Analyzing Masculinity: Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights Essay

This essay provides an in-depth analysis of masculinity as portrayed in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, focusing on the contrasting characters of Heathcliff and Edgar Linton. It examines how Heathcliff embodies a raw, unconventional form of masculinity, often associated with the Byronic hero archetype, in stark contrast to Edgar's gentlemanly and civilized demeanor. The essay explores the societal expectations of the Victorian era, highlighting how Brontë challenges conventional gender roles through her characterizations. It delves into the emotional complexities of both characters, discussing their relationships, motivations, and the impact of their actions on the narrative. The analysis further considers the author's narrative techniques, such as the use of the narrator Nelly, to emphasize the differences between Heathcliff and Edgar, ultimately arguing that the novel promotes a more rustic and passionate form of masculinity through Heathcliff's character. The essay uses textual evidence to support its arguments, drawing on various critical interpretations of the novel to provide a comprehensive understanding of the themes of masculinity, gender, and societal expectations within Wuthering Heights.

Running head: MASCULINITY IN WUTHERING HEIGHTS
MASCULINITY IN WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Name of the Student
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Author Note

1MASCULINITY IN WUTHERING HEIGHTS
Wuthering Heights is one of the highly celebrated novels of the nineteenth century that
was composed by Emily Brontë. The novel was published in the year 1847 under the name of
Ellis Bell, the pseudonym adopted by Emily Brontë. The novel is often described to be a gothic
fiction novel that followed a moorland setting. The novel majorly revolves around the unrequited
love that existed between an orphan Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of his
wealthy benefactor (Homans). The raw and rustic masculinity as demonstrated by Heathcliff is
promoted by the author in comparison to the meek depiction of masculinity by Edgar. The
following paper attempts a discussion on the depiction of the rough nature of masculinity
ascribed to Heathcliff as compared to the gentlemanly nature that is ascribed to Edgar Linton.
The author of the gothic fiction novel, Emily Brontë puts forth a defiance in the
presentation of the gender roles that have been assigned to the characters in the novel. The
audience of the then society is reported to have been shocked by the depiction of the changes in
the depiction of the male and the female characters of the novel. The novelist had portrayed
Edgar Linton, a wealthy human being and the husband of Catherine Earnshaw to be a doting and
an extremely caring husband (Lodge). The character was described to have been afraid of
earning the ire of his wife. Edgar, according to the narrator, Nelly is a perfect representative of
the idealized Victorian man who is known to be a perfect gentleman. Nelly describes him to be
one of the boring characters within the story. Edgar is known to be one of the most caring male
characters present within the story. The character is described as a rich gentleman who is totally
in love with his wife, Catherine Earnshaw. The character is described to have penchant for the
masochism since as described by the narrator of the novel, Nelly, he falls irresistibly for his wife
after her display of a huge number of tantrums as well as hitting him. The situation was
described by Nelly in a demeaning metaphor stating that "he [Edgar] possessed the power to

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depart as much as a cat possesses the power to leave a mouse half killed, or a bird half eaten"
(Bronte). The character is never observed to demonstrate the roughness in the depiction of the
masculinity like that depicted by the orphan Heathcliff. The character of Edgar is observed to be
treading on a knife-edge while dealing with Catherine, his wife (Fanning). The narrator Nelly, in
course of her narration states that Edgar had been known for the demonstration of "a deep-rooted
fear of ruffling her [Catherine's] humour" (Bronte). The progress of the novel reveals a change in
the character of Edgar as well. Edgar is resented by his own wife due to his overtly gentlemanly
nature as compared to the fierce and overwhelming nature of the passion as demonstrated by
Heathcliff (Tytler). The latter half of the novel depicts a change in the character of Edgar. The
character demonstrates a more sympathetic as well as aggravated compassionate nature during
his weak moments (Chitwood). The character is also observed to be gullible in nature.
On the other hand, Heathcliff, one of the central characters of the novel is an orphan boy
who was brought up under the influence of his wealthy benefactor Mr. Earnshaw. The author
paints the character of Heathcliff as one of the apt demonstrations of the Byronic heroes. The
character is demonstrated to be an outsider antihero who is dark and is majorly observed to
maintain loneliness (Jones). The character is observed to be treated with despise right from the
commencement of the narration by the narrator of the novel, Nelly. The novelist has described
Heathcliff to have a rough side to his depiction of masculinity. The narrator of the novel, Nelly,
is known to describe the character of Heathcliff in terms that are used to denote monstrous
beings.
“‘Is he a ghoul or a vampire?’ I mused. I had read of such hideous incarnate
demons. And then I set myself to reflect how I had tended him in infancy, and
watched him grow to youth, and followed him almost through his whole course;

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and what absurd nonsense it was to yield to that sense of horror. ‘But where did
he come from, the little dark thing, harboured by a good man to his bane?’
muttered Superstition.” (Bronte)
The character is seen to take to violence as a means of expression for both the emotions
of love as well as those of hate. The author through Nelly ascribes this attitude to be an outcome
of the ill-treatment and abuse that he had received during his childhood that was spend in the
Earnshaw family (Lock). The pitiless attitude of Heathcliff is exquisitely revealed by Nelly
during her narration.
[Heathcliff] seized, and thrust [Isabella] from the room; and returned muttering
—"I have no pity! I have no pity! The more the worms writhe, the more I yearn to
crush out their entrails! It is a moral teething; and I grind with greater energy in
proportion to the increase of pain." (Bronte)
The author majorly describes the masculinity of Heathcliff to be opposing to that
depicted by Edgar. Heathcliff is described to be excessively passionate and obsessed about his
love for Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of his wealthy benefactor. The other major streak that
is demonstrated by the author through the character of Heathcliff is the strict nature of his loyalty
towards Catherine. This is one of the major characteristics that sets him apart from the legally
married husband of Catherine, Edgar.
Thus, from the above discussion it might safely be concluded that the character of
Heathcliff as depicted by Emily Brontë bears a rustic and raw side to his masculinity. On the
other hand, the masculinity that is demonstrated by Edgar Linton is mostly gentlemanly in
nature. Edgar is resented by his own wife due to his overtly gentlemanly nature as compared to

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the fierce and overwhelming nature of the passion as demonstrated by Heathcliff. The author
through Nelly is observed thus to promote the rustic and raw masculinity of Heathcliff.

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References
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Spectacle in Adapting the Brontë Novels as Films." A Companion to the Brontës (2016):
513-527.
Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Рипол Классик, 2017.
Fanning, Sarah E. "‘A Soul Worth Saving’: Post-Feminist Masculinities in Twenty-First-Century
Televised Adaptations of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights." Adaptation 10.1 (2017): 73-
92.
Homans, Margaret. "Emily Brontë." Victorian Women Poets. Routledge, 2017. 27-43.
Jones, D. Michael. The Byronic Hero and the Rhetoric of Masculinity in the 19th Century British
Novel. McFarland, 2017.
Lock, Pam. "Hindley’s ‘reckless dissipation’: Making Drunkenness Public in Emily Brontë’s
Wuthering Heights." Brontë Studies 44.1 (2019): 68-81.
Lodge, Sara. "Masculinity, Power and Play in the Work of the Brontës." The Victorian Novel
and Masculinity. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2015. 1-30.
Tytler, Graeme. "The Presentation of Edgar Linton in Wuthering Heights." Brontë Studies 42.4
(2017): 312-320.