Bronte's Cleopatra_A Feminist Analysis of Catherine Earnshaw, Wild Child

8/18/2019 Bronte's Cleopatra_A Feminist Analysis of Catherine Earnshaw, Wild Child

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Natalie Romero

Dr. Geriguis

Feminisms Rough Draft

12 June 2013

Brontë's Cleopatra:

An Feminist Analysis of Catherine Earnshaw, Wild Child

Introduction—The Cleopatra Model

"Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety." —William ha!eseare

The role of females in fiction, as well as their roles in real life, has been a toic of !ebate,

strife, an! struggle since the earliest !a"s of stor"telling. #ince $iblical times, women ha%e been

trea! uon b" atriarchal societies, who so often cite! the Ju!eo&'hristian tale of creation

(secificall" the Fall) as reasoning for wh" women are inferior to men. Than*s to +%es infamous

!ecision, millions of women were sho%e! into metahorical i!entit" bo-es, constraine! within

two main archet"al caacitiesthe angel or the harlot1. /lthough we t"icall" thin* of the

angelharlot labels as being a ro!uct of ictorian societ", the" ha%e their roots far bac* in

histor".

The first strains of blossoming feminism were reactions to religious stronghol!s, an!

were argue! within a religious framewor*, an! in religious terms (alters 4). The 'hristian

worl!, !ominate! b" men, was rule! b" the $ible, written b" men. /lthough there is no shortage

of female characters in the $ible, the" alwa"s seem to fall into roles set b" a atriarchal societ"

some, un!er the sha!e of owerfull" negati%e scritural images (alters 5). +%e, Je6ebel,

1 There are other female archet"es as well, but the" all seem to fall into subcategories un!er angel or harlot7 themother is a ositi%e, somewhat neutral figure that fits un!er angel, while the other negati%e roles of femme fatal orlunatic fit un!er the e8uall" negati%e harlot or fallen woman.


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$athsheba, an! Delilah are ortra"e! as treacherous, untrustworth" women, who use ower an!

se-ualit" to swa" or betra" their male counterarts. #ome, li*e $athsheba an! Je6ebel, are lin*e!

to more than merel" the !ownfall of a manassociations with mur!er mar their names as well.

9eanwhile, 9ar" the mother of Jesus, :annah, an! +sther are humble, obe!ient, an! subser%ient

to the will of men. The" are shown to be lo"al to Go!, their families, an! are willing to sacrifice

for the ;or!. There is also a thir! categor" of women who began their lot in life as harlots but

who are able to successfull" transform into angels, thereb" securing ha" futures, the rewar!

of a male Go!Rahab, 9ar" 9ag!alene, an! Ruth2 are the three most common e-amles. tolemaic line

to rule +g"t, she reigne! as ?ueen for twent"&two "ears before her !eath in 30 $.'. >racticall"

since the moment of her infamous !emise b" as bite, she has been !eicte! as the harlot

archet"e. / owerful woman3 was a !angerous woman in the e"es of the Romans, who were

coinci!entall" the first to write her histor". These males historians not onl" %iewe! her as a

threat, but as a !ecei%er an! ensla%er of two of the most owerful men in the Roman worl!7

2 /lthough Ruth was not an e%il character before her con%ersion, she re%iousl" belonge! to a !ifferent culturean! religion. :er goo! fortune !oes not come about until she !e!icates herself to her :ebrew mother&in&law, Naomi,an! to Naomis Go!.

3 +urii!es, who wrote se%eral hun!re! "ears rior to 'leoatra, e%en sai! that cle%er women...were!angerous (#chiff @).


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assionate women who ha%e not been allowe! to achie%e hainess or longe%it" unless the"

succumb to their male sueriorsbe it Go! or their husban!sthereb" transforming into the

angel archet"e.


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Romero H

Cathy's Childhood

"Why canst though not always &e a good lass, Cathy'" And she turned her face u to his, and

laughed, and answered, "Why cannot you always &e a good man, father'" —Emily (ront)

The au!ience first meets 'atherine +arnshaw in a 11 setting, when gen!er roles an!

e-ectations for women were %er" nearl" set in stone, e%en for "oung chil!ren.


