The Bronte Sisters
Ⅰ．Brief Introduction to the W riter
1．Life Story
Among the distinguished English novelists of the 19th century are three sisters from Bronte family of Irish origin，known as Charlotte Bronte，Emily Bronte，and their gifted sister Anne Bronte．The story of the threewriters is one of the saddest pages in the story of English literature because all of them were literary，talented and dying young．The Bronteswere a big family with six children，five daughters and a son．Their father was a poor clergyman in the little village of Haworth，Yorkshire，in northern England．Theirmother died early，leaving the children to their stern and dominant father，a strict aunt and a lack of suitable society．They ran wild upon the moors，where they found great pleasure in the untouched moorland wildness，where the strong and free wind provides amoral inspiration．The moors exalted the young spirits and nourished in their souls the love of liberty．Reading literature and writing childish storieswere another way the sisters to amuse themselves．They were familiar with the works of the Romantic Movement and found themselves responsive to the ardor and naturalism of these romantics，as opposed to the formalism of the classical school．In addition，they started writing works of their own minds．
The Bronte girls were all sent to a charity school for clergyman's daughters．The schoolwas compared to a veritable prison because children were cruelly treated there．The two eldest sisters died there due to the poor and unhealthy conditions．This experience found reflection in Charlotte's novel Jane Eyre later．After the death of their sisters，Charlotte and Emily were brought home to be educated by their father．So they did notgetmuch formal education in their young days．Since then the remaining sistersmade their efforts to gain their own livelihood by teaching．They worked as governesses in rich families for some time．With themind to open up a school of their own，Charlotte and Emily went to Brussels to study French and German and to work in a boarding-school．Poor health compelled them to return homewhere they devoted themselves to literary creation．The years in Brussels left hardly any trace on Emily but for Charlotte the change wasmost fundamental．There she fell in love with her German professor，amarried man．Charlotte wrote about her passionate and one-sided love in her later works Villette．
All three sisters contributed to a small joint volume of poetry，entitled“Poems by Currer，Ellis and Acton Bell，”the pseudonyms of Charlotte，Emily and Anne．It was published in 1846，but only two copies were sold in that year，which received little attention to the public．Then the three sisters returned to novel writing，which proved to be very successful．
But greatmisfortune happened to the Bronte family．Their be-loved brother，the only boy in the family，died in 1848．In the same year Emily died，a victim of consumption after the publication of her novel．According to Charlotte，Emily was clever，benevolent but very stubborn，“Stonger than aman，simpler than a child，her nature stood alone．”Their youngest and gentlest sister Anne followed Emily to the grave in 1849，dying of the same illness．Both Emily and Anne remained unmarried when they died．Poor Charlotte the only surviving child of the family continued to write novels and she gotmarried with her father's curate．Unfortunately，she also died in pregnancy less than a year latter．
2．Literary Career
The Bronte sisters are famous for their novel writing．Charlotte's first novel The Professor，which was hermaiden attempt at prose writing，was rejected by the publisher．Jane Eyre was her second novel．When it appeared in 1847，the novelwon her immediate success，brought her fame and placed her in the ranks of the foremost English realistic writers．Emily's novel Wuthering Heights also appeared in 1847，which can be regarded as her solitary but superb masterpiece．Meanwhile，in the same year and the years that followed Anne also wrote two novels:Agnes Grey and The Tenant of theWildfell Hall．
After the death of her two sisters Emily and Anne，Charlotte wrote and published her next important novel Shirley in 1849．The novel was about the industrial troubles between themill-owners and machine breakers in Yorkshire in 1811－1812．The last novel by Charlotte Villette came out in 1853，which was a realistic descrip-tion of her experiences at a boarding school in Brussels．
3．Features of Their Novels
As a novelist，Charlotte wrote from an individual point of view．All her works based on her own experiences and feelings and the life as she sees around her．Greatly influenced by Byron and Scott，her novels are all about lonely and neglected young women with a fierce longing for life and love，and their struggle of an individual consciousness towards self-realization．
In her novels Charlotte attacked the greed，petty tyranny and lack of culture among the bourgeoisie and sympathy with the sufferings of the poor people by exposing the cruelty，hypocrisy，inequality and other evils of the upper classes by showing themisery of the poor．Thus she has presented a vivid realistic picture of the English society．Her works are famous for the description of the life of the middle-class working women，particularly governesses．All her heroines'highest joy arises from some sacrifice of self or some human weakness overcome．The ideas such as no one is supposed to have every happiness for nothing and life is never perfect or smooth are highly advocated by her in her novels．Her realism is colored by petty-bourgeois philanthropy．
Apart from a realistic writer，she is a romantic writer as well．Her works aremarked throughoutby an intensity of a volcanic imagination and fiery passions and feelings，such as extreme fear，despair and love．Under her brush，characters who possess strong feelings，fierce passions and some extraordinary personalities could be found．At the same time she alsomakes use of pseudo－subjec-tivemeans in her writing．By using some elements of horror，mystery and prophesy，she is able to recreate life in a romantic way．Her dreams，paintings，choice of books and mirror images often carry messages of either the inner world or the natural predilection of the characters．
What'smore she shows her love for the beauty of nature．The wonderfully-depicted natural landscape in her novels becomes not just backdrop but objective correlative of the subjectivemind．More than a sight it provides，it provides a sensation and enables readers to see as well as to sense or feel what the characters can．In her mind，man's life is composed of perpetual battle between sin and virtue，good and evil．Readers can see the description of the English country squire in her novel．There she compares them to the uncultivated and narrow-minded Philistines．Rochester，however in Jane Eyre is an exception．Another important point Charlottemaintains in her novels is her attitude towards the position of women in society，known as the equality between man and woman．She believes that education is the key to all social problems，and that by the improvement of the school system and teaching，most of the evils of capitalism could be improved．
Emily composed 193 poems，which are profoundly metaphysical and original，mainly on the subjects of courage，compassion，and mysteriousworkings of the cosmos．Her powerful novel Wuthering Heights has real psycho－analytical and socio－analytical value in its presentation of characters with the suggestion of the possibly greatest extremity in the workings of human nature．
Ⅱ．Brief Introduction to the Selected Literary Work
Jane Eyre
1．Brief Summary of the Novel
