Abstract
Literature and psychological theories, even if developed in different time periods or one before
the other, may parallel because of both an author and psychologist’s ability to understand the
human condition. For this reason, it is possible to take psychoanalytic approaches to texts that
may have been written long before more popular psychological theories were introduced. Some of
the characters of Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights, reflect the personality theory of
Sigmund Freud. This novel presents a portrayal of Heathcliff, Catherine and Isabella from a
psychoanalytical perspective with regard to four defense mechanisms; namely, repression, denial,
sublimation and projection in order to see how these defense mechanisms have affected the
characters’ decisions and behavior, and led them to their destinations in life.In this paper, an
attempt is made to analyze the main characters' emotional world and dig out the nature deep in
Introduction
Psychoanalytic criticism adopts the methods of "reading" employed by Freud and later
theorists to interpret texts. Freudian Psychoanalysis is one of the most important theories of literary
criticism, which provides readers with a novel method to interpret literary works. It argues that
literary texts, like dreams, express the secret unconscious desires and anxieties of the author, that
a literary work is a manifestation of the author's own neuroses. Some of the characters of Emily
Brontë’s 1847 novel, Wuthering Heights, reflect the personality theory of Sigmund Freud.
Freud’s personality theories because Heathcliff reflects the id, Edgar represents the super ego, and
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847 under her pseudonym
"Ellis Bell". Brontë's only finished novel, it was written between October 1845 and June
1846.[1] Wuthering Heights and Anne Brontë's Agnes Grey were accepted by publisher Thomas
Newby before the success of their sister Charlotte's novel Jane Eyre. After Emily's death, Charlotte
edited the manuscript of Wuthering Heights and arranged for the edited version to be published as
a posthumous second edition in 1850. American writer Sue Grafton once said, “We all need to
look into the dark side of our nature - that's where the energy is, the passion. People are afraid of
that because it holds pieces of us we're busy denying.” Her words couldn't represent the novel
Wuthering Heights more perfectly. Written by Emily Brontë, the novel explores the idea of “dark
sides” and the struggle within a person who cannot choose between their dark side and their light
side. In the novel, this struggle takes shape through three separate characters, who, through
Freudian analysis, can be argued as three parts of one single personality. Sigmund Freud's second
topography of the human mind is an accurate map of the relationship between three key figures in
the novel: Heathcliff, Edgar, and Catherine. This map is made up of three parts, the id, superego, PSYCHOANALYTIC CRITICISM 3
and ego. The id focuses on all basic wants, the superego revolves around morality, and the ego
Literature Review
Psychoanalytic readings of Wuthering Heights have offered some very rich insights into
the novel. Several Victorian critics, perhaps most famously Sydney Dobell (1850), saw the
psychoanalytic theory has offered critics a more precise vocabulary and a more robust
explanation for the obsessive and divided mentalities we see in Heathcliff and Catherine.
Because of its nature, the unconscious is normally inaccessible to the conscious mind.
