Major Motifs in Wuthering Heights

Abstract

《咆哮山莊》(Wuthering Heights)書中主要意象及象徵反覆出現，形成小說的母題(Motif)。小說中人物分屬兩個截然不同的世界－野性的咆哮山莊與教化的鶇翔田莊。全書描寫此二世界所形成的兩股力量。始於它們互相排斥所造成的衝突，終於相互包容而達成的和諧境界。在衝突到和解的過程中，書，窗，自然及動物四母題扮演著重要的角色。本文共分六節：Ⅰ為有關批評的整理分析；Ⅱ為書的母題；Ⅲ為窗的母題；Ⅳ為自然的母題；Ⅴ為動物的母題；Ⅵ為結論。

The main images and symbols in Emily Bronte`s novel Wuthering Heights recur so often and in such important scenes that they can be called the motifs of the novel. The main characters in the novel were brought up in two completely different surroundings － Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. The reconciliation theme of the novel consists in the endeavors of each character to adapt to his own surroundings a character from the other surroundings. In the process of each reconciliation in the novel, the image of the book has a very important function. In both physical and emotional senses, the window is a means of communication and a means of escape. Emily used with great consistency the natural elements, which provide a large portion of the metaphorical base of the novel. The animal is among the major images that make up the metaphorical context of the novel. A large portion of the subconscious forces in man is expressed by means of the passions of animals. Nearly every character suggests or is compared to a certain kind of animal. There are six sections in this paper: I, a survery of critical opinions on the novel, II, the book motif; III, the window motif. IV, the nature motif; V, the animal motif; and, VI, the conclusion.