Ten-year-old orphan Jane Eyre is the daughter of a poor parson．She loses both of her parents shortly after birth．She has no choice but live unhappily with her wealthy，cruel cousins and aunt Mrs．Reed at Gateshead．Themother and her children find pleasure in teasing and mocking Jane．Her only salvation from her daily humiliations is the kindly servant，Bessie．One day，unable to bear the ill-treatment any longer，Jane tells straight to her aunt's face what she thinks of her．Mrs．Reed is furious and gets rid of Jane by sending her to a charity school for poor girls in Lowood．Thus Jane is spared further mistreatment from the Reed family．But in Lowood，under the hypocritical Evangelicalism of the headmaster，Mr．Brocklehurst，she suffers further privations in the austere environment．She befriends Helen Burns，who upholds a doctrine of Christian forgiveness and tolerance，and dies as a result of the poor living condition．An outbreak of typhus alerts benefactors to the school's terrible conditions，Mr．Brocklehurst is replaced，and Jane excels as a student for six years and as a teacher for two．
Jane finds employment as a governess at the estate of Thornfield for a little girl，Adèle．Aftermuch waiting，Jane finallymeets her employer，Edward Rochester，a brooding，detached man who seems to have a dark past．Other oddities around Thornfield include the occasional demonic laugh Jane hears emanating from the thirdstory attic．Rochester always attributes it to Grace Poole，the seamstresswho works up there，but Jane is never fully convinced，and the fire she has to put out one night in Rochester's bedroom plants further doubts．
Meanwhile，Jane develops an attraction for Rochester，not based on looks but on their intellectual communion．However，the higher social standing of the beautiful Miss Ingram seemingly vaults her above Jane．Though Rochester flirts with the idea ofmarrying Miss Ingram，he is aware of her financial ambitions for marriage．An old acquaintance of Rochester's，Richard Mason，visits Thornfield and is severely injured from an attack apparently in themiddle of the night in the attic．Jane，baffled by the circumstances，tends to him，and Rochester confesses to her that hemade an error in the past that he hopes to overturn by marrying Miss Ingram．He says that he has another governess position for Jane lined up elsewhere．
Jane returns to Gateshead for a while to see the dying Mrs．Reed．When she returns to Thornfield，Rochester says he knows Miss Ingram is after him only for hismoney，and he asks Jane to marry him．Jane accepts，butamonth later，Mason and a solicitor，interrupt the wedding ceremony by revealing that Rochester already has a wife:Bertha Mason，Mason's sister，a lunatic who is kept in the attic in Thornfield．Rochester confesses his past misdeeds to Jane．In his youth he needed tomarry the wealthy Bertha formoney，but was unaware of her family's history ofmadness，and over time she became an incorrigible，dangerous part of his life which only imprisonment could solve．Despite his protests that he loves Jane，she cannot agree to marry him because of his previousmarriage，and leaves Thornfield．
Jane arrives at the desolate crossroads of Whitcross and is reduced to begging for food．Fortunately，the Rivers siblings:St．John，Diana，and Mary take her into their home at Moor House．She develops great affection for the ladies，while the stoically religious St．John is harder to get close to，and happily teaches at St．John's school．Jane later learns that she has inherited a vast fortune from her uncle，and that the Rivers siblings are her cousins．St．John is going to go onmissionary work in India and repeatedly asks Jane to accompany him as his wife．Jane refuses，since it would mean compromising her capacity for passion in a lovelessmarriage．Instead，she is drawn to thoughts of Rochester．She realizes that her love for Rochester is so strong that she goes back to Thornfield and seeks him out there．She discovers that the estate has been burned down by Bertha，who died in the fire，and that Rochester，whowas blinded in the incident，lives nearby．He is overjoyed when she locates him，and relates his side of themystical connection Jane had．He and Janemarry and enjoy life together，and he regains his sight in one eye．Diana and Mary both marry，while St．John continues his unmarried proselytizing in India．
2．Analyses of the M ajor Characters
Jane Eyre
Jane is the firstgoverness heroine introduced to the English no-vel．It cuts a completely new image．Being an orphan girl，Jane Eyre iswith a fierce spirit and a longing to love and be loved．She is poor，plain，little governesswho dares to love hermaster，aman superior to her in many ways，and she is even brave enough to declare her love to him．Jane Eyre can be regarded as the representative of thosemiddle-class working women who struggle for recognition of their basic rights and equality as a human being．
At the very beginning of the novel，as an orphan from her early childhood Jane feels exiled．She has a strong feeling of alienation as a result of the cruel treatment she receives from her aunt and her cousins．Jane feels the need to belong somewhere，whichmakes her have the need for autonomy and freedom．In the process to search for freedom，both Rochester and John offer chance for Jane to liberate herself．The former offers her a chance to liberate her passions．Jane comes to realize if she lives as Rochester'smistress，shewould be sacrificing her dignity and integrity for the sake of her feelings．The latter offers Jane another kind of freedom，a chance for Jane to exercise her talents fully by working and living with him in India．In this case，Jane eventually realizes that this freedom would also constitute a form of imprinsonment，because she would be forced to keep her true feelings and her passions in check．
Rochester
Rochester in the novel is a wealthy，passionate man with a dark secret that providesmuch of the novel's suspense．Rochester is unconventional，ready to set aside polite manners，propriety，and consideration of social class in order to interact with Jane frankly and directly．He is rash and impetuous and has spentmuch of his adult life roaming about Europe in an attempt to avoid the consequences of his youthful indiscretions．His problems are partly the result of his own recklessness，but he is a sympathetic figure because he has suffered for so long as a result of his earlymarriage to Bertha．
Although Rochester is not particularly handsome，stern in his manner，he wins Jane's heart．Rochester is the first person who offers Jane lasting love and a real home．Although Rochester is superior both socially and economically to Jane，they are equal intellectually．When theirmarriage is interrupted by the disclosure that Rochester is already amarried man and hiswife is still alive，Jane is proven to be Rochester'smoral superior．Jane feels that if she lives with Rochester as hismistress，she would loss her dignity and become degraded and dependent upon Rochester for love，rather than protected by any true marriage bond．After Jane has gained a fortune and a family，she decides tomarry Rochester．In addition，at the end of the story Rochester has been blinded by the fire and has lost hismanor house，so he has becomeweaker．When Jane claims that they are equal，themarriage has actually tipped in her factor．
3．Theme of the Novel
