Wuthering Heights is a moorland area, and is situated on high moors. Moors are very rugged areas, which are very difficult to live in. The terrain is rough and rocky, and the weather is so powerful. It is an importantly dangerous location to live in, which is very uncultivated. We also understand how it is very isolated from civilized towns or cities. In The Woman in Black, Eel Marshouse fits around the same descriptions, the only exception being that it is on very flat marshland, and not moorland. However, marshland is still very uncultivated, and the terrain is still very awkward to live in.
In both books, the fact that both houses are isolated and very desolate helps to give the idea of something eerie and strange about the area. Yet, both Kipps and Lockwood are attracted to this idea. In The Woman in Black, the fact that the land is so flat and there is a lot of sky, sets two different impressions on Kipps. The first impression is that the vast sky is so dramatic and fascinating to him, because he has never seen anything like this before. He describes how “the sense of space, the vastness of the sky above and on either side made my heart race, I would have travelled a thousand miles to see this. I never imagined such a place.” It is very obvious that he is so startled and amazed by the sky. The second impression is seen when Kipps loses his naïvety in chapter 7 and the forces of nature become evil. Here the sky can be seen as smothering and claustrophobic. There is a classic oxymoron that occurs here, where the sky is seen by Kipps as real beauty and danger. In Wuthering Heights,
It is obvious that The Woman in Black is a ghost story. However, Wuthering Heights cannot be totally called a ghost story. It is a ghost story to some extent, but not entirely one. It certainly is a ghost story in the sense that Heathcliff is so supernatural and beyond the normal. The story is about revenge, loss, tragedy, and it is more of a romantic fantasy. Wuthering Heights locates itself outside convention. The people who live there do not operate on the other social lives, yet they are very individualistic.
In the first chapter of Wuthering Heights, Mr. Lockwood seems to be, just like Kipps, so fascinated by Wuthering Heights, and the moors that it is situated on. He explains how “this is certainly a beautiful country”, and that in all England, he does not believe that he could have “fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society.” Again, there is the element of the area being isolated and remote from any civilized town or city. This is a good element because it helps create the chilling atmosphere, again, just as in The Woman in Black, and it highlights a mystery in the sense that we don’t know where these areas are, and yet they exist somewhere, possibly so locked in time. Lockwood describes this as “a perfect misanthropist’s heaven.” Just as with Kipps in The Woman in Black, Mr. Lockwood is captivated straight away with the land. He is so thrilled with what he sees. Part of its beauty to him is its solitariness and isolation. The description of the landscape in Wuthering Heights is not as detailed as it is in The Woman in Black, but the imagery is still effective, and tells us about the terrain.
In The Woman in Black, the descriptions of the landscape are so dramatic and vivid. Although Kipps is so attracted to the landscape, there are still references and descriptions which suggest death. For example, in chapter 5 of the book, Kipps describes how the dykes and ditches filled with water “lay silent, still and shining under the November sky, and they seemed to stretch in every direction… and to merge without a break into the waters of the estuary, and the line of the horizon.” The way they lay still and silent suggests the image of dead corpses, and hints a suggestion to the phrase “as silent as the grave.” Also, the description revolving around the idea of the line of the horizon suggests infinity, which may further suggest death, because once someone dies, they are gone forever.
In the same chapter, Kipps sees the ghost of Jennet Humfrye. He describes how “in the greyness of the fading light, it had the sheen and pallor not of flesh so much as of bone itself.” This is such an eerie description, almost like a cadaver. Her ghost is presented as so mysterious and malevolent. Kipps explains how her face wore an expression of what he can only describe – “and the words seem hopelessly inadequate” to express what he saw – “as a desperate yearning malevolence.” Kipps immediately interprets this expression “as though she were searching for something she wanted, needed – must have, more than life itself, and which had been taken from her.” Of course, if we were to further read the book, we later learn that she had lost her daughter, because she was forced to give her away, and now she wants to take her revenge on almost anyone and anything that comes in here way. “And towards whoever had taken it she directed the purest evil and hatred and loathing, with all the force that was available to her.” Here the supernatural is presented so extremely, because the ghost of Jennet is said to direct the purest evil, and pure hate and pure evil is so inhuman, and way beyond normal. It is so supernatural and unusual, almost inhuman. This is so horrifying to Kipps, because the very first time he saw this ghost, he simply could not believe it, and yet now, his views are starting to change, and he is almost forced to lose his naїvety and believe in the ghost that he sees, even though his logic at first was telling him that this couldn’t possibly be true.
