Essay
25/25 HYSTERIA ESSAY PLAN
- Course
- Institution
- Book
Included is an essay plan for the theme of hysteria in wuthering heights. Plan includes contextual analysis, critical analysis, language analysis and form analysis
[Show more]
Connected book
Book Title:
Author(s):
- Edition:
- ISBN:
- Edition:
More summaries for
-
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - Chapter Summaries
-
Wuthering Heights scene-by-scene summary
-
Explore Bronte's presentation of womens attempts to find happiness in Mrs Dalloway?
Seller
Follow
maryamtay22
Content preview
Maryam MahmoodWeir argues that hysteria is the ‘nosological limbo of all unnamed female
maladies’ Explore the presentation of Cathy in chapter 12 in light of this
view.
Notably, it could be argued that Cathy’s hysterical outburst of emotion are
predominantly due to her inner self denial or due to her separation from her
phenomenal lover Heathcliff. Thus her geographical and mental shift from heaven to
hell by relocating at Thrushcross Grange. Alternatively, it may be also be disputed
that due to the domestic confinement outlawed by the patriarchal Victorian society,
that Cathy opposes this and thus her constraint is a consequential factor of society.
Primarily, Bronte illustrates Cathy’s hysterical outburst as a consequence of her
metaphorical imprisonment at Thrushcross Grange through the phrase ‘ Open the
window.’ Thus, by opening the window it allows nature to enter and for the barrier
between civilization and nature to be declined, on top of Cathy’s free spirit to be
expressed through the use of animal imagery ‘ that’s a turkeys… pigeons.
Nevertheless, it was uncommon for woman of the era to be expressive and creative
and instead it was normalised that they relied upon their male counterpart for all
forms of support and strength and the main role was to nurture and tend to children.
Thence, the reference to birds is symbolic as they are commonly associated with
freely roaming the moors within the novel that of which is parallel to young Cathy
and her freedom before her marriage to Edgar. Therefore it may be argued that Cathy
created an excuse for herself to be married to Edgar in order to help raise Heathcliff,
whence is an attempt to falsify reality. This is further supported by John Hagan who
states ‘ Cathys acceptance of Edgar’s proposal is the necessary condition for all that
happened subsequently.’ Conversely the novelist also presents Cathy as savage and
animalistic-‘tore the pillow with her teeth’ this illustrates that Cathy attains
animalistic mannerisms. Hence it may allude that her transgressive behaviour is a
consequence of her inner conflict which is further supported by the fact that pigeons
were part of a rural superstition within the nineteenth century as they were
indigestible and thus the soul of a dying person could not leave the body if the
mattress or pillow was filled with pigeon feathers. Furthermore, the writer creates a
semantic field of freedom that can be associated with the symbiotic union between
Cathy and Heathcliff as Cathy states ‘ I am Heathcliff.’ The short imperative denotes
that the pair are inexorably linked and by marrying Edgar Cathy has created a
disorder within the souls as it has instilled a sense of revenge within Heathcliff
against the civilized society. Accordingly, this illuminates the ideology that to Cathy,
Heathcliff is her animus and to Heathcliff, Cathy is his anime. As Cathy is
representative of beauty, love and belonging and Heathcliff possession freedom,
command and spontaneity. Thus without each other they are incomplete further
intensifying their phenomenal love.
Furthermore, Cathy is commonly associated with the theme of denial through the use
of the mirror in chapter twelve, it alleviates to the fact that she no longer recognises
herself within the patriarchal society she resides within- this is demonstrative
through the minor exclamatory sentence ‘It’s behind there still!’ This may be an
example of Cathy’s lack of acceptance into civilization whereby she no longer has
grasp of young Cathy, likewise the mirror may be a symbol for reality as by marrying
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller maryamtay22. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $3.86. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
70055 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now