Jane Eyre is Charlotte's best literary production．In the writing of it，the author drew a great deal from her own life experience．It is the first governess novel in the history of English literature．The heroine in the novel is quite impressive．Instead of the rich，gentle，frail，modest and virtuous beauties of the conventional heroine， Charlotte showed readers a small，plain，poor governesswho begins her life all alone，with no body caring for her and nothing attractive．Whatmakes readers to love her is the fact that she has an intense feeling，a ready sympathy and a strong sense of equality and independence．She is brave enough to challenge the social convention by loving hermaster，declaring her love to him openly and eventuallymarrying him．Her unconventionalitymarks her as an entirely new woman．Her experience as a governessmakes her one of the representatives of the workingmiddle-classwomen．
The novel is also a work of critical realism．It is noted for its sharp criticism of the existing society，that is，the religious hypocrisy of charity institutions．The criticism of the bourgeois system of education is clearly shown in the novel．There are many descriptions of the brutality and hypocrisy of the English educational system in the example of Lowood charity schoolwhere children are exposed to unbearably harsh conditions and unreasonably rigid disciplines and are trained to be humble slaves only．The novel criticizes the social discrimination Jane experiences first as a dependent at her aunt's house and later as a governess at Thornfield and the false social convention as concerning love and marriage．The ill-treatment of and despise for the unfortunate lower class by the rich and the privileged found reflection in the novel as well．At the same time，the novel also criticizes the idle and vain life of the corrupted rich people．
Apart from the above themes love and passion is also one of the most important thematic elements，which contributes to the success of the novel．
4．Features of the Novel
The novel iswritten in the form of conventional autobiography，which includes two frames．One is the exterior frame and the other is an interior frame．The former describes the objective picture of life as it is，with people of all kinds，from the high to the low，from the rich to the poor，from the normal to the abnormal，and from the clergy to the layman，with different houses and natural scenery of different seasons，and with the life of the heroinemarked out by the change of geographical locations and environments and social relations．Whereas the latter，on the basis of the outer or exterior frame，tries to present a subjective picture of Jane's thought，feelings and attitudes to the other people．Through her dreams，her paintings and her meditations，these two frames are interwoven in which the objective becomes the objectified subjective thoughts and feelings of the heroine．
Ⅲ．Latest Critical Commentary
《简·爱》是19世纪中期，英国伟大的先驱，著名作家夏洛蒂·勃朗特创作的代表作。小说主要通过简与罗切斯特之间一波三折的爱情故事，成功地塑造了英国文学史上第一个对爱情、生活、社会以及宗教都采取了独立自主的积极进取态度和敢于斗争、敢于争取自由平等地位的女性形象。小说一经出版轰动了整个文坛，从《简·爱》的出版到现在，一百多年已经过去了，小说的女主人公简具有深厚的人格魅力，她的形象已经脱离作品而存在，成为整个人类文化的象征符号之一。学者们采取不同的文学批评方法，从不同的方面对小说及其作者勃朗特进行全方位的研究，取得了丰硕的成果。他们的研究可以分为以下几个方面:弗洛伊德本我、自我、超我视角，女性主义视角，《简·爱》与基督教圣经，艺术手法研究和简与作者夏洛蒂·勃朗特的关系研究等方面。
弗洛伊德本我、自我、超我视角
自从弗洛伊德在1913年，提出的“三部人格结构”学说之后，开始有学者从本我、自我、超我之间的单循环关系:本我满足自我—自我求助于超我—超我又压抑自我的视角解读《简·爱》。同意这一观点的学者们认为《简·爱》这部小说构建出一个以“我”为中心的“3+1”体系。(葛亮，1999)
罗切斯特(“我”的对象)
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伯莎·梅森(本我)简·爱(自我)海伦·彭斯(超我)在此“3”是指构成完整女主人公的“三部人格”。其中，简作为自我的化身，她是与罗切斯特的直接对话者，是整个体系运作的促动剂。海伦是简的道德理想，是升华了的简，伯莎是简内心隐蔽而疯狂的本我。海伦·彭斯扮演的是一个自我的道德启蒙教师的角色。她的教诲和躬身力行的榜样就像一盏明灯，为简的灵魂注入了宽恕和克己的精神，使简学会以基督教的博爱与隐忍弱化简天性中的报复和反抗情绪。海伦死后，超我的实体随之消亡，而她墓碑上的“复活”二字，正预示着她的道德精神将要以意识形态的方式在简的身上得到复现。成年以后的简，作为自我本身，她是软弱的，她不能失去依托，于是主动地不停以意识活动的方式向超我求助。例如，当简得知罗切斯特与伯莎的婚情之时，当罗切斯特乞求她留下而她又举棋不定时，超我终于向自我作出回应和指示。当简出走后在荒野上无助流浪，最后精疲力竭瘫倒在圣约翰家门前的台阶上时，简弱小的自我最终经受住了考验，得到了超我的救赎。当圣约翰向简求婚，在巨大的精神压力下，在她和内心的犹豫不决搏斗时，她听到了那神谕般的呼唤，这又一次体现出超我对于自我的决定作用，正是超我的选择构成了简自我命运的转机。小说中作为本我实体的伯莎对于自我始终表现出一种主动态度，具体体现在:每当女主人公的本我意识受到外界刺激形成隐晦曲折的心理障碍时，伯莎就会发疯使这种障碍明朗化。伯莎所采取的火烧桑菲尔德这一举动正是本我意识企图逾越这种障碍产生的暴动。罗切斯特是此体系中的1，一个不可缺少的环节，他的存在价值用两个字概括，就是:对象——作为自我的简的欣赏对象、作为本我的伯莎攻击的对象与作为在以海伦为象征的宗教道德的指引下，被超我召唤的女主人公以自我牺牲的姿态的超我拯救的对象。这样作家巧妙地以“本我”与“超我”构建了掩体，当男权社会为显性的“自我”的妥协态度而欣欣然时，隐性的“超我”与“本我”已经说出了更多想说的话。
女性主义视角
有许多学者从女性主义视角研究作者和作品时指出《简·爱》体现了夏洛蒂·勃朗特的女性主义意识。主人公简不屈服世俗压力、独立自主、积极进取，这一女性形象的塑造冲击了当时男性中心社会的妇女观念，体现出了女性意识的觉醒和觉醒女性的抗争。学者们认为小说中除简这一反抗女性形象之外，伯莎这一疯女人也是男权社会的牺牲品，这一形象也体现了当时社会父权制度下妇女生活的艰辛。(刘萍，2007)梅森家族的背景和巨额的嫁妆，把她这个包袱从娘家转到罗切斯特手中，她的每次疯癫之举都是对自己处境的不满，是想要摆脱困境的挣扎。有学者指出表面看来，伯莎与简截然不同，伯莎疯狂、暴躁，充满危险，简则理智、稳重，待人平和，并且，情敌的身份更加大了两人之间的距离。尽管如此，两位女性之间又存在着内在的关联，简在现实困境中奋力挣扎，就仿佛伯莎在阴暗的角落里被囚禁一样，她们都遭受重重压制，同时都不甘于就此屈服，试图冲破重重枷锁。从这个意义上，似乎可以把伯莎那刺耳的尖笑，理解为简在遭遇种种不公正待遇时发出的呐喊，高亢有力，惊心动魄。小说中伯莎的每一次疯狂举动，都伴随着简剧烈的情绪波动，似乎疯女人伯莎以种种不可思议的方式，将女主人公简内心的焦虑、恐慌、愤怒倾泄了出来。对此，女性主义者注重发掘伯莎与简之间的内在联系，通过疯女人形象窥探女主人公的内心隐秘，由此，简对世俗传统的反叛就以一种奇特的方式表现了出来。对于伯莎的“发疯”，也有学者认为其行为其实就是对于所属阶级和父权制统治秩序的反抗与嘲弄。同时发疯又让她摆脱了父权制社会为女性制定的条条框框的约束，因此她的反抗是淋漓尽致的，对男权的攻击性十分明显。(葛亮，1999)
小说中作者还塑造了一个被男权伤害的女性就是布兰奇·英格拉姆小姐。在学者高文斌(2004)看来，表面上这位小姐高贵富有、骄横傲慢，但她实际上只不过是罗切斯特用于爱情谋略的工具，用来试探、刺激简。在她完成自己的使命之后，罗切斯特用自己并不那么富有的谎言让她自愿退出了竞技场。由此可以看出当时上层妇女的生存环境也和中下层妇女一样，处于受凌辱的地位，而上层妇女们对自己可悲的处境却浑然不觉。有学者认为作者在塑造小说中这三位女性形象时，反映了她自己的女性意识，是她第一次确立了妇女在文学中的主体意识，借此她公然向以男性为中心的社会挑战，展示女性才华，寻求独立，争取平等地位的行动体现。(周慧英，2007)对此也有学者表示赞同，认为简女性意识的觉醒就是以“自我发现”为标志的，如果说她早期的反抗只是自发自为的，那么经历了婚变挫伤的熬炼之后，她的反抗就变成自觉自由的了。又穷又丑的简没有任何可以依赖的资源，在当时的英国社会美满婚姻是妇女唯一的出路，而简在婚姻市场上可以说毫无竞争力。即便如此，简仍抵制了罗切斯特的情感强攻，不肯作他的附庸兼情人。同时，也不允许圣约翰借上帝的名义把没有爱情的婚姻强加给自己。在这双重拒绝之中，简发现了自身的意志、尊严和价值。(张翠萍，2006)
也有学者指出夏洛蒂·勃朗特由于处于对女性要求极为严格的社会影响之下，作家通过简以一种能为男性中心社会所容的眼光来看待问题，或者说作者借简之口作出为男性道德体系所认同的，关于人性的价值判断。这就决定了简的形象以向男权妥协为主基调，于是当她大着胆子喊出一些背离主基调的宣言——“不公平，不公平!”、“因为本来我们就是平等的!”时，也不致遭到太多人的指责。(葛亮，1999)还有学者认为虽然作者对世俗传统颇有不满，但她也难免在一定程度上自觉不自觉地融入当时谦恭、克制、礼让、忍耐的社会风尚之中。因此她笔下的简形象在反叛根深蒂固的男权文化传统的同时，亦表现出不容忽视的回归倾向。(刘萍，2007)例如，里德太太在小说中宛然邪恶的“继母”的化身，她虽然身为女性，却以种种男权社会的规范对简百般苛责。由于饱受歧视、欺凌，小小年纪的简对里德舅妈充满忿恨，以至于在临走之际断然与对方划清了界限。但后来当简得知舅妈病危的消息，即刻动身前去探望，一见面就主动喊“舅妈”，还多次明确表示了和解的愿望。简的故事发展到最后，一向漂泊不定、在现实困境中苦苦挣扎的女主人公，与她的前主人罗切斯特欣然结合，以往的那个锋芒毕露、勇于抗争的简不见了，取而代之的，是一个怡然自得、相夫教子的贤妻良母。此时的简，完全符合社会习俗对女性的规范要求，从反叛走向了回归。在学者们看来简的反叛:究其性质，恐怕更接近于自发而非自觉;究其程度，亦远远谈不上彻底。(刘萍，2007)
还有学者运用女权主义批评理论、福科权力话语理论及巴赫金对话理论这三者之中可兼容的部分来解读《简·爱》，他们的研究表明小说蕴含表面文本和隐含文本。(王文惠，2006)表面文本体现了19世纪英国女性努力挣脱男性权力话语的束缚而实现自我的主题。小说所描述的19世纪英国维多利亚时期，统治英国社会的权力话语是以性别、财富、社会地位来决定每个人在社会中的位置，女性被排斥在社会文化之外，被剥夺了平等的社会地位，连财产继承权也受到限制。女性作者们的家庭背景和所受的教育使她们不可能全盘否定自己生活于其中的社会权力话语，无法以客观、中立的态度去识别统治阶级利用知识扩张包裹起来的意识形态。因而她们对男权统治的权力话语，虽怀有复杂而矛盾的态度，甚至在作品中对其进行嘲讽，但却始终没有彻底丢开它的模式，只能在它的遮蔽下表达对女性生存境况的深切关注。小说中简童年时寄养在舅妈家的经历、在劳渥德学校的经历、在桑菲尔德府与罗切斯特的爱情经历、和与圣约翰交往的经历都体现了简作为一个成熟女性向男权社会的有力抗争，她并没有因为自己的弱小而向强大的男性社会权力话语妥协。然而在小说中也不难发现这样的场景:尽管她鄙视金钱婚姻，她又不得不承认财富的重要，而且，她还认为财富是她获得与罗切斯特平等的必要条件，所以当她最后发现自己成了一位富有的女继承人以后，便毫不犹豫地回到了她心爱的人身边。由于受到当时传统思想的影响，在简看来，婚姻的形式也是极为重要的，不管内涵如何，它都是神圣不可侵犯的，因而在她获悉罗切斯特的妻子仍然活着时，她没有勇气直面事实，唯有痛苦万分地远走他乡，为此，几乎付出了生命的代价。简由于受到当时男权文化中女人需要恪守“贞洁”的观念的影响，为了这种“贞洁”她离开桑菲尔德庄园，离开深爱的主人。这些都反映了人不可能完全脱离社会而生存，而每个社会都有自己的权力话语，这使得完全意义的反叛是难以实现的。因此小说《简·爱》对社会权力话语的反抗是有条件的，局部的，也是不彻底的。
小说除了体现出上述遵循社会权力话语的表面文本之外，以此为掩护，作者采用不连贯的“女性哥特式小说”的形式，通过隐含文本的表现形式，展示了女性被剥夺话语权与自主权的艰难困境，实现了作者向男权统治发出一声声有力的抨击，意欲申张对男权统治社会权力话语的反叛。(王文惠，2006)小说中被剥夺了话语权的“疯女人”伯莎夜袭罗切斯特、咬伤了前去探望她的兄弟梅森、夜里偷看简的结婚礼服并撕毁婚纱、将桑菲尔德府付之一炬等一系列恐怖、刺激、疯狂、可怕的行动，都是用来抵抗社会权力话语所提供的“现实”，用来对抗男权统治，旨在传达她对男权统治的权力话语的拒绝与反抗，创造一次次与男性权力话语平等对话的机会。
郭笑梅(2001)在文章中指出简身上体现了男性力量和女性力量的结合。小说中圣约翰和罗切斯特都认为简既具有柔顺胆怯的女性气质，又具有刚强勇敢的男性力量，正是这样一个双性同体的形象将简从父权制所规定的女性标准中解放出来，并且对传统的男权中心文化起到了有力的颠覆和反叛作用。这一点主要体现在简作为审美的主体、具有男性一样雄辩的口才、坚毅独立的个性以及与男主人公角色地位的互换这四个方面的特点。简平凡的外貌就是对父权制规定的女性标准的反叛，她作为“我”来打量整个世界，从主体的角度评判他人，处于主动的观察者地位，她除了评论罗切斯特和圣约翰的外貌，她还承认“情敌”布兰奇·英格拉姆小姐有着“高贵的胸脯，坦削的肩膀，优美的脖子，黑黑的眼睛和乌油油的鬈发”并认为奥立佛小姐“美得毫无缺点”。简时时都在为自己所具有与男性平等的权力辩护，证明自己是一个有思想有反抗精神的新女性，她具有既温顺善良又勇敢坚定的双重性格。她在意外地继承了一笔财产，成为独立的自由的人，可以不再依附任何人时，她才回到了罗切斯特身边，成为拯救者，实现了男女的位置的互换。通过塑造简这一女性形象，作者表达了女性主义的一个潜在愿望:男人和女人是平等的，处于完全可以互换的位置上，他们相互扶持，并驾齐驱，共同开创幸福的生活，而实现这一理想的关键是女性应积极追求主动的地位，坚强勇敢起来，在必要时为男性提供帮助，只有男女的相互合作、相互关心才能创造美好的人间。
