10/29/21, 3:47 PM Wuthering Heights - Through the Eyes of Freud and Jung - E-Books

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Wuthering Heights - Through

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Among the enthralling psychological interpretations of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, the widely
accepted has been Linda Gold's interpretation based on the Freudian and Jungian theories.
According to Linda Gold, the characters of Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar perfectly symbolize the
Freudian concepts of id, ego, and superego. In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff characterizes the
Freudian id as he comes across as a person who is relentlessly driven by the raw and primitive
impulses of seeking the bodily pleasures and evading the reckless sufferings. Also, the origins of the
id remain untraced and it permanently stays in the unconscious. On the similar lines, no back story
has been weaved to justify the passionate and wild nature of Heathcliff as he mysteriously remains
out of sight for three years.

Fascinating similarities can be established between Catherine and the Freudian concept of the ego.
The function of ego is to control the intense and unfettered impulses of id by putting them in the
realms of reality. Catherine is less unabashed and more pragmatic in her approach as she regulates
her raw desires in accordance with the norms of the society. Edgar represents the superego as his
behavior is in tune with the moralities sown in by the teachers, family, and society, the outcome of
which is a more cultured and civilized being.

According to Freud, the ego of beings pursues them to seek out for the convenient outcomes for
their survival. In Wuthering Heights, Catherine does this by identifying with Heathcliff and Edgar on
egotistic terms. Looking through a pragmatic prism, Catherine relinquishes Heathcliff because of
the very prominent material and social advantage in case of marrying Edgar being sighted by her.
Freud also states that life of beings is a constant tussle to harmoniously integrate the disparate part
of their personality - the id, ego, and superego. Catherine is shown to confront a similar tussle when
she pleads Edgar to give Heathcliff a helping hand in order to bring him out of his degraded state.
She does this out of her moral obligation which is governed by the superego. Eventually, the failure
to attain that elusive harmony between the id, ego, and superego becomes the reason for her
death.

On the other hand, the concepts given by Carl Jung explains the relationship of Catherine and
Heathcliff in psychological terms of the shadow and the individual. When it comes to personal
unconscious, the shadow consists of those desires that are unaccepted by the moralities instilled in
a society. Literally speaking, the shadow represents a darker persona that resists the moral control.

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10/29/21, 3:47 PM Wuthering Heights - Through the Eyes of Freud and Jung - E-Books

This prolonged resistance to morality gives the shadow its obsessive nature. Heathcliff, then, can be
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seen as Catherine's shadow due to his vindictive and wild nature, and also due to his absolute
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detachment from the social gatherings. To the contrary, Catherine overcomes the cravings of the
shadow by marrying Edgar, to get more social acceptance and mileage.

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The author is a book critic and has been in the publishing business for 15 years. To read Wuthering
heights by Emily Bronte visit - https://freeditorial.com/en/books/wuthering-heights

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