Keywords: Wuthering Heights; Ecological criticism; Independent subject; Harmonious blending; Ecological wisdom
Nature and civilization: the blending of opposites
Ecological criticism holds that the essence of ecological crisis is a crisis of human nature, a crisis of people's lifestyles, values and views on nature. This crisis is rooted in the world outlook and the opposition between man and nature. The western world outlook is a mechanical comprehensive world outlook based on the dichotomy of subject and object and abstract logical thinking, which is a typical feature of western culture. The value dualism and value hierarchy in western culture divide everything in the world into binary and opposing structures, and give the above higher values, such as man/nature, culture/nature, man/woman, reason/emotion, mind/body and so on. In the relationship between human (civilization) and nature, this world view advocates human conquest and control of nature, and its essence is anthropocentrism. Anthropocentrism inevitably leads to human chauvinism and species discrimination. An important aspect of eco-criticism is to deconstruct and subvert the binary opposition between civilization and nature, and advocate the harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
In Wuthering Heights, Emily thinks and discusses the relationship between nature and civilization, and thinks that nature and civilization coexist, which are both opposite and integrated. First of all, Emily deconstructs and subverts the binary opposition between nature and civilization. Wuthering Heights describes two families living in Wuthering Heights, the Earnshaw family. They live on barren hills and endure storms day and night, representing nature. The Lintons, who live in Thrushcross Grange, are located in a wooded valley at the foot of the mountain, representing civilization. At the beginning of the story, mountains and mountains are opposites and harmonious. The harmonious relationship between Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange has been broken since Heathcliff and Catherine, two "stormy children", first set foot in Thrushcross Grange. The influence of nature on civilization can be described as overwhelming and irresistible. We have talked about Emily's observation of nature above. Although