AbstractThe Division in Wuthering Heights

On its first publication, Emily Bronte's only novel – Wuthering Height was received with great hostility. Since the 1920s, this trend of criticism has been reversed by the innovations and technical experiments of the modernists. The reviews are full of such words as "powerful", "massive", "passionate", "original". Yet few critics have been careful enough to spot the division in Wuthering Heights and comprehend the dualism. This thesis focuses on details of the book and interprets the diversity running deep in human's heart and human's world. In conclusion, in Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte sees the entire universe in two divided dimensions: contradictory and somewhat interdependent.

Outline

I.      Introduction

1.      Wuthering Heights in Social and Literary Background

2.      Wuthering Heights Briefly Introduced

II.  The Division in Wuthering Heights

Chapter 1.      The Divided World in Wuthering Heights

1)   The Division between Heights and Grange

A.      Wuthering Heights Stands for Rebellion

B.      Thrushcross Grange Stands for Submission

C.  Different Environment Result in Different Personality and Fate

2)   The Source of this Division

A.  Use One’s Own Measure to Judge

B.  Both Refuse to Communicate with Each Other

3)      Opposite though, Height and Grange are Attracted to Each Other

Chapter 2.      The Divided Self in Wuthering Heights

1)      Catherine's Intense Attachment to Heathcliff

2)      Catherine's Sincere Love for Linton

3)   Different Traits of Each Love and Self

4)      Impossible to Combine Two Selves into One

III.      Conclusion

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Professor GAO Jiazheng, my supervisor, without whose valuable advice and guidance this thesis could not have been accomplished. Also, I would like to thank all the lecturers who have provided me with the knowledge of English language and literature, which is very useful to the writing of this dissertation. Finally, I should acknowledge a debt to those whose ideas or work have been adopted in the thesis.