Undoubtedly, Bronte sisters lived in the age plagued by industrialism, newly introduced scientific inventions and knowledge which, in turn, brought the religious upheaval and loss of faith in God. It affected most of the prominent literary figures of the day. Conversely, when it comes to the unique Bronte sisters the case is most surprisingly singular. Unlike the others, Bronte sisters shared nothing of the trends prevalent in the Victorian society. Bronte sisters confined to home knew too little of the outside world to pen down its problems and beware of the rising tumult of the Victorian age, whereas, the others like Tennyson, Arnold, Hopkins, Dickens and Browning portrayed the true spirit of the age. Ifor Evans beautifully puts it as such:
"In originality none of these writers could compare with Charlotte and Emily Bronte. Nor must the talent of their sister, Anne (1820-1849), be all together ignored, for Agnes Gray and The tenant of Wildfell Hall are still readeable. There is no story more inexplicable in our literature than the way in which these three sisters, living in the isolated village of Haworth, in Yorkshire, and with little encouragement from their domineering father, came to write novels which have been read with pleasure by successive generations of readers to this day." (252)
Being in the same accommodation, brought up under the same circumstances and supervision; the readers must have expected marked similarities between Charlotte Bronte and Emily Bronte, however, the case is on the contrary. Both of the sisters are poles apart with reference to their artistic excellence. Yet, we cannot wholly deny that they shared nothing as such of some notable importance. This paper is an attempt to bring out the points of convergence and divergence between these rare literary geniuses of all age, so as to provide the readers with an insight into the lives and master pieces of these literary figures.
Charlotte was born on 21st April 1816; Emily opened eyes on 30th July 1818. Hence, Emily was two years older than Charlotte. Both the sisters had their childhood spent together and possessed immense imaginative faculties as they gave birth to a world of their own name 'Angria' with purely imaginary characters. Charlotte wrote four novels: The professor, Shirley, Villette, and Jane Eyre, her masterpiece. Emily authored only one unique artistic piece 'Wuthering Heights'. Both, Charlotte and Emily, wrote under the garb of pseudonyms Currer and Ellis respectively because women were not tolerated as writers. Emily was introvert by nature and loved the moors and the charming beauty of nature, however, Charlotte was somewhat extrovert. Emily died at the age of 30 and Charlotte passed away before she was 30. It is striking and worth attention that two sisters, in so much intimate relation, produced such different masterpieces.
Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights; both contributed enormously to the horizon of English literature, and are still open to great debate. The comparative study of these master pieces has enthralled the critics for quite some time. Whether it is the language, the themes, the characterization, the nature, Romantic elements, psychological aspects, autobiographical elements, feministic perspective, gothic elements, spiritual elements or the plot, all equally produce an urge and curiosity for pursuit. A brief comparative analysis of the fore-mentioned elements might serve our purpose.
Charlotte and Emily Bronte both were self-educated. Though they were sent to school, yet could not sustain their studies as an epidemic broke out and took lives of several people including two of the Bronte sisters Mary and Elizabeth Bronte. Therefore, Charlotte and Emily had to stay home and retire to reading books. In spite of these circumstances, both the sisters were very praiseworthy writers and their language is much fascinating and imaginative and pregnant of vagrant thoughts. Emily employed more powerful and emotional language as compared to Charlotte. Consider the following lines from 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Jane Eyre' respectively.
"I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind. And this is one: I'm going to tell it - but take care not to smile at any part of it." (Ch. 09)
"Children can feel, but they cannot analyze their feelings; and if the analysis is partially affected in thought, they know not how to express the result of the process in words." (Ch. 03)
We find a very striking understanding of life expressed in a very refined language. The selection and arrangement of the words depicts the mastery of the language. Both exhibited this exceptional talent. The language is as impressive as the ideas in both the above cited material.
It is important to mention here that the language of Charlotte was more refined as compare to Emily and the reason is that some characters speak such language which creates hurdle in reading and the readers might lose interest and also sometimes vocabulary act as barrier. Similarly, Charlotte, with reference to her language, was much distinguished among the other writers of the age.
The thematic comparison of the works reveals some very striking differences and similarities. On one side when Charlotte touches upon female emancipation, Spiritual and supernatural themes, on the other side Emily talks of love, revenge, social classes etc… In 'Jane Eyre' the theme of the independence of women is dominant whereas, 'Wuthering Heights' revolves around the Theme of Love. For instance Charlotte says:
"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags" (Ch 12)
Charlotte didn't just speak for herself she was the advocate of all women of her age. Charlotte was much concerned at the treatment showed to the women of her age. She thought of them as animals in the hands of the society. For instance, when Jane Eyre first meets Bertha she uses 'it' for her and not 'she' as if she were female.
