Setting
Both novels take place in 19th century England. The setting and timing of the novel is important when understanding the issues faced. It isn’t a time of equality where women are allowed to be equal with men and the poor are allowed to love the rich. Wuthering Heights takes place in the moors, a tract of open uncultivated land, where mansions are separated by miles. Living in this wealthy location provides the conflict for the story. Jane Eyre follows a similar setting. Jane jumps around from place to place but she often finds herself living in a wealthy environment, not often by choice.
The environment the characters live in causes conflict because in each novel, a character is out of place. Heathcliff, whose origins are pretty much unknown, is different from everyone else at Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is a dark skinned orphan and his arrival at Wuthering Heights causes some issues. In addition to social class and gender being a limitation to pursing happiness there was the issue of race that Heathcliff faced. His adoption by Earnshaw places him in the higher class but he’s still out of place because he looks different and wasn’t born into wealth. In Jane’s case, she’s stuck with living with the Reeds, Jane’s aunt and cousins, where she is treated very badly. This is all because Jane’s mother made a “bad choice” for a husband. Jane says, “How people feel when they are returning home from an absence, long or short, I did not know: I had never experienced the sensation. I had known what it was to come back to Gateshead when a child, after a long walk – to be scolded for looking cold or gloomy; and later, what it was to come back from church to Lowood – to long for a plenteous meal and a good fire, and to be unable to get either. Neither of these returnings were very pleasant or desirable.” (C. Bronte, 137) While Jane has lived in various locations, she never truly feels at home anywhere. Jane isn’t really given the option to go and explore the world. She takes what’s given to her and doesn’t achieve the home feeling she wants. Jane’s lack of wealth stops her from exploring and finding this home. However, Jane’s persistence and challenge of societies standards allow her to finally find this home. She says to Rochester, "Thank you, Mr. Rochester, for your great kindness. I am strangely glad to get back again to you; and wherever you are is my home, – my only home." (C. Bronte, 209) Jane feels like she has finally found the place she fits in rightfully when she is with the man she loves.
The settings of the novels are really important when looking at the struggle between characters. Because they are located in a moors where the rich live, or stuck living with relatives who have an aspiring aspect to keep up their family name, conflict ensues. The themes in these novels suggest that the aristocratic system of power was under threat by the rising middle class and personal desires people had.
The moors in Wuthering Heights can be considered symbolic. Moors are difficult to navigate, not easily cultivated, and proves that living on them is dangerous. The dangers seen in the moors were symbolic to the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff. It was wild and unpredictable, just like the moors. The relationship was paralleled in the in their surroundings. Bronte says, “I bounded, leaped, and flew down the steep road [from Wuthering Heights]; then, quitting its windings, shot direct across the moor, rolling over banks, and wading through marshes: precipitating myself, in fact, towards the beacon-light of the Grange.”(E. Bronte, 30) This quote describes the dangerous situations the moors present, which are similar to the dangerous situations Catherine and Heathcliff’s, love put them in. The moors are dangerous and unpredictable, much like Catherine and Heathcliff. Bronte uses this location because there are similarities between the wildness of the setting and the characters.
Jane’s progression as a woman is also mirrored in her surroundings. As Jane grows and changes, the places she lives changes as well. She stays with the Reeds, than she goes to school, and eventually on to working for Rochester. As she experiences new things, she starts to blend in with them and change to where she is.
The setting is important because it helps us better understand who and why Jane and Heathcliff are who they are. Being stuck in a mansion and working for the rich stopped them from achieving their goals. Granted, Heathcliff would have never have met Catherine but that didn’t really play out too well for him. They couldn’t control the fact that they were born into a lower class or the fact that Jane was a woman, but it clouded their chances of going anywhere.
The reason social class provided such a distinct problem in both novels had everything to do with the time period. The rich and famous never really associated themselves with the poorer and it was not often seen that love blossomed between these groups of individuals. It was a time were image was everything; people wanted to be known and the only way to do that was by being rich. It’s an interesting to see that perhaps attitudes like this still exist, to a lesser degree. For some, image is more important than true love. Catherine decided it was best for her and her family to give up her true love, and that’s exactly what she did. Whether or not Catherine was happy with Edgar Linton is questionable, but it wasn’t important. What was important was Catherine’s willingness to give up what she cared for most because she knew it was better for herself, her family, and her image. Catherine may or not be considered selfish in this image, but the fact of the matter is that her choice was what changed Heathcliff into a monster. And all because Heathcliff was different.