Therefore we must pay attention to the secret ways in which it might reveal itself. One of these
ways is through dreams, and one of Freud’s earliest published works was The Interpretation of
Dreams (1900). With its emphasis upon dreams that disrupt the smooth flowing of the narrative,
and which are hard to assimilate into the main body of the text, Wuthering Heights has proved
rich territory for dream interpretation, with Lockwood’s dreams in Volume I, Chapter III,
providing clues to both the plot and the emotions of the characters. PSYCHOANALYTIC CRITICISM 4
Methodology
The work has been done based on qualitative method from context analysis approach. The
text Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë , is the primary source; other books, journals and internet
Discussion
As Emily Bronte's only novel, Wuthering Heights has been controversial since its
publication. Time has proven Wuthering Heights to be a true masterpiece and Emily Bronte is
regarded as a genius of English literature. For more than one hundred and fifty years, Wuthering
Heights has been interpreted from various angles. Some of the characters of Emily Brontë’s 1847
novel, Wuthering Heights, reflect the personality theory of Sigmund Freud. Wuthering Heights is
the story of two diametrically opposed households, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange,
starting from the time that a young boy named Heathcliff is adopted and arrives at Wuthering
Heights. The novel describes the emotional story of Heathcliff, Catherine, Edgar, and others as
they grow from young children, through adulthood, and many to their final demise. Sigmund
Freud, known as the father of psychoanalysis, developed the psyche theory of the id, super ego,
and ego in the early 1920s. Simply stated, the id controls basic and mostly subconscious impulses,
the super ego controls adherence to social values and morals as part of the conscious, and the ego
personality theories because Heathcliff reflects the id, Edgar represents the super ego, and PSYCHOANALYTIC CRITICISM 5
Catherine attempts to act as the ego. Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights represents the id of
Sigmund Freud’s personality theory. Freud characterized the id as primitive and instinctual,
existing in the subconscious part of the mind. The id drives someone to seek immediate
aggressive, impulsive, and neglects to account for any type of ethics. After Heathcliff runs away,
he returns years later with a single goal: to seek revenge on his stepbrother, Hindley, and to be
with Catherine. He tells Catherine about his return by saying, “… I mediated this plan;—just to
have one glimpse of your face: a stare of surprise, perhaps, and pretended pleasure; afterwards,
settle my score with Hindley; and then prevent the law by doing execution on myself” (91).
Heathcliff left Wuthering Heights and has no real reason to return after being gone for three years.
He is id driven, so he only wants to satisfy his impulses by seeking revenge and being with
Catherine. Heathcliff doesn’t account for his super ego, for he doesn’t care that Catherine is
and lack of interest in rational thinking drives him to abuse anyone he pleases. Whether it is
announcing his thirst for revenge, saying he would perform a vivisection for amusement, abusing
innocent people, or killing small animals, Heathcliff’s id driven personality is his most
distinguishing characteristic. Edgar Linton from Wuthering Heights reflects the super ego of
Sigmund Freud’s three component personality model. The super ego emphasizes the importance
of moral values, the internalization of cultural rules, and adherence to socially appropriate customs.
In this situation, Edgar, the super ego, is literally conflicting with Heathcliff, the id, just as
personality theory of the id, ego, and super ego. This psychological theory, despite being
developed decades after the novel was published, is applicable to Wuthering Heights by Emily
Brontë. Three of the central characters, Heathcliff, Edgar, and Catherine, represent the id, ego, and
super ego of Freud’s theory. The id controls instinct and impulse and is unaffected by reality, logic
or morals, and Heathcliff’s actions are dominated by impulse and are unaffected by ethics. The
super ego controls the internalization of cultural standards and adherence to a moral code, and
Edgar is obsessed with acting in a socially appropriate manner and ensuring moral decisions are
made. Finally, the ego is responsible for maintain balance with the other components by
considering reality, and Catherine attempts to do this in the novel, but fails and ultimately dies as
a result. Heathcliff, Edgar, and Catherine of Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë represent
Sigmund Freud’s personality theory of the id, super ego, and ego. As a psychologist, Sigmund
Freud analyzed human behavior and created theories accordingly. Emily Brontë was not a
psychologist and wrote Wuthering Heights decades before Freud’s theories were published, yet
her ability to capture the human condition as a writer lead to her novel mirroring the ideas of one
Conclusion
characters’ decisions and behavior, and led them to their destinations in life. It reflects the
personality theory of Sigmund Freud. Wuthering Heights is the story of two diametrically opposed
households, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, starting from the time that a young boy
named Heathcliff is adopted and arrives at Wuthering Heights. The novel describes the emotional
story of Heathcliff, Catherine, Edgar, and others as they grow from young children, through
References
Abrams, M.H. "Psychological and Psychoanalytic Criticism." A Glossary of Literary Terms. 7th
Biddle, Arthur W., and Toby Fulwiler. Reading, Writing, and the Study of Literature. NY: Random
House, 1989.
Freud, Sigmund. "On Dreams." Excerpts. Art in Theory 1900-1990. Ed. Charles Harrison and Paul
Lynn, Steven. Texts and Contexts: Writing About Literature with Critical Theory. 2nd ed. NY:
Longman, 1998.
Murfin, Ross, and Supryia M. Ray. The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms. Boston:
