Still ruminating over how much of an artist’s genius is subconscious — and whether this de-values the role of the artist (or the opposite — maybe true artists should be evaluated on how willing they are to get out of their own way?)… When researching Wuthering Heights, I found this fascinating article at http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/novel_19c/wuthering/psych.html about Linda Gold’s interpretation of Heathcliff, Catherine and Edgar representing Freud’s id, ego and superego. The article was fascinating — in fact that entire site was great (especially if you are interested in the complexities of what makes Wuthering Heights an enduring classic and great read).
I started to remember the countless students who have asked, when confronted with a psychological interpretation of a character, or even with a fairly obvious symbol (for example, the mockingbird in To Kill A Mockingbird), whether we English teachers were just making this all up because we have nothing better to do, or whether the writer was intentional. I have attempted to answer this question so many times that the topic eventually became stale and a little irritating, but with the fresh air of a year’s leave about me, the topic has become interesting again.
My stock answer was — Yes. Yes, we obsessive readers cum English teachers read quite a bit — maybe too much — into our favorite works; and, yes, great artists know what they are doing when they employ symbolism, etc.; and, yes, there is an element of the subconscious at work. But isn’t that what distinguishes a writer like me (concrete) from a true artist (sublime). Don’t artists allow the mystery of genius to work its magic without questioning it too much? Now, it is impossible that Emily Bronte sat down with Freud’s The Ego and the Id before embarking on Wuthering Heights since he was born ten years after she had died. Rather, this quiet introvert had apparently observed and understood human nature in its extreme forms and the result are the terrifying, delightful, alluring characters of Heathcliff and Catherine. Now we get the fun of unpacking and exposing just how great she was — whether unintentional (as her sister believed) or not, and the fun of placing modern “lenses” on the psyche of her characters. I guess the point is — does it matter? We should just appreciate her genius and be grateful!!
I am reading all of your blog anti-clockwise, so… finally… Wuthering Heights! My favourite book in the whole world (and, yes, I have read your post about book vs. novel, and I am using the word book just as a tribute to the excitement of holding tight those pages at night, opening the cover, and walking into the moors to meet Heathcliff and Catherine). I read Wuthering Heights for the first time at the age of 15 and I fell in love with it and with its Author. I started reading Emily’s poems, as far as my English could take me back then (as I have never read translated poetry), and… well… eventually, I grew fond of the idea that I was Emily Jane Bronte’s reincarnation (despite never believing in reincarnation)! I was 15, anyway, and this account for that.
What really happened was that I found such a connection with her, that lasts today.
I was very lonely and kept my life private as a teenager. At the age of 15, I hadn’t had many of the experiences that my peers had out of the turmoil of that age, although I had travelled much more than them.
What has always struck me about Emily was that she spent most of her brief life in the isolation of the Yorkshire moors, she travelled briefly, she didn’t build up a family of her own, she never had a lover as far as we know, she didn’t have many acquaintances to spend time with, a varied social circle, did she have any real friend? She was kept apart from what constitute most of the human experiences and emotions in a lifetime, and yet they are all there: the passion, the sorrow, the hatred, the love, the loyalty, the betrayal, the fondness, the wanting, the trusting… They are all forcefully brought to life into the pages of Wuthering Heights. How did she do that? It’s like all of those forces were innate into her. And I have always felt so close to Emily because of this.
Last year, after desiring it for such a long time, I eventually took a trip to Haworth. I spent four days in a lovely B&B, in the Emily Room, with a window overlooking the Bronte Parsonage and the moors behind it. I visited the house/museum and saw the sofa where Emily was lying when she died, her writing set, some of her original drawings. Most of all, I took the 12 miles trekking to Wuthering Heights, the ruins of a farm that the Bronte Society believes inspired the setting of the novel. This experience was amazing, and reinforced my belief… no, not that I am Emily Bronte’s reincarnation… My journey reinforced my belief that Emily’s characters, and stories and words were born with her and within her.
Apart from reading, I have a passion for writing, and an ambition to become a published writer. At the moment, by training, I am a clinical geneticist, so I venture into understanding how our mind works, and I love reading about the genetic basis of talents. As an infant, I started to walk more or less when expected, but I said my first meaningful word at the age of 6 months, and at the age of 3 I was able to read a whole book. I think my mind was born craving words.
I am now reviewing the first novel I have written, that the literary agency I submitted it to believes has potential for success. In the process of writing it, I possibly experienced what Charlotte Bronte was describing in the passage you quote. I had these two characters who were coming from two very different paths, but I knew they had met before, and they were related somehow, I just wasn’t quite sure how. And then one evening, while I was staring at the screen of my laptop, and trying to invent this story, I felt like all of a sudden I was, not inventing, but remembering it. It was there in front of my eyes, and it couldn’t have been any different. I felt like the characters had grown so strong along the weeks and the chapters that they were telling me about their past I couldn’t figure out, they were telling me their own story.
Thank you for such a fascinating and thoughtful comment, Emanuela! I so hope your novel is published soon and would love to read it — I love how you describe your process of creation… Have you discovered the Bronte Blog yet? It is really a find for those of us who love Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre… Thank you!
What makes Wuthering Heights an eternal classic and a favorite in many modern literary circles? While there is true Romance here it is no kitschy soap opera.
What makes Wuthering Heights an eternal classic and a favorite in many modern literary circles? While there is true Romance here it is no kitschy soap opera.
Wuthering Heights for Kindle