Repetition in Wuthering Heights

Repetition in Wuthering Heights

Abstract: In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte employs many writing skills, though, of which, repetition is an obvious tactic and worthy of tasting. In this novel, nothing, only the time seems to run in cycles, which makes repetition inevitably. The repetition of the characters' names and the repetition of plot: the young Catherine's mockery of Joseph's earnest evangelical zealousness is the repetition of her mother's; Heathcliff's degradation of Hareton repeats Hindley's degradation of Heathcliff; Heathcliff's secondary at opening Catherine's grave repeats his first.

Key words: repetition, disposition, detestation, love

1. Introduction: Wuthering Heights is the masterpiece of Emily Bronte. It describes the love of the parental and younger generation: Heathcliff with Catherine, Edgar with Catherine, and young Catherine with Hareton. Besides, it also describes Heathcliff's detestation towards the younger generation. In this novel, the author employs many tactics to tell us a vivid story, but the most skillful should be repetition.

2. Repetition in the novel

In Wuthering Heights, repetition is a much more artistic writing skill. It is found in the characters' names, which also leads readers to consider how plot elements repeat themselves. So the repetition of characters' names and the repetition of plot will be prior to be discussed following.

2.1 The repetition of the characters' names

Many of names in Wuthering Heights are striking similar. For example, besides the two Catherine, and two Heathcliff, there are a number of Lintons, Earnshaws. The younger generation's names are not only the resembling of their parents', but they also have symbolic meaning: the younger generation's similar disposition to their parents'. The Earnshaws' disposition are wild and passionate, the Linton's are tame and civilized. Therefore, young Catherine is much wilder than her mother, Catherine Earnshaw. It is pointed out by this sentence "she wasn't as proud and quick tempered as her mother."(125) However, young Catherine is as passionate as her mother. In chapter 3 "Catherine was a wild wicked girl in those days."(28) These simple words describe a passionate Catherine vividly. Then is a sentence about young Catherine "...... She had ridden to Wuthering Heights and spent the evening with her cosine."(150)It tells that young Catherine shows her love for her cosine passionately and selflessly. She possesses the disposition of passion which her mother has.

Besides, Linton Heathcliff becomes a mixture of the worst of both his parents. In other words, he inherits Heathcliff's arrogance and imperiousness and his mother, Isabella Linton's cowardice and frailty. His double dispositions are vividly revealed in his words says to young Catherine "I wish you felt as ill as I do, your cruel thing!" (148) "Tears rolled down Linton's face. He seemed terrified, Cathy, I daren't explain! But if you leave me, he will kill me!"(160) These two sentences reveal an imperious and cowardly Linton Heathcliff.

In this novel, the repetition of the two generation's names symbolizes some repetitive dispositions of them.

2.2 The repetition of plot

2.2.1 The repetition of mockery

The young Catherine's mockery of Joseph's earnest evangelical zealousness is the repetition of her mother's. In chapter2, it says 25 years ago, Catherine wrote diary in a Bible. The diary is"......That horrible old servant Joseph is always angry with Heathcliff and me because we don't pray or study the Bible."(16) Then is the young Catherine "Joseph only reads Bible" (180) In this novel, Joseph, a long- winded, fanatically religious, elderly servant at Wuthering Heights. He is strange, stubborn, and unkind. To a certain degree, he can be regarded as the symbol of fetter of spirit. In the diary, though Catherine only uses "horrible" and "old" to describe him, it is enough to convey her dislike of