comparative essay a2 yay 2

Both Fyodor Dostoevsky and Emily Bronte perceive moral transgression as an escape from Christian ideals in search of a higher reality, in their respective novels Crime and Punishment and Wuthering Heights.To what extent do you agree with this statement?

At the beginning of Crime and Punishment Raskolnikov isolates himself from society; embarking on a self-imposed ‘retreat’ in order to seek enlightenment through intellectual abstraction. There is a subtle irony within Raskolnikov’s actions; his deliberate separation from Russian society has the markings of a traditionally ‘Christian retreat’ except his pursuit is not for the strengthening of religious faith, rather it is described by Dostoevksy as an ‘experiment’. Thus it may be argued that Dostoevsky has directed his protagonist to parody a traditionally Christian custom as a means to prove the scientific rationality behind a set of secular modernistic beliefs. These secular beliefs are convincingly caricatured through a choice selection of supporting characters such as the student and policeman; who engage in a ‘game’ of intellectual abstraction. Although Dostoevsky ascribes the ‘game’ to be ‘trivial talk’, the subject discussed is disturbingly pernicious as it concerns the murder of a ‘sickly, stupid, ill-natured old woman’. Hence by tagging the murder as an ‘experiment’ or ‘game’ the ironically light-hearted use of metaphor highlights the dangers of engaging in intellectual abstraction, as it removes the student (whose argument runs parallel with the development of Raskolnikov’s thoughts) from conventional moral inhibitions to such an extent that the student boasts that he could ‘kill the old woman without the faintest conscious-prick’. The student’s ambition mirrors Raskolnikov’s desires to break free from societal conventions by giving a distinctively Utilitarian argument, as he considers the life of the pawnbroker to be ‘No more than/ a louse...a black beetle, less in fact...‘. Dostoevsky delves further into Utilitarianism with notion of an exchange of lives as ‘…for one life thousands would be saved…its simple arithmetic!’ By traditionally using the rationale of Mathematics to champion Utilitarianism, Dostoevsky cleverly conflates a narrative of murder into one of hopeful emancipation. However the potential moral victory of a murder is dampened by the considerations of the policeman as he asks the student to contemplate whether ‘[he] would kill the old women [himself]?’ The student readily denies highlighting the moral inhibitions of a law-abiding society once the ‘game’ of intellectual abstraction is superseded by ‘reality’. Although the student’s construction is designed to exaggerate his abilities to commit murder, a sensitive psychoanalytic reading could interpret the inconsistencies of an individual who is voided of conscience – and yet unable to conduct murder, to be Dostoevsky inserting a deontological argument of ‘intrinsic evil’ surrounding the crime of murder, positioning his readers to raise doubts upon Raskolnikov’s abilities to emerge unscathed from transgressing conventional moral code in his eager pursuit of secular beliefs.

1. Wuthering Heights: Heathcliff’s search for ‘higher reality’ is a narrative of revenge against a Christian society that seeks to isolate and subjugate the bond shared between him and Catherine. [FULFILS HIGHER REALITY] Purpose: Introduce the beginnings of Heathcliff’s quest for vengeance, the ultimate sin committed against him is Catherine’s ‘betrayal’.


Point: Despite being poor, dispossessed and despised like Raskolnikov – Heathcliff’s lack of education disarms him from journeying into a similar path of intellectual abstraction, he is driven by vengeance for Cathy’s betrayal of their love. Heathcliff’s ‘style’ yes lacks Academic discourse, poetic style –romantic poet - incredibly naturalistic talent. Poetic power of Hetahcliff’s diction. Heathcliff consumes other other voices. Brilliance to him. Linton Archaic UNALBE TO EMPATHISE WITH DOES NOT CONTAIN HIM HE SPEAKS THROUGH NARRATIVE FRAME CONNECTION TO PARADISE LOST- SATAN ABLE TO SPEAK THROUGH ‘He was of the devil’s party without knowing it’ Paradise LostEvidence:Evaluation: Readers are positioned to sympathise with Heathcliff in their eagerness to fulfil the romantic conventions. Manipulation of the reader through the ‘spiritual’ elements of their love which has ties to nature. Having been rejected from Christian society, they find solace in the moors as they develop a Rousseian childhood. Eclipsed by Catherine’s betrayal for higher-society. A02 ON CATHERINE’S FALL- AFTER BEING BITTEN BY BULLDOG FALL. The ALLure of Christian ideals, yet Heathcliff rejects, Domestic realm being representative of a Christian realm. The harshness of Heathcliff direct contradicts the possible existence of the domestic paradise

