Language and Imagery in Wuthering Heights Essay

In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte characters Language and mental imagery to prep atomic number 18 a very stark secern between Heathcliff, and Edgar Linton. This oppose is non save illustrated in how these characters act, further similarly in their appearance, usual setting and the language that is utilise to reveal them. Emily Bronte first personas the raw fundamentals of the characters Heathcliff and Edgar Linton to right away let us know that these characters are polar opposites. She does this with the imagery of both characters. In chapter 7, Heathcliff describes Edgar as having cast down skin and fair hair, whereas in the same chapter it is menti integrityd that Heathcliff has sober hair and dark skin. This implement of binary star opposites declares to the ref already, that Heathcliff and Edgar are acquit opposites, right down to their core.This use of binary opposites and imagery is also applied to where Heathcliff and Edgar live, Edgar breathing in Thr ushcross Grange, the light, large house, and Heathcliff living in the dark, gloomy and moody house of Wuthering Heights. This imagery of the two houses reflects the characters of the two men. Language is also used effectively and in teemingness by Bronte to illustrate the two characters differences. Bronte uses differentiate Lexical field pertaining to heaven and hell on earth to not wholly show the personal credit line in character between Heathcliff and Edgar, but to suggest that one is good and one is evil.For instance Heathcliff is constantly organism draw as or organism referred to with the use of speech communication which relate to hell. His eyes are described as devils spies and dark fiends by Nelly, and coupled with his appearance of being dark skinned and haired, he is closely associated with the devil, who represents evil. Edgar on the other hand, is described with a lexical field of a more ethereal nature. His eyes are referred to as being little Angels and his features are unremittingly called seraphic and soft, which suggests he is similar to an angel, which is of course good. By using secerning lexical fields for each character, Bronte uses selective language to suggest that these two are not scarce opposites, but they are Good and Evil.Heathcliff is, when being talked of, surrounded by sinister looking linguistic communication which arent necessarily public lecture about his character explicitly, but they athletic supporter to create a dark and sinister atmosphere some his character. An example of this is in chapter seven where Nelly is talking about Heathcliff she uses linguistic process such as lurk and unlawful and this is what creates this dark atmosphere. Bronte does the same with Edgar, as when he is talking or being talked about, words such as gently and good-looking are used and this helps to project a calm and soft atmosphere around Edgar, which is all in all different to the atmosphere Heathcliff carries with him, and so increases the contrast that the reader sees between Heathcliff and Edgar.Catherine brings our precaution to the contrast between the two in chapter 9 where she says (Heathcliffs soul) and Lintons is as different as a moon ray from lightning, or frost from fire This use of binary opposites over again suggests with the use of the words fire and lightning that Heathcliff is violent and harmful and burns, which again associates him with hell, and the use of Frost and moonbeam to describe Edgars soul to suggest he is soft, light, assuredness and calm reinforces the already stark contrast between the two and again suggests them not only to be different, but to be complete opposites.The fact that to most readers it would be obvious as to which out of either Heathcliff and Edgar is the fire and lightning shows how Bronte has been slotting words into the text as well as the individual characters, to manage the reader associate Heathcliff with hell, and Edgar with Heaven. In con clusion, Bronte uses bad-tempered lexical fields which are binary opposites to each other and applies them to Heathcliff and Linton to exacerbate the contrast seen between the two. Bronte also uses imagery of their sensible appearance and living place, paired with continuous subtle language choices to make the reader associate Heathcliff with Hell, and Edgar with Heaven, and this makes us not only see the two as distinguish characters, but bad and good, and at the completely different ends of the spectrum.