"In the deep shade, at the farther end of the room, a figure ran backwards and forwards. What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight, tell: it grovelled, seemingly, on all fours; it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal: but it was covered with clothing; and a quantity of dark, grizzled hair, wild as a mane, hid its head and face" (Ch 26)
When it comes to Emily her language is so much powerful and imaginative that it shivers every nerve of a sound person. She reaches the heights of sentimental perspective.
"my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath" (Ch. 09)
"I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" (Ch 16)
The sentimental height to which Emily drives her readers is par excellence. It can be a unanimous opinion about these two sisters that Charlotte advocated feminism and Emily advocated the cause of heart. It is important to mention that one of the major themes of 'Jane Eyre' is love.
The characters portrayal of both the sisters is adorable yet, we do observe some noticeable dissimilarity. Charlotte presented very realistic sort of characters, like the heroin Jane, who represents a typical middle class lady. She faces ups and downs and finally, finds a suitable position. She is so much representative of her age with reference to her suppressed voice. Jane does not want to be dependent on Rochester as she says, ""I am my own mistress" (Ch 37) Even the wicked characters are so life like.
Emily presents the characters very idealistically. Heathcliff, the hero, is such a strange sort of character who is a gypsy by birth and has the feelings of love and revenge at the same time. The characters are so barbaric and wild. Both Catherine and Heathcliff have mixed feelings. Catherine loves Heathcliff intensely yet, does not want to marry him as she says, "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now." Heathcliff loves Catherine with same intensity yet, he says, "May she wake in torment!" (Ch 16)
Nature plays a crucial role in Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, as it depicts the mood of the characters. For instance, when Jane is unhappy she talks of "leafless shrubbery" and "cold winter wind" (Ch 01). Similarly, in Lowood School she talks of "valley, dark with woods" and "great grey hills" (Ch 05). When she is happy and enjoying the company of her friends then she describes the nature as "days of blue sky" and "placid sunshine" (Ch 09)
In Wuthering Heights when Heathcliff buries Catherine "there came a fall of snow" (Ch 29). At the death of Heathcliff "Dark evening, threatening thunder" appears. As Linton "walks in the field" (Ch 21) he becomes lovable.
Both 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wuthering Height' are pure Romantic novels. They contain the elements of Romanticism in abundance. Imagination, love, love of nature, Identity and self creation, supernatural, common people etc are some of the prominently observed elements in both the novels. The greatest achievement of these sisters is that they have saturated their language with extremely high emotions as if it were lyrical poetry. Charlotte says in Jane Eyre:
"I had not intended to love him; the reader knows I had wrought hard to extirpate from my soul the germs of love there detected; and now, at the first renewed view of him, they spontaneously revived, great and strong! He made me love him without looking at me." (Ch 17)
The reader does feel the intensity and spontaneity of the lines. Emily in Wuthering Height says:
"If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger." (Ch 09)
Emily like her sister knows how to vibrate the very fabric of the heart and this was the true spirit of Romanticism. It will not be a mistake to call them ultra-romantic.
Most Romantic literary figures died young, that is to say, Shelley died at the age of 29, Byron at 36, and Keats at 24. Bronte sisters had to face something similar, Branwell died at the age of 31, Emily at 30, and Anne at 29. More strikingly, in Wuthering heights, Linton dies at the age of 17, Catherine 18, Hindley 27, Isabella 31, Edgar 39, Heathcliff most probably 38.
The novels provide us with magnificent capacity for psychological analysis. Both the heroine and the hero of 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wuthering Heights' respectively come from a socially inferior class and after sometime get a prominent position in the society. Where did Heathcliff come from? Where was he for three long years? These are such questions which are psychoanalytically so rich.
As Oscar Wilde says, "To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim." (01) The novels give us ample of opportunity to peep into the minds of these two sisters. The novels if put before them will act like a mirror and show these sisters' true self. Priestley says the same that Charlotte is "delivering us from consciousness and memory and plunging us into the myths of unconsciousness." When we keenly go through the novels we find glimpses of the personalities of the sisters.
It is already mentioned that the sisters were living a solitary life, confined within their homes. Resultantly, whatever they wrote, very expressively portrays the dark images from their own oppressed life. Hence, the novels are considered autobiographical. For instance, the death of Jane's nearest friend of T.B at Lowood School coincides with the death of Charlotte's sisters. Mr. Brocklehurst, the hypocrite is based on Reverend Carus Wilson. Similarly, John Reed's alcoholism goes parallel with the alcoholic nature of Charlotte's brother Branwell. Jane also becomes a governess like Charlotte had become.
