Essay
25/25 DETRIMENTAL LOVE ESSAY PLAN
Included is an essay plan for the theme of detrimental love in wuthering heights. Plan includes contextual analysis, critical analysis, language analysis and form analysis
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Compare how authors of two texts present ideas about detrimental loveIntro: It can be argued that in Bronte’s Victorian gothic novel ‘Wuthering Heights’ detrimental love is explored
through the complex relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff as it is arguable that Cathy creates two fictional
versions of Heathcliff to fulfil her fictional affinity. Alternatively, however it can also be argued that in Mews’
For my lover returning to his wife’ Sexton explores detrimental love through the contrast between love and lust
and the fact that lust is ephemeral and damaging. In similar ways, Larkin’s ‘Talking in Bed’ explores the lack of
desire in the marital couple and how this is mentally detrimental to the couple. In contrast to this, it can also be
argued that in the gothic novel the love is detrimental through the physical barrier of death that the lovers aim to
transcend
TOPIC SENTENCE: It can be argued that Bronte creates two images of the protagonist Heathcliff with the use
of the double narrative whereby the first half accounts to the spiritual and powerful affinity between the two
characters and the second as revengeful and manipulative through the increasing violence from Heathcliff.
Use of parallelism with the lovers language ‘ I am Heathcliff’- woman surrenders her identity and her
world for his world theme of ownership in Victorian literature, typical as seen in Jane Eyre through the
arguably manipulative relationship between Jane and Mr Rochester. Eagleton- ontological love, idea of
continual togetherness and symbiotic union.
‘be with me always – take any form!’ – the idea that he wants to transcend all boundaries, wants to do the
impossible, psychoanalyst may argue that the love is detrimental as the couple attempt to defy the reality
of death. However the exclamatory may allude to a fear of isolation and an underlying apprehensive
thought of the fact ‘ existence after losing her would be hell’ or a lack of comfort and companionship as
without Cathy the abuse of ‘pet’ and ‘gypsy boy’ would be intolerable. Almost a selfish outlook hence is
the relationship one sided as he is dependent on Cathy.
This is contrasted with her prior conventional romantic view of HC ‘ whatever are souls are made of
mine and his are the same’ and she also argues ‘ gave him my heart and he punched it to death’ some
denial and doubt of the true nature of their relationship. A Victorian audience may argue the fact that
Cathy metaphorically gave herself up to HC and now she is facing the consequences of her lack of
individualism. An element of shock and surprise and she was hooked on her notion of the perfect
relationship ‘ I will love mine yet’ dysfunctional relationship.
Hence, it can be argued that the love is detrimental as she creates a fictional image of HC the real image
of HC as vengeful and vehement ‘I have not one word of comfort’ is tainted by her idealistic view of love
hence the love is damaging.
MEW’ I am a watercolour’ short sentence. Ephemerality and temporary nature of lust. Sexton’s purpose
that lust is detrimental as it is short lived and separation can be painful. The imagery of the watercolour
shows the transient nature of the role of the mistress- also the artistic perfection of a watercolour as a
painting which is fictional and the love shared with the husband and wife is more concrete like a
‘monument’
Similar in WH where Cathy says ‘my love for linton is like the foliage in the wood’ the love always
changing like the seasons do lacks no concrete foundation could easily be washed away by the water.
Talking in bed – written in 4 tercets with a regular rhyme scheme but has a triplet rhyme in the final
stanza, how inevitably they are stuck together or how the poem decays structurally to ‘find, kind,
unkind’. Also helps to increase pace but the tone is sombre throughout hence the monotony of the poem
is arguably a reflection of their relationship which is inevitably detrimental to one’s mental state to be
stuck within a realm of
Linguist critic may argue that as the stanzas are 3 lines long and are about a couple which is explicitly
about two people may argue that there is a 3 rd person in the relationship or the fact that distance is so far
there might as well be a third person.
Lack of trust and honesty in the relationship is arguably detrimental as it can lead to insecurity and
emotional turmoil whereas in the novel the writer argues that unrealistic expectations of love ‘ you never
harmed me in your life’ are detrimental to ones sanity
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