Wuthering Heights And The Good Soldier Comparison

Desires and fears seem so different, yet are at the root of each other. If you say, "I want to be loved," it 's the same thing as saying "I 'm afraid I won 't be loved." Bronte’s Wuthering Heights and Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier manage to show how similar desire and fear truly are. Wuthering Heights is saturated with desire and fear and the two play off of one another in a way that makes them so homogeneous. Similarly, The Good Soldier draws on the desires of many of the characters and in turn the fears, which encapsulate them. Both Bronte and Ford engage with these ideas through the use of character, theme, and in a more generic way narration.
Desire is linked most commonly with the romance novel, which is what The Good Soldier and
Wuthering heights partially allude to. Many scholars classify Wuthering Heights as a gothic novel, even though the story centers around romance and relationships. .
Wuthering Heights engages with the concept of desire from its opening pages. Bronte uses Lockwood’s desire for sociability or what could be looked upon as companionship, as an early device for a theme that is continued throughout the novel. The opening lines show Lockwood’s opinion of Heathcliff:

…Mr Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with jealous resolution, still further in his waistcoat, as I announced my name. (Bronte, 1847,2000:1)

The opening lines of the novel show Lockwood relating his first visit to Wuthering Heights, and his initial meeting with Heathcliff. This extract shows the reader how much Lockwood yearns for companionship. The phrase suitable pair suggests that he and Heathcliff are quite similar. However we the reader know that this is far from the case. Heathcliff’s abrupt and dismissive manner would be enough to deter any individual for want of his company, but this does not seem to perturb Lockwood. Lockwood continues to pay reverence towards Heathcliff coining him as ‘a capital fellow’. Taken in its context this phrase suggests that Heathcliff is a first rate person. We can see that in this lonely secluded moor Lockwood seems to overlook Heathcliff’s abhorrent nature in favour of his comradery. If we take the less obvious meaning of ‘capital’ we can see that this word applied to Heathcliff is appropriate in the sense of someone who has the desire to acquire capital and Heathcliff is just that, someone who wants to have money and land.
Desires in The Good Soldier are similarly expressed through relationships. At the beginning of Dowell’s narration he states: If for nine years I have possessed a goodly apple that is rotten at the core and discover its rottenness only in nine years and six months less four days, isn’t it true to say that for nine years I possessed a goodly apple?
(Ford, 1915,2010:29)

This quote encapsulates everything that is flawed with Dowell. Narrating the story in retrospect Dowell is aware of all events that have passed, even if it is only through what he has been told from Edward and Leonora. The fact that Dowell compares the couple’s relationship to an apple gives one the impression that it is something that will not last for very long. The shiny nature of an apple is the couples’ façade that Dowell does not wish to destroy. Even after learning of Edward’s relationship with Florence he still thinks of him as ‘the English gentleman’ and has a high opinion of him throughout his narration. Not only is Dowell’s desire that of stasis but also of nostalgia. He does not wish to think of the couples’ relationship as rotten but only as it was seen from the outside, unblemished and oblivious. It is ironic that Dowell should describe the couples as ‘ four people with the same tastes, with the same desires’ even though they are polar opposites of one another (Ford, 1915,2010:29) . Dowell is a passionless individual whereas Florence will go to any lengths to obtain her sexual desires. Edward and Florence share the same desire of adultery and social status. It would seem that both Dowell and Leonora have the same desire to help facilitate their partner’s secret affairs, although in Dowell’s case he is completely unaware of it. Ford uses Dowell’s naivety as a tool for his desire for things to remain as they are.
In Wuthering Heights Bronte uses characterisation to build a foundation for a complex array of desires. According to Phillip Hill ‘‘Desire is marked by the use of language and signifiers, and is a ‘lack’ for something that is missing: the object of desire” (Hill, 1997:65). Bronte uses Cathy’s desire for Heathcliff as one of the main focal points of Nelly’s narrative. Cathy’s demand is to return to her childhood relationship with Heathcliff. Out of this comes her desire to be with Heathcliff. She states ‘ he shall never know how I love him… because he is more myself than I am ’(Bronte,1847,2000:57). Once a desire is obtained ‘then it is no longer remains the object of desire; another object will become substituted in its place’ (Hill, 1997: 67). Cathy realises that she must distance herself from Heathchliff in order to keep her desire intact. She exclaims ‘he shall never know how I love him’ because if she were to give herself up to Heathcliff then he desire for him would be no more. This longing to keep Heathcliff as her desire leads her to wed Edgar Linton. Nelly, I see now, you think me a selfish wretch; but did it never strike you that if Heathcliff and I married, we should be beggars? Whereas, if I marry Linton, I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother’s power. (Bronte,1846,200:58)

