"Wuthering heights": the quest for continuity

In this article, I shall explore George Bataille's notions on eroticism in relation to Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. The main focus of my analysis are the scenes illustrating Heathcliff's involvement in acts of necrophilia and gradual starvation, as they reflect the Bataillean ide...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor: Pérez Alonso, Leticia
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2010
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de Valladolid
Repositorio:UVaDOC. Repositorio Documental de la Universidad de Valladolid
OAI Identifier:oai:uvadoc.uva.es:10324/17377
Acesso em linha:http://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/17377
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Filología Inglesa
Descrição
Resumo:In this article, I shall explore George Bataille's notions on eroticism in relation to Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. The main focus of my analysis are the scenes illustrating Heathcliff's involvement in acts of necrophilia and gradual starvation, as they reflect the Bataillean ideas of continuity and discontinuity in Eroticism: Death and Sensuality, which account for the processes of union and disunion between the protagonists (Catherine and Heathcliff). Just as the French philosopher argues that the human being, despite its finite condition and determinations, seeks to go beyond its limitations and individuality, Bronte shows the different moments of rupture and the final unity of the lovers. In that sense, Heathcliff manifests an ardent desire to overcome the boundaries of his existence by giving his own life and be reunited in an act of selflessness with the body of his beloved. In doing so, he restores the cosmic flow and attains intransience and immutability beyond death.