This “ghost” of Jennet Humphrye had not looked in any way like a “traditional” ghost, and was not at all transparent or vaporous. “She had been real, she had been there,” and Kipps had seen her so clearly that he was certain that he could have “gone up to her, addressed her, touched her.” Therefore, in this story, there are no clichés about ghosts, and the ghost is not transparent and “fake”, yet it are real, and there is something unusual about it in the sense that it has some substance. This makes the story more successful, because it makes us feel a bit more inclined to believe it.
In the first three chapters of Wuthering Heights, the main supernatural character is Heathcliff’s. However, the actual ghost is Cathy’s, when she seems to come to Lockwood in a sort of dream-reality, and touches his hand.
Mr. Lockwood is so naïve at first, just like Kipps, and Lockwood is especially naïve about Heathcliff. However, as we learn later on, Lockwood realises that Heathcliff is not a very admirable character. Everything that he initially believes totally changes towards the end of the story. Mr. Lockwood is in fact totally wrong about everything at first. He is wrong about his suitability as a friend, about his ability to fit in with Heathcliff and the family, and his ability to enjoy the landscape.
It is noticeable that the tone of Lockwood’s narrative is so optimistic and positive, and he is so sanguine. For example, at first, Lockwood admores Heathcliff’s black eyes and brows, and imagined Heathcliff to be “a capital fellow” and his black brows would signify his shy character, and yet Heathcliff is the total opposite. In fact, his black eyes and brows could point out the malice and darkness beneath him.
Lockwood is not welcomed at all in Wuthering Heights, and Heathcliff is so harsh and inhospitable towards him. He tells Lockwood to “walk in” so coldly, and even worse, he says that “with closed teeth.” This imagery hints a rugged, animal-like character, almost inhuman or supernatural. Heathcliff then says to Lockwood “go to the Deuce!” This basically means “get lost” or “go to hell,” and it is an extremely rude thing to say to a guest. It is obvious that Lockwood is really unwanted. He is seen as an intruder into Wuthering Heights, and he only comes in through gritted teeth.
As Lockwood is in the house, he notices a lot of brutal imagery. The interiors of Wuthering Heights are just as unpleasant and cruel as the people living in it. For a start, there is not hallway or passage when entering the house. It just opens straight onto the living room. There are no niceties or usual civilities. It is very rough and ready, and very hostile to visitors. In the house, there are many cruel and brutal references to dead animals, which is so shocking to Lockwood because the brutality is so casual here. For example, he mentions how there are “squealing puppies” and how there was a “huge, liver-coloured bitch pointer” which lay in an arch under the dresser. This casual brutality to animals also occurs in a slightly different form in The Woman in Black, where Kipps hears the pony with the cart dying, and a baby screaming and dying. In Wuthering Heights, there are quite hellish images, which gives us the impression that this is where a form of the devil lives. There is also a lot of meat in the house, like “clusters of beef, mutton and ham.” This is the image of carnage. There is also a huge fireplace which Lockwood describes, and there is the impression that the fire is multiplied, where the end of a room reflected the heat and light. Furthermore, in their conversation, Heathcliff frequently refers to the devil, for example, he asks “what the devil is the matter?” This is again so hellish.
Lockwood mentions how “dogs haunted” other recesses. This could suggest that the dogs were the creatures of Satan, which is another hellish reference, and the way he describes them haunting makes it seem as though they are just lurking there in the house. It gives the house an eerie and unfriendly atmosphere. There were also “villainous old guns, and a couple of horse pistols” above the chimney. This is a threatening idea, which has an element of violence and brutality in it as well.
