Abstract

Wuthering Heights is the only novel written by Emily Bronte and is regarded as “the most peculiar novel” as it depicts characters with strong emotions and impressive personality. Of the characters, Heathcliff is a classic one with his intense love, ruthless revenge and unusual behaviors. This thesis attempts to analyze Heathcliff’s personality from the perspective of the attachment theory by focusing on his attachment types and the embodiment of his attachment types in behaviors to reveal his innermost conflict and psychological activities. 

Key words： Personality   Attachment Theory   Heathcliff

摘 要

   《呼啸山庄》是19世纪英国著名小说家艾米丽•勃朗特所写的唯一一部小说。它以强烈的情感，个性鲜明的人物塑造被后人誉为“最奇特的小说”。其中男主人公希斯克列夫因其强烈的爱情观，无情的复仇行动及不寻常的举止而成为一个文学经典人物。本文运用依恋理论分析希斯克列夫的依恋类型及表现，从而揭示他内心的冲突和心理活动，从而更好理解其复杂的悲剧性格是如何形成的。

关键词：性格  依恋理论  希斯克利夫

1 Introduction
Wuthering Heights is the only novel written by British writer Emily Bronte and its plot and characters caused a certain great shock and terror to the public when it was first published in 1848. Some critics denounced it as "a shocking ridiculous meaningless work, the novel is ghastly and bloodcurdling, and it is also morbidity and paganism". However, Wuthering Heights has been increasingly popular in the later centuries. Originally, Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Earnshaw’s house in Northern England. Taken it as the title, Wuthering Heights narrates the story that involved the residents in two households: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange in northern England. The protagonist Heathcliff was a gipsy orphan picked up by Mr. Earnshaw and brought up with his children Hindley and Catherine. Hindley detested Heathcliff as he thought Heathcliff took the love of his father and sister. Though Heathcliff and Catherine were in love with each other, a certain misunderstanding occurred between them as Heathcliff overheard part of conversation between Catherine and the housekeeper that she was going to marry Edgar at Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff then disappeared and returned later to bring merciless revenge upon his enemies. Heathcliff has become one of the most complex characters of the English novels. His crazy revenge makes people feel confused, which also fully displays his extraordinary rebellious spirit. Heathcliff is a unique character who dares to love and hate, and he is “a person full of wild and rebellious spirit.”The love between him and Catherine makes the world shocked, at the same time he is also a victim of social systems at that time.