Character Development
In both novels, it’s important to note the developments each character goes through. We see both Heathcliff and Jane as children, and we see the changes that happen to them. Heathcliff was wild child who loved to play and make trouble with Catherine. The two were inseparable. Nelly, the maid at Wuthering Heights, says, “She was much too fond of Heathcliff. The greatest punishment we could invent for her was to keep her separate from him: yet she got chided more than any of us on his account.”(E. Bronte, 30) Everyone knew that Heathcliff and Catherine were close and had a special bond. But as time goes on, and Catherine meets Edgar, things change. When Catherine and Heathcliff start to drift apart, we see Heathcliff become cold and distant from people. Heathcliff’s distant from Catherine ruined him. He eventually becomes the owner of Wuthering Heights but he’s still not happy because he lost Catherine. The attitude developed by Catherine and Heathcliff show the power love has over an individual. The boundaries between people can cause them to develop personality differences. The effect social class has on the pursuit of love is highlighted in Catherine and Heathcliff’s situation.
Watching Heathcliff change over the course of the story is very revealing. Heathcliff in his natural habitat is running around joyfully with Catherine and the effects of losing her devastate him. His development shows how losing love can almost destroy a person. Catherine married Edgar, who was another wealthy individual, and changed her attitude because she knew that’s what was expected of her. Heathcliff pays the price for Catherine giving into society. Heathcliff becomes resentful towards those who arranged Catherine’s marriage to Edgar. He says, “I'm trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don't care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!” (E. Bronte, P.69) The concept of giving into societies pressures is an inhibitor of happiness. The idea of women being forced into arrangements was common in this time period. Women were not given the opportunity to strive and become their own person as often as men did. Wuthering Heights uses Catherine to show how the desire to have one thing, or one person, may be overruled by the desires society places on you.
Jane’s personality is also shaped by her surroundings. She is at a constant struggle to find herself and keep up her pride. She never wants to give into what is expected from a woman. Jane’s desire to make herself proud is something that can be a problem for her or a blessing. Jane starts off living with the Reeds but eventually leaves for school and afterward to work for Rochester. She’s always moving because she’s trying to find what’s right for her. Jane never really had the desire to please others; she’s constantly at wits end trying to do what she thinks is right. Jane Eyre shows what happens when women decide to take control of their lives and not give into societal pressures anymore. Women were starting to take situations into their own hands and do what they wanted rather than what everyone else wanted. Jane’s attitude and constant desire to be a strong, independent woman exemplifies the changes that women wanted to have.
When Rochester announces his marriage to Blanche, Jane says nothing because she doesn’t want to be that type of person who throws her feelings out there to change things for others. She knows she loves Rochester but she’s more desperate to prove herself as an independent woman. Jane is different from Catherine in the sense that she makes distinctions between love and happiness. For Catherine, she was focused on being with the man she truly loved. On the other hand, Jane did what proved to herself that she was independent. While they both wanted different things, they both dealt with societies pressures.
The major struggle for characters in Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre are their positions in society. Both Heathcliff and Jane are placed in houses were a higher class family lives. They both grow up with the wealthy but are never really classified as part of the group. Jane may have had the etiquette and educational background that was most common amongst the wealthy, but she was still treated as a servant.. Jane could have done whatever it seemed to have to fit in with the people around her but she was never going to quite be at their level. And the fact that Jane knew that impacted many of her decisions. We see Jane’s knowledge and understanding of this when she is hesitant of marrying Rochester. She knows she loves him but she knows she feels like she’ll be holding him back if she agrees. And she only does agree to marry him when she comes into her late uncle’s wealth. Jane’s pride as a woman is ultimately what stops her from going with her heart.
Heathcliff and Jane both we’re affected by love, but their responses were very different. Jane put her feelings aside because she was too proud and Heathcliff was arguably ruined because of it. Both of these responses were derived from who they were. Heathcliff, the orphan boy not born into a wealthy family couldn’t change the way Catherine felt. Jane, who was pretty much an orphan as well couldn’t oppose Rochester’s marriage because she knew she didn’t have a place to do so. Because these two characters weren’t as high and mighty as their lovers, they were forced to accept what came about and let it shape who they are.
Symbolism in Spirits
The novels take an interesting approach and use ghosts as a method of symbolism. In both books, the main characters are exposed to some sort of spirit that helps them make certain judgments. Heathcliff has claimed to see the ghost of Catherine many times and he is conflicted by what it means. “…Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you – haunt me, then! The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. 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!" (E. Bronte, 123-124) Catherine’s death has clearly driven Heathcliff mad.
We see Jane come to a similar conflict when she is trapped inside the Red Room by her adoptive family. She thinks, “…and the strange little figure there gazing at me, with a white face and arms specking the gloom, and glittering eyes of fear moving where all else was still, had the effect of a real spirit: I thought it like one of the tiny phantoms, half fairy, half imp, Bessie’s evening stories represented as coming out of lone, ferny dells in moors, and appearing before the eyes of belated travelers”. (C. Bronte, 4) The Red Room is a room decorated in red furniture and is the room in which Mr. Reed died. Jane has internal conflicts and feelings towards the Reeds and being placed in solitary confinement causes her emotions and rationale to run wild. Jane is still young at this point of life and has been exposed to living with the Reeds for her entire life. She is unable to logically think about her issues due to the restrictions she has been placed upon. The only way Jane feels she can process what has happened to her is through the spirits she sees in the Red Room.