Conversely in Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, despite being poor and dispossessed like Raskolnikov – Heathcliff’s lifelong persecution ‘had extinguished any curiosity he once possessed in the pursuit of knowledge…’ Instead Heathcliff’s search for a ‘higher reality’ is driven by an unceasing quest for vengeance against a distinctly Christian society that had sought to subjugate and persecute him. The formal education of Heathcliff and his soul mate: Catherine is seen to be one predated by punishment and cruelty as ‘The curate…set as many chapters as he pleased and Joseph might thrash Heathcliff’ as a result Bronte encourages them to flee from the teachings of a Christian society and instead pursue a Rousseauian education amongst the wilderness of the moors and become ‘as rude as savages’. The negative connotations surrounding the naturalistic development of Heathcliff and Catherine exemplify Bronte’s clever use of the novel’s Chinese Box Structure to further vilify Heathcliff within the hostile and pejorative narrative frame of Nelly. Yet despite her best efforts, Nelly’s narrative frame is unable to deny Heathcliff a sense of admiration for his remarkable inner strength

obscure the voice of Heathcliff completely as Bronte gifts Heathcliff an incredible naturalistic ability to traverse

Yet despite her obvious dislike for the ‘Black villain’ Nelly

further as he is confined to remain within the hostile narrative frame

to Although the negative connotations surrounding their development are made my Nelly’s Their naturalistic education becomes more apparent as their relationship deepens.


oppressive nativity of the ‘gipsy brat’ forces Heathcliff and his soul mate: Cathy to flee from their formal education and instead seek a Rousseauian education amongst the moors and be ‘as rude as savages’.

Bronte also utilises the Chinese Box Structure to vilify The teachings that The oppressive nativity of the ‘gipsy brat’ forces Heathcliff and his soul mate: Cathy to flee from the Earnshaw household and be ‘as rude as savages’ in the moors; this parody of a Rousseauian childhood naturalistic education

exposes the social context of the novel as Heathcliff’s low stature immediately earns him the reputation of being ‘a devil’ amongst the other characters whilst the splendour of the privileged Linton family’s upperclass life in Thrushcross Grange is likened to being ‘…in heaven itself!’ Heathcliff and his soul mate Cathy

Thus Bronte exemplifies the remarkable differences between Heathcliff’s tortured upbringing and the

marries the concepts of upper class and heaven to one another, which result in the heavy contrast of Heathcliff and Cathy’s ‘savage’ Rousseauian childhood to the ‘blue eye[d]’.

intimate relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy is purely naturalistic as Cathy The privileges and security of the Linton’s is contrasted heavily with the ‘savage’ Rousseauian when they confront one another, Bronte uses the allure of ‘heaven’ to separate Heathcliff from his s companion falls prey to the allure of entering heaven. Thus Heathcliff is deprived

Bronte also uses the literary Chinese Box Structure to vilify Heathcliff, trapping the ‘gipsy brat’ within Nelly’s hostile narrative frame. Through Nelly the ‘savage brute’ is. Yet despite there is an undeniable attractiveness surrounding his ‘bad…nature’, Heathcliff is able to speak through the narrative frame and consume The constant comparison and rejection from of Heathcliff is exacerbated further through the effeminate Edgar Linton

