by

contrasting him to Edgar and considering him inferior, saying: “Why, how very black

and cross you look! and how-how funny and grim! But that’s because I’m used to

Edgar and Isabella Linton. Well; Heathcliff, have you forgotten me?” (54) Heathcliff

ignores Catherine by answering, “I shall not stand to be laughed at, I shall not bear it!”

And we would have broken from the circle, but Miss Cathy seized him again” (54).

Heathcliff cannot escape from Catherine, though he tries he is drawn to her physically

and emotionally. “I wish I could hold you … till we were both dead! I shouldn’t care

what you suffered. I care nothing for your sufferings. Why shouldn’t you suffer? I do!”

(140). Though Heathcliff resists persistently, he does not realize that he is Catherine’s

prisoner and that she controls him as she pleases. Catherine’s ‘love’ is an instrument

for torturing Heathcliff emotionally and confining him to her needs. This treatment of

Heathcliff is represented in the text as selfish and destructive, as Catherine claims,

“What now…You and Edgar have broken my heart, Heathcliff! And you both come to

bewail the deed to me, as if you were the people to be pitied! I shall not pity you, not I.

You have killed me” (140). Heathcliff reacts by trying to hold Catherine in his arms,

and Nelly remarks that “he attempted to rise, but [Catherine] seized his hair, and kept

him down” (140).

Another aspect of Catherine’s personality, except for selfishness, is her

‘untamed’ nature, which she demonstrates since childhood. Having lost both parents in

early childhood, Catherine is used to living ‘free and wild’ just as she is seen

throughout the novel. “I wish I were out of doors-I wish I were a girl again, half-savage

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and hardy, and free” (162). Catherine does not follow the rules of being disciplined, nor

does what she is being told. As is the case while Catherine’s father, Mr. Earnshaw, is

alive, he lets her do as she pleases as a result of her ‘wild temperament’. She also

disobeys her brother Hindley throughout childhood, whenever Hindley tries to control

or give orders to her.

Regarding Catherine’s identity and the way how her personality intertwines and

influences Heathcliff’s personality, it can be explained with the help of defense

mechanisms, namely, projection. Projection is “seeing one’s own traits in other people,

and perceiving others as having traits that one inaccurately believes oneself not to

have” (Baumeister, Dale, and Sommer 1090). Catherine sees Heathcliff as being

herself, “I am Heathcliff” (82). Anne Williams points out that Catherine cannot

sympathize with anyone: “She is incapable of sympathy; ironically her ‘identification’

with Heathcliff does not enable her to consider his feelings as in any way autonomous,

as separate or different from her own” (19). Regarding this point, critics argue that

“someone who imagines being someone else, does not imagine its numerical identity,

rather, it occupies its imagining. This makes the identity between two independent

characters false, as this imagination through identity is either confused or incoherent”

(Braddock 5). Catherine results in having a ‘double character’, as there are two sides of

her in almost everything, in this case, there are two men, Heathcliff representing ‘true

love’ and Edgar representing ‘status and wealth’. This ‘double character’ of Catherine is

‘free and wild’ and changeable.

Additionally, Jessica Muller, in “Human Nature and Confinement,” claims that,

“Though Heathcliff is the most directly observable source of rebellion and evil

throughout the novel, he fulfills Catherine’s wishes. Catherine is the primary source of

imprisonment” (p. 75). Additionally, if the nature of Catherine as a ‘double character’

is taken under consideration, it would not be difficult to understand why love between

them is extraordinary-being a ‘free soul’ like Catherine makes Heathcliff savage and ill-

behaved. “Heathcliff’s nature is not autonomously derived, but in reality, inspired by

the trapped, hidden nature of Catherine. Furthermore, Heathcliff, instead of being a

simple lover to Catherine, is a manifestation of Catherine’s hidden savage nature”

(Muller 75). This is also how Catherine’s ‘hidden nature’ gradually manifests within

Heathcliff’s personality. Additionally, Heathcliff and Catherine are connected as one,

as both complete one another to a more definite character, one individual. Due to this

shared individuality, Heathcliff does not see that he is being confined and controlled

by Catherine. This is also the reason why Heathcliff cannot be a simple lover to

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Catherine, but rather a manifestation of her.