Lockwood goes on to describe Heathcliff as “a dark-skinned gypsy.” Gypsies are quite feared people, who are associated with the supernatural. This makes Heathcliff seem foreign and mysterious, and he may do things that other people don’t understand, either in his dress, manners etc.
Lockwood generally thinks that he can understand Heathcliff’s psychology, and yet it’s far too complex for him to understand. In fact, Mr. Lockwood does say something significant about Heathcliff, but he doesn’t understand how significant it was at the time. He says about Heathcliff: “He’ll love and hate, equally,” which if we read further into the book, we later learn that it is completely true, and Heathcliff can in fact extremely love Cathy with every bit of love in him, and he can hate anyone else, who is not Cathy, with every bit of hate in him. This power of extreme hatred and revenge is really what makes him so supernatural and almost inhuman, just like Jennet Humfrye’s ghost in The Woman in Black. Both of them want revenge on anyone who comes their way, and both have lost a dear one to them. They both have some kind of psychotic obsession, which enables them to hate and curse anyone but their loved one. Both of them can hate so much for unjustified reasons. It is also interesting to note how they both have some substance.
In the second chapter, Lockwood leaves Wuthering Heights, and tries to return to where he had come from. However, he is trapped in Wuthering Heights by a terrible snowstorm. Just like in The Woman in Black, we sense that the landscape is so overwhelming, and how the elements are still more powerful than man. As with Kipps, the fact that Lockwood is trapped in a hostile area makes the story more chilling.
In chapter 6 of The Woman in Black, Kipps describes how he “had never been quite so alone, nor felt so small and insignificant in a vast landscape before.” He says that he “fell into a not unpleasant brooding, philosophical frame of mind struck by the absolute indifference of water and sky” to his presence. Here, the idea that the landscape is indifferent to human presence is a recurring idea in the book. The fact that the landscape doesn’t care about any human walking on it means that there is no support or salvation. We realise that Kipps is still fascinated by the vastness of the landscape, and yet it is not a form of comfort. It has a firm grip on him though. After having almost witnessed the death of a child, when he heard the scream, and after having cried like a baby, which is such a funny reaction from a grown man like him, he wants to go back to Eel Marshouse, and it almost hypnotizes him. It is in fact the landscape that draws him back to the situation, and this is the reason he keeps coming back to the house. He is mesmerized by the landscape, and it pulls him in so much. He describes the “eerily beautiful marshes, under the riding moon,” which he seems to admire so much.
It is really only until chapter 7 that Kipps’ sense of reality transforms. Before, he would never have believed seeing the ghost, and everything about the ghost, but in this chapter he learns it for sure.
In chapter 7, Kipps is back at the inn. He feels terrible that something bad has just happened (with the baby), so he goes to see Mr. Jerome and asks for help so that he can go and find the papers he wants. Kipps thinks that it would be great if he could just go back to the house in the afternoon, get the papers, and make it back before dark. However, Mr. Jerome is grey-faced about the whole thing and wants to have nothing to do with this. Mr. Jerome seems helpless at times, for example, Kipps describes how at one point, “Mr. Jerome’s expression was one of panic.” Mr. Jerome then starts to unravel part of the strange and mysterious history of Crythin Gifford. This gives a kind of depth to the isolated and abandoned house.
Before the chapter is over, something starts to compel Kipps back to the house, like a magnet which pulled him to the East towards the house. He describes how he “could not resist the urge that was so extraordinarily strong within me to stop and look…east. And there they lay, those glittering, beckoning, sliver marshes with the sky pale at the horizon where it reached down to the water of the estuary. A thin breeze blew off them with salt on its breath.” The word “beckoning” personifies the landscape, and the word “breath” makes the landscape almost seem alive. There is definitely a hypnotic power about the landscape, which is so overwhelming, and we sense that the elements are more powerful than man.