研究小说的叙事方式的学者们，指出《简·爱》以“第一人称”的叙事方式展示了女性的内心世界，从而打破了以往男性宏大的叙事方式，充分体现了女性创作意识。(李利，2002)夏洛蒂·勃朗特在塑造女主人公简这一崭新形象时，一开始就让其父亲，即男权社会的代表性喻体作为“缺席者”，这就为女主人公的自主活动提供了可能性。通过父亲的“缺席”隐喻了父权的“象征性消亡”，为女主人公的自主成长提供了前提。简父亲的早亡导致了她的寄人篱下与孤军奋战，而这恰恰是她成为独立自主的新女性的决定性因素。在创作中，作者紧紧围绕简这一人物，写来自她的经验和感受，以“第一人称”的叙事方式把欣赏主体当作倾诉的对象和知己，在故事叙述过程中她把自我完全敞开，把自己在恋爱中的兴奋、嫉妒、焦虑、绝望，甚至身体接触罗切斯特时的生理兴奋等女性隐秘的情感体验，都向读者和盘托出。作者以这种最朴实的叙述方式，展示了女性的情感与自我。在这里叙述行为本身便是与自我经验相联系的，可以说是自我体验的完成和总结，它的生命意义的获得，也有赖于叙述行为的完成，在这种意义上，不仅叙述者，甚至叙述行为也参与了作品意义的创造。所以，“第一人称”所表现的一切都与叙述者有一种生命本体上的联系。而第一人称叙述者身上的两种自我，“经验”自我和“叙述”自我的对立、交叉、统一等等，常常造成独特的戏剧性张力，从而使其作品独具魅力。(刘晓文，2000)夏洛蒂·勃朗特这种“第一人称”的叙述方式体现了女性主体意识。
《简·爱》与基督教圣经
基督教及其圣经在西方国家早已成为社会文化的一部分，对于在基督教文化氛围中成长的人来说，圣经里的辞句和节奏已经成为他们思想构成的一部分，以致引用圣经辞句的时候，都不知道是出自圣经。艾略特曾说:“我们的艺术正是形成和发展在基督教中——我们的一切思想也正是由于有了基督教背景才具有意义。”(1989)上述观点在《简·爱》这部小说中也有所反应。可以说圣经对夏洛蒂及其《简·爱》的影响也是根深蒂固，《简·爱》与圣经联系密切也是不争的事实。据统计，全书的叙述、对白和自白中有60多处或引用圣经，或借用、化用其中的典故、语句、比喻和形象，行文中直接提到上帝之处更是不胜枚举。在学者们的研究中，有学者分别从简·爱形象的塑造、罗切斯特的命运、小说的高潮和结局等方面对此作了论证。(朱虹，1987)
也有学者从“失乐园”和“复乐园”的视角切入，探讨《简·爱》接受圣经影响的复杂性。(陈小兆、萧好章，2002)主张小说不仅带有鲜明的基督教意味，也有浓厚的反基督教色彩，认为《简·爱》既可被看作是离经叛道之作，又可以看作是恪守基督教教义之作，进而提出《简·爱》印证了“女性和神和耶稣基督之间有一种天然的联系。”(张翠萍，2006)小说中简与罗切斯特的爱情故事历经了从“失乐园”到“复乐园”的演变，这与圣经的原型意象遥相呼应。桑菲尔德庄园被比作是伊甸园，在这里，简感到一种从未有过的自在和轻松，渴望着更充实更丰富的人生，简不甘寂寞，直到与庄园主人罗切斯特深深相爱，她的幸福达到了顶点。不幸的是教堂婚礼上的危机也把简推向别无选择的境地:她的情人罗切斯特摘食了禁果，阁楼上的疯女人伯莎出场亮相后她的命运陡转，她要想得到爱情就必须放弃尊严。最后简毅然离开桑菲尔德，痛失“乐园”。简出走后，男主人公罗切斯特也作为“原罪”的化身在大火中失去一只眼睛和一只手臂，后来他向上帝忏悔，并在苦难中赎了罪。像这样小说的故事情节构思包含了圣经故事的隐喻，表现了一种“赎罪的道德”，勾勒出简恪守基督教教义的一面。同时简的个性中与基督教传统格格不入的一面在小说中也随处可见，例如早在“失乐园”之前，她就梦到过桑菲尔德的毁灭，这种远离爱心的潜在愿望与基督教教义大相径庭，她的在受到欺负之后应奋力反击的思想，与耶稣有关“爱仇敌”的训诫格格不入。在小说的高潮和结局处更集中地表现出基督教神谕的意味，也更鲜明地显示出反基督教的色彩。罗切斯特的深切呼唤及其神秘回声打开了简与罗切斯特的心灵通道，使简重新回到恋人身边，简把自己的世俗幸福提升到受主恩宠、得基督祝福的高度。学者们认为生活在英国19世纪中叶的夏洛蒂由于受到时代浪潮的冲击，受到达尔文进化论思想的影响，她笔下的男女主人公都不甘心听命于上帝的安排，屈从于传统的教义，作命运的逆来顺受的羔羊。夏洛蒂借助文学想象完成了变革的意愿:伯莎葬身火海，罗切斯特受伤身残，简则继承到一份不期而来的遗产。于是男女力量的对比发生根本性的逆转:罗切斯特变成一无所有需要扶助的弱者，简却成了既富有又年轻健康的强者。“复乐园”之后的罗切斯特和简自己就是园子的上帝。这样作者使《简·爱》具有鲜明而浓烈的反基督教色彩。有学者指出小说中平行结构、比喻象征、幻觉的独特表现手法及圣经典故的应用，揭示圣经文体对《简·爱》的影响。(陈湛妍，2003)
艺术手法研究
勃朗特运用她独特的创作手法向我们揭示了隐藏在日常生活幕后人物内心炙热的感情，在创作过程中她运用了多种表现手法。
现实主义与浪漫主义的完美结合:
夏洛蒂对细节的描绘是非常逼真的，这使得小说具有强烈的批判现实的功能。运用这种写实手法时，夏洛蒂显得客观而冷静，似乎只是个旁观者，但却成功地让读者在字里行间读出了强烈的讽刺和谴责，显现出她高超的语言运用能力。作者在描写人物细节时，她并没有义愤填膺地直抒胸怀，但人们从字里行间感受到了现实主义的尖锐讽刺，作者在不动声色中完成了对人物的批判，发泄了自己对英国慈善机构的憎恨。与此同时作者还运用了浪漫主义的写作手法塑造了个性鲜明、感情热烈奔放，意志坚强不屈的简形象。现实主义就像一面镜子，真实地照出了社会的丑恶与黑暗，浪漫主义则如一团火，熊熊地喷发着作者的炽热与激愤。镜与火交相辉映，现实与浪漫互为表里，主客观两个世界巧妙地融合，共同锻造出了不朽名作《简·爱》。
象征艺术的运用:
独特的语言风格，尤其是比喻和象征意象的巧妙应用是《简·爱》这部小说的一个重要特色。勃朗特在《简·爱》里赋予火多重象征意义，拓展了读者的想象空间，推动了小说故事情节的发展。据统计《简·爱》中85处提到家的炉火，12次炉边，47次形象地提到火，10处写火，4处写地狱之火。火暗示着简对温暖舒适的家庭生活的向往;火还起到烘托简个性独立，富于反抗精神的作用;火代表炽热的激情;火的意象还体现为“复仇之火”。还有学者指出熊熊的烈火荡涤了丑恶的一切，带来了纯洁的情感世界和现实世界，火是理想的写照，使男女主人公的爱情得到凤凰涅磐的重生。(李明，2000)
在研究小说中月亮的象征意义时，有学者认为月亮既是简，同时也是罗切斯特的希望、苦难与命运的象征。(李明，2000)书中渐渐皎洁起来的月亮暗示着简的生命旅途将会越来越光明;有时月亮象征着简不求安定舒适，只求努力探索未知的迫切心情;那缓缓而升的月亮预示着简的命运将有新的转折;通体银白，像水晶般皎洁的，明亮得令人心悸的月亮似乎在暗示着将有什么不祥的事情发生;向波涛中沉落下去，又大又红，活像一颗滚烫的炮弹般的月亮，又成为处于绝望边缘的罗切斯特受难的象征。
小说中简的奇怪恐怖的梦也具有象征性，反映了她恋爱后、订婚期间的紧张心情。她在婚礼前有关“幼儿幽灵”的梦境，曲折地表达出简在无意识中对自己婚事的畏惧、疑虑和反抗。
简和作者夏洛蒂·勃朗特的关系研究
鉴于小说作者夏洛蒂·勃朗特和主人公简的关系对于小说情节的安排、人物性格的发展有着至关重要的作用，近年来有许多学者研究作者夏洛蒂·勃朗特和她所塑造的简的关系。有学者将勃朗特本人的自卑心理同小说人物的塑造紧密地联系起来，指出小说简这一形象是失败的。在他们看来作者内心深刻的对自身容貌的不满，对自身地位的不满和对自身财产的不满所产生的自卑无法抹杀，这样勃朗特在塑造简这个人物时，结合自己的生活经历，有着空前的代入感。近似的经历(家境清贫、当过家庭教师)、相同的外貌条件(瘦小且不美丽)，作者为小说中的女主人公争取一个她无法为自己获取的未来，让她生活中没有实现的愿望和梦想在简的身上得以实现。(赵海虹，2004)小说中简在很小的时候就明白自己既贫穷又不美丽，正是这两大劣势使她酿就了深深的自卑，自始至终她都很难摆脱在自己内心深处埋藏的自卑心理，她把财富和美貌当作吸引男性的前提。小说中她离开了她所爱的罗切斯特，在学者们看来，她害怕在短暂的爱情之后被罗切斯特抛弃，声称“上帝”或“上帝的指引”都只是为了掩盖她深藏的恐惧。小说的最后简又回到了罗切斯特身边，许多评论家认为勃朗特的主人公想要独立，但同时渴望被支配。在泰瑞·艾格雷顿(1975)看来罗切斯特成了小说最终的牺牲品，不仅把残废的罗切斯特作为对一种社会习俗的牺牲，也是简(作者)下意识的为了自己道德的纯洁性而牺牲的。也就是说，是简的自卑感迫使她去摧毁。一份小小的财产也许可以帮助她获得一些自信，但依旧无法保障她作为罗切斯特太太。大火之后罗切斯特已经变弱小了，他的热情之火烧成了灰烬。他已不再是一个失爱的恋人，满怀希望地等着他的情人归来，他是一个昏睡的灵魂，不能呼唤新生。简显然对他的现状很满意，而被需要的感觉使她成了一个快乐的女人。外表的平凡如同财产的贫瘠，一直是她心头的两根刺。财产只可以用遗产来填补，而对自己外貌的自卑则需要削弱对方来达成。她也许不想控制别人，但她想成为被需要的，想成为照顾别人的人，而不是被别人照顾的人，这才可以给她安全感，从而摆脱自卑的威胁。学者们认为多年以来，这个主角一直因为她对独立的强烈追求和对爱情的伟大的热情受到赞扬。与奥斯汀塑造的同时代的淑女们相比，她也许仍称得上是一位先驱。但事实上，她担不起她受到的赞誉，因为她在许多方面仍是一个懦夫。
有学者认为上述持简失败了的观点的学者过于注重从作者的生平及心理来研究作品，而没有很好地研究作品本身，没有紧扣文本，没有从作品人物——简出生的历史背景去了解她，没有站在当时简——作为少女简的角度看她，没有从当时的情景去了解简，没有真正理解简，不了解一个恋爱中的女孩出现的那种复杂、矛盾而又正常的心理。学者们按照当代西方文艺理论研究重点的转移:从重点研究作家转移到重点研究作品文本，以及根据马克思主义原理——对立统一规律，指出夏洛蒂·勃朗特的小说《简·爱》没有失败，其塑造的人物简的心理是正常的。(陈文玉，2006)
参考文献
［1］艾略特［英］，基督教与文化［M］．杨民生、陈常锦译．四川人民出版社，1989．
［2］陈小兆、萧好章，从“失乐园”到“复乐园”——《简·爱》故事情节的“圣经”原型意象［J］．井冈山师范学院学报(哲学社会科学)，2002(4):49－51
［3］陈湛妍，《简·爱》与圣经［J］．湛江师范学院学报，2003 (5):53－56
［4］陈文玉，简·爱没有失败——与《〈简·爱〉的失败》的作者商榷［J］．外语教学，2006(4):89－92
［5］高文斌，《简·爱》维多利亚时代女性文学的范本［J］．辽东学院学报，2004(1):26－27
［6］葛亮，本我·自我·超我——浅论《简·爱》中的“3+1”体系［J］．国外文学，1999(4):69－74
［7］郭笑梅，双性同体的新女性——简·爱形象新析［J］．四川外语学院学报，2001(4):41－43
［8］李明，《简·爱》中月亮与火的象征意义［J］．四川师范学院学报(哲学社会科学版)，2000(9):56－58
［9］李利，试析《简·爱》的女性叙事方式［J］．西安外国语学院学报，2002(1):114－117
［10］刘晓文，现代西方女性小说话语策略［J］．外国文学研究，2000(3)
［11］刘萍，从女性主义看简·爱的矛盾［J］．安徽师范大学学报(人文社会科学版)，2007(6):698－702
［12］屈平，天使，她并不完美——试论简·爱的性格［J］．名作欣赏，2005(11):39－43
［13］王文惠，《简·爱》的双层文本读解［J］．外语研究，2006 (1):75－77
［14］张翠萍，从《简·爱》的圣经情结看其女性主义观［J］．洛阳师范学院学报，2006(1):90－92
［15］赵海虹，《简·爱》的失败［J］．外国文学，2004(2):67－72
［16］周慧英，从《简·爱》解读夏洛蒂·勃朗特笔下的女性意识［J］．电影文学，2007(8):50－51
［17］朱虹，基督教圣经与《简·爱》［J］．读书，1987(2)
［18］Terry Eagleton，Myths of Power:A Marxist Study of the Brontes．London:Macumillan，1975．
Wuthering Heights
1．Brief Summary of the Novel
Wuthering Heights concerns two symmetrical families and Heathcliff，a gipsy waif of unknown parentage．The novel is told in a series of narratives，which are themselves told to the narrator，a gentleman named Lockwood．Lockwood rents a fine house and park called Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire，and gradually learnsmore and more about the histories of two local families:the Earnshaw family—Mr．Earnshaw，a bluff prosperous Yorkshireman，his wife，their son Hindley and their daughter Cathyerine—who live in a handsome farmhouse Wuthering Heights up in the folds of the moors and the Linton family—Mr．Linton，hiswife，their son Edgar and their daughter Isabella—who are richer andmore civilized landed gentry and live down below in the valley at Thrushcross Grande．This is what he learns from a housekeeper，Nelly Dean，who had been with one of the two families for all of her life．
Nelly remembers her childhood．As a young girl，she works as a servant at Wuthering Heights for the owner of the manor，Mr．Earnshaw，and his family．One day，Mr．Earnshaw goes to Liverpool and returns home with an orphan boy whom he will raise with his own children．At first，the Earnshaw children—a boy named Hindley and his younger sister Catherine—detest the dark-skinned Heathcliff．But Catherine quickly comes to love him，and the two soon grow inseparable，spending their days playing on the moors．After his wife's death，Mr．Earnshaw grows to prefer Heathcliff to his own son，and when Hindley continues his cruelty to Heathcliff，Mr．Earnshaw sends Hindley away to college，keeping Heathcliff nearby．
Three years later，Mr．Earnshaw dies，and Hindley inherits Wuthering Heights．He returnswith a wife，Frances，and immediately seeks revenge on Heathcliff．Once an orphan，later a pampered and favored son，Heathcliff now finds himself treated as a common laborer，forced to work in the fields．Heathcliff continues his close relationship with Catherine，however．One night theywander to Thrushcross Grange，hoping to tease Edgar and Isabella Linton，the cowardly，snobbish children who live there．Catherine is bitten by a dog and is forced to stay at the Grange to recuperate for five weeks，during which time Mrs．Linton works tomake her a proper young lady．By the time Catherine returns，she has become infatuated with Edgar，and her relationship with Heathcliff grows more complicated．
When Frances dies after giving birth to a baby boy named Hareton，Hindley descends into the depths of alcoholism，and behaves even more cruelly and abusively toward Heathcliff．Eventually，Catherine's desire for social advancement prompts her to become engaged to Edgar Linton，despite her overpowering love for Heathcliff．Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights，staying away for three years，and returning shortly after Catherine and Edgar's marriage．
