Psychoanalytic Literary Analysis of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre

Bibliographic Information and Overview

• Journal Source: International Journal of English and Literature (IJEL).

• Publication Details: Vol. $11(2)$, pp. $29-34$, April-June $2020$.

• DOI: $10.5897/IJEL2019.1312$.

• Article Number: $472AEFC63846$.

• ISSN: $2141-2626$.

• Author: Giuseppe Giordano, Department of Mental Health and Addictions, Azienda Sociosanitaria Ligure $1$, Imperia, Italy.

• Submission History: Received $9$ December, $2019$; Accepted $11$ May, $2020$.

• Core Objective: The use of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theories as a reading tool to investigate the "enigmatic areas of human experience" in literature, specifically focusing on the Victorian novels Wuthering Heights (WH) and Jane Eyre (JE).

• Key Theoretical Frameworks applied:     - The tripartite structure of the mind: Id, Ego, and Super-Ego.     - The Oedipus complex.     - The analysis of dreams.     - Theories of sexuality and repression.

• The Oedipus complex is a theory that describes a child's feelings of desire for their opposite-sex parent and jealousy or rivalry towards their same-sex parent. Named after the Greek myth of Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, this concept implies that these feelings are part of human psychological development, particularly during the early years of life.

Fundamental Principles of Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism

• Definition of Psychoanalysis: A branch of psychology founded by Sigmund Freud dealing with the treatment of mental disorders by exploring aspects of the mind of which an individual is usually unaware.

• Psychoanalysis is a type of psychology created by Sigmund Freud that focuses on treating mental health issues by looking into parts of the mind that people typically don’t recognize or understand.

• Core Concepts in Literary Analysis (Barry, $2002$): Barry outlines five primary reasons why psychoanalytic theories are helpful in literary analysis:     1. Hidden vs. Explicit Content: Connections can be made between the hidden (latent) content of a text and the unconscious mind, vs. the explicit content and the conscious mind.     2. Repression and Disclosure: Unconscious elements and repressed emotions can be analyzed within the characters or the author themselves.     3. Sexuality and Dysfunction: Theories of sexuality can explain representations of emotional suffering, mental dysfunctions, psychological complaints, or madness.     4. Oedipus Complex and Gender Dynamics: This complex influences relationships between men and women in social contexts (e.g., Shakespeare’s Hamlet).     5. Priority of Psychological Reading: The belief that psychological elements are more important for critical reading than social or historical approaches.

The Tripartite Structure of the Mind in Wuthering Heights

In analysis by Gold ($1985$), the three main characters of WH Volume I correspond to the three parts of the Freudian mind:

• The Id (Heathcliff):     - Characteristics: Unconscious, chaotic, impulsive, energetic, devoid of moral rules, and governed by sexual/aggressive impulses that require discharge without regard for consequences.     - Textual Evidence: Mr. Lockwood describes Heathcliff in Volume I, Chapters I-II as "rather slovenly" with an "aversion to showy displays of feeling."     - Nature: Described by Nelly in Chapter IV as a "dirty, ragged, black-haired child" and a "gipsy brat." He is treated as an object ("it") and compared to "atmospheric tumult" and aggressive dogs.

• The Super-Ego (Edgar Linton):     - Characteristics: Morality, religiosity, parental/social prohibitions, and disapproval of misconduct.     - Textual Evidence: Edgar is described as civilized, rich, and good-mannered. His home, Thrushcross Grange, is described in Chapter VI as a "splendid place carpeted with crimson" and "shimmering with little soft taper," an antithesis to Wuthering Heights.

• The Ego (Catherine Earnshaw):     - Characteristics: Rationality, attachment to the real world, and conscious efforts to control her natural disposition.     - Internal Conflict: Catherine is initially "wild" and "fond of Heathcliff," but her Ego drives her to marry Edgar for social convenience and wealth, a primary concern for Victorian women.

Identification, Repression, and Sadomasochism in Wuthering Heights

• Identification: A psychological mechanism where aspects of one person are interiorized by another. This is evidenced by Catherine’s quote in Chapter IX: "I am Heathcliff!"

• Repression: Catherine consciously chooses to marry Edgar despite being convinced in her soul it is wrong. She smothers her true feelings for Heathcliff due to social degradation: "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff."

• Aggression and Narcissism (Iwase, $2005$): Both characters possess an aggressive disposition and unrestrained animal impulses (Id features), leading to the destruction of their own and others' happiness (e.g., Isabella’s marriage to Heathcliff).

• Sadomasochism: The struggle for love involves fighting unsuccessfully against aggressive drives. Catherine’s insensibility is shown in Chapter I, Volume II: "I care nothing for your sufferings. Why shouldn’t you suffer? I do."

• Madness: Heathcliff’s pathological obsession with Catherine’s ghost in Volume I, Chapter III and his "wicked" appearance at death signify his vulnerability and insanity.