In chapters 5, 6 and 7 of The Woman in Black, there is a development of the landscape. Initially, the landscape was seen as enormous, powerful and indifferent. In chapter 7, it begins to be personified and we sense that it is evil in itself. Now, the landscape wants to draw him back. It’s as though it has cast some kind of a spell over him, something that deliberately beckons him, which therefore does not make it indifferent anymore. In these chapters, there has also been a development in Kipps’ beliefs. His whole idea of reality and logic has changed so quickly.
The fact that Arthur Kipps is all alone is very important here, because it makes him more vulnerable and less able to handle the situation that he is caught in, because there is no one to help him. This traps him in Crythin Gifford, just as it traps Lockwood in Wuthering Heights.
It is so important that neither Mr. Lockwood nor Arthur Kipps can escape their immediate circumstances. This creates a chilling element of fear and the fact that they are both trapped engages the reader, who wants to know what will happen next. Furthermore, it makes the supernatural more believable, because we learn to understand how extremely powerful the supernatural actually is, and even us as outsiders, we learn to believe in a way or at least have some doubt about the ghostly apparitions.
In the second chapter of Wuthering Heights, since Lockwood is trapped in a snowstorm, he decides to return to Wuthering Heights, and so he does. He wants to stay there for a night, hopefully until the snowstorm is over. Here, Lockwood speaks with Mr. and Mrs. Heathcliff, and he is very ironic at times, especially when he can cope with the threat around him. For example, he refers to Mrs. Heathcliff as an “amiable lady as the presiding genius” over Mr. Heathcliff’s home and heart. Lockwood is being totally ironic here, and he is wrong about everything. Another good example would be when he mentions in his narration how he “began to feel unmistakably out of place in that pleasant family circle,” because of course, the family was not pleasant at all.
In the third chapter, Lockwood is taken to his room. There was something mysterious and eerie about the room that he was sent to, where “they had so many queer goings on.” The way the room was laid out seemed almost like a coffin. Lockwood started to get settled, and found Cathy’s diary which he began to read parts of. He then decided to go to sleep. Here he had two “dreams.” The first one was a strange dream, which is not very relevant. However, for the second one, the distinction between reality and dream is not so clear. It started off when the window in the room was rattling because of the snowstorm outside, and the howling wind. He wanted to close it so that he could rest, and so he got up and put his hand outside the window. At this moment, he felt an ice cold hand close on his fingers. Then, a voice said “Let me in – let me in!” It was the ghost of Cathy Earnshaw. Lockwood was so terrified, that he actually rubbed the child’s wrist to and fro “till the blood ran down and soaked the bed clothes.” The imagery here is of a strikingly violent nature.
Lockwood then started yelling as a result of his fear, and Heathcliff came so savagely, and asked what had happened. There is a lot of description of Heathcliff with are so violent and animal-like. For example, he was questioning Lockwood while “crushing his nails into his palms, and grinding his teeth to subdue the maxillary convulsions.”
After having analysed the general setting and supernatural of both books, I can easily say that they have more similarities than differences. Even though there is about 150 years difference between both books, it feels as though there is only a few years between then two. The real difference that stands out between the books is an element of humour, which would be hard to succeed in The Woman in Black. The humour occurs in Wuthering Heights, when Lockwood is sarcastic and ironic at times. He doesn’t take the situation very seriously at first. This tells us that one story is more intense than the other. It indicates that there is an intensity in The Woman in Black which may not be present at this point in Wuthering Heights.
It is interesting to note the style and language used in both books. In Wuthering Heights, the language is self-consciously formal, to reflect the intelligence of the author. The sentences are long, there are frequent uses of semi-colons, and a lot of complex and demanding vocabulary is used, for example, words like “misanthropist” are complex, and have been chosen very carefully. This is mainly because in Victorian times, only the rich, higher-class people could read, and therefore, the books were written for them. In The Woman in Black, there are echoes of a traditional or archaic style in the language used, and there is a slight flavour of history. Susan Hill uses some sophisticated language, but it is more lucid and it’s much looser and clearer than Wuthering Heights. The Woman in Black was deliberately written in a pre-modern style, with a formality about it. This is to create a gothic, historical feel. It could be possible that Susan Hill decided to do this because the best supernatural novels were written in the last century.
