Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë
“Oh, you see, Nelly, he would not relent a moment to keep me out of the
grave. That is how I’m loved! Well, never mind. That is not my
Heathcliff. I shall love mine yet; and take him with me: he’s in my
soul. And,” added she musingly, “the thing that irks me most is this
shattered prison, after all. I’m tired of being enclosed here. I’m
wearying to escape into that glorious world, and to be always there:
not seeing it dimly through tears, and yearning for it through the
walls of an aching heart: but really with it, and in it. Nelly, you
think you are better and more fortunate than I; in full health and
strength: you are sorry for me—very soon that will be altered. I shall
be sorry for you. I shall be incomparably beyond and above you all. I
wonder he won’t be near me!” She went on to herself. “I thought he
wished it. Heathcliff, dear! you should not be sullen now. Do come to
me, Heathcliff.”
In her eagerness she rose and supported herself on the arm of the
chair. At that earnest appeal he turned to her, looking absolutely
desperate. His eyes, wide and wet, at last flashed fiercely on her; his
breast heaved convulsively. An instant they held asunder, and then how
they met I hardly saw, but Catherine made a spring, and he caught her,
and they were locked in an embrace from which I thought my mistress
would never be released alive: in fact, to my eyes, she seemed directly
insensible. He flung himself into the nearest seat, and on my
approaching hurriedly to ascertain if she had fainted, he gnashed at
me, and foamed like a mad dog, and gathered her to him with greedy
jealousy. I did not feel as if I were in the company of a creature of
my own species: it appeared that he would not understand, though I
spoke to him; so I stood off, and held my tongue, in great perplexity.
A movement of Catherine’s relieved me a little presently: she put up
her hand to clasp his neck, and bring her cheek to his as he held her;
while he, in return, covering her with frantic caresses, said wildly—
Explanation
This passage from Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë is one of the most intense and thematically rich moments in the novel, capturing the destructive, transcendent love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, as well as Catherine’s yearning for death as a release from earthly suffering. The scene occurs near the end of Volume I, just before Catherine’s death, and is narrated by Ellen (Nelly) Dean, the housekeeper and primary narrator of the story.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the excerpt, focusing on its language, themes, literary devices, and emotional weight, while also situating it within the broader context of the novel.
1. Context of the Scene
- Catherine’s Illness & Impending Death: Catherine is dying from a combination of physical illness (likely tuberculosis) and emotional torment—her marriage to Edgar Linton has trapped her in a life of social respectability, while her true love, Heathcliff, remains an outcast. Her spiritual and emotional bond with Heathcliff is so profound that she cannot bear to be separated from him, even by death.
- Heathcliff’s Return: Heathcliff has just returned to Thrushcross Grange (Edgar’s home) after years away, now wealthy but still consumed by vengeance and obsession. His reunion with Catherine is electrifying but agonizing—their love is not tender or peaceful, but violent, all-consuming, and almost supernatural.
- Nelly as Witness: Nelly, the rational and pragmatic narrator, is horrified by the primitive, almost inhuman passion between them. Her perspective contrasts with the wild, elemental nature of Catherine and Heathcliff’s love.
2. Themes in the Passage
A. Love as a Transcendent, Destructive Force
- Catherine’s love for Heathcliff is not romantic in a conventional sense—it is metaphysical, almost religious. She declares:
“I shall love mine yet; and take him with me: he’s in my soul.”
- This suggests that Heathcliff is part of her very being—their love is not just emotional but existential.
- The phrase “take him with me” implies that death will not separate them; their bond is beyond the physical world.
- Heathcliff’s reaction is feral, almost monstrous—he “gnashed at me, and foamed like a mad dog”, reinforcing the idea that their love is not civilized or tamed, but wild and dangerous.
B. Death as Liberation
- Catherine longs for death not as an end, but as freedom from the "shattered prison" of her body and societal constraints.
“I’m wearying to escape into that glorious world… not seeing it dimly through tears, and yearning for it through the walls of an aching heart: but really with it, and in it.”
- The "glorious world" she yearns for is not heaven in a Christian sense, but a state of union with Heathcliff and nature—a return to the untamed moors where they were free as children.
- The "shattered prison" could refer to:
- Her failing body (illness).
- Her marriage to Edgar (a social cage).
- The confines of human existence itself.
