《呼啸山庄》中的哥特元素_英语论文

Gothicism in Emily’s Wuthering Heights

摘要

哥特式小说作为浪漫主义文学的一个特殊流派，源远流长，在西欧文学中占据着重要地位。《呼啸山庄》作为英国女作家艾米莉•勃朗特唯一的一部小说，以典型的哥特风格著称，在世界文学史中占据着不可撼动的地位。

在《呼啸山庄》中，哥特元素可分为两类：显性的和隐性的。显性的可以从文本内容中读出，如主题、环境设置、超自然因素、人物塑造等。隐性的则是指作者艾米莉本身所具有的恶棍英雄式的哥特精神。这一精神在作品中通过希斯克利夫来展现。

恶棍英雄是小说中最鲜明的哥特元素。而希斯克利夫作为典型的恶棍英雄，具有哥特式的复杂性格：既恶又善，既拥有对爱情忠贞和永不屈服的高贵品质，又不具备道德观念，残忍偏执，缺乏人性。这种性格上的复杂性也正构成了他让人既恨又爱的魅力。结合艾米莉的生平来看，希斯克利夫就是她内心的化身。在一个虚伪冷漠又充满奴性的时代，作为女性的艾米莉没有话语权，也得不到旁人的理解。于是她把自己想象成男性，通过写作《呼啸山庄》来传达她的哥特式精神：善与恶并非对立，而是互相交织。我追求人性的美好，同时我也敢于承认人性的阴暗。

另外，《呼啸山庄》对哥特技巧的运用也堪称绝妙。《呼啸山庄》很好地继承了哥特传统，使小说笼罩在阴森、恐怖、神秘、痛苦的氛围里，增强了作品的感染力，激起了读者的恐惧和怜悯之情。同时，它也发展了哥特传统。它在哥特形式中注入了现实的内容和激烈的感情，展现了男女主人公轰轰烈烈、疯狂炙热、遗世独立的爱情，引起了人们深深的共鸣，展现出别具一格、经久不衰的艺术魅力。

与其说艾米莉选择了哥特作为《呼啸山庄》的体裁，不如说《呼啸山庄》生来就应该是一部哥特小说。它的哥特精神不仅体现在手法和内容上，更来自于作者的血脉之中。

关键词：哥特小说、呼啸山庄、恶棍英雄、希斯克利夫、艾米莉•勃朗特

Abstract

As a special romantic literature genre, gothic novel has a long history and occupies an important position in western literature. And as the only novel of English female writer Emily, Wuthering Heights wins an unshakable status in the history of world literature for its typical gothic elements. 

The gothic elements in Wuthering Heights can be divided into two kinds: external and internal. The external one such as theme, environment settings, supernatural factors and characters, are easily to find in the context. And the internal one refers to the villain-hero spirit that Emily owns, which reveals through Heathcliff in the novel.

Shape of villain-hero is the most notable feature of gothic novel. And as a typical villain-hero, Heathcliff shares the complexity of the gothic character: both evil and good, has the loyalty to love and the noble quality of never-give-in but no moral, brutal, intolerant, lack of human nature. This complexity constitutes his charming of both disgusting and pleasing, he let people hate and love. In combination with Emily’s life story, Heathcliff is the embodiment of her heart. In an era of hypocrite, indifference and servility, Emily cannot express her dissatisfaction with prejudice as a woman, so she chooses to consider herself as male and conveys her gothic spirit through Wuthering Heights: good and evil are not opposites but intertwined with each other. I pursue the good side in human nature and I also dare to admit the dark side.

In addition, on using of gothic techniques Wuthering Heights also can be called marvelous. It inherits the gothic tradition, making the whole story shrouded in dark, horrific, mysterious and painful atmosphere, which enhances the appeal of itself and arouses the reader’s fear and compassion. At the same time, it develops the gothic tradition. Wuthering Heights injects the content of reality and intense emotion into the gothic form, showing the crazy love between hero and heroine, which causes people’s deep resonance and shows the unique and enduring artistic charm of the novel.

Rather than considering Emily choosing Gothicism as the genre of Wuthering Heights, it would be better to say that Wuthering Heights is born ought to be a gothic novel. The gothic spirit of Wuthering Heights is not only reflected in the techniques and contents, but also flowing in the author’s blood.

Keywords: gothic novel, Wuthering Heights, villain-hero, Heathcliff, Emily Bronte