Emily Brontë's "Cathy from Wuthering Heights" (1847) during the Victorian Age. The Depiction of Women in English Literature of the 19th Century (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject Didactics for the subject English - History of Literature, Eras, grade: 10,0, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, language: English, abstract: The following term paper will deal with the several depictions of female protagonists in English literature while the focus will be on Catherine Earnshaw, the female protagonist in Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights", and the typical English characteristics. The character development will be analyzed in context of the concept of gender and compared to other English female protagonists. In order to so, firstly the principle of gender itself will be delineated, subsequently the characteristics of the Victorian Age will be briefly summarized. Thereafter, Catherine Earnshaw's character development will be elaborated and its similarities with and differences from other female protagonists will be emphasized.

As for literature figures nowadays, Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights" is a prime example for classic English literature of the Victorian Age, whereas coeval critics refused to accept the novel as appropriate according to the predominant behavior patterns and norms. Its solid position in classic English literature was not foreseeable then since Ellis Bell - the Brontë-sisters used to write under pseudonyms at the beginning - had been criticized for his violent and ruffian storyline and characters which were unconventional and shocking for a society in which it was not common to have or depict such strong and blatant feelings.

In contrast to the passionate and impulsive love story which also includes revenge, hate and violence, other authors such as Charlotte Brontë published works that were typical and appropriate for the mindset of Victorian people and managed to achieve purely success and admiration, for instance the governess-novel "Jane Eyre". Also Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" which has been published before the Victorian Age and tells the love story between Elizabeth Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy abides the common norms and fits into the sophisticated world Austen presents.