A Study On Heathcliff’s Identity Dilemma In Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is praised as the literary Sphinx because of the numerous myths and blanks in the text.Researchers have explored the novel from different perspectives,but those researches before mainly focus on its thematic,stylistic,characters,sources of creation and comparative studies,while the researches on the protagonist Heathcliff’s identity issues are relatively less and even have misinterpretation to his identity.Based on the above understanding and combined with identity theory,this dissertation tries to analyze Heathcliff identity from the representations,deep causes and way out of his identity dilemma from the angle of identification between the subject and the other and it is expected to resurvey the protagonist’s tragic fate.To be more specific,firstly,the dissertation analyzes Heathcliff’s ambiguous identity categorizations from the representations of his identity dilemma.In the novel,Heathcliff is given different identity labels: gypsy,lascar,adopted son,but each of the identity affiliation is ambiguous,which causes his identity dilemma.Secondly,it explores the roots of why Heathcliff is not accepted by the dominant society from the angle of the identification between the subject and the other.On the racial level,the gypsy and lascar identity labels can be considered as the symbol of Oriental identity.Under the context of colonization,the westerners always judge and gaze the Oriental with stereotypical prejudice at a higher standing,which makes the protagonist lose his subjectivity;on the class level,the social identities change dramatically with the change of social structure.The conflict of power and discourse behind identities is another root why the protagonist is not accepted.Finally,it analyzes the ways of identity dilemma and the author Emily’s speculation on identity issues.Under the Victorian spirit that advocates wealth accumulation,it provides opportunities for Heathcliff to improve his social identity through property achieving,but his success in secular world is the deviation from his true mental pursuit and on the racial level,he has never obtained the real racial identification,which causes him to suffer mental misery and finally to seek death for the real freedomand identification.In summary,through the exploration of the protagonist Heathcliff’s identity dilemma,this dissertation tries to have a deep understanding of identification between the subject and the other behind power and discourse,and the complex relation between social values and one’s mental pursuit under the context of colonization and class conflict.It hopes to provide a new perspective to explain the protagonist’s identity in Wuthering Height.