Cathy only wishes to be with Heathcliff and to help him, and the only way for her to do this is to marry Edgar Linton. However this seems only to be a cyclic ‘reproduction of desire’ (Zizek, 1998:29). Cathy longs for Heathcliff but must continually elude him in order to maintain this desire. The quote highlights the fact although she yearns Heathcliff she does not wish to live in poverty; once Cathy has experienced the life and social position of the Lintons she craves to be part of this culture. When explaining to Nelly her reasons for wanting to marry Linton she exclaims that ‘he will be rich, and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighbourhood’ (Bronte, 1847,2000:55) We can see that Cathy wishes to marry Linton for more reasons than to enhance Heathcliff’s social position, she herself wishes to be socially superior to everyone in the neighbourhood.
Cathy’s desire to aid Heathcliff can be seen as one of the contributing factors for his desire for power. He wishes to have wealth and become learned in hope that this will change Cathy’s view of him. However this desire for power stretches beyond influencing Cathy, it enables him to carry out his revenge against those who have tormented him in the past. He states to Nelly, ‘I 'm trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don 't care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!’ (Bronte, 1847, 2000:42) Even early on, Heathcliff’s desire for revenge competes with his love for Catherine. It is something that drives Heathcliff and gives him a reason to live. We are told that Heathcliff will wait as long as need be to exact his revenge showing his resoluteness in the task that he has commissioned himself . His desire for revenge is supplemented by his desire for power. This ‘power’ is the catalyst that helps him achieve his goal of breaking down Hindley and those that stand in his way. Hindley’s tendency to drink and gamble to excess makes Heathcliff 's vengeance all the easier. Without this desire for revenge, Heathcliff would have had nothing to do but pine after Catherine, so revenge becomes a major motivator for him. If we compare this to The Good Soldier then the desire for power, more than revenge, becomes apparent as Dowell’s story unfolds. Edward’s affairs threaten to rob him of all his money and only through Leonora’s intervention does he manage not to lose everything. Dowell explains that, Mrs Ashburnham had simply forced Edward to settle all his property upon her. She could force him to do anything; in his clumsy, good-natured inarticulate way he was frightnened of her as of the devil. (Ford, 1915, 2010:59)