When Heathcliff returns，he immediately sets about seeking revenge on all who have wronged him．Having come into a vast and mysteriouswealth，he deviously lendsmoney to the drunken Hindley，knowing that Hindley will increase his debts and fall into deeper despondency．When Hindley dies，Heathcliff inherits themanor．He also places himself in line to inherit Thrushcross Grange by marrying Isabella Linton，whom he treats very cruelly．Catherine becomes ill，gives birth to a daughter，and dies．Heathcliff begs her spirit to remain on Earth—shemay takewhatever form shewill，shemay haunt him，drive him mad—just as long as she does not leave him alone．Shortly thereafter，Isabella flees to London and gives birth to Heathcliff's son，named Linton after her family．She keeps the boy with her there．
Thirteen years pass，during which Nelly Dean serves as Catherine's daughter's nursemaid at Thrushcross Grange．Young Catherine is beautiful and headstrong like hermother，but her temperament ismodified by her father's gentler influence．Young Catherine grows up at the Grange with no knowledge of Wuthering Heights．One day，however，wandering through themoors，she discovers the manor，meets Hareton，and plays together with him．Soon afterwards，Isabella dies，and Linton comes to live with Heathcliff．Heathcliff treats him sickly，whining his son even more cruelly than he treated the boy'smother．
Three years later，Catherine meets Heathcliff on the moors，and makes a visit to Wuthering Heights to meet Linton．She and Linton begin a secret romance conducted entirely through letters．When Nelly destroys Catherine's collection of letters，the girl begins sneaking out at night to spend time with her frail young lover，who asks her to come back and nurse him back to health．However，it quickly becomes apparent that Linton is pursuing Catherine only because Heathcliff is forcing him to．Heathcliff hopes that if Catherine marries Linton，his legal claim upon Thrushcross Grange—and his revenge upon Edgar Linton—will be complete．One day，as Edgar Linton grows ill and nears death，Heathcliff lures Nelly and Catherine back toWuthering Heights，and holds them prisoner until Catherinemarries Linton．Soon after themarriage，Edgar dies，and his death is quickly followed by the death of the sickly Linton．Heathcliff now controls both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange．He forces Catherine to live atWuthering Heights and act as a common servant，while he rents Thrushcross Grange to Lockwood．
Nelly's story ends as she reaches the present．Lockwood，appalled，ends his tenancy at Thrushcross Grange and returns to London．However，six months later，he pays a visit to Nelly，and learns of further developments in the story．Although Catherine originallymocked Hareton's ignorance and illiteracy，Catherine grows to love Hareton as they live together atWuthering Heights．Heathcliff becomes more and more obsessed with the memory of the elder Catherine，to the extent that he begins speaking to her ghost．Everything he sees reminds him of her．Shortly after a night spentwalking on themoors，Heathcliff dies．Hareton and young Catherine inheritWuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange，and they plan to bemarried on the next New Year's Day．After hearing the end of the story，Lockwood goes to visit the graves of Catherine and Heathcliff．
2．Analyses of the M ajor Characters
Heathcliff
The novel centers around the story of Heathcliff and shows Heathcliff as a victim of social class．All through the novel he is a rebel against the bourgeoismatrimonial system．At the very beginning of the novel，he is a homeless orphan on the streets of Liverpool．Ever since he was brought back home by Mr．Earnshaw and live with his children．Catherine's brother，sees the child as a rival for his father's affections and his own position as heir．He，therefore，hates and torments him．The treatment that Heathcliff receives atWuthering Heights has an effecton him．The crueltymeted out to him leads to his cultivating a great resentment towards his tormentors．As an adult，he deliberately resolves to free himself from the humiliation of oppression by attaining the status of an oppressor．He plans to avenge himself on Hindley and the Lintons by twomethods．He will oppress and exploit their children，Hareton Earnshaw and Linton Heathcliff，in precisely the sameway that Hindley and Edgar oppressed and exploited him．Heathcliff also plans to seize their lands and possessions．He is innocent and full of love，though he is insulted by the upper class and systems．
On the other hand，in his heart，everything is sweet under the accompanying of Catherine．As they grow up，tint of love is sparkling between them．Catherine's decision to marry Linton is the turning point in Heathcliff's life，which not only destructs herwhole life and Heathcliff but also merely destroys the happiness of next generation．This fatal injury provides Heathcliff with a premise to become a rather cruelman．He is the representative of lower class who is tortured by the aristocratic systems．He leaves Wuthering Heights and embarks his plots to take revenge after Catherine betrays him and their love．In his mind，he firmly believes that Catherine's love is everything．Therefore，when Catherine betrays him，he cannot bear his suffering，and he insanely retaliates against everybody who has ever insulted him，as the only way for his revenge．
When Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights with money he acquires power and he becomes a villain．He involves in destroying Hindley，and cruellymaltreats Isabelle and Hareton withmonstrous and fiercemeans．He even violates publicly the social law and crushes the social ethical regulation，kidnapping little Catherine and Nelly．As such Heathcliff acts as a cruel figure for his behavior．However，hismad releasing of revenge and hatred，though appears abnormal，is expressed thoroughly and perfectly．It is a special kind of resistance that is determined by special environment and personality．Heathcliff is worthy of sympathy．His character is not only caused by himself，but also caused by the special background of society．
From love to hatred，from innocence to ruthlessness，Heathclif is severely punished．All originate from his inmost love to Catherine．Consequently，it is his loneness，his terror，his hopelessness，his anxiety，his love，and his suffering from bourgeoisie society that penetrate into his heart and enable him to become a ruthlessman to take such cruel revenges．He is totally twisted from a man to a ghost．
All through the novel Heathcliff's love for Catherine is constant and deep．As children，the two of them are constant companions and defenders of one another．During adolescence，Heathcliff simply assumes they will always be together．Catherine，however，decides that Heathcliff is too uncouth and uneducated to be her husband．She turns her affections to Edgar Linton，a polished neighbor，although she never really loves him as deeply as she does for Heathcliff．Themarriage of Catherine and Edgar devastates Heathcliff．It changes him forever，for he lives the rest of his life，feeling a great sense of betrayal and loss．When Catherine dies at an early age，Heathcliff is still drawn to her，feeling haunted by her spiritual presence．
Heathcliff's desire to see and embrace Catherine's corpse shows the depth of his passion for her．During the novel，he admits that his thoughts are never far away from the woman who was the only true love in his life．He openly states that he wants to be buried with Catherine．He even punches a hole in her casket and asks that the same be done to his so that their dust can mingle in death．
