Diseased Body in Wuthering Heights Essay - 662 Words

In Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte it can be viewed that there is â€Å"more suffering caused by a diseased mind than by a diseased body.† The idea of a â€Å"diseased mind† is a mental illness or madness and the â€Å"diseased body† is a physical illness or injury, both of which are displayed by many characters in Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is a prime example of a character with a â€Å"diseased mind† that causes him suffering. He spends the majority of his life contemplating and acting out revenge towards Hindley and the Lintons because he believes it was their fault Catherine thought it would â€Å"degrade† her to marry Heathcliff, even though she loved him; this is one example of his unstable mind set. In chapter 9 Nelly foreshadows the suffering of†¦show more content†¦Heathcliff’s unconditional love causes Catherine’s â€Å"melancholy† â€Å"mental state† because it is overwhelming and she is in love with him but a Victorian society wouldn’t accept their relationship because of the Heathcliff’s very low class, which would result in them being â€Å"beggars.† Catherine has â€Å"a peculiar expression arising from her mind set† before she tells Heathcliff â€Å"you have killed me,† this highlights her â€Å"diseased mind † and the suffering it is causing her because she hasn’t died yet but it could be interpreted that she feels as though she has which emphasises her suffering, but also her madness. The â€Å"peculiar expression† that Catherine is described to have could be because she was â€Å"thinking†¦ of Wuthering Heights.† The â€Å"expression† could be interpreted as a smile, which would be â€Å"peculiar† to Nelly because she has been depressed living with Edgar, therefore a smile would be unusual; David Punter explains â€Å"Gothic reminds us we are driven by our passions† and Catherine’s passion is Heathcliff, which would explain her â€Å"expression† when thinking about Wuthering Heights. This idea of Catherine’s thought process in her â€Å"diseased mind† emphasises her pain and suffering because she cannot be without Heathcliff, her â€Å"soul,† yet she is continuously thinking about him, this is esse ntially what drives her insane. Catherine’s mental suffering is closely linked with her