Although it is necessary for Leonora to intervene so that all their money is not lost, it does not detract from her wish for power. Up until now Edward has had all of the power as he has the title of Captain as well most of the money belonging to him. He also decides which women he wishes to be with which Leonora has no control over. In spite of this, Leonora now has command of all Edward’s finances. Although not explicitly stated by Dowell that she longs for power, she has been in a marriage where, up until now, she has been powerless. Without his money Edward cannot continue his disloyalty. The phrase ‘ She could force him to do anything;’ shows us just how much power she has. The word force has connotations of power and control, and is somewhat of a paradox; she may be able to force him to hand over his property but she cannot make him love her or deter him from his many relationships. Unlike Heathcliff Leonora does not obtain power to take revenge on Edward, she wishes that the two of them do not become financially ruined and that Edward will return to her. Her wish for power stems from her fear of being powerless and so the two share a sense of symmetry. Leonora’s main desire however is to control Edwards relationships. Ford uses the theme of adultery to help convey what not only Leonora, but also Edward’s desire. Leonora’s stoic Catholicism is what prevents her from divorcing Edward. Though she is not outwardly religious, she believes in right and wrong, and in making the best of one 's situation. Above all, she values propriety, and she insists that the Ashburnham’s maintain the appearance of the perfect couple. Dowell’s tells us that, ‘ all that she had to do was to keep him well supplied with money and his mind amused with pretty girls’ (Ford, 1915,2000:137). Leonora’s desires are so tangled up with one another that it becomes a recipe for disaster. She wish to have control of the wealth to in turn control Edward and she also wishes to then control his relationships in hope that they will fizzle out and that he will return to her. Ford uses the theme of normality to show how desires change under different circumstances.
Leonora, as I have said, was the perfectly normal woman. I mean to say that in normal circumstances her desires were those of the woman who is needed by society. She desired children, decorum, an establishment; she desired to avoid waste, she desired to keep up appearances. She was utterly and entirely normal even in her utterly undeniable beauty. But I don 't mean to say she acted perfectly normally in the perfectly abnormal situation. All the world was mad around her and she herself, agonized, took on the complexion of a mad woman; of a woman very wicked; of the villain of the piece. What would you have? Steel is a normal, hard, polished substance. But, if you put it in a hot fire it will become red, soft, and not to be handled. If you put it in a fire still more hot it will drip away. It was like that with Leonora.
(Ford, 1915,2000P:167)

To Dowell, the "normal" woman is the traditional woman. She is one who not only submits to, but desires her role in the old establishment. She does not seek greater freedom or increased power. The "normal" woman seeks to preserve "decorum" and to "keep up appearances"; this is why she is needed by society. By desiring both children and an establishment, she not only preserves the social structure, but continues it by reproducing and teaching these traditional values to a new generation. This definition of normal is perhaps what Leonora starts out like but upon being exposed to Edward’s lifestyle she changes from normal and her desires change along with her normality. The phrase ‘ she desires to keep up appearances’ is particularly fitting as it tries to convey Leonora’s sense of normality, but underneath, the foundations are crumbling away.
Ford uses the striking metaphor of comparing Leonora to steel. She has been enveloped in this fire of infidelity and she has changed because of it. When Florence enters Edwards’s life this is the melting point for Leonora and her ‘normal’ exterior begins to disintegrate.
Up until now we have seen how Ford and Bronte have used character and theme to engage with the many desire which each novel presents. Both texts also use their narrators as a mechanism to express their desire to inform we, the reader.
When Nelly is asked by Lockwood to relate the history of his neighbours she states: ‘Oh, certainly sir! I’ll just fetch a little sewing, and then I’ll sit as long as you please.’ (Bronte, 1847,2000:25) Nelly has a natural desire for story telling and the exclamation mark in this quote emphasizes the fact that she is more than willing to share with Lockwood all that she knows. She is a natural narrator and through her are relayed all the desires of the novel. We can look at it in such a way that Nelly Dean wishes to be the vehicle that drives the narration as she is telling it from an unbiased point of view. Not only does Nelly Dean have a desire for narrative, but her narrative becomes a desire in itself. Cathy and Heathcliff become the linguistic objects of desire as they are transformed into a tale told by Nelly to entertain the ailing Mr. Lockwood.
Just like Nelly Dean, Dowell has a certain narrative desire. He states his intentions for telling his story: You many well ask why I write. And yet my reasons are quite many. For it is not unusual in human beings who have witnessed the sack of a city or the falling to pieces of a people to desire to set down what they have witnessed for the benefit of unknown heirs or of generations infinitely remote; or, if you please, just to get the sight out of their heads. (Ford, 1915, 2010:28)

