摘 要

《呼啸山庄》是艾米莉∙勃朗特的一部杰出之作，描写了男主人公希斯克厉夫和女主人公凯瑟琳之间的爱恨情仇。其独特的写作手法，生动的人物刻画，奇特的想象力，深刻的主题思想获得了广泛的好评。本文将从作者呈现给我们的三大冲突这一不同的角度来研究这部小说，即个人与社会的冲突，人与人之间的冲突，人与人自身的冲突。最后得出结论，作者希望揭露维多利亚时代悲惨的社会现状及其对人性的压迫，同时也向人们传递她伟大的人道主义思想：人应该学会宽恕，因为人性善的一面终将战胜人性恶的一面。

关键词：冲突；希斯克厉夫；凯瑟琳；压迫；人性

Contents

1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………1 2. Demonstration…………………………………………………………………….3

2.1. Conflicts between individuals and society.…………………….....................3

2.1.1. Heathcliff and the capitalist society....................................…………………...3

2.1.2. Catherine and the male-dominated society........................................................5

2.2. Conflicts between individuals …..............................……………………………7

2.2.1. Conflicts between Heathcliff and the first generation…................……………7

2.2.1.1. Heathcliff and Catherine…........................................................................…..7

2.2.1.2. Heathcliff and Hindley.............................................………………………....8

2.2.1.3. Heathcliff and Edgar..........................................................................………...9

2.2.1.4. Heathcliff and Isabella.......................................................................………..10

2.2.2. Conflicts between Heathcliff and the second generation...................................11

2.2.2.1. Heathcliff and Hareton....................................................................................11

2.2.2.2. Heathcliff and Cathy........................................................................................12

2.2.2.3. Heathcliff and Linton......................................................................................13

2.3. Conflicts within individual....................................................................................14

2.3.1. Heathcliff and himself........................................................................................14

2.3.2. Catherine and herself..........................................................................................15

3. Conclusion………………………………………………………………………....17

Works Cited………………………………………………………………………......18

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………….....19

An Analysis of the Conflicts in Wuthering Heights

1. Introduction

“It is for God to punish wicked people, we should learn to forgive” (Bronte 78). This is one of the most classic sentences in Wuthering Heights, whose author is Emily Bronte, an English poet and novelist. She was born in 1818 as the daughter of a poor clergyman and died very young at the age of 30 after the publishing of her only novel. She and her sisters, Charlotte Bronte and Anne Bronte, were called “the Bronte sisters” in the history of English literature. She spent most of her life in the little village of Haworth, Yorkshire, in northern England and got her personality shaped under the influence of the moors. As Charlotte Bronte described, Emily was “stronger than a man, simpler than a child”, and “her nature stood alone” (qtd. in 刘炳善310). Emily Bronte was indomitable, naive and solitary in nature. She was fond of the moors more than anything else in the world, and that’s why she could bring Wuthering Heights into readers’ sight alive. The time Emily lived in was the Victorian Era, during which the capitalism gained its momentum and the economy developed in full swing. However, there also existed severe social problems, including the enlarging gap between upper class and lower class, abuse of child laborer and ignorance of female’s position. Emily observed, experienced and expressed her anger through her pen. Wuthering Heights is nothing if not her best accusation of the Victorian Era.

Wuthering Heights narrates a story of love and revenge between the main characters. Heathcliff is a gypsy waif brought back to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw from Liverpool. For Mr. Earnshaw’s partiality, Heathcliff is abused by Hindley, Mr. Earnshaw’s son，after Mr. Earnshaw dies. Meanwhile, Mr. Earnshaw’s younger daughter, Catherine shares intimacy with Heathcliff and the pure friendship turns into love year after year. However, considering that Heathcliff could not guarantee her a well-off life and her naive hope to free Heathcliff from Hindley’s oppression, Catherine chooses to marry Edgar Linton, the successor of Thrushcross Grange at last. Heartbroken Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights and returns three years later as a wealthy people to start his revenge. Isabella, Linton’s younger sister, falls in love with Heathcliff. Heathcliff takes advantage of her innocent love and cheats her. He also instigates Hindley to intemperance and gambling, and turns Hindley’s son Hareton as his slave. He even forces Catherine’s daughter, Cathy, to marry his sick son, Linton. He finally possesses both Wuthering Heights and Thrushgross Grange, but he loses Catherine forever. Recognizing that Cathy and Hareton become more intimate with each other, Heathcliff gives up his revenge and longs only for death. After he dies, his soul reunites with that of Catherine’s on the moors. Cathy and Hareton embrace a new start of their life.