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an! attitu!es of chil!ren mimic*e! the a!ults. The sooner the chil! became an

a!ult, or aeare! to become an a!ult, the better. (Rogers @1, @2)

$eing goo! entaile! culti%ating a le%el of !omesticit" an! culture, an! eliminating assions or

wil! beha%ior. >erhas the best, most succinct, e-lanation can be foun! in *ane Eyre, b"

+mil"s sister 'harlotte $rontE7 "oung Jane is constantl" unishe! an! shunne! b" her aunt, 9rs.

Ree!, for being !eceitful. hen Jane finall" confronts her careta*er about being wrongl"

accuse! of ill&!oings, 9rs. Ree! calml" relies, $ut "ou are assionate, Jane ($rontE ).


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a fi!!le, while the si-&"ear&ol! 'ath" as*s for a horse whi. hile it was not uncommon for

women to be s*ille! e8uestrians, it is an o!! !eman! for such a "oung girl to ma*e. his are

tools of force an! strength, s"mbolic of inflicte! ain b" one in!i%i!ual uon other another, be

the" human or animal. Nell" Dean recalls to 9r. ;oc*woo! that !esite being so little, 'ath"

coul! ri!e an" horse in the stable ($rontE 25). /t this incre!ibl" earl" oint in the comle-

narrati%e, 'ath" alrea!" shows atitu!e an! !etermination in a !ifficult !isciline= horsebac*

ri!ing re8uires commitment, a *in! of assion an! eagerness t"icall" co!e! as masculine that

continues throughout 'ath"s lifetime. #he is also !rawn to a !e%ice meant to e-act %iolence,

which woul! ha%e been %iewe! as male&oriente!. This imager" imme!iatel" fee!s into the small

!etails that follow.


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lower class because he is an orhan, !ar*er s*inne!, an! most li*el" of g"s" heritage. To some

!egree, 'ath" woul! hol! swa" o%er him because she is higher than him on the social scale.

:owe%er, he has been

brought into her fathers

house as an e8ual to the

chil!ren, to slee in 'ath"

an! :in!le"s room with

them, gi%en the same

ri%ileges as them, an! is

later officiall" christene!

:eathcliff, which was the

:eathcliff an! 'ath" as ortra"e! b" ;aurence Kli%ier an! 9erle Kberon in the

name of a son who ha! 1535 :oll"woo! ro!uction.

!ie! in chil!hoo! ($ronte 30). 9r. +arnshaw too* to :eathcliff strangel", !esite the

rotestations of his wife, belie%ing all he sai!...an! etting him u far abo%e 'ath", who was

too mischie%ous an! wa"war! for a fa%orite ($ronte 30). This being sai!, were 'ath" a more

feminine character who fit into ictorian gen!er roles, :eathcliff woul! ha%e hel! authorit" o%er

her instea! of the other wa" aroun!. The fact that she controls the maBorit" of his actions an!

!ecisions from their chil!hoo! to their a!ulthoo! sea*s %olumes about the strength of her

character.

Who "Wears the Pants"?—Edgar and Cathy's ole e!ersal

The issue of class arrises again when 'ath" an! :eathcliff are of marr"ing age. +%en

though 'ath" is strong&wille! an! authoritarian, she is still subBect to her societ".


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marr" well, things coul! en! ba!l"li*e the lot of a Jane /usten no%el, she must ta*e finances

an! social status into account when choosing a husban!. #he lo%es :eathcliff, but chooses his

ri%al for her affections, their neighbor +!gar ;inton. :eathcliff was lowere! to the status of a

ser%ant b" :in!le" after their father !ie!, an! 'ath" is h"er&cogni6ant of his lac* of fortune.

