Question

Read the excerpt below. Then, using a feminist lens, analyze the complex relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff as it is portrayed in the excerpt. Write a developed paragraph that contains a claim, evidence, and commentary to establish and support your line of reasoning.

'...Nelly, I see now you think me a selfish wretch; but did it never strike you that if Heathcliff and I married, we should be beggars? whereas, if I marry Linton I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother's power.'

'With your husband's money, Miss Catherine?' I asked. 'You'll find him not so pliable as you calculate upon: and, though I'm hardly a judge, I think that's the worst motive you've given yet for being the wife of young Linton.'

'It is not,' retorted she; 'it is the best! The others were the satisfaction of my whims: and for Edgar's sake, too, to satisfy him. This is for the sake of one who comprehends in his person my feelings to Edgar and myself. 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 my 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 Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. 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. So don't talk of our separation again: it is impracticable; and—'

Answer 1

In this excerpt from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship is portrayed as complex and multifaceted. Using a feminist lens, we can see that Catherine is torn between two conflicting desires: her love for Heathcliff and her desire for social and economic security. Catherine acknowledges that if she were to marry Heathcliff, they would both be destitute. However, if she marries Linton, she can use her newfound social status to help Heathcliff rise out of poverty. This dilemma highlights the limited options available to women in the patriarchal society of the novel. Catherine is forced to choose between her own happiness and the expectations placed on her as a woman of her time. Furthermore, Catherine's declaration that she is Heathcliff reinforces the idea that women's identities are often subsumed within those of their male partners. Despite her recognition of the importance of social and economic status, Catherine cannot imagine a life without Heathcliff. Her love for him is depicted as an integral part of her being, unlike her love for Linton, which is described as transient and changeable. Overall, the passage presents a nuanced portrayal of the difficulties faced by women in a patriarchal society and the ways in which love and identity are intertwined.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

Catherine's struggle for autonomy and identity in "Wuthering Heights" exposes the conflict between personal desires and societal norms, offering a nuanced exploration of feminist themes in love and independence.

In this excerpt from Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights," Catherine Earnshaw's articulation of her complex relationship with Heathcliff through a feminist lens reveals a struggle for agency and independence within the constraints of societal expectations.

Catherine's consideration of marriage to Edgar Linton as a means to elevate Heathcliff out of poverty reflects a pragmatic approach to her own agency and financial stability.

However, her assertion that her love for Linton is a concession to societal norms while her connection to Heathcliff is essential to her very existence exposes the tension between personal desires and societal pressures.

The claim that her love for Linton is like the changing foliage in the woods suggests a transient, societal construct, while her love for Heathcliff, likened to the eternal rocks beneath, signifies a deep, intrinsic connection that transcends societal norms.

Catherine's proclamation, "I am Heathcliff," underscores the intertwining of her identity with Heathcliff's, challenging conventional notions of women's roles and autonomy.