Despite being an accomplished former student Dostoevsky directs Raskolnikov to be ‘so badly dressed that even a man accustomed to shabbiness would have been ashamed’ in order to completely divorce himself from Russian Christian Society. Though this greatly exaggerated ‘shabby’ portrayal is further extenuated through the impoverished ‘revolting misery of the picture’ of St Petersburg - ‘the insufferable stench from the pothouses...drunken men...’ Dostoevsky abruptly alters the narrative progression of his protagonist by isolating him yet again, this time sharply contrasting the filthiness of the scene by taking sudden notice of Raskolnikov’s ‘beauty’, as ‘He was by the way exceptionally handsome, above average...beautiful dark eyes...’ The phrase “by the way” creates break in the scenes of “misery” surrounding Raskolnikov, replacing it with a lighter, civil tone of poetic conversation that succeeds in conveying the ‘sublime beauty’ that is trapped behind his self-imposed cloak of repulsiveness. Hence, Dostoevsky has masterfully varied the degree of narrative tone and imagery to influence his readers to perceive a repugnant Christian society in sharp contrast with his ‘beautiful’ protagonist. The particularly romantic depiction of Raskolnikov’s ‘sublime beauty’ perhaps serves to convince readers that Raskolnikov is a ‘Romantic hero’. The suggestive use of this literary archetype is crucial in fulfilling the Hegelian interpretation of a ‘hero’ as it implicitly rewards his character an inherent ‘right’ within the Romantic conventions to pursue


a‘noble’ and ‘just’ cause – successfully maintaining Raskolnikov’s position on the moral high-ground despite his intentions to commit a murder.

Even the appearance of the Linton’s Bronte’s constant portrayal of Heathcliff being attributed to being There are constant attempts to rake scorn upon Heathcliff, yet his vindictive attitude speaks through the narrative frame itself

, compared to and rejected from the upper echelons of society. Under the direction

Black villain.

Having been rejected as ‘savages’ from Bronte manipulates the reader through the ‘spiritual’ elements of their love

These external forces are centred on Heathcliff’s social disposition Bronte uses the literary Chinese Box Structure to vilify Heathcliff, trapping the ‘gipsy brat’ within Nelly’s hostile narrative frame. Through Nelly the ‘savage brute’ is. The oppressive nativity of the ‘gipsy brat’ exposes the social context of the novel as Bronte introduces the social trappings of Heathcliff’s unknown parentage

seeks to subjugate the bond shared between him and his ‘soul’: Catherine ‘Cathy’ Earnshaw. Bronte manipulates readers into exposure to the

Conversely, in Bronte’s Wuthering Heights the protagonist Heathcliff is moulded into the role of a social outcast at the forceful instigation of external forces from which he is powerless to resist. Through the oppressive nativity of the ‘gipsy brat’ Bronte exposes the themes of class subjugation, particularly through the imposition of repressive Christian influences by the Earnshaw household. Bronte makes numerous references to Christianity such as the dislikeable sycophant Joseph, who is crucial in undermining Christianity as his character has ‘ransacked the Bible…[to] rake promises on himself, and fling curses at his neighbours’. Joseph’s beliefs are an embodiment of a ‘religion of hate’ as unlike Earnshaw Senior’s view that Heathcliff is a ‘gift of god’, Joseph constantly likens Heathcliff to the ‘divil ‘imself’.

Hence like Milton’s Paradise Lost is made more apparent at his and the curate’s persecution of Heathcliff. is religion is described to have been ‘ransacked [from] the Bible’ thus giving it distinct Christian qualities. He , to add to his dislikeable characterisation Bronte his sycophantic nature Yorkshire vernacular is crucial in circulating reader’s dislike