Di! it ne%er stri*e "ou, she as*s Nell", that if :eathcliff an! < marrie!, we shoul! be beggarsL

hereas, if < marr" ;inton, < can ai! :eathcliff to rise, an! lace him out of m" brothers

ower ($rontE 4@). /lthough not !irectl" a!!resse!, her remarital !ilemmas show echoes of

first&wa%e feminism= although 'ath" belongs to the mi!!le or uer mi!!le class, she has

recei%e! a limite! e!ucation, one of the main grie%ances in 9ar" ollstonecrafts +indication of

the ights of Women (152). /s a result of restricte! e!ucation oortunities an! strict laws

regar!ing rights an! lan! ownershi, a single woman !i! not ha%e man" otions rior to the

9arrie! omens >roert" /ct, asse! in 1CC2 (M ;egislation). 'ath" cannot remain single=

'ath" cannot marr" a enniless g"s" ser%ant= 'ath"s choice is ine%itabl" to integrate herself

into the ;inton famil", e%en if it means legall" gi%ing u her belongings an! her i!entit" to her

husban!.

Desite her choice, rea!ers t"icall" focus on the tumultuous relationshi between 'ath"

an! :eathcliff an! often o%erloo* +!gar.


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brought u +!gar an! his sister


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a slit secon!whereas before she was a wil!, assionate chil! who was ne%er haier than

when she was !ef"ing us with her bol!, sauc" loo* an! her rea!" wor!s ($ronte @2), she will

now absorb the stereot"ical masculine 8ualities of a master of the house.

/t first, 'ath" attemts to share her elation o%er :eathcliffs return with +!gar. #he

ecstaticall" embraces him an! tells him the goo! news. +!gar, howe%er, ne%er ha%ing li*e! or

tolerate! :eathcliff, is !islease! b" her announcement. hen 'ath" mentions that she wants

:eathcliff to come u to the arlor, +!gar is reulse!, suggesting the *itchen as a more suitable

lace for him ($ronte 53). :e is, of course, referring to :eathcliffs susicious status as an

aban!one! g"s" chil! (an! ossibl" illegitimate offsring of 'ath"s father) an! role as a

ser%ant un!er :in!le"s comman! of uthering :eights= :eathcliff was often shunne! b" +!gar

for his !ar*er hair an! s*in an! social status, not to mention his %olatile temer an! mannerisms.

$ut 'ath" will not submit to her husban!s wishes.


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13

/lthough seemingl" ben!ing to +!gars will with a comromise, she is moc*ing him b" !oing

e-actl" as she leases. :er tone an! actions, half angr", half laughing ($ronte H), ose a

!irect challenge to her husban!.

'ath" mo%es to fetch :eathcliff from !ownstairs, but +!gar stos her, in his final act

as master of Thrushcross Grange. ...'atherine, tr" to be gla!, without being absur!. The whole

househol! nee! not witness the sight of "our welcoming a runawa" ser%ant as a brother ($ronte

H). /t this moment, as 9rs. Dean goes to fin! :eathcliff, the rea!er is left to won!er at 'ath"s

resonse to +!gars comman!. $ecause she sta"s in the arlor, one can onl" assume that

whate%er her rebuttal, she has gaine! the ower she wishe!, an! is ignoring +!gars comman! in

her own assi%eaggressi%e wa". Dinner is carrie! out accor!ing to 'ath"s or!ers, an! +!gar

ma" not e%en reali6e that he has lost authorit" o%er the house an! all its occuants. Not onl" !oes

Nell" Dean choose to obe" 'ath", but +!gar has lost control o%er his own wife. / nineteenth

centur" wife belonge! to her husban! in e%er" wa", %er" nearl" a ossession who shoul! follow

comman!s. 'ath"s beha%ior is in !irect oosition to this tra!itional role.

+!gar attemts to regain control of the situation once or twice, but to no a%ail.

'atherine, after tr"ing to ma*e the men sha*e han!s, seats herself nearest :eathcliff. The" stare

unabashe!l" at each other,

confi!entl", Iwith un!isguise! !elight...The" were much too absorbe! in

their mutual Bo" to suffer embarrassment. Not so 9r. +!gar7 he grew ale

with ure anno"ance7 a feeling that reache! its clima- when his la!" rose,

an! steing across the rug, sei6e! :eathcliffs han!s again, an! laughe! li*e

one besi!e herself. ($ronte 5@)


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;ater, in the mi!!le of the night, 'ath" wa*es Nell", unable to slee because of her

hainess. #he confi!es in 9rs. Dean what has Bust occurre! between her an! +!gar,

un*nowingl" confirming their role re%ersal= the wor!s she chooses to !escribe +!gars reaction

to :eathcliff are stereot"icall" feminine, inferring that +!gar is more sensiti%e an! womanl"

than she, filling the role of wife as she now fills the role of 9aster.