Heathcliff is presented as an embodiment of dark powers．This aspect of his character is stressed throughout the novel．Mr．Earnshaw introduces him as a dark man“almost as if it came from the devil．”Hindley calls Heathcliff a“fiend”and a“hellish villain”．Themild Edgar Linton describes him to young Cathy as“amost diabolicalman”．When his own son shrinks from him，Heathcliff exclaims，“You would imagine Iwas the devil himself—to excite such horror．”But it is Isabella who leaves the reader with the strongest impression of Heathcliff's darkness．In a letter to Nelly，Isabella wonders if Heathcliff is aman or a devil．To her Heathcliff appears“diabolical”，an“incarnate goblin”，“amonster and not a human being”，“only halfman:not so much，and the rest fiend”．Even Cathy，who loves him，describes him to Isabella as“a fierce，pitiless，wolfish man”．
Catherine
Catherine in the novel is a wild and passionate character．Arrogant and willful，she is capable of real cruelty．In spite of her love for Heathcliff，she decides tomarry Edgar because he ismore educated and polished．She knows that themarriage is amisalliance and admits to Nelly，“I am Heathcliff!He is always in my mind; not as a pleasure，anymore than Iam always a pleasure tomyself，but asmy own being．”Herwrong choice inmarriage ultimately destroys her，and she dies at an early age after giving birth to a daughter．
Just like Heathcliff，Cathy is utterly unprincipled when she wants something．She is prepared to use any means and sacrifice any person who stands in her way．In the novel she becomes enraged with Nelly for obeying Hindley's instructions and not leaving her alone with Edgar．She spitefully pinches and slaps Nelly．Later，her feminine jealousy is aroused by the discovery of Isabella's infatuation for Heathcliff．She relentlessly baits the humiliated girl in front of the object of her passion．Throughout their relationship she uses Edgar Linton quite ruthlessly．She admits to Nelly that one reason formarrying him is that“he will be rich，and Ishall like to be the greatest woman of the neighborhood．”But to her the best reason of all is to help“Heathcliff to rise，and place him out ofmy brother's power．”She experiences no sense of shame over this dubiousmatrimonialmotive．
Before hermarriage to Edgar，she vows that she and Heathcliff will never be separated，“Every Linton on the face of the earth mightmelt into nothing，before I consent to forsake Heathcliff．”After hermarriage and Heathcliff's return，she insists on entertaining him at the Grange despite her husband's jealous displeasure．When there is an open quarrel between the two，Cathy unhesitatingly sideswith Heathcliff to taunt Edgar．
During her fatal illness，Catherine becomes sad and delirious．Even though she knows she is dying，she has no desire to go to Heaven，for she knows that she will not be at home there．She belongs to the moors and the stormy elements of nature．Before her death she states that shewants Edgar and Heathcliff to suffer as they have caused her to suffer．She warns Heathcliff that her spirit will not let him rest until they are reunited in death．Actually，her early death does notmean her disappearance from the novel．Her spirit continues towander through Wuthering Heights and over themoors，taunting Heathcliff in death，just as she did in life．Throughout the novel，Catherine's rebelliousness and passionmake her an undeniably interesting character．
After death she is buried with Edgar on one side and Heathcliff on the other，suggesting her conflicted loyalties．Her actions are driven in part by her social ambitions，which initially are awakened during her first stay at the Lintons'，and which eventually compel her to marry Edgar．However，she is also motivated by impulses that prompt her to violate social conventions—to love Heathcliff，throw temper tantrums，and run around on themoor．
Edgar
Edgar in the novel serves as Heathcliff's foil．He is born and raised a gentleman．He is graceful，well－mannered，and instilled with civilized virtues．These qualities cause Catherine to choose Edgar over Heathcliff and thus to initiate the contention between the men．Nevertheless，Edgar's gentlemanly qualities ultimately prove useless in his ensuing rivalry with Heathcliff．Edgar is particularly humiliated by his confrontation with Heathcliff in the novel，in which he openly shows his fear of fighting Heathcliff．Catherine，having witnessed the scene，taunts him，saying，“Heathcliff would as soon lift a finger at you as the kingwouldmarch his army against a colony ofmice．”As the reader can see from the earliest descriptions of Edgar as a spoiled child，his refinement is tied to his helplessness and impotence．
Edgar serves as“an example of constancy and tenderness”and such characteristics constitute true virtues in all human beings，and not just in women，as society tended to believe．However，Edgar's inability to counter Heathcliff's vengeance，and his naive belief on his deathbed in his daughter's safety and happiness，make him a weak，if sympathetic，character．
3．Theme of the Novel
The novel is a riddle that means different things to different people．From the social pointof view，it is a story abouta poorman abused，betrayed and distorted by his social betters because he is a poor nobody．It is a tragedy of social inequality．Healthcliff，a waif，of the lowest order in society，is eager for love and friendship but is forever looked down upon and rejected by the two families．The Lintons never allow him into their house until he becomes a gentleman．Hindley treats him brutally and inhumanely after the death of the father．Heathcliff is deprived of every right of a decent human being．He can't have his best-loved Catherine because of their differences in their social status．Rejected by people around him，denied by Catherine，hopeless and disappointed，he starts his brutal revenge and the horrible tragedy．To some extent the tragedy of Heathcliff is a social tragedy．
Considerations of class status often crucially inform the characters'motivations in Wuthering Heights．Catherine's decision to marry Edgar so that she will be“the greatest woman of the neighborhood”is only the most obvious example．The Lintons are relatively firm in their gentry status but nonetheless take great pains to prove this status through their behaviors．The Earnshaws，on the other hand，rest onmuch shakier ground socially．They do not have a carriage，they have less land，and their house，as Lockwood remarkswith great puzzlement，resembles thatof a“homely，northern farmer”and not that of a gentleman．The shifting nature of social status is demonstrated most strikingly in Heathcliff's trajectory from homelesswaif to young gentleman by adoption to common laborer to gentleman again．
As a love story，this is the most moving passion between Heathcliff and Catherine，which is themost intense，themostbeautiful and at the same time themost horrible passion ever to be found possible in human being．Catherine and Heathcliff's passion for one another seems to be the center of Wuthering Heights，which is stronger and more lasting than any other emotion displayed in the novel，and which is the source ofmost of themajor conflicts that structure the novel's plot．As Nelly tells Catherine and Heathcliff's story，she criticizes both of them harshly，condemning their passion as immoral，but this passion is obviously one of the most compelling and memorable aspects of the book．It is not easy to decide whether the author intends the reader to condemn these lovers as blameworthy or to idealize them as romantic heroes whose love transcends social norms and conventionalmorality．The book is actually structured around two parallel love stories，the first half of the novel centering on the love between Catherine and Heathcliff，while the less dramatic second half features the developing love between young Catherine and Hareton．In contrast to the first，the latter tale ends happily，restoring peace and order to Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange．