Now, in the light of what is said, the identity which Heathcliff projects is a result

of Catherine’s attachment. If Heathcliff’s identity is analyzed through the breach of

this attachment, he can be seen as ‘an ordinary young man’ who tries to resist being

controlled by Catherine. Furthermore, as both characters cannot be controlled because

of their nature of being ‘wild and free’, the conflict arises in the novel. This conflict is

also the highest point, eventually leading Heathcliff to ill-behavior and destruction

that concludes the novel.

Regarding behavior, another psychoanalytic aspect such as denial will be used

to analyze some issues which can be found in both protagonists Heathcliff and

Catherine. “Denial is the simple refusal to face facts” (Baumeister, Dale, and Sommer

1108). “Denial is the failure to see what exists in reality, with total withdrawal of

attention from the event, or through a ‘negative’ hallucination” (Cramer 44). Heathcliff

shows denial by refusing the fact that Catherine prefers another man, Edgar Linton,

because of him being handsome and on a higher social status than Heathcliff. Denial in

Heathcliff begins when Catherine marries Edgar. Subsequently, it makes Heathcliff

hate Edgar and eventually forge revenge and destructive torment in his unconscious

mind. This torment also drives Heathcliff to have a change in life, necessary.

Therefore, there is a gap of three years in the novel, and we do not know what

happened to Heathcliff during these three years of being away. Nevertheless, one can

assume that another psychological aspect, such as sublimation, leads Heathcliff to a

new mysterious origin and noticeable transformation. This transformation is also

proof that Heathcliff experiences sublimation. “Sublimation involves expressing an

instinct in a sphere or manner that shows no relation to its original aim. It means

taking a fundamentally antisocial or unacceptable desire and channeling the energy

into socially valued activities” (Baumeister, Dale, and Sommer 1103). From the dirty

farm boy, Heathcliff returns as a well-dressed, educated, wealthy as well as intelligent-

looking man. Since Nelly comments that Heathcliff “retained no marks of former

degradation” (92) and begins to address him Mr. Heathcliff, the rise of Heathcliff in

status can be recognized. Catherine handles Heathcliff’s return by recognizing his new

status and reestablishing a close relationship with him. As Catherine puts it,

“Heathcliff was now worthy of any one’s regard, and it would honour the first

gentlemen in the country to be his friend” (94). Catherine is more affectionate of

Heathcliff now, and after three years of not seeing each other, Catherine and Heathcliff

seek reunion. So, a remade Heathcliff settles his relationship with Catherine under new

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circumstances, without seeking revenge on Catherine for marrying another man.

I seek no revenge on you. That’s not the plan. The tyrant grinds down

his slaves and they don’t turn against him. You are welcome to torture

me to death for your amusement, only allow me to amuse myself a little

in the same style, and refrain from insult as much as you are able. (151)

Consequently, one can conclude that by experiencing sublimation, Heathcliff has

channeled his emotions to something positive, and acceptable from the society.

Additionally, with Hindley inviting Heathcliff to lodge at Wuthering Heights, he is no

longer excluded from the society of the Grange and the Heights. Heathcliff achieves

gentleman status, and his waif status is replaced.

However, Heathcliff might be reborn, remade after his return, but he still

considers himself as the rough gypsy child who remembers bullying and crucifixion by

Hindley. Because of being crushed from the burden, he carries within him since the

day he set foot in Wuthering Heights, and the fact that he cannot be together with

Catherine anymore, the aspect of repression, as defense mechanisms is activated from

his unconscious mind. Furthermore, seeing Catherine share her life with another man,

Heathcliff struggles to contain his pain and grief. He seeks a getaway route, which in

this case, is inhuman brutality. “I have no pity! I have no pity! The more the worms

writhe, the more I yearn to crush out their entrails!” (189). As seen here, Heathcliff

loses all his patience and cannot take it anymore. He needs to act to release his pain

through struggle and cruelty to escape the harsh reality of psychological confinement.

