On The Utilization And Subversion Of Nelly's Narrative In Wuthering Heights

Since first published in 1847, Wuthering Heights has been constantly under the study of critics, not only for its super-mundane love and fierce revenge embedded in the novel, but also for its advanced narrative techniques.This thesis tries to analyze Wuthering Heights from perspectives of both narratology and feminism, connecting narrative techniques with ideology. I argue that by taking advantage of the narrative motivation and bias of the first-person narrator Nelly, Emily Bronte lets her novel pass moral judgment of the Victorian society; meanwhile through narrative strategies she subverts Nelly's narrative with patriarchal ideology embodied in it, expressing her feminist criticism on patriarchy.This thesis includes three chapters:The first chapter "Introduction" includes a literature review on Wuthering Heights from perspectives of narratology and feminism, and a brief introduction of the social background of the Victorian Age. Here I also state the originality of my study, that is to explore the connection between narrative techniques and feminist criticism from perspectives of both narratology and feminism, to which previous literature seldom refers.The second chapter analyzes Emily's authorizing Nelly to control the narration to have her novel accepted by Victorian readers. As Nelly wants to transform the story into a good commentary on herself, she shows off her roles of surrogate mother and agent of social authority. By taking advantage of Nelly's narrative motivation and bias, Emily constantly raises patriarchy, helping her novel pass moral judgment of the society.The third chapter reveals some narrative strategies employed in the novel, with which Emily subverts Nelly's narrative and demonstrates her feminist criticism on patriarchy. By adopting "double-voiced" discourse and communal voice of the suppressed community, Emily deconstructs Nelly's dominant voice with ideological hegemony embodied in it, as for feminism "voice" is the trope of identity and power; the author also defies patriarchy through negative presentation of male patriarchs, regarding them as the source of family disorganization; besides, through negative portrayal and mock to Joseph, the representative of Christian religion, and through protagonists' scorn for "heaven", Emily criticizes rigid and oppressive religious law based on Bible teaching.At last, the "Conclusion" indicates that the reasoning of this thesis is somewhat insufficient and needs further study, for the end of the novel doesn't support the topic, as Hareton and young Cathy's marriage is symbolic of Emily Bronte's submission to patriarchal law and order, because of the social environment and female oppressed status in the Victorian Age.