Dowell says that people desire to ‘set down what they have witnessed’ but it is interesting to note that even though he was part of all these events he never witnessed what was truly going on. He wishes to write down these events so that he can better understand what has happened. Similar to Nelly Dean, Dowell desires to let the reader know what he knows.
His wish to narrate is evident even though his story is a delicate and emotional subject for him. Through his narration he draws up what kind of people he spent his time with. The phrase ‘ just to get the sight out of their heads’ suggests that what he has found out is something that he can no longer bottle up and keep to himself and he wishes to translate these thoughts onto paper and so put his mind at ease. Both Dowell and Nelly have a shared desire to not only narrate but to enlighten the reader as to the disposition of the characters in their story. Wuthering Heights and The Good Soldier also draw on the notion of fear. Wuthering Heights comes under the genre of gothic romance and Bronte uses this gothic theme to capture the fear that runs through the novel. Lockwood’s second visit to Wuthering Heights permits him to seek shelter for the night because of bad weather. The elements foreshadow the terrors that are to come. Lockwood’s nightmare is the first true sign of fear in the novel: ...my fingers closed on the fingers of a little, ice-cold hand. The intense horror of nightmare came over me: I tried to draw back my arm, but the hand clung to it, and a most melancholy voice sobbed, "Let me in – let me in!
(Bronte,1847,2000:17)

In this extract, Lockwood is thought to have had a dream, which is so realistic that the reader is led to believe that there is really a supernatural being causing his disturbance. The presence of the ghost suggests that there is more in the Heights than just a feeling of paranormality. In fact, they seem to be haunted. The contrast between Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange help to convey this sense of fear. Their own names give the idea of completely different atmospheres: Wuthering Heights represents a windy and stormy environment, whereas Thruscross Grange represents a calm and serene place. Even the weather contrasts the two places: at Wuthering Heights, it is often stormy, at Thrushcross Grange, often gentler. In addition to that, these two contrasting estates in the novel represent opposing worlds and values. Wuthering Heights, set in the moorlands, is the most likely setting of all sorts of misfortunes. It is also the land of storm, of the untamed and passionate people in an atmosphere of mystery and fear, shapes coming out upon the eye, into the fog, whereas Thrushcross Grange which is set in a green valley, is the land of peace and calm, of order, moral and cultural standards.
Whereas fear in Wuthering Heights is transmitted through it’s gothic and supernatural themes, The Good Soldier, to take one example, deals with the fear of exposure and humiliation. Half way through Dowell’s narration he describes Florence’s last actions:
She saw me and opened her lips. She saw the man who was talking to me. She stuck her hands over her face as if she wished to push her eyes out. (Ford, 1915, 2010:85)

This description shows us just how afraid Florence is. She can barley bring herself to speak when she thinks that Dowell has found out about her affair with Jimmy. Her fear is more than just Dowell finding out but that of losing her social position and wealth. She has just become aware that Edward’s feelings are for Nancy more than herself and her world is crumbling down around her. Wuthering Heights and The Good Soldier both engage with desire and fear on different levels. Bronte constructs each character in a way that all their respective desires pull them towards on another. Nelly’s narrative desire ties all the characters desires together for the reader to analyze for himself. The Good Soldier on a similar note looks at the desire for romance and how it constantly seems to be flawed. Compared to Wuthering Heights it makes it’s characters less desirable to the reader due to their deceptive and convoluted personas. It is interesting to note that in both texts two or more characters die. For Lacan, the object of desire can never be attained. Instead as Phillip Hill states “objects circulate around the subject and only achieve a proper resting place in death (Hill, 1997:79). Perhaps then, it is fitting that both texts should have an element of fear in them, as we fear that our desires may never come to be. Therefore it is only in death that we can escape both desire and fear.

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Bibliography

Bronte, Emily. 1847, 2000. Wuthering Heights (Hertfordshire: Wordsworth classics)

Ford, Ford Madox. 1915,2010, The Good Soldier (Hertfordshire: Wordsdworth Classics)

Hill, Phillip. Lacan for Beginners, London:writers and Readers, 1997

Zizek, Slavoj. Looking Awry: An introduction to Jacques Lacan through Popular Culture. Cambridge: MIT, 1998

Word Count: 2320
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