The only purpose Heathcliff finds living for is revenge and destruction as a mechanism

of releasing his torment.

Now, in line with this section, if Heathcliff’s behavior is seen through the prism

of confinement, it would seem like quite a ‘normal’ reaction from a tormented

character. In that case, Heathcliff is expected to crumble and deteriorate under

circumstances of psychological confinement. This conclusion can be outlined below in

three parts. Firstly, Hindley treats Heathcliff as a slave, “insisting that he should labor

out of doors instead, compelling him to do so, as hard as any other lad on the farm”

(57). Hindley is penalizing Heathcliff for his free status, for being an orphan and not

being a real member of the family. Moreover, by preventing him from receiving lessons

through the curate, Hindley transforms Heathcliff into a mentally imprisoned

character. Hindley cannot stand the idea of seeing Heathcliff attain a higher cultural

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status and does everything to halt Heathcliff’s growth of personality.

Secondly, “readers easily ascribe the role of the villain to Heathcliff because of

his obvious outsider status in the novel and the language in the novel when he is first

brought home commodifies Heathcliff as an object and not human” (Przybylowicz 8).

As Heathcliff’s birth is unknown, it is categorized as free from genealogical relations,

which were of crucial importance in the Victorian Age. Any blood relations during this

period would automatically make Heathcliff a legitimate heir, which would have

contributed to his status and wealth. As Heathcliff is not seen as an heir, he is allowed

to run wild ‘outside’ as a villain. Furthermore, because Heathcliff is seen as an object,

something not human, he becomes an outcast on society’s eyes. Therefore, critics such

as John Hagan sympathizes with Heathcliff for ‘being an outcast’ “as he is on the side

of humanity, and he is the moral superior of all his enemies” (p.306).

Thirdly, the most significant blow of all involves Heathcliff’s sense of worth,

which is primarily based on Catherine’s love and approval. “When Catherine betrays

her own and Heathcliff’s deepest self by marrying Edgar Linton, she creates a disorder

in their souls which spreads to the entire society around them” (Hagan 318).

Catherine’s decision to marry Edgar has a more devastating effect on Heathcliff’s

behavior than it has on Catherine herself. Catherine’s intentions are good (“if I marry

Linton, I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother’s power” (72)).

Nevertheless, in reality, she is just trying to convince herself about the right decision by

denying the fact that she is after a higher status and social recognition. “I shall like to

be the greatest woman in the neighborhood, and I shall be proud of having such a

husband [Edgar Linton]” (88). This marriage also shows “Catherine’s need to establish

some control again in her life. She marries Edgar because she can control him,

whereas she has lost control of Heathcliff” (Crouse 185). In this case, Catherine

experiences the psychological aspect of denial. By ignoring reality, Catherine causes

Heathcliff to disappear and return three years later. As Nelly confirms to Catherine:

“He’ll be the most unfortunate creature that ever was born! As soon as you become

Mrs. Linton, he loses friend, and love, and all! Have you considered how you’ll bear the

separation, and how he’ll bear to be quite deserted in the world?” (128). Even though

Catherine is aware of the mistake she is about to make, she chooses to marry Edgar,

and in this way promotes Heathcliff’s destructive behavior. Catherine sets free

Heathcliff’s demonic behavior by inflicting his psychological torment.

