Table of Contents
An opening
Wuthering Heights: Marxist thoughts
In conclusion
Works Cited
Both original and paraphrased works cited should be formatted the same way using the same style guide.
An opening statement
Emily Bronte’s classic book, Wuthering Heights (Wuthering Heights), is more than just a sad love story. It shows the impact of class and capital on eighteenth-century Victorian England. Wuthering Heights is a classic example of class differences and the role of capital in eighteenth century Victorian England.
Marxist Ideas in Wuthering HeightsIn wage labor and capital, Marx writes of the processes which lead to wealth accumulation. He argues wage workers in capitalist economies are trapped inside a system where they do not get rewarded for their efforts. Marx claims that society’s class structure is based on capitalism, and one cannot change their position within society. Marx wrote, “It seems that the capitalist buys the wage worker’s labor with money, when discussing their relationship. He buys their labor with money. The capitalist is actually buying their labor.
Therefore, labor power can be viewed as “a product, not more or less [than] any other product”. Marx argues that being paid to work is not the same as collecting capital. The capitalist exchanges the labor power of the worker for money, which is his commodity. Capital, not money from sales of the product is used to pay wages. Instead the capitalist uses capital he has already built up. Money is used for the purchase of materials, tools and labor to create the product. The capitalist makes more money when he sells the product, but the wage worker is left with less and often just enough money to survive.
Laborers use their wage to buy food, shelter and other necessities. But the capitalist does not use his money earned from selling products for the cost of life. The wealthy are still wealthy, and the poor poor. Marxism is founded on the notion that our world is divided into two parts: a base and superstructure. The material condition of society forms the base. Our culture and our ideology form the superstructure. Marxism asserts that we should examine the material conditions of society and their impact on daily life. The material conditions we live in determine how well we can survive.
Wuthering Heights is a good example of how Marxism can be seen through Heathcliff. The story begins with the Lintons and Earnshaws. Heathcliff is adopted by the Earnshaws. Heathcliff’s family is very different. Heathcliff had been found by Mr. Earnshaw wandering around the streets in Liverpool. He brought Heathcliff back home. Heathcliff’s family does not know his background, but because of the darker skin tone, they believe he was born outside of England. He is unique in the novel because he lacks a background. Heathcliff is lower in social class than Earnshaws and higher than servants. Nelly Dean tells Heathcliff that when he is introduced to her family for the first time,
I was afraid, and Mrs. Earnshaw had her bairns at home to look after and feed. What was he going to do, and if he were crazy?
Heathcliff’s family does not see him as a person, but as property that can be thrown away if it is no longer wanted. Nelly puts Heathcliff “on landing of stairs, hoping to be gone on tomorrow” because she doesn’t know what to do with him. Heathcliff is treated like a dog by his family, except for Mr. Earnshaw. They hope he will run away. Mrs. Earnshaw considers Heathcliff a burden and perhaps a social threat.
After a few years, Heathcliff becomes friends with Catherine and they begin to explore the moors. Heathcliff & Cathy were caught one day at Thrushcross Grange by the Linton family who released their dogs onto them. Catherine is taken into the home of the Linton family when their dogs hurt her. Heathcliff is thrown out because he’s rude and dirty. Catherine recuperates at Thrushcross while she recovers from the injury. After her return, it’s obvious that she’s raised social status by behaving like the Lintons.
Cathy stayed with Thrushcross for five weeks, until Christmas. By then, her ankle was completely cured, and she had much better manners. In the interlude, her mistress would visit her frequently and begin her reformation plan. She began by giving her fine clothes and flattery. This she readily accepted.
Hindley lifted Cathy off her horse and exclaimed, “Cathy, you’re a real beauty!” You are a lady, I could hardly have known you. By staying and eventually marrying Edgar Linton Cathy raises her social status. She can “class up” by moving from Wuthering Heights to Thrushcross Grange. Catherine’s “value” increased in the eyes and minds of men. Similar to Heathcliff in the novel’s beginning, women are treated as property. Women themselves are not capital. But if men marry women, they inherit all their assets. The women in the story could not own property at that time, so if they married a man who was able to get him into the line of succession, their capital would grow.
Heathcliff laments the loss of Catherine when she marries Edgar Linton and flees to the Heights. But he returns three year later as a man much more wealthy and dignified. Heathcliff intends to get revenge on both the Earnshaws and the Lintons who he believes have treated him badly. Marxists believe that, in a capitalist economy, one person must lose so someone else can win. Heathcliff is a good example of a man who can only gain capital by losing someone else’s. Heathcliff does not tell us how he makes his money. However, when Hindley and Heathcliff gamble together, Heathcliff wins the Heights. Heathcliff gains money from Hindley’s gambling, and in doing so, reverses the capitalist/labor dynamic.
Heathcliff had become the owner of Wuthering Heights. Earnshaw had mortgaged his entire property to fund his gaming mania.
Heathcliff was able to rise in class by using capital instead of inheritance. Heathcliff then marries Edgar’s younger sister Isabella. He is now closer to achieving his goal of taking Thrushcross Grange along with the Heights. Heathcliff treats people as mere laborers, which he then uses to increase his capital.
Heathcliff is determined to get revenge on Earnshaws and Lintons, even if it means sacrificing his own son. Isabella’s Linton, Heathcliff, lives with Isabella until Isabella dies. After her death, the boy is brought back to The Heights. Heathcliff also treats Hindley Earnshaw’s son Hareton Earnshaw like an abused animal. He does this to exact revenge on the Earnshaws for their treatment of him. Heathcliff never pretends to love his child and calls Isabella his “wicked slut”.
ConclusionHeathcliff reminds us that no matter how much we try to improve our status and class in society, the forces of misery will continue to push him down. In the story, Marxists argue that in capitalist societies the rich are richer and poor remain poor. Heathcliff is not able to control his property in Wuthering Heights nor Thrushcross Grange no matter how hard he tries.
Heathcliff realizes that in his final moments and tells Hareton and Cathy that he simply cannot bring himself to avenge them, because they remind of him and Catherine. Heathcliff is dead at the end, and Hareton will inherit all of Heathcliff’s possessions. Hareton now owns his entire estate, despite being homeless, without capital, or education. He owns Wuthering Heights, Thrushcross Grange, and has a wealthy wife. Hareton was not as determined to gain his capital as Heathcliff.
Works Cited
No, paraphrasing in this context would not be necessary. The same phrase should be used in both the original and the paraphrased version.
Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights, Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Ed. Linda H. Peterson. 2nd ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2003. 25-288. Print.
Marx, Karl. Literary Theory Anthology, “Wage Labor And Capital.” Ed. Julie Rivkin, Michael Ryan. 2nd ed. Malden: Blackwell Publishing. 659-664. Print.