Nelly’s regretful reflection is especially effective in conveying the injustice suffered by the ‘poor, fatherless child’. Despite her hostile narrative, Nelly admits the inconsistencies of her ‘devilish’ portrayal of Heathcliff as he possesses some distinctly angelic features being the ‘…quietest child


that ever nurse watched over...a lamb; though hardness, not gentleness...’ Bronte implicitly expresses Nelly’s admiration and gratitude for Heathcliff by stressing the virtues of his ‘hardness’ and strength in comparison to the weaknesses of the effeminate Earnshaw children who ‘harrassed’ her. In fact, the cruelty of Hindley and the ‘mischievousness’ of Catherine Earnshaw in direct contrast to the ‘lamb’ Heathcliff could portray him as a suppressed angelic figure and the other children as the ‘devils’. Thus the twisted Nativity of Heathcliff to the Heights may be Emily Bronte’s criticism for the Church’s prejudices against ‘others’ and justification for Heathcliff’s first tentative steps away from Christian Ideals.

marginalised from experiencing privileges of engaging himself in the streams of intellectual abstraction. The oppressive nativity of the ‘gypsy brat’ is evidently intended to vilify Heathcliff as the Chinese Box Structure limits the voice of Heathcliff to reside within the hostile narrative frame of Nelly who

echoes the social context of Wuthering Heights as the persecution of Heathcliff The social context of as Bronte directs a slew of characters to marginalise and persecute the ‘gypsy brat’. There are clear social precognitions that Bronte the intellectual development of Heathcliff is non-existent as barred from receiving the privileges of the Earnshaw and Linton into the role of a social outcast by a cast of remorseless characters. The nativity of Heathcliff is portrayed to be a vilified Satanic hero oppression by the a ‘family’ that refuses to accept him.

intellectual development by his persecution at the hands of distinctly Christian characters. The nativity of Heathcliff is also limited The hostile narrative frame labels . a him from pursuing a similar path of enlightenment. The social Despite his obvious As a consequence of Wuthering Heights’ Chinese box structure of the narrative frame that Heathcliff is confined to is decidedly hostile. This is evident in the nativity of the ‘gipsy brat’ as Bronte continually compares the distinctive differences in class.

Rather than suppressing his desires to deviate from, Heathcliff’s persecution of intellectual development fuels his Hence the nativity of the ‘gipsy brat’ is clearly written by Bronte to turn the characters and the ,

A sense of prejudice is immediately made apparent as Heathcliff is labelled a ‘gipsy brat’ through allows causes Milton’s Paradise Lost the readers are ‘of the devil’s party’

Bronte makes a clear alienation from . A key example to this unjustified persecution, is the sycophant Joseph is a key example His physical separation runs parallel with his spiritual rejection of Christian values. any intellectual influences are swiftly of an intellectual hence Heathcliffe turns towards a naturalistic ‘escape’ from the Christian influences which have been , bigot

Despite being poor, dispossessed and publically despised like Raskolnikov – Heathcliff’s lack of education disarms him from journeying onto a similar path of intellectual abstraction instead he is


driven by a passionate vengeance for Cathy’s betrayal of their love. Heathcliff’s ‘style’ lacks Academic discourse, poetic style –romantic poet - incredibly naturalistic talent.

Poetic power of Hetahcliff’s diction. Heathcliff consumes other other voices. Brilliance to him. Linton Archaic UNALBE TO EMPATHISE WITH DOES NOT CONTAIN HIM HE SPEAKS THROUGH NARRATIVE FRAME CONNECTION TO PARADISE LOST- SATAN ABLE TO SPEAK THROUGH

2. Justification of Raskolnikov: THE ROMANTIC HEROPurpose: Link the philosophical Hegelian concept with the literary archetype of the Romantic Hero through RaskolnikovPoint: Dostoevsky exposes his readers to a set of secular modernistic beliefs by sending Raskolnikov on a ‘retreat’, divorce of Raskolnikov from society and Utilitarian Evidence:Evaluation: Subtle irony of an intellectual ‘retreat’; an ‘experiment’ is used to fulfil intellectual abstraction instead of strengthen religious faith. It is a parody of a traditionally Christian custom to prove the scientific rationality of secular modernistic beliefs.

comparative essay a2 yay 2

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