"Who are you, Miss Snowe?" (V 287) Ginevra Fanshawe asks Lucy Snowe and draws attention to one, if not the central question of humankind: Who am I? How do we define who we are: by our job, by our social roles, or by the view others have of us? Moreover, living in a society and having to interact with other human beings, we also need to know who they are: friend or foe, villain or potential lover? However, it is impossible to reduce a human being to just one trait ('She is a mother', 'He is open-minded', 'She is a writer', 'He is a man.'). The same applies to most rounded literary characters.
This paper will discuss the presentation and identification of the main characters in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and Villette. At first I will have a closer look at what is expected of the characters on the narrative level, for example, being the hero of a novel. The second part of the paper will deal with the self-perception and search for identity of the protagonists Jane Eyre, Lucy Snowe and Catherine Earnshaw/Linton/Heathcliff. In the last part, I will discuss how these characters are identified through others, focusing on doppelgänger.
However, when doing a characterisation of the protagonists of Jane Eyre, Villette and Wuthering Heights, one has to consider that the narrators in all three novels are homodiegetic. This means – in these particular cases – that they are biased and, most likely, unreliable. The description of the characters and their behaviour is filtered through the eyes and words of the narrators. Therefore, one should always keep in mind that the information given to the reader is already interpreted or at least coloured by the narrator.
Even though the main focus of this paper will be on the Mid-Victorian Gothic novels Jane Eyre (1847), Villette (1853) and Wuthering Heights (1847), I will also draw comparisons to other works of female writers of the 19th century. There are, for example, interesting parallels to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) and to the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" (1892) written by the American author Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The latter provides a "terribly good" (Howells 7; qtd. in Shumaker 1) example of a woman's loss of identity and therefore perfectly matches the discussed novels of Charlotte and Emily Brontë.
Table of Contents
1) Introduction
2) The Gothic Cast
2.1) Villains
2.1.1) Heathcliff, the Villain
2.1.2) Rochester, the Hero-Villain
2.1.3) Are There Villains in Villette?
2.2) Heroes
2.3) Victims and Damsels in Distress
3) Who am I? - The Heroines' Search for the Self
3.1) Jane Eyre
3.2) Lucy Snowe
3.3) Catherine and the Nameless Narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper"
4) Doppelgänger: Identification through Others
4.1) Jane Eyre and Bertha Mason
4.2) Lucy Snowe and her Doubles
4.3) Wuthering Heights – A Story Told Thrice
5) Conclusion
Research Objectives and Key Topics
This thesis examines the construction of identity and the process of self-identification of female protagonists within Mid-Victorian Gothic novels, specifically Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Villette. The central research question explores how these characters navigate social roles and gender expectations, and how they achieve or fail to achieve personal independence and self-actualization.
- Analysis of archetypal Gothic roles such as villains, heroes, and damsels in distress.
- Exploration of self-perception and identity-seeking behaviors in female protagonists.
- Investigation of the doppelgänger motif as a tool for understanding suppressed personality traits.
- Examination of the impact of patriarchal societal structures on female agency and autonomy.
- Comparative literary study of the narrative function of unreliable narrators and the "Female Gothic" genre.
Excerpts from the Book
2.1.1) Heathcliff, the Villain
Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights fits the role of the villain best. This starts with his origin, covers his appearance and is developed to the most extend in his behaviour.
When Mr Earnshaw brings young Heathcliff home after having found him "starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb, in the streets of Liverpool" (WH 25), Nelly is frightened and Mrs Earnshaw calls the child a "gipsy brat". Nelly's first description of Heathcliff is "a dirty, ragged, black-haired child" that "only stared round" and talked "gibberish, that nobody could understand" (ibid). Mr Earnshaw's introduction does not help to cast a better light on the boy: "it's as dark almost as if it came from the devil" (ibid) - a comparison that will continue to haunt Heathcliff through his whole life. Hindley calls him "imp of Satan" (WH 27); Nelly thinks that at some point "it appeared as if the lad were possessed of something diabolical" (WH 46), and Isabella asks "is he a devil?" (WH 99). Later she exclaims: "He's a fiend! a monster, and not a human being!" (WH 110).