Heathcliff’s desperation for Catherine was also seen in the beginning of the story. "Come in! come in!" he sobbed. "Cathy, do come. Oh, do – once more! Oh! My heart's darling, hear me this time – Catherine, at last!" (E. Bronte, 20) The characters in both novels were troubled with the idea of spirits of people who use to love them. Mr. Reed was the only nice one to Jane so she’s processing her guilt and pain by assuming she’s being haunted. Heathcliff is the same way. He’s so traumatized by Catherine’s death that he has to assume that’s she visiting him from beyond the grave because he misses her so much. The desperation to be in touch with these loved ones again is challenging the reasoning in these characters.
Both characters process their pain through envisioning spirits because it’s the only logical way for them. Again, this is another characteristic trait that is changed based on what happened to them. As a result of the restrictions and failures on the path to happiness, there is an issue of making distinctions between reality and ultimately what is desired for that character. This aspect of the novels is significant because the effects of the class and gender conflict are being portrayed. The heartbreak and identity issues are effecting judgment and causing characters to potentially lose track of reality.
Reliability of Narrator
The reliability of the narrators in both Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights can be considered a major factor in the characters presented to us. We are told the story of Catherine and Heathcliff through the eyes of their maid, Nelly Dean. The story of Jane Eyre is told from Jane’s perspective. Both of these characters may have biases towards the story their telling. It’s important to consider that these characters may be biased in their story-telling because societal pressures and desire to be please others may be a key factor in what they say.
Nelly Dean served at Wuthering Heights during Catherine and Heathcliff’s childhood. She made it clear to Lockwood, who she was telling the story too, that she was not very fond of Heathcliff. Nelly said herself, “Hindley hated him, and to say the truth I did the same.” (E. Bronte, 24) Before Heathcliff arrived on the manor, she served only Catherine and her brothers. In this time, she grew very close to Catherine. When she seen the relationship between this wild orphan boy change Catherine is, she becomes weary of him and starts to develop a strong displeasure for the boy. As Heathcliff grows older and eventually takes control of Wuthering Heights, he starts to treat Nelly with less remorse. Heathcliff treats her like he is less than her and doesn’t give Nelly the respect she thinks she deserves. His actions towards her could have caused her to make him out to be the villain in her tale. Most of the novel is told from hindsight bias from Nelly’s perspective; because she feels like Heathcliff ruined Catherine and because he was cruel boss, she may not be telling the whole truth.
Because Nelly felt disrespected and mistreated by Heathcliff, her opinions can be clouded. Nelly, like Jane, is prohibited in her responses because she is a woman. Nelly’s position as a maid stops her from being able to stand up for Catherine.
Jane is narrating her story and the biases are a possibility from her perspective as well. While Jane is thorough in detail, she sometimes is modest and reserved with her inner thoughts. Jane was always hesitant to expose what she’s feeling. Rochester says, “Your garb and manner were restricted by rule; your air was often diffident, and altogether that of one refined by nature, but absolutely unused to society, and a good deal afraid of making herself disadvantageously conspicuous by some solecism or blunder.” (C. Bronte, 105) Jane isn’t accustomed to being around people who are so willing to want to hear from her and have her willingly to be part of her life. Bronte chooses to make Jane so weary in her honesty because she’s been suppressed all her life. Living at an unloving home and then attending a school that continued to limit her, she is not used to this attention.
The relationships between characters are affected because the role they place in society changes the way people see them. Nelly and Jane are both potentially biased in their stories because the role others played in their lives.
Conclusion
Set in a time and area where the wealthy controlled pretty much everything, the pursuit of love and happiness are often clouded by society’s pressures. It was unheard her of for a wealthy man to fall in love with a servant or for a well-known woman to get married to an orphan. Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre both highlight these problems. Jane, Catherine, and Heathcliff are stopped from being who they want be and who they want to be with because they have a certain reputation. There isn’t much that can be changed about where they stay in society so the characters try to get around it. Heathcliff’s destruction comes from his broken relationship with Catherine and Jane’s pride comes from her past. They both knew where it was they grew up, they knew they didn’t seem to have a chance to be more, and it ultimately lead them on to different paths. Jane tried to show society that she couldn’t be pushed around, and Heathcliff should that he could move up on the social ladder but he was still destroyed by his failed love. Gender and social class were, and possibly still are, issues when trying to find what truly makes you happy.
The authors were trying to show the changes that are happening, or what they wanted to happen, to the standards society has set. Through the use of a woman who puts self-identity before love and the conflict between classes, the Bronte sisters are trying to say the societal standards and gender issues are not a justified reason for prohibiting happiness.
Works Cited
Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. New York: Random House, 1945. Print
Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.