Heathcliff journeys from an orphaned infant to a disheartened slave to a heartless equal in his society. The power of a higher social status ultimately brings an end to this highly complicated character. In Wuthering Heights, Bronte's complex characters, involved in a theme of violence and destructive conflicts, provide the antithesis to the Marxist's point of view.
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It teaches a theory of value based on labor, the economic determination of all social actions and institutions, the class struggle as the basic pattern in history, the inevitable seizure of power through the revolution of the working class, the dictatorship of that working class, and the ultimate establishment of a classless society.
Karl Marx dealt with Socialism, economic and social doctrine, political movement inspired by this doctrine, and system or order established when this doctrine was organized in a society. The socialist doctrine demanded state ownership and control of the fundamental means of production and distribution of wealth, to be achieved by reconstruction of the existing capitalist or other political system of a country through peaceful, democratic, and parliamentary means.
Some extremist socialists, however, insist on the complete abolition of the capitalist system and of private profit. The ultimate goal of all socialists, however, is a classless cooperative commonwealth in every nation of the world.
Marxists believe in the abolition of property, and therefore of class mistreatment, would make it possible for individuals to contribute according to their abilities and take according to their needs. Karl Marx believes that there has always been a struggle between the working class and the ruling class and it is this conflict that brings people to ruin. According to his theories, the society will overcome this status driven ways through revolutions. Society will eventually become classless.
Works Cited
Meyer, Alfred G. "Marx, Karl." The World Book Encyclopedia. Vol. 13.
Chicago: World Book, Inc., 1990. 236-238.
A Link to Marxist ideology and approach to literature
Heathcliff rose in status to gain equal footing to achieve the "classless" society from the Marxism point of view but then contradicts the theory when he goes beyond his limits and starts to act as a "dictator," having control over everyone.
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I. In the very beginning, Heathcliff is introduced into the novel because Mr. Earnshaw found him. He was rejected from his family. When he came to WH, he was rejected from the children (Hindley, Cathy, and Nelly-at first). The Lintons even saw him as a "wicked boy…and quite unfit for a decent house!" (45). He looks like the gypsies and is very dirty; he looks roguish and has a lack of education (61).
II. Hindley takes over after Mr. Earnshaw dies. He takes power and control over the family. He treated Heathcliff horribly. "Begone, you vagabond!" (52). Heathcliff was treated as a servant although he was also of middle class. He was portrayed as a person of low status like the servant. This contradicts the theory of "classless society." Heathcliff was on equal footing with everybody else (Catherine and Hindley) in the beginning when Mr. Earnshaw was alive and he was brought to WH but then he was forced into a certain class after Mr. Earnshaw's death. There is a shift in the conflict between the first generation treatment of Heathcliff and the second generation's treatment with him. "[Hindley] drove him from their company to the servants" (40).
III. Hindley has been blaming [their] father (how dare he?) for treating H too liberally; and swears he will reduce him to his right place. This portrays the class struggle.
IV. When talking to Nelly about deciding on marrying Edgar, she says that she "will be rich, and [she] shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighborhood…" (71). Nelly says "You may see some: and he won't always be handsome, and young, and may not always be rich" (71). Catherine's view is that it "would degrade [her] to marry Heathcliff, so he shall never know how [she] loves him" (73). She portrays how status interferes with relationships. Because of his low status in society, Heathcliff isn't considered, although Catherine really likes him.
V. Catherine tells Nelly that if she and Heathcliff marry, they both would be beggars, "whereas, if I marry Linton, I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother's power" (74). This is in favor of the Marxist's theory by that Catherine uses her powers to help a person of lower status rise to equality.
VI. "I cannot sit in the kitchen. Set two tables here, Ellen: one for your master and Miss Isabella, being gentry; the other for Heathcliff and myself, being of lower orders" (86). The inequality among families.
VII. Shift in Heathcliff's characterization, from the servant-boy Heathcliff to a more refined person almost to the same footing the other characters (87). "I've fought through a bitter life since I last heard your voice" (88). This shows Heathcliff struggling against the wealth driven society, as the working class to reach a higher status.
VIII. Heathcliff marries Isabella for the money. Catherine says, "I know he couldn't marry a Linton; and yet he'd be quite capable of marrying your fortune…." (94). Heathcliff is abusing Isabella's love for him to gain power. Marxist agrees with the laboring to gain power to equal status as the rest of the society. Heathcliff does this because of how he is treated as a lower classman.
IX. Marxist would applaud Heathcliff in that he rose in power to resemble the working class revolting, but the ironic part and what the Marxist would disagree with is that he used that power to become the ruling class and became a "dictator."
X. "Should [Hareton] offer to leave me, he's a dead man: persuade him to attempt it, and you are a murderess! Am I to lose all, without a chance of retrieval? Is Hareton to be a beggar? Oh, damnation! I will have it back: and I'll have his gold too: and then his blood…" (129). This shows how Heathcliff is not using his power properly. The abuse of power to overcome the status struggles.
XI. Heathcliff took over and made Hareton a servant. Heathcliff "appeared to have bent his malevolence on making him a brute: [Hareton] was never taught to read or write…." (180-81) "Joseph contributed much to his deterioration, by a narrow-minded partiality which prompted him to flatter and pet him, as a boy, because he was the head of the old family" (181). Switching of powers entirely. Contrary to the Marxist's views.
XII. A shift: Heathcliff is turning the household into ruins instead of correcting anything he is not trying to create a classless society but just switching the classes: Heathcliff = ruling class and Hareton = working class
XIII. Mr. Green was a sell-out. He took Heathcliff's side instead of Edgar. He did this so he could get Edgar's property, the Grange. Heathcliff abused his powers to lower someone else. Against Marxism. (258-59).
XIV. "That lass (Cathy) owes me her service for her bread; I'm not going to nurture her in luxury and idleness after Linton is gone" (262). It is irony really because Heathcliff is making everybody as servants, like a classless society, as long as he is ruling over them and in control.
XV. "I get levers and mattocks to demolish the two houses, and train myself
to be capable of working like Hercules, and when everything is ready, and in
my power, I find the will to lift a slate off either roof has vanished." "I
have lost the faculty of enjoying their destruction, and I am too idle to
destroy for nothing"(295). Irony is that Heathcliff is talking about how he
amassed all of this power over everything by getting all the lands, but
suddenly he has lost interest and is self-defeated because of how he caused
Hareton and Cathy to ally together, making them into the working class almost
like revolting against him.
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Beliefs of Marxism