C. The Supernatural & the Gothic
- The scene is deeply Gothic, with heightened emotion, supernatural undertones, and physical extremity.
- Catherine’s belief that Heathcliff is already part of her soul suggests a ghostly, immortal connection.
- Heathcliff’s animalistic behavior (“foamed like a mad dog”) aligns with Gothic tropes of the "other"—he is not fully human in his passion.
- The violent embrace (“locked in an embrace from which I thought my mistress would never be released alive”) foreshadows Catherine’s death and Heathcliff’s subsequent descent into madness.
D. Social vs. Natural Order
- Catherine rejects the "civilized" world (represented by Edgar, Thrushcross Grange, and Nelly’s pity) in favor of the raw, natural world (the moors, Heathcliff).
- She tells Nelly:
“You think you are better and more fortunate than I… very soon that will be altered. I shall be sorry for you.”
- This is a defiant prophecy—Catherine believes that in death, she will transcend human limitations while the living (like Nelly) remain trapped in their mundane existence.
- She tells Nelly:
3. Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices
A. Imagery & Symbolism
- "Shattered prison" → The body as a cage, society as confinement.
- "Glorious world" → The moors, freedom, death as release.
- "Dimly through tears / walls of an aching heart" → The pain of separation from Heathcliff and the natural world.
- "Foamed like a mad dog" → Animalistic, inhuman passion (Heathcliff is often compared to animals in the novel).
B. Diction & Tone
- Catherine’s speech is poetic, prophetic, and desperate:
- “I wonder he won’t be near me!” → A pleading, almost supernatural call to Heathcliff.
- “Heathcliff, dear! you should not be sullen now.” → She commands him, showing her dominance in their relationship.
- Heathcliff’s silence (until the end) makes his physical reaction (the embrace, the foaming) even more terrifying.
- Nelly’s perspective is clinical and frightened, highlighting the contrast between rationality and wild passion.
C. Syntax & Structure
- Short, fragmented sentences (“Do come to me, Heathcliff.”) → Urgency, desperation.
- Long, flowing sentences when describing her yearning for death → Dreamlike, transcendent.
- The embrace scene is chaotic and blurred (“how they met I hardly saw”), emphasizing the overwhelming, almost incomprehensible nature of their love.
D. Foreshadowing
- Catherine’s prophecy of her own death (“I shall be incomparably beyond and above you all”) sets up:
- Her actual death (shortly after this scene).
- Heathcliff’s subsequent grief and vengeance.
- The supernatural reunion (in death) that Heathcliff later seeks.
4. Significance of the Passage
A. The Core of Catherine & Heathcliff’s Relationship
- This moment defines their love—it is not gentle or redemptive, but a force of nature, as destructive as it is beautiful.
- Their physical and emotional violence mirrors the harsh landscape of the moors—wild, untamed, and indifferent to human suffering.
B. Catherine’s Defiance of Society
- She rejects pity (“you are sorry for me—very soon that will be altered”) and embraces her own destruction.
- Her love for Heathcliff is a rebellion against class, morality, and even life itself.
C. The Gothic Sublime
- The scene embodies the Gothic sublime—terror and beauty intertwined.
- The extremity of their emotions (love, rage, despair) transcends human limits, making them almost mythic figures.
D. Heathcliff’s Descent
- This moment breaks Heathcliff—after Catherine’s death, he becomes a vengeful specter, haunted by her memory.
- His wild grief here foreshadows his later madness (digging up her grave, begging her ghost to haunt him).
5. Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters
This excerpt is one of the most powerful in Wuthering Heights because it captures the essence of the novel’s central conflict:
- Love vs. Society
- Freedom vs. Confinement
- Life vs. Death
Catherine and Heathcliff’s love is not a romance—it is a force of destruction and transcendence. Their desire to merge completely (even in death) defies all human boundaries, making their story both tragic and terrifying.
Brontë’s raw, poetic prose immerses the reader in Catherine’s feverish mind and Heathcliff’s primal grief, ensuring that this scene lingers like a ghost—much like the spirits of the characters themselves.
Final Thought:
If Wuthering Heights is a storm, this passage is its eye—a moment of eerie stillness before the final devastation of Catherine’s death and Heathcliff’s revenge. It is beautiful, horrifying, and unforgettable, just like the novel itself.