The next part will analyze Heathcliff’s behavior, along with how he confines

the rest of the characters. “The need to establish dominance leads Heathcliff to confine

15

others, always keeping clear boundaries between himself and those within his control,

a tendency that becomes destructive of others” (Crouse 181). For three years,

Heathcliff disappears from Wuthering Heights as a result of repression, and denial, by

escaping the reality that Catherine has rejected him. With his return and under the

influence of the conflict in his unconscious mind, Heathcliff begins confining other

characters. While a storm is underway in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff confines

Lockwood, who needs a guide to follow him back home. So, Lockwood is trapped at

Wuthering Heights, and Heathcliff will allow no one to guide Lockwood home. Still,

Lockwood attempts to leave on his own but is stopped by Heathcliff’s dogs. Lockwood

says, “I was sick exceedingly, and dizzy and faint; and thus compelled, perforce, to

accept lodgings under his roof” (16). Heathcliff wants to maintain control of the

situation by holding Lockwood against his will, replying, “A stranger is a stranger, be

he rich or poor: it will not suit me to permit any one the range of the place while I am

off guard!” (15). Lockwood must be confined within boundaries and under control.

Later on, when Heathcliff hears of Catherine’s illness, threatens to imprison Nelly if she

does not help him to get in and see her: “In that case I’ll take measure to secure you,

woman! … you shall not leave Wuthering Heights till tomorrow evening” (153).

Heathcliff even confines his son, Linton, by detaining him at Wuthering Heights and

rarely allowing him to go outside.

Furthermore, as a pretext to acquire Thrushcross Grange, Heathcliff has a clear

plan on how to take control through newborn children, which are seen as heirs. He

claims, “He’s mine, and I want the triumph of seeing my descendant fairly lord of their

estates; my children hiring their children to till their father’s land for wages” (208).

Since reunion with Catherine is not possible anymore, Heathcliff wants to seize

everyone else within his reach as a compensation for his reunion failure. By forcing his

son Linton and Cathy to marry and have children, Heathcliff plans to gain control of

Thrushcross Grange and its inhabitants. Therefore, Heathcliff imprisons Cathy at

Wuthering Heights and forces her to marry Linton, claiming, “As to your promise to

marry Linton, I’ll take care you shall keep it; for you shall not quit the place till that is

fulfilled” (274). When Heathcliff achieves control over Thrushcross Grange, he makes

Isabella suffer significantly as a revenge on her brother Edgar for marrying his love,

Catherine. This makes Isabella hate Heathcliff: “I gave him my heart, and he took and

pinched it to death and gave it back to me” (152), identifying him as a ‘devil’ himself.

Furthermore, Muller claims: “The savage Heathcliff’s imprisonment of the

cultivated Isabella effects a reversal of roles which achieves an ironic vengeance for

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Catherine. Catherine achieves vengeance for the imprisonment of her nature through

the manifestation of her hidden identity – Heathcliff” (p. 78). Heathcliff is not aware

that the manifestation of Catherine’s nature unconsciously is controlling him.

Therefore, by securing the image of culture and development, Isabella, Heathcliff

inherits the wild personality of Catherine. Eventually, it becomes Heathcliff’s

identification as a ‘savage’ and ‘devilish’ character. Furthermore, this kind of behavior

will not only lead to being destructive of others but somewhat self-destructive in the

end. The outcome of Heathcliff’s self-destruction is an expected result. For a character

who is so desperate and in agony, there is a predictable ‘self-destructive’ conclusion.

Two words would comprehend my future – death and hell: existence,

after losing her, would be hell. Yet I was a fool to fancy for a moment

that she valued Edgar Linton’s attachment more than mine. If he loved

with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn’t love as much in eighty

years as I could in a day (239).

As Heathcliff confesses to Nelly, because he is already psychologically attached to

Catherine, he cannot see himself without her. If Catherine would cease to exist, so

would Heathcliff. In the text, Heathcliff is haunted by Catherine’s presence and cannot

let go: “You said I killed you – haunt me then! … Be with me always – take any form –

drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh God! It

is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!” (167). The

psychoanalytical aspect of projection can explain this kind of experience. Heathcliff is

not able to separate himself from Catherine, as a result of his projection; in this case, he

sees his own traits in Catherine.

Nevertheless, Catherine separates herself from Heathcliff, “in order to establish

a position of equality and power in the relationship” (Crouse 184), she marries Edgar

Linton. Later, when she realizes that Heathcliff can never be hers again since she is the

wife of Edgar, she locks herself in her room for three days without food or water.