Different from the love between Heathcliff and Catherine，young Catherine and Hareton's love story is that it involves growth and change．Early in the novel Hareton seems irredeemably brutal，savage，and illiterate，but over time he becomes a loyal friend to young Catherine and learns to read．When young Catherine first meets Hareton he seems completely alien to her world，yet her attitude also evolves from contempt to love．Catherine and Heathcliff's love，on the other hand，is rooted in their childhood and ismarked by the refusal to change．In choosing to marry Edgar，Catherine seeks a more genteel life，but she refuses to adapt to her role as wife，either by sacrificing Heathcliff or embracing Edgar．In the novel she suggests to Nelly that the years since she was twelve years old and her father died have been like a blank to her，and she longs to return to the moors of her childhood．Heathcliff，for his part，possesses a seemingly superhuman ability tomaintain the same attitude and to nurse the same grudges overmany years．
4．Features of the Novel
The story is told by Nelly，Catherine's old nurse，to Mr．Lockwood，a temporary tenant at Grange．Mr．Lockwood gives an account ofwhat he sees atWuthering Heights．Part of the story is told through Isabella's letter to Nelly．While the central interest ismaintained，the sequence of its development is constantly disordered by flashbacks．Thismake the story all themore exciting and genuine．
The characters，places，and themes are all organized into pairs．Catherine and Heathcliff are closely matched in many ways，and see themselves as identical．Catherine's character is divided into two warring sides:the side that wants Edgar and the side that wants Heathcliff．Catherine and young Catherine are both remarkably similar and strikingly different．The two houses，Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange，represent opposing worlds and values．The novel has not one but two distinctly different narrators，Nelly and Mr．Lockwood．The relation between such paired elements is usually quite complicated，with themembers of each pair being neither exactly alike nor diametrically opposed．For instance，the Lintons and the Earnshawsmay at first seem to represent opposing sets of values，but，by the end of the novel，somany intermarriages have taken place that one can no longer distinguish between the two families．
It seems that nothing ever ends in the world of this novel．Instead，time seems to run in cycles，and the horrors of the past repeat themselves in the present．Theway that the names of the characters are recycled，so that the names of the characters of the younger generation seem only to be rescramblings of the names of their parents，leads the reader to consider how plot elements also repeat themselves．For instance，Heathcliff's degradation of Hareton repeats Hindley's degradation of Heathcliff．Also，the young Catherine's mockery of Joseph's earnest evangelical zealousness repeats her mother's．Even Heathcliff's second try at opening Catherine's grave repeats his first．
Ⅲ．Latest Critical Commentary
《呼啸山庄》是英国19世纪著名诗人和小说家艾米莉·勃朗特创作的唯一一部小说。它以其特有的严峻险恶的自然环境、强烈的爱恨交错和紧张的戏剧冲突紧紧地抓住了读者的心。艾米莉用一个艺术家的眼光探索了人们普遍关心的人性。英国著名作家毛姆曾评论说:“我不知道还有哪一部小说中爱情的痛苦、迷恋、残酷、执著，曾经如此令人吃惊地描述出来。”
美国批评家多·凡·根特则干脆认为:“在全部英国小说中，艾米莉·勃朗特这本独一无二的小说探讨起来最为捉摸不透。”有人甚至认为《呼啸山庄》是文学史上的“斯芬克斯之谜”。100多年来东西方文学界学者对它进行了不断的研究和探讨，无论小说的人物形象、主题思想、创作手法等都成为研究的对象。学者们对作品中出现的许多难解之谜作出了各种各样的解读和阐释，不断发掘出它潜藏的意蕴和内涵。
人物形象研究
希斯克利夫:
小说中希斯克利夫的爱—恨—复仇—情(人性的复苏)，既是小说的精髓，又是贯穿始终的一条主线，艾米莉在他的身上寄托了自己的全部感慨、同情和理想。在塑造这个人物形象时，艾米莉·勃朗特把希斯克利夫活动的场景渲染得神秘、恐怖、凄凉和阴森。他的爱恨情仇体现出贫穷小资产者的被欺压和反抗。对于希斯克利夫这个人物，有学者认为希斯克利夫非常残忍，报复手段非常卑劣是一个十足的“恶棍英雄”。(蒲若茜，2002)有的学者对他的遭遇表示同情，认为他做这些都是被迫的，在压迫之中爆发的反抗，也有学者以系统论的方法为指导，在全面、系统地分析希斯克利夫这个人物形象时，指出在他身上充满了浓厚的悲剧色彩，认为他自己本身就是时代与社会的受害者。(汪岚，2006)他从小就受到亨德莱的非人待遇，被剥夺了受教育的权利，就连女佣莱莉也用针刺他，男佣约瑟夫也呵斥、鞭打他。他不仅被剥夺了做人的尊严，而且被剥夺了爱的权利。他与凯瑟琳的爱遭到以亨德莱、林顿以及他们所代表的社会道德力量的重重阻挠，最终使希斯克利夫失去所爱，在18年的痛苦精神折磨和疯狂报复中终其一生。
同时希斯克利夫又是让很多人不幸的施害者，既身受迫害又罪孽深重，他自己就是这样一个矛盾的综合体。希斯克利夫身上的爱与恨、善与恶、妥协与反抗等要素都受到一个核心层次灵魂之爱与社会冲突的作用，同时又受到周围因素的影响。核心层次中的灵魂之爱是指希斯克利夫与凯瑟琳之间的爱情，这是他生命的支柱。当灵魂之爱与社会的冲突还没有突显出来的时候，灵魂之爱无疑是处于主导地位。凯瑟琳的背弃将希斯克利夫彻底推上了复仇的不归路。由失去爱引发的恨就如那非理性的爱一样疯狂，他恨所有的人。在恨的驱使下希斯克利夫的人性开始扭曲，他变得冷酷无情、自私自利。他不再向任何人妥协，而是开始野蛮地反抗了。反抗的手段就是残忍的报复，不仅是对自己的仇人如此，对无辜的下辈哈里顿和凯茜也是一样。
有学者依据黑格尔的“情境说”，将希斯克利夫放在他所生活于其中的环境中进行动态的考察，认为希斯克利夫固然是个十恶不赦的恶棍，他的复仇从根本上却也存在着一定的合理性。同时在整个复仇过程中，他还显示出高贵性和坚定性等古希腊悲剧英雄所具有的英雄品质，正是这种合理性和英雄品质使希斯克利夫这个人物形象焕发出特殊的光彩。(刘国枝，2004)也有学者称他是撒旦式英雄。(洪牡丹，2002)他们认为失去爱让希斯克利夫走上了复仇的道路，而渴求爱又让他放弃复仇去追寻心中所爱，在这里作者对人性进行了一次畅快淋漓的陈述，不得不让读者为之动容，从而也使希斯克利夫这个人物形象更加丰满真实，这个撤旦式英雄最终也赢得了读者的同情与理解。
凯瑟琳:
凯瑟琳从来不甘于父权制所宣扬的“家庭天使”身份，相反，她是艾米莉创作的一个对“家庭天使”观念宣战的形象，她拒绝父权传统定位给女性的“天使”身份，在为寻求真我付出生命的同时，对维多利亚时代的妇女观念喊出了一声绝望而又坚决的“不”字。有学者从女性主义视角研究这部小说时发现，在惊天动地的经典爱情故事的背后，《呼啸山庄》传达的是父权文化对追求幸福权和选择权的自由女性的压抑与戕害，以及女性对父权规范永不妥协的抵抗。(杨雪，2007)小说中虽然凯瑟琳深爱希斯克利夫，但是由于受到传统价值观念——男权社会的巨大影响，她意识到如果嫁给希斯克利夫会“降低身份”，而追求自由权和选择权的女性，会被当时的男权社会彻底摈弃。在男权社会的挤压下，在自己内心焦虑的折磨下，叛逆的凯瑟琳最终服从父权制的规定安排，放弃了对男权统治的抗争，放弃女性自我，选择嫁给了林顿，进入了男权社会安排的天堂。她企图逃出规范，却意识到这种努力是徒劳，她的精神几乎被摧毁，毁灭自己成了她所选择的逃避现实，自我实现的行为。在她身上我们似乎看到作者艾米莉自己所经历的可悲的生存境遇的痛苦感受与愤懑。
英国女作家伍尔芙在作品中曾指出希斯克利夫就是凯瑟琳以男儿身现形的女性自我，帮助她完成在男性社会中所无法完成的心愿。希斯克利夫的整个人生目标就是替凯瑟琳制定并实施周密的女性主义的追求计划。他不择手段地去夺取财产是由于被压迫的女性要独立首要的就是经济基础，这也是当初凯瑟琳在婚姻上无法做主的原因。击败原先处处压制他们的继老恩肖死后父权秩序的权威亨德莱之后，他也不放过画眉田庄，这座男权社会所标榜的完美“天堂”。最后成功地影响了伊莎贝拉，使这个男权社会的理想“家庭天使”也变成了敢于追求真我和崇尚选择权的独立的叛逆新女性。
也有学者在研究中通过对小说中凯瑟琳、伊莎贝拉、丁耐莉、凯茜数位女性人物形象进行文本解读和分析研究，指出《呼啸山庄》滑稽模仿了弥尔顿笔下有关“堕落”的神话结构，以对凯瑟琳、伊莎贝拉、丁耐莉、凯茜数位女性人物形象堕落版本的复现，演示了父权制社会惩戒、改造或收编女性的普遍性。(杨莉馨，2008)在艾米莉·勃朗特看来，凯瑟琳的堕落是从充溢着原始力量、焕发着蓬勃野性、与天地息息相通的自然状态，进入生命能量被窒息，被迫割裂与荒野的联系，进入想象力、热情、自由与智慧被抑制的状态的堕落。由于对真实自我的背弃，凯瑟琳的心灵陷入了无可逆转的窒息状态，她的身体随之也走向了死亡。似乎只有在她的身体死亡之后，她的灵魂才可以重获自由，回到荒原之上的那个老家。和凯瑟琳一样固执任性的伊莎贝拉同样是一位冲动型的“小姐”，并在少女时代逃离了哥哥掌权的家庭。伊莎贝拉作为父权中心文化为年轻淑女精心设计出来的类型化形象的样板，她在浪漫主义精神的诱导下，误将希斯克利夫想象为一位有着高尚心灵和浪漫气质的“拜伦式英雄”。她逃离了画眉田庄，满以为会有一个同样精致文雅的家在等待着自己。殊不知被文明教养起来的她是无法与撒旦般的希斯克利夫共存于一个屋檐下的。由于她的误入歧途，她在自我放逐的过程中同样遭到了以哥哥为代表的父权文化的放逐与惩戒。丁耐莉在整部小说中，通过扮演父权制度下端庄持重的代理人的角色而获得了文化的庇护，避免了凯瑟琳式的堕落结局。凯茜由于受到丁耐莉和文质彬彬的父亲的影响，成为完美的维多利亚式的天使，她与哈里顿·恩萧的结合，使作为地狱的呼啸山庄被改造成了画眉田庄般的天堂，父权制统治的历史链条得以接续，父权秩序也得以恢复。在列奥·伯萨尼(1976)看来艾米莉·勃朗特在把一个同样的故事讲述第二遍时，她又取消了第一个故事的独创性。
还有学者指出《呼啸山庄》中艾米莉揭示了人的性格的一面——自私性，正是凯瑟琳和希斯克利夫的自私性格才导致他们最终的命运悲剧，同时招致小说中其他人物的悲剧生活。(孙冬梅，2002)凯瑟琳自私的选择导致了希斯克利夫产生扭曲的人格，而希斯克利夫更加自私的报复行为导致了其他人的悲剧命运，两人内心深处的自私性格是他们一切错误行为的源泉，也正是作品悲剧的真正原因。
在研究凯瑟琳和凯茜之间的异同时，学者们认为凯瑟琳在婚姻道路上的自我追求大致可分为三个阶段自我迷失、自我追求、自我毁灭。凯茜的自我追求也经历了自我消沉、反叛和自我改变三个阶段。(赵一玲，2006)在男性社会里女性一直被视为男人的附属物她们没有追求真爱的权利。而凯瑟琳拼命挣扎着希望同时拥有丈夫埃德加和情人希思可利夫，这代表着一个家庭妇女的自我追求和传统婚姻的对立，这两者在那个由男性控制的社会里是不能共存的，最终凯瑟琳死于两者尖锐的冲突中。凯瑟琳的死象征着女作家难以实现的梦在现实中的破碎。凯瑟琳的女儿凯茜与表哥林顿的不幸婚姻和希思可利夫的虐待唤醒了她的自我意识，她开始在追求其真爱中追求自我。她与哈里顿完美的婚姻反映了女作家艾米莉在现实生活中不能实现的愿望，而她的反叛表明那一时代的女性开始意识到传统婚姻的束缚。女作家艾米莉把自己的理想和希望寄托在这两代女主公身上，她的自我追求在这部作品中明确地表达了出来。在作者看来，在婚姻中保持自我即人格独立、个性自由、男女平等，这才是女性得到真正爱情和美满婚姻的关键所在。(王柳媛，2007)有些学者认为，从某种意义上讲，凯茜与自己的母亲是一个整体，艾米莉把凯瑟琳留下的遗憾让女儿弥补，是在宣明她对人生和爱情的乐观态度。(张云军、左天骄，2004)凯瑟林的婚姻选择与感情倾向反映了英国维多亚时期的新型女性在追求灵肉统一的爱情时所面临的窘迫，她的悲剧反映出她们为追求人生幸福所做的抗争及失败。
主题研究
关于《呼啸山庄》的主题一直众说纷纭。有从女权主义的角度出发，认为作品是表现了女性争取爱情自由的斗争;有从“人性”的观点出发，认为小说展现了爱战胜仇恨，实现完美人性这一过程;更有从哲学的深度进行研究，认为作品探讨了人的异化与回归问题。学者们对主题的认识可以归纳如下:
建立和谐的主题:
有学者认为《呼啸山庄》呈现出人类的现代生存困境，表现出人的隔离感与孤独感等现代主义人际观和相融、和谐、安宁的后现代主义的人际观。(魏恩文，2007)前者在《呼啸山庄》这部小说中具体表现为“文明”、“理性”不仅隔离了男主人公希斯克利夫与其恋人凯瑟琳，而且使他们孤立于周围的世界。希斯克利夫被周围环境中的人们残酷地隔离并失去了青梅竹马的恋人。而凯瑟琳则被人们及“文明”、“理性”的观念放逐出她所认定的自然领地与心灵的所属——呼啸山庄及希斯克利夫。自从失去凯瑟琳的爱之后，希斯克利夫完全被隔离于世界之外，这种隔离促使希斯克利夫以冷硬、骄傲、仇视和偏执来维护自己的尊严，这自然形成了变态的心理，导致了他后来野蛮的复仇行径。林顿、伊莎贝拉在他们的人生中也是孤独、痛苦的，他们相互不能理解，充满了绝望，这正是现代主义人际观的写照。后者在小说中表现为凯瑟琳对呼啸山庄刻骨的眷恋和对希斯克利夫心灵交融的爱情，以及凯茜与哈里顿之间消除文化、环境的隔膜，最后和谐相爱的情节。
