Wuthering Heights By Emily Bronte - 2099 Words

1. In Emily Brontà «Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Wuthering Heights, Catherine Earnshaw tells Nelly Deane that ‘[i]t would degrade me to marry Heathcliff’ (p. 94). How far is Catherine’s marriage choice in Wuthering Heights influenced by the patriarchal attitudes and gender conventions of her society? In Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Catherine’s marriage choice is heavily influenced by the patriarchal attitudes and gender conventions of her society. During 19th century Britain, the ideology of separate spheres for men and woman was most commonly accepted. Women were submissive to men and were generally expected to fulfil their responsibilities entirely as a wife. In these times, power and status could only be obtained from the possession of money and land. It†¦show more content†¦For this reason, those with higher social status treated Heathcliff indifferently. Heathcliff is characterised as devilish and is cruelly referred to as â€Å"it† in the Earnshaw household. He is often referred to as a â€Å"gipsy† throughout the novel by other characters. Gypsies fascinated Victorian England, they were thought of as objects of discrimination because their travelling lifestyle made them people without a nation or land. It was a term used to descri be the individuals who were severely poor and misfortunate, such as Heathcliff. He is also discriminated against because of his appearance; his notably dark skin compels other characters to differentiate themselves from him as superiors. Catherine’s life is shaped by her lack of independence and her inability to gain control. She is entirely dependent on the dominant male figures in her life that guard her freedom. She is confined by the limitations that are set in place by men, unable to defy their power. Rebelling in such a way would threaten her position within the household that she lives and potentially ruin her respectable reputation. This dismissal and rejection by men would eventually lead to Catherine’s death, which becomes evident in her later decision to challenge her assigned role in the hierarchy of gender. As a young child, Catherine and Heathcliff spent a lot of time together; they were practically