Catherine physically confines herself and eventually dies in the end, “this plot is

originally to draw attention to herself, and by hurting herself, to hurt those who love

her” (Crouse 186). After the death of Catherine, Heathcliff realizes he cannot live

without Catherine and has no more reasons to exist or live, and with this mindset, he

begins his self-destruction. As Heathcliff explains to Nelly: “It is not my fault that I

cannot eat or rest […] I assure you it is through no settled designs” (265).

17

Heathcliff’s behavior of self-destruction is evident to the reader when he refuses

to eat and live, confining himself through hunger until death. As Matthew Beaumont

in “Heathcliff’s Great Hunger: The Cannibal Other in Wuthering Heights” explains;

He turns his impulse for consumption onto his own corporal being.

Eating and drinking are the elementary indices of humans’ interaction

with the world. Heathcliff seals himself off from the material world in

the hope that his body will consume itself. The mortification of his flesh

alone can offer the redemptive promise of some kind of spiritual

incorporation with Catherine (p. 24).

As Catherine self-destructs by confining herself with hunger until her death, Heathcliff

does the same with his body. In this sense, Heathcliff symbolizes with Catherine and

wants his sinful body to consume itself to be free of his wrongdoings. Having lost

everyone and particularly Catherine, Heathcliff, in the end, surrenders himself. Since

he is psychologically confined and cannot escape his torment, for Heathcliff the self-

destruction is the only way out. As the psychological confinement influences

Heathcliff’s entire personality as a character, it seems clear that it will break down and

crumble sooner rather than later. In this respect, Heathcliff is just an ordinary

character exposed to psychological pressure, and as such, his ultimate destruction

completes the fragmented plot. The novel concludes with Heathcliff leaving this realm

of existence, and thus finally achieving psychological liberation.

The following section, the third and the last one of this essay deals with Heathcliff’s

liberation. Many critics (Crouse, Paris, Schakenraad) believe that Wuthering Heights

deals with the idea of freedom and liberty in one way or another. Yet not everyone

acknowledges that Heathcliff finally achieves his freedom. Just as a person cannot

escape from a ‘physical’ prison while imprisoned, Heathcliff seeks freedom in another

way, via a ‘metaphysical’ route, in this case, death. Therefore, in this last stage of

Heathcliff’s development as a character, death is the only means available to escape

from his psychological imprisonment. Heathcliff himself would disagree about this if

we consider his view on death: “I have neither a fear, nor a presentiment, nor a hope of

death. Why should I?” (258). Alternatively, when he explains to Nelly: “My soul’s bliss

kills my body” (265). Heathcliff does not see death as a path to liberty, but in this

reading, this essay argues that he is finally liberated through death. His attitude

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towards death demonstrates a firm belief in his independence, even in death. This

independence also means a continuation of fear and destruction. Hence, the reason

why this reading disregards what Heathcliff explicitly says about death is the fact that

Catherine’s soul is hunting Heathcliff after her death, and he sees no meaning in life

without her. “I have nearly attained my heaven; and that of others is altogether

unvalued and uncoveted by me!” (297). Heathcliff expects to be reunited with

Catherine; he yearns to meet her again, if only in death so they can continue to be

together, continue to exist. As a result, Heathcliff can neither be liberated nor survive

on his own. This is the only path for Heathcliff to be free of pain, free of psychological

imprisonment.

Heathcliff may have appeared to be a strong and resourceful character

throughout the text, but towards the end, he gets exhausted and weakened from his

actions. Heathcliff even loses the satisfaction of executing confinements that he used

to enjoy, saying, “I don’t care for striking, I can’t take the trouble to raise my hand…I

have lost the faculty of enjoying their [his old enemies’] destruction” (353). Heathcliff

recognizes that he has to leave everything behind, along with surrendering his

attention and giving up his independence. Leaving this realm of human existence is

the end of the fear, confinement, and misery that cause nothing but pain, revenge, and

violence. Heathcliff believes wholeheartedly in the existence of a realm where he and

Catherine can be ‘free souls’ as they are, and thus be together. Johanna Schakenraad,

in “The Matter of Souls: Philosophical Aspects of Wuthering Heights,” claims that:

In Wuthering Heights there is an unchanging world superior to the

world of daily human affairs. Most individuals are unaware of its

existence and only intensely feeling and passionate characters like

Catherine and Heathcliff know of its existence. The prospect of this

ideal world dominates their lives and when they fail to reach it in life,

they want to die to get there (p. 348).