Dream Analysis in Wuthering Heights: Lockwood's Dream

According to Hoeveler ($2006$), Mr. Lockwood’s dream in Volume I, Chapter III can be analyzed through three Freudian mechanisms:

1. Condensation: Uniting different elements into a single image.

2. Displacement: Shifting latent content/emotions to a more acceptable manifest content.

3. Representability: Transforming thoughts into visual images.

• Symbolism and Gender:     - Joseph: Possesses a "heavy-headed cudgel," a phallic symbol representing aggression and masculinity.     - Lockwood: Lacks a "weapon," suggesting an inoffensive, gentle, or female-typical nature.

• Castration Anxiety: Manifested as Lockwood being beaten in a chapel by a crowd, reflecting his unpleasant, aggressive encounters with the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights.

The Oedipus Complex and Paternal Figures in Jane Eyre

• Definition of Oedipus Complex: Intense love for the parent of the opposite sex and death wishes/aggression toward the parent of the same sex (Laplanche and Pontalis, $1973$).

• Jane and Rochester (Dell’Olio, $2010$):     - Jane has intense affection for Edward Rochester, who is $20$ years older, acting as a father figure replacement.     - Jane suffered childhood emotional deprivation and loneliness under Mrs. Reed, who "excluded [her] from privileges intended only for… happy little children."

• Fulfillment of the Dream: The final chapter emphasizes their leaf-and-limb intimacy ("flesh of his flesh"), suggesting the successful resolution of the need for family ties.

Rivalry and Social Status in Jane Eyre

In the Freudian "love triangle," Jane faces two distinct rivals:

• Blanche Ingram (Social Rivalry):     - Jane perceives her as the "queen" and "belle of the evening."     - Rivalry is fueled by social class discrepancy. Jane makes sharp comments about their age gap ($40$ for Rochester vs. $25$ for Blanche) to highlight differences.     - Rochester contrasts the dark, Spanish-like Blanche with Jane, his "one little English girl."

• Class Struggle: Jane initially resists her status, questioning her cousin John: "Master! How is he my master? Am I a servant?" Yet, she describes Rochester’s face as having an influence that "quite mastered me."

Anxiety of Motherhood and the Role of Art in Jane Eyre

• Dreams of Children (Arnăutu, $2002$):     - Jane’s dreams often feature the burden of a crying child: "I was burdened with the charge of a little child… however much its weight impeded my progress, I must retain it."     - These represent a fear of motherhood, perceived as a limitation of freedom and an "imprisonment" within marriage.

• Art and Painting:     - Painting allows Jane to emerge from social inferiority and distinguish herself.     - Exhibitionistic/Voyeuristic Drives: The act of painting and showing her work reflects an unconscious wish to be watched and admired, providing her with "one of the keenest pleasures."     - Art serves as an alternative to the maternal role imposed by Victorian society.

Bertha Mason: The Animalistic Id and Victorian Madness

• The Id Representation (Atherton, $2014$): Bertha represents the animal, instinctual, and disruptive side of Jane.

• Dehumanization: Described with the pronoun "it" in Chapter XXVI: "it grovelled… on all fours; it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal."

• Social Context (Showalter, $1985$): Bertha represents the Victorian "madwoman," confined to an attic. This mirrors Jane’s childhood experience of being shut in the "Red room" after a tantrum. Both instances show society's need to control the discharge of the Id, especially in women.

Conclusion: Emotional Suffering and the Reversal of Gender Roles

• Psychological Distress: Caused by the suppression of desires and the failure to balance the Id, Ego, and Super-Ego.

• Hysteria in WH: Catherine’s behavior is categorized as hysterical due to the conflict between repressed instincts and societal demands.

• Jane's Success: Jane reaches a state of content only after achieving economic independence.

• Gender Role Reversal: Rochester, initially symbolic of a powerful, masculine society, ends the novel disabled and dependent. Jane develops into a mature, independent individual. This creates a new equilibrium between masculinity and femininity.

Appendix: Glossary of Freudian Terminology

• Unconscious: "..we call 'unconscious' any mental process the existence of which we are obliged to assume.. but of which we are not directly aware.."

• Id: "It contains everything that is inherited, that is present at birth, that is fixed in the constitution - above all, therefore, the instincts, which originate in the somatic organization and which find their mental expression in the id in forms unknown to us."

• Ego: "We recognize in a man a physical oganization which is interpolated between his sensory stimuli and perception of his bodily needs on the one hand, and his motor activity on the other.."

• Super-Ego: "The Super-Ego holds a special position between the Ego and the Id. It belongs to the Ego, shares its high psychological organization, but stands in an especially intimate connection with the Id."

• Oedipus complex: "..so named because its essential substance is found in the Greek myth of King Oedipus…killed his father and married his mother.."

• Repression: "The essence of repression lies simply in the function of rejecting and keeping something out of consciousness"