These are but a few of the many references that equal Heathcliff to the devil or a demon. Other names that Nelly (or Lockwood, as he is the frame narrator (cf. Gymnich 108) and therefore capable of altering Nelly's words) gives Heathcliff mostly refer to him as not human but a wild beast, a "monster" (WH 110) with "sharp cannibal teeth" (WH 128) and "basilisk eyes" (WH 130). Accordingly, before he is christened, Nelly invariably refers to him as "it" (WH 25-26), "implying […] a deep inability to get his gender straight" (Gilbert & Gubar 294). However, she must be sure that he is a boy as he is older than Catherine, who is "hardly six years old" (WH 25) at that time, and he therefore can easily be recognised as a boy.
Summary of Chapters
1) Introduction: Defines the core question of human identity and outlines the study's focus on characterization and identification in Mid-Victorian female Gothic literature.
2) The Gothic Cast: Explores traditional character archetypes within the genre, specifically analyzing the complex roles of villains, heroes, and victims across the discussed novels.
3) Who am I? - The Heroines' Search for the Self: Examines the psychological development of protagonists as they navigate internal and external obstacles to find their authentic selves.
4) Doppelgänger: Identification through Others: Analyzes the use of doubles as mirrors for the characters' hidden desires, suppressed rage, and evolving identities.
5) Conclusion: Synthesizes findings on how patriarchal pressure impacts identity, concluding that finding one's self is the prerequisite for independence and fulfillment.
Keywords
Female Gothic, Identity, Identification, Doppelgänger, Mid-Victorian Literature, Brontë, Self-Perception, Patriarchy, Rebellion, Autonomy, Narrative Reliability, Gender Roles, Alienation, Hero-Villain, Social Constraints.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this thesis?
This work explores the search for identity and self-hood of female protagonists in novels by Charlotte and Emily Brontë, contrasting these with traditional Gothic character roles.
Which literary works are central to the analysis?
The primary texts discussed are Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and Villette, with additional references to Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper.
What are the primary goals of the protagonists studied?
The characters strive for self-actualization, autonomy, and the reconciliation of their internal emotional desires with their external societal roles.
Which scientific or critical methodology is utilized?
The author employs a comparative literary analysis, utilizing concepts from gender studies and Gothic literary criticism to dissect narrative structures and character development.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The chapters categorize characters into Gothic types (villains/heroes), analyze the protagonists' internal search for meaning, and utilize the doppelgänger motif to reveal suppressed personality facets.
How can this work be characterized by its keywords?
Key themes include the Female Gothic genre, the struggle for independence under patriarchal systems, the concept of the "double," and the psychological complexity of the heroines.
How does the doppelgänger motif function in Villette?
In Villette, Lucy Snowe encounters numerous doubles, such as Polly and Ginevra, who represent her suppressed passionate and sexual desires, ultimately helping her integrate her fragmented identity.
Does Heathcliff genuinely fit the category of a "villain"?
The thesis argues that Heathcliff is best categorized as a "hero-villain," as he embodies both the suffering victim of his environment and a cruel, vengeful antagonist.
How does the author characterize the narrator's reliability?
The author emphasizes that the narrators in these novels are homodiegetic and often biased, meaning the reader must interpret their accounts with caution.
Is the ending of Villette interpreted as a happy one?
The author concludes that while the ending remains ambiguous, it is arguably the most positive, as Lucy achieves independence and self-acceptance without needing to rely on a romantic partner.
- Quote paper
- Sandra Bollenbacher (Author), 2011, Identity, Identification and Finding One's Self in Mid-Victorian Female Gothic: "Jane Eyre", "Villette" and "Wuthering Heights", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/204934