+!gar is sul*", she tells Nell", because


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Romero 1H

wa" she lo%es :eathcliff, +!gar tries his best to ma*e her ha" an! ro%i!e for her e%er" nee!.

'ath" ma" hol! the ower an! the assion in the relationshi, but +!gar still la"s an imortant

role.


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her !eathwhen Nell" Dean brings him the news of 'ath"s en!, he e-lo!es into one of the

best *nown rose monologues in histor"7

9a" she wa*e in torment he crie!, with frightful %ehemence, staming his

foot, an! groaning in a su!!en aro-"sm of ungo%ernable assion. h", shes a

liar to the en!here is sheL Not there not in hea%ennot erishe!whereL

Kh "ou sai! "ou care! nothing for m" sufferings /n! < ra" one ra"er<

reeat it till m" tongue stiffens'atherine +arnshaw, m" "ou not rest, as long as

< am li%ing Oou sai! < *ille! "ouhaunt me, then The mur!ere! do haunt their

mur!erers, < belie%e< *now that ghosts have wan!ere! on earth. $e with me

alwa"sta*e an" form!ri%e me ma! onl" do not lea%e me in this ab"ss, where

< cannot fin! "ou Kh, Go! it is unutterable < cannot li%e without m" life <

cannot li%e without m" soul ($rontE 130)

;i*e +!gar, :eathcliff turns to obsession, but of a !ifferent *in!. :e is reoccuie! with the i!ea

of 'ath"s ghost until his !eath at the en! of the no%el. The i!ea of her ne%er lea%es him= in fact,

his con!itional ma!ness worsens when he finall" meets his niece, 'atherine, who is nearl" the

image of his !ecease! lo%e. 'ath" continues to hol! ower o%er both +!gar an! :eathcliff from

the gra%e, through the character of her !aughter, an! through her en!uring influence. 'ath"s

absence is as strong as her resence, a testament to her wil! nature an! all&encomassing

strength.

+%en her chil!hoo! home of uthering :eights seems to feel her absence. :eathcliff

e%entuall" gains control of the roert", but it !oes not flourish un!er his touch.


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Romero 1C

withstan! the atmosheric tumult to which its station is e-ose! in stor" weather ($rontE @),

but is becoming a sha!ow of its re%ious self. :eathcliff har!l" emlo"s an" ser%ants= there are

not enough of them for the u*ee of the lace. +%en the trees are stunte! an! the house is

co%ere! in gaunt thorns ($rontE @), s"mbolic of the absence of life. hile the house ma" be

fille! with li%ing, breathing occuants, it is missing the %i%acit" an! sirit of a woman li*e

'ath".

/lthough man" eole are !rawn to this boo* for the romantic an! Gothic elements,

rea!ing it with a feminist ersecti%e can a!! to ones un!erstan!ing of the te-t. /lthough +mil"

$rontE ne%er a!!resse! feminism !irectl", she ob%iousl" ha! a subtle moti%esin 'ath", she

create! a woman who was unafrai! in the face of the atriarch", who was assionate an!

%i%acious, an! unaologetic for it. /lthough $rontE ha! to co%er 'ath" with the %eil of the harlot

archet"e, ha%e her !ie half&wa" through the no%el, ha%e her be resonsible for the !ownfalls of

+!gar, :eathcliff, an! uthering :eights, an! e%en a!ot a male en&name to sell the te-t to a

ublisher, < belie%e that it was all !one with a hi!!en agen!a in min!. To the maBorit" of

contemorar" rea!ers, this was a tragic lo%e stor" b" a man name! +llis $ell in which the

hea!strong harlot who has tric*e! two men into lo%ing her !ies after a rough regnanc" an! e%en

rougher chil!birth, the curse bestowe! on women than*s to +%es sin. $ut to those cle%er enough

to rea! the stor" for what it trul" is, 'ath" is a lan!mar* character, attemting to escae her

rescribe! gen!er role. 'ath"s ersonalit" is naturall" self&asserti%e, shar, an! cometentshe

embo!ies tra!itionall" male traits, a%ing the wa" for hun!re!s of owerful female characters.