'Wuthering heights' also contains autobiographical elements though, not as much in abundance as that of Jane Eyre. The very moor which Emily mentions so emphatically is autobiographical as Emily was so much attached to it since childhood. Emily's father and aunt were highly religious and perhaps this is where she took the inspiration for building up the character of Joseph. The character of Heathcliff is very much reflective of Emily's own thoughts and feelings. The reason is that she had a very tough and oppressed life and she pours out her emotions through her mouthpiece Heathcliff.
Whether we talk of Emily Bronte or Charlotte Bronte both expounded and projected feminism one way or the other. In Charlotte's 'Jane Eyre' we find very clear and straight forward instances of feminism. For instance, on the occasion when Rochester extravagantly spends on Jane she says,
"the more he bought me, the more my cheek burned with a sense of annoyance and degradation" (236).
This shows how much she wanted independence and self-respect. Jane never thinks herself in any way to be inferior to Rochester as she says:
"Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you--and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you" (222).
Wuthering heights can also be considered as feminist novel in some regards. The fact that Catherine so dearly loved Heathcliff yet, she didn't marry him because she thought of it as 'degradation' and was under the aggressive claws of society. Later we discover that her daughter goes for love marriage. The way Isabella tries to get away from the cruelty of Heathcliff is very daring of the woman of that time.
"Mr Heathcliff, you have nobody to love you, and however miserable you make us, we shall still have the revenge of thinking that your cruelty rises from your greater misery" (Ch 29)
These lines are spoken by Cathy, which again give us the glimpses of feminism. Victorian society was in fact dominated by men and these sisters' authorship is in itself so much feministic.
Both of the sisters' novels are termed as gothic, for they contain the elements of horror, thick landscapes, curiosity, suspense etc. 'Wuthering heights' contain so much of the Gothic elements as there is no boundary for love not even after death and the manifestation of ghosts creates an atmosphere of awe. Wuthering Heights in itself portrays a castle where the heroine is trapped and needs frequent rescue and who wants to escape. The character of Heathcliff is so much mysterious and tyrannical in itself.
'Jane Eyre' is also rich with Gothic elements. The very setting where we have the red room and the attic of Thornfield is so much horror provoking. The screams of Bertha, the villainous nature of Rochester and Bertha, the ghostly presence, the mentioning of vampire by Jane etc all contribute to make the novel as Gothic.
Spiritual messages are also found in the respective novels of Charlotte and Emily Bronte. In 'Jane Eyre' the end justifies the existence of God as Rochester sees in fire an instrument of "divine justice" which collapses Thornfield (393). Rochester justifies to Jane that his "heart swells with gratitude to the beneficent God of this earth just now" (393). This recognition of God paves the way towards sound relationship and the problems are resolved.
Spirituality, at a very high state, is present in 'Wuthering Heights' where Catherine wants to unite with Heathcliff after death. This unity after death is a very crucial point in Christian religion and on the basis of this Emily was called as a mystic and the novel as metaphysical. In the following lines Catherine's spirit urges her to speak as such:
"surely you and everybody have a notion that there is, or should be, an existence of yours beyond you. What were the use of my creation if I were entirely contained here? (Ch 09)
The stories that these two sisters build up are different in some regards. The story employed in Wuthering Heights is a very harsh story and ends in a tragedy where not only the lovers suffer but at the same time others are also affected. This is the reason that Heathcliff has been called as the king of collateral damages. The narrators of the story are two namely Lockwood and Nelly Dean, this technique has been criticized by some as there is a sudden shift of narrator.
Jane Eyre's story is a bit more traditional one as it starts in a very grave manner and ends with a happy note. The story is that of a poor and oppressed girl from a socially inferior class who strives to attain some stable and independent position in the society. The story telling technique is really praise worthy as we see the whole world through the eyes of Jane, the protagonist. She is omnipresent and shows us the entire world as she sees and shares her feelings directly with the readers which truly enthrall the readers.
The novels of both the sisters were rejected by the publishers on first look but, later on its true worth was recognized. Both the novels received a great deal of applause from the public and literary giants. In the beginning 'Jane Eyre' was considered as better novel but the contemporary critics term 'Wuthering Heights' as far more superior to 'Jane Eyre'. The critics rejected 'Wuthering Heights' on first look because they did not realize the depth of the novel at that time.
Whatever the critics proclaim, it can be said without any doubt, that these sisters were real Romantic souls who revived the very crux of Romanticism in a most artistic way which sincerely justifies their intellectual magnificence. These two sisters will sustain their prominent positions in the history of English literature.