Catherine and Heathcliff are trapped in their bodies, as both are ‘free souls’ and ‘wild’;

they have been restricted within their capabilities to express themselves. Knowing for a

fact that they are ‘two sides of the same coin’, Catherine sees Heathcliff as a part of her

own identity, “he's more myself than I am” (75) and “whatever our souls are made of,

his and mine are the same” (121). Because Heathcliff is part of her, Catherine will

continue to exist; she will survive death. “If all else perished, and he remained, I

19

should continue to be” (82). Catherine believes in everlasting existence because of her

belief that one rescues the other, and exists through him. “This assertion shows not

just a bond and unity which exists between them, but that Catherine has submerged

her identity into Heathcliff’s” (Crouse 184). Catherine acknowledges her mistakes,

knows that her life is gone in separation, but her affection and bond with Heathcliff

towards the end is even greater. Furthermore, when such a relationship is mutual, she

knows they can transcend separation together in the afterlife.

Though we do not know what is beyond death, still one has to assume the

existence ofCatherine. Just as Paris explains:

Cathy’s ghost is presented so ambiguously that it is impossible to say

whether we are meant to believe in its actual existence, but we do not need

to believe in the ghost to account for Heathcliff’s sense of being haunted by

Cathy. Since life without Catherine is truly unbearable, Heathcliff must

believe in her continued existence to assuage his anguish, just as she had

to believe that she would be reunited with him after her death. (p.251)

Heathcliff sees Catherine’s ghost and wants to be reunited with her after his death. In

that case, Heathcliff experiencing projection is the reason for his belief in the existence

of the afterlife. In such circumstances, they both are saviors; Catherine is saved by

continuing to live through Heathcliff, and Heathcliff is saved in the afterlife through

reunion and becoming one with Catherine. At last, Heathcliff achieves some kind of

liberation because he ceases to exist as a character. It can be concluded that

Heathcliff’s confinement is terminated, and his identity is completed. By attributing to

his personality, the aspect of torment, and psychological confinement, Heathcliff can

be interpreted as a more clear and definite fictional personality.

In conclusion, this essay shows that Heathcliff has an ambivalent identity

because of being a waif. Seemingly, he forges a new identity within the Earnshaw

family and close connections with Catherine. Additionally, Heathcliff’s obscure

personality takes more form and shape if it is seen through the prism of confinement,

and detachment from Catherine’s connection. Furthermore, ‘inhuman’ experiences

during childhood and the lack of a sense of belonging and being loved, contribute to

Heathcliff’s mentally imprisoned state. Above all, the inability to be together with

Catherine is the reason for Heathcliff’s ill-behavior, eventually making Heathcliff

20

activate the defense mechanisms.

Nevertheless, Heathcliff’s ill-behavior is a result of psychological experiences,

aspects such as repression, denial, projection, and sublimation. Furthermore, Freud’s

defense mechanisms give more explanation and reason for this kind of ill-behavior.

More specifically, the reading of the novel shows how Heathcliff tries to break free

from the psychological confinement, but fails while being alive, and ultimately

achieves this goal only in death. Though he gets recognition and higher social status,

Heathcliff realizes that he is not achieving satisfaction by confining others and sees no

meaning in existing anymore, especially after Catherine’s death. Whether he controls

other characters or gets revenge for his torment, Heathcliff cannot find a real sense of

being, which is worth living without Catherine. Heathcliff cannot escape his

confinement by any means, because it has been forged within him. As such, eventually,

it can be banished only in another realm of existence, that of the afterlife where his

death and his reunion with Catherine coincide.

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