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celebration of uncertainty through gothic moments in Emily Brontèe's Wuthering Heights

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Date Issued:
2009
Summary:
While critics have argued that the Gothic moments in Emily Brontèe's Wuthering Heights merely illuminate the psyches of her characters, I show that these moments allow Brontèe to reveal a unique tension and overflow of emotion that arises between her two main protagonists. Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, these displays --scenes of ghostly hauntings, bloody violence, and excessive emotion--create a desirable uncertainty about the limits of life and love in this novel. This uncertainty constitutes an escape from and an alternative to the conventional romantic relationship prescribed by social and narrative standards in which two people fall in love, get married, have children and die. In my thesis, I argue that the revelation of this desired uncertainty is made possible by Brontèe's use of Gothic devices and could not have been as successfully achieved by any other literary mode.
Title: The celebration of uncertainty through gothic moments in Emily Brontèe's Wuthering Heights.
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Name(s): Copeland, Kimberly.
Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Thesis
Issuance: multipart monograph
Date Issued: 2009
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
electronic resource
Extent: v, 52 leaves ; 29 cm.
Language(s): English
Summary: While critics have argued that the Gothic moments in Emily Brontèe's Wuthering Heights merely illuminate the psyches of her characters, I show that these moments allow Brontèe to reveal a unique tension and overflow of emotion that arises between her two main protagonists. Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, these displays --scenes of ghostly hauntings, bloody violence, and excessive emotion--create a desirable uncertainty about the limits of life and love in this novel. This uncertainty constitutes an escape from and an alternative to the conventional romantic relationship prescribed by social and narrative standards in which two people fall in love, get married, have children and die. In my thesis, I argue that the revelation of this desired uncertainty is made possible by Brontèe's use of Gothic devices and could not have been as successfully achieved by any other literary mode.
Identifier: 460160824 (oclc), 209987 (digitool), FADT209987 (IID), fau:1361 (fedora)
Note(s): by Kimberly Copeland.
Thesis (B.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, Honors College, 2009.
Bibliography: leaves 48-52.
Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subject(s): Brontèe, Emily, 1818-1848
Symbolism in literature
Gothic revival (Literature)
English fiction -- 19th century -- History and criticism
Held by: FBoU FAUER
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/209987
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Host Institution: FAU

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