Recurring Patterns: Emily Brontë’s Neurosis in Wuthering Heights

Abstract

Attempts to present a rational explanation of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights have been a growing concern since its publication in 1847. The abundant, yet incoherent, interpretations of Wuthering Heights, make the need for this research timely. This article focuses on ways to achieve a truer and more rational interpretation of the novel. The study indicates that in order to solve the enigma of the novel, the conscious and unconscious thoughts of the author, performing within the text, have to be discovered. The research approach adopted in this study is what is referred to as psychobiography or the Freudian psychoanalytic criticism. The findings of this research underline that Emily Brontë grew up in an oppressive milieu, and she compulsively created phantasy worlds within which she continuously repeated certain patterns. The main conclusion to be drawn from this article is that Emily Brontë was a neurotic person whose unconscious obsessions are projected in Wuthering Heights.