$rontEs 'leoatra is a beacon of realistic blurre! gen!er lines, remin!ing rea!ers that life is

often more gre" than the blac* an! white of our ast.


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Wors Cited

$rontE, 'harlotte. *ane Eyre. New Oor*7 $arnes an! Noble 'lassics, 200H. Noo* !igital file.

$rontE, +mil". Wuthering Heights. / Norton 'ritical +!ition. +!. Richar! J. Dunn. . Norton

P 'oman", rint.

Fortin, +laine. +arl" Nineteenth 'entur" /ttitu!es Towar! omen an! Their Roles as

Reresente! $" ;iterature >oular in orcester, 9assachusetts. TeachM#:istor".org.

Qhtt7www.teachushistor".org!etoc8ue%ille&%isit&unite!&statesarticlesearl"&15th&

centur"&attitu!es&towar!&women&their&roles-.

Gen!er in the >rocee!ings. The >rocee!ings of the Kl! $aile".

Qhtt7www.ol!baile"online.orgstaticGen!er.Bs.

Gerome, Jean&;eon. Cleoatra and Caesar. 1CC4. i*i>aintings7 isual /rt +nc"cloe!ia.

Qhtt7www.wi*iaintings.orgenBean&leon&geromecleoatra&an!&caesar.

9arrie! omens >roert" /ct 1CC2. M ;egislation. The National /rchi%es.

Qhtt7www.legislation.go%.u*u*gaict@H&@4H.

Rogers, Jac8uel"n. >icturing the 'hil! in Nineteenth 'entur" ;iterature7 The /rtist, the 'hil!,

an! a 'hanging #ociet". Children and $i&raries. inter 200C.

htt7www.ala.orgalscsitesala.org.alscfilescontentawar!sgrantsrofawar!sbechtel

%4n1.!f.

#chiff, #tac". Cleoatra# A $ife. ;ittle, $rown an! 'oman"7 New Oor*, 2010. >rint.

alters, 9argaret. Feminism# A +ery hort ntroduction. K-for! Mni%ersit" >ress7 New Oor*,

200H. >rint.

hat is the 9eaning of the :one"suc*le FlowerL Gar!enGui!es.com.

http://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/awardsgrants/profawards/bechtel/v6n1.pdfhttp://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/awardsgrants/profawards/bechtel/v6n1.pdfhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/45-46/75http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/jean-leon-gerome/cleopatra-and-caesarhttp://www.wikipaintings.org/en/jean-leon-gerome/cleopatra-and-caesarhttp://www.wikipaintings.org/en/jean-leon-gerome/cleopatra-and-caesarhttp://www.wikipaintings.org/en/jean-leon-gerome/cleopatra-and-caesarhttp://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Gender.jsphttp://www.teachushistory.org/detocqueville-visit-united-states/articles/early-19th-century-attitudes-toward-women-their-roleshttp://www.teachushistory.org/detocqueville-visit-united-states/articles/early-19th-century-attitudes-toward-women-their-roleshttp://www.teachushistory.org/detocqueville-visit-united-states/articles/early-19th-century-attitudes-toward-women-their-roleshttp://www.teachushistory.org/detocqueville-visit-united-states/articles/early-19th-century-attitudes-toward-women-their-roleshttp://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/awardsgrants/profawards/bechtel/v6n1.pdfhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/45-46/75http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/jean-leon-gerome/cleopatra-and-caesarhttp://www.oldbaileyonline.org/static/Gender.jsphttp://www.teachushistory.org/detocqueville-visit-united-states/articles/early-19th-century-attitudes-toward-women-their-roleshttp://www.teachushistory.org/detocqueville-visit-united-states/articles/early-19th-century-attitudes-toward-women-their-roleshttp://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/awardsgrants/profawards/bechtel/v6n1.pdf


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Qhtt7www.gar!engui!es.com12C4H3&meaning&hone"suc*le&flower.html.

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Bronte's Cleopatra_A Feminist Analysis of Catherine Earnshaw, Wild Child