有学者对小说中表达的上述相融、和谐、安宁的后现代主义的人际观表示赞同，进而指出《呼啸山庄》的主题是以“人的实现”为载体的“和谐的建立”。(朱洪文，2007)在艾米莉理解的宇宙里，“人的实现”遵从两重约定:其一是两性结合(两人结合);其二是原始野性与社会文明的融合。这在作品中的逻辑呈现分为两个层次:一是希斯克利夫与凯瑟琳的“结合”，它是在原始野性融通的基础上的两性结合，这样实现的还只是一种原始意义上的人;二是希斯克利夫与凯瑟琳作为一个整体与埃德加的“结合”，其实质是原始意义上的人接受社会文明的熏陶，从而蜕变为“社会的人”，完成“人”的最终实现，在作品中具体表现为哈里顿与凯西的结合。
反叛社会、返回自然的主题:
也有学者认为《呼啸山庄》借希斯克利与卡瑟琳和凯茜与哈里顿的爱恨情仇，表现了自然之爱与社会之爱，自然、自由的生活与充满压迫、偏见的世俗规则的秩序化社会的矛盾冲突，表达了反叛社会、返回自然的主题。(周庆贺，2003)希斯克利夫与凯瑟琳的童年游荡荒原的自由生活是自然式社会中的自然生活形态，凯瑟琳的婚姻选择其实是在上述两种社会和生活方式中进行选择。希斯克利夫的复仇与寻找不仅是因为感情受伤，在根本上是他的自然世界、自然生活状态遭到充满压迫与偏见的世俗毁灭后，对后者的反叛与对前者的找寻。
童年和纯真主题:
小说中女主人公明确表示要重新回到她从前的自我——“野蛮、顽强、自由”的自我，有学者指出这表现出凯瑟琳对本真自我回归的渴求。(马坤，2003)还有学者们除了赞同这种观点外，他们还以法国心理分析学家拉康的理论为依据，研究在两位主要女性凯瑟琳和她的女儿凯茜身上所体现出的倒位的儿童时期及纯真主题。他们指出在凯瑟琳身上集中体现出在成年后的自我陶醉和年龄倒位——行为和思想回位到童年。(张静波，2007)心理学家拉康指出与自我陶醉相联系的自我理想化表现在自我的傲慢、趾高气扬、自私和过度自信的举止和言谈，以及对于别人的排斥中。Pauline Nestor(1986)指出凯瑟琳对于与两个男人同时共生的关系和婴儿时期的同化阶段有很多的相似之处。这种婴儿在早期阶段表现的自我和他者之间的同化阶段，实际就是拉康提出的，属于心理学范畴内的心理幻象。凯瑟琳不仅举止像个孩子而且更处于一种回归的年龄倒位状态——又一次返回到婴儿时期。正如婴儿的幻象阶段:即婴儿和母亲的同化阶段——婴儿和母亲紧密相连不可分割。在小说中，凯瑟林和希斯克利夫之间的关系如同婴儿和母亲的关系，不离不弃，无法割舍。在拉康定义的“镜像阶段”中婴儿通过镜像的反射:即通过异己的语言和文化的反馈，帮助婴儿来认识“自我”和“非我”、“自己”和“他者”。于是，婴儿第一次从母体中分离出来开始作为主体来认识自己。因此“镜像阶段”成为婴儿和现实之间的联系，成为“内心世界”和“客观世界”的纽带。学者们认为对于凯瑟琳而言她确实没有处理好“镜像阶段”。小说中凯瑟琳也声称她就是希斯克利夫，他们的心灵相通同为一体。凯瑟琳表现出对于各自身份认识的混淆性。小说中她说:“不管我们的灵魂是什么做成的，他的和我的是一样的;耐莉琳，我就是希斯克利夫——他永远，永远在我的心中，不是作为一种快乐，就像我对自己不总是一种快乐一样，而是作为我自己的存在。”从此可以看出，凯瑟琳和希斯克利夫处于一种“同化”状态，在凯瑟琳的心底，“自我”即“非我”、“自己”和“他者”混淆不清。因此，也就是说对于本小说的女主人公凯瑟琳而言，在成年后出现病态的年龄倒位——重新回到混沌和未开化的婴儿时期。而且在此时期，凯瑟琳并没有自然地过渡婴儿的镜像阶段:她无法区分自我和希思可利夫，而且凯瑟琳一直沉溺于婴儿早期阶段的自我迷恋和自我中心内，没有真正融合到周围的社会和文化环境中。因此，凯瑟琳身上匮乏儿童自然过渡后的纯真。学者们还指出在凯瑟琳的女儿凯茜身上也曾体现出类似于她母亲凯瑟琳一样的不能克服自身的自我迷恋，体现出自我的理想化——比别人更特权化，甚至排斥他人。凯茜像凯瑟琳一样体现着心理的以自我为中心，拒绝承认和接受周围的人群和社会习俗，以至于最终自我封闭。然而，由于她和哈里顿的关系最终朝着正面和阳光的方向走去，使她逐渐摆脱了自我迷恋、自闭和自傲，逐渐对他人变得慷慨和热情，不再想当然地妄用自己的权利，开始接受遵从社会规则，开始照顾到别人的需要和要求。这样她才能投入到社会环境中，进行自我意志的调整，最终获得和学会了某种纯真，以此战胜了她从她的母亲继承来的性格中的，贯穿她生活和成长前半生的性格特征中恶的趋向，完成了她母亲凯瑟琳所没有完成的，使爱最终能够成长的使命。(张静波，2007)
哥特式主题:
哥特小说的主题大多是通过家族仇恨、继承权的争夺揭示人性的邪恶和阴暗。因此有学者认为《呼啸山庄》就涉及复仇、阴谋和继承权的争夺这一哥特式主题。(董静、何琼，2007)小说中希斯克利夫一来到呼啸山庄，老恩肖疼爱他甚过他自己的儿子，这就使老恩肖和他的儿子亨德莱之间有了激烈的矛盾冲突。出于愤怒亨德莱对寄人篱下的希斯克利夫百般折磨，使其在无知、野蛮中堕落，并千方百计阻止其妹妹凯瑟琳同他接近，破坏他俩间青梅竹马的感情。长期的虐待逐渐扭曲了希斯克利夫的性格，使他从小埋下了刻骨的仇恨和复仇的情绪。随着年龄的增长，他的这种仇恨越加深重，特别是成年后，凯瑟琳对他的背弃迫使他悄悄离开了呼啸山庄，更进一步加剧了他的复仇之念。三年后，发了财的希斯克利夫回到呼啸山庄，目的就是要复仇。为了复仇，他鼓励和引导亨德莱酗酒和赌博，使亨德莱把所有的财产都输给了他;为了复仇，他把亨德莱的儿子哈里顿从一个小天使变成了一个愚昧、粗鲁的人;为了复仇他以魔鬼般的手段逼迫凯西与他那将死的儿子成婚，并使用了手段使林顿在死前没法修改遗嘱，这样凯西在其父亲死后，她所有应得的财产全都落入了希斯克利夫的手中。最终希斯克利夫不仅报了仇，而且成了呼啸山庄和画眉田庄的主人，直到他为了追求与凯瑟琳的超人世的爱而自绝于人世。由此可见，《呼啸山庄》的主题是复仇和争夺继承权，属于哥特式的主题。《呼啸山庄》主人公的塑造属于“哥特模式”，让人既爱又恨的希斯克利夫就源自哥特传统中的“恶棍英雄”形象。
对于这一主题，还有学者在研究了小说中的“恶魔”系列人物和“天使”系列人物之后，表明艾米莉在小说创作的过程中借鉴了哥特式小说在塑造人物方面所取得的经验。作者仍旧采用了哥特式小说的人物模式即恶魔与天使的对立式的人物格局，但是在艾米莉的笔下，僵化的人物变成了丰满的艺术形象，正因为如此《呼啸山庄》成了一部非同寻常的经典之作。(张云军、左天骄，2004)不同于哥特式小说中“恶魔”或者被“恶魔”所驱使的人物的罪恶行为不需要什么理由，《呼啸山庄》中希斯克利夫的复仇行动是具有社会原因和心理原因的，因而也负载着深刻的社会历史内容。凯瑟琳这一形象并不像哥特式小说中的女主人公，总是无缘无故地受到“恶魔”的骚扰和迫害，凯瑟琳对希斯克利夫早年感情的背叛和对虚伪“文明”的追逐，是她遭遇种种不幸的一个重要的原因。她注定要为自己的选择付出双重的代价:一方面，对于她原本无拘无束的天性来说，没有什么比那场虚伪的婚姻更有害于她的身心健康的了;另一方面，希斯克利夫后来所采取的一系列丧心病狂的复仇行动，对她感情的痛苦折磨，对她宁静生活的践踏，给了凯瑟琳以致命的打击，惟有死亡才是摆脱精神折磨的惟一出路。除了希斯克利和凯瑟琳之外，艾米莉在塑造亨德莱、伊莎贝拉、凯茜等人物时，在继承哥特小说的传统的同时对其也进行了创新。
性格决定命运主题:
除了上述主题之外，还有学者提出作家通过对人物性格的异化表现，以独特的写作风格借天堂和人间的两种不同结局向读者预示了人的命运是由人的性格决定的，即性格决定命运。(鹿彬，2005)艾米莉在《呼啸山庄》中塑造了两个女性自我追求的历程。凯瑟琳和凯茜的爱情故事实际上隐含了导致不同命运的两种性格:在同样的挫折和打击下，在没有真爱幸福的不幸命运面前，完全不同性格的母女走出了不同的人生道路。首先，面对挫折和打击，凯瑟琳是悲观的。她看见的是可吞噬一切的社会黑洞，又清楚知道自己所犯的错误，除了咀嚼痛苦和折磨自己以外，什么也不会做、也不想做，只是毫无保留地把痛苦波及他人。而凯茜首先是自省，看清自己所处的形势，努力保护好真我，并不断尝试去反抗，从而越发坚强和充满活力。其次，凯瑟琳在自己无法同时得到富裕生活和真爱的时候，选择了向社会、命运低头，试图调和一切矛盾，但最终在失望中走向死亡。而凯茜在认识到自己的错误之后，迅速地觉醒。面对强大的压迫——希斯克利夫的疯狂复仇的折磨下，面对一个辈分、体力、势力都比自己强大的对手，凯茜丝毫不软弱。凯茜的反抗逐渐超越了她的母亲，甚至超出了他们那两代人所处的社会高度:她的反抗，不单是针对暴君希斯克利夫，她还把矛头指向作为众多维多利亚小姐梦寐以求的理想结婚对象的洛克伍德，她用自我反抗，维护一个完整的自我。最后，在性格上凯瑟琳是放纵自由的，懦弱的，一次的挫折和打击就磨掉了她的全部锋芒，惶恐而不知所措，她失去了斗争的勇气，不断退缩，只有以死为武器表达自己的抗争。而凯茜的性格中有自省的一面，她的性格是乐观的，挫折和打击只会让她昂首阔步的速度加快，只会让她更坚强。她具有她母亲所没有的“家庭天使”的素质，能成为任何男人的贤妻良母，又有着她母亲所没有的柔韧刚强。在整个故事中，凯瑟琳只知道索取，自私的性格让她只考虑自己的感受，在决定爱情和婚姻的关键时刻，虽然确实有强大的父权制社会的压力，但她自己的虚荣也起了作用，她根本就没考虑到希斯克利夫的感受，不知道她的决定对他来说，不仅仅是背叛，还有对一个男人尊严的践踏。而凯茜渴望真爱，懂得平等和尊重对爱情和婚姻的重要性，她自己渴望被爱，被尊重，因此，她先对爱人付出爱和尊重，指引着爱人朝向一个双方能够共同达到的地方前进。在女性自我追求的道路上，凯茜没有像其母亲那样试图调和矛盾、从外界寻求解决问题的方法，而是从内心寻求突破:她不断超越自己，克服了自身的弱点，摈弃了男性社会加予她的门第观念，终于获得了真正的幸福。
追求自由和自我束缚的矛盾主题:
有学者从关注小说中的人物关系入手，结合对作者艾米莉·勃朗特性格、经历的分析，强调了小说所表现的深层次主题是人们追求自由和自我束缚两种倾向的矛盾。(黄巍，2006)持这种观点的学者认为，小说写的不是女性在男性社会中的处境，不是人与人的爱恨情仇，也不是抽象的“自我”异化后回归的过程，而是一个人(作者本人)内心两种欲望、两种倾向、两种追求的冲突和痛苦。小说中凯瑟琳离开希斯克利夫完全是自己的决定，没有受到任何外在压力。凯瑟琳和希斯克利夫共同度过的童年是无法无天、肆意而为的，如果她选择和希斯克利夫在一起就是选择了人的自由天性。而凯瑟琳选择嫁给林顿主要的原因是想成为“这一地区最有地位的女人”，她出于自己内心深处另一种强烈的渴望，选择了束缚自己的自由而力图被外界接受。并非某种被动的、毫无还手之力的“非我化”，而是凯瑟琳完全主动地选择了这种束缚，选择走一条被外界承认的道路。但是自由的灵魂是无法真正忍受束缚的，所以凯瑟琳嫁给林顿后仍一直对希思克利夫念念不忘，最终郁郁而亡。小说中对自由的向往与对自身的束缚决定了几乎所有主要角色的命运。除了希斯克利夫和凯瑟琳，亨德莱、伊莎贝拉、埃德加·林顿、哈里顿、凯茜的生与死、爱与恨，都被这两种力量的碰撞深深影响着。
创作手法研究
象征技巧:
有学者研究小说中运用的象征技巧，指出艾米莉通过地点名称、人物名称、风与树等自然元素的象征意义，极大地增强了小说的悲剧色彩。(赵咏、齐秀坤，2006)小说中主控全景的地点呼啸山庄和画眉田庄具有十分明显的象征意义。呼啸山庄Wuthering Heights由Wuthering和Heights这两个英文词自身的意义构成，前者Wuthering“呼啸”是当地的方言，指暴风席卷而来的时候，大自然发出的一片咆哮声;而后者Heights是“高处”、“高地”的意思，两词合用所预示的常常是“山雨欲来风满楼”的意境。再看呼啸山庄的地理位置，呼啸山庄建在山顶上，草木稀疏，因此每每有暴风雨来临的时候，山庄的桀骜与自然的力量成为一体，形成一种天然的威慑之势。有雨之时常常是“雷声千嶂落，雨色万峰来”;无雨之时，也是“阴风搜林山鬼啸，千丈寒藤绕崩石”。呼啸山庄由此被认为具有粗鄙不羁的生活的桀骜与象征意义。画眉田庄Thrushcrass Grange预示了一片和谐宁静的景象。画眉田庄的英文名字Thrush“画眉”指的是一种喜爱唱歌的鸟，只有在风和日丽，阳光明媚的日子里，画眉才会一展歌喉，唱出委婉动人的歌曲。“Grange”是“农场”、“农庄”之意，尤指远离城镇的贵族庄园。这两个词连在一起，呈现在人们面前的是一幅优美的图画:在远离喧嚣，绿树成荫的大庄园里，画眉在欢快地唱着动听的歌曲。而画眉田庄周围的绿树成了阻挡外部狂风的天然屏障，田庄内的大花园，繁花锦簇，风景怡人。然而，从Thrushcross一词的构词形式来看还另有寓义:该词中Cross一词有“十字架”、“不幸”、“磨难”的含义，因此Thrushcross也暗示了这里的宁静将被打破，这里生活的人们将遭遇不幸，就像被钉在十字架上一样，因为善良的人往往也是最容易受到伤害的人。小说中，在画眉田庄生活的人物尤其是伊莎贝拉的命运充分地证明了这一点。在随希斯克利夫私奔到了呼啸山庄后，她就一直受到希斯克利夫的虐待，不久便逃离了山庄。呼啸山庄和画眉田庄这两个地点的名字体现出小说中的两种生活原则，即“Storm”—“易怒，激动”和“Calm”—“温和，平静”，它们代表了两种截然不同的生存方式。从自然规律上讲，这两种生活方式是完全不可能结合的，然而，作者在小说中却通过两个地名使之形成对比，提供两个极端使之互相融合，两个地名所隐含的象征意义预示出悲剧色彩。
对上述呼啸山庄和画眉田庄的象征意义也有不同的解释，有学者指出呼啸山庄给人们的感觉是一个酷似地狱的地方，然而凯瑟琳从希斯克利夫那儿汲取了反叛的能量，拥有了完整人性，因此对她来说呼啸山庄在年轻的凯瑟琳眼里变成了一个天堂。在这里她忠实于自己的天性，保持着与自然息息相通的联系，焕发着野蛮的、未经文明驯化过的生灵所拥有的生命能量。老恩肖的去世使辛德莱夫妇作为文明教化与父权统治在呼啸山庄的代理人，他们把它变成了地狱，结束了凯瑟琳在自己的伊甸园中无拘无束的少女时代。将双性同体的凯瑟琳—希斯克利夫从呼啸山庄驱逐到了画眉田庄，一个在表面上看来是天堂的地方，在那里凯瑟琳的生命能量被窒息，被迫割裂与荒野的联系，想象力、热情、自由与智慧处于被抑制的状态，最终制造了凯瑟琳与真实自我的分裂以及堕落。凯瑟琳的堕落并不是坠入地狱之中的堕落。因此在有的学者看来这一堕落是从“地狱”进入“天堂”的堕落。(杨莉馨，2008)
小说中人物Heathcliff和Catherine的名字也有预示意义。在希斯克利夫——Heathcliff这个名字中，Heath指的是未开垦的荒地，具有任意、自由、放纵的特点;而cliff意思是悬崖、峭壁，具有威胁性、危险性的特点，这两个词组合在一起构成一个人的名字，很难让人把美好，善良的性格与人物联系起来。事实证明Heathcliff恰恰是一个粗野，桀骜不驯，而且令人恐惧的人物。他娶了伊莎贝拉，残酷地虐待她。亨德莱去世后，他把呼啸山庄据为己有，并开始了对哈里顿的摧残。他强迫凯茜与自己病危的儿子结婚，以达到霸占画眉田庄的目的，最终，在制造了如此多的悲剧，满足了自己的报复心理之后，他自暴自弃，绝食而死，这极具悲剧意味的结局正是由他的这种性格所导致。就希斯克利夫本人来说，他也成为了他名字所赋予他的这种性格的牺牲品。在迫害了这么多人物及吞并了画眉田庄之后，他仍固执己见、毫无悔改之意，直至他生命的最后一刻，他都没有良心发现。在他离开这个世界之前，他说:“我并没有做过不公正的事，我什么也不忏悔。”据此希斯克利夫的名字的象征意义便十分明显了:一个悲剧的制造者，同时也是一个受害者。Catherine在希腊语中是纯真的意思。人们对Catherine这个名字有两种看法:一是美丽、优雅、处于上流社会的世故者、拘谨、严肃、举止得体;一是普通的女人、友善、受欢迎，又有教养。无论是哪种解释，都可以肯定Catherine具有温和、善良的性格，而且生活也会如愿。我们可以从她的婚姻生活上得到证实。她的名字所赋予她的性格使她追逐名利和社会地位，为此，她嫁给了年轻、英俊、潇洒，有社会地位的林顿，尽管她深知“我嫁给埃德加·林顿，就像我在天堂里那么不相称。”正是她的名字所体现出的这种性格使她觉得“现在我嫁给希斯克利夫，那可要没了自己。”事实证明，她的婚姻生活并不幸福，她身在画眉田庄，但她的心却从未离开过呼啸山庄。从这个角度来讲，凯瑟琳不仅仅是一个受害者，也成了悲剧的间接制造者。
“北风”在《呼啸山庄》中具有高度的象征意义，书中北风的猛劲与山庄主人狂暴、肆虐的性情遥相呼应。希斯克利夫一直对几乎所有人怀有愤懑和敌意，才会变得冷酷无情。小说中的“窗户”作为自然与文明的临界点，具有重要的象征意味。多萝西·凡·根特认为(1961)《呼啸山庄》中的窗户始终代表着通往可能性的出口。来自荒野的凯瑟琳和希斯克利夫正是从窗口窥看画眉田庄的世界并陷落其中;凯瑟琳死后20年，也是从窗户外面，她的幽灵向吓坏了的洛克伍德伸出了冰冷的手指;在画眉田庄，凯瑟琳在窒息之下乞求丁耐莉敞开窗户以便她可以呼吸到一口“来自荒原”的风的气息;在故事的尾声部分，希冀着与凯瑟琳重逢的希斯克利夫绝食死去的地点，也恰在敞开的、倾盆大雨打进来的窗户前。希斯克利夫狂喜地对丁耐莉说快要到达她的天堂了，而他所指的“天堂”即是灵魂破窗而出、重获自由的荒原。(杨莉馨，2008)
意象研究
艾米莉·勃朗特以其诗性的笔触，创造出丰富而深刻的众多意象，极大地增添了《呼啸山庄》的艺术感染力。在《呼啸山庄》中艾米莉能根据自己对于约克郡一望无际的沼泽、旷野的真切体验，紧紧扣住大自然中的原始意象，以诗人敏锐独特的想象，营造出一种既真实又荒诞、既狂热又冷酷的奇异氛围。无疑，荒原与风暴是《呼啸山庄》中最基本、最典型，也最富有意蕴的原始意象，表现出小说中的死亡与爱欲主题的两大意象。(王海铝，2004)小说开篇对那“萎靡不振、倾斜得厉害”的枞树的刻画不容忽略。作家通过树木的意象，通过自然界中被狂风暴雨所扭曲了的树性，隐喻人世间在暴君统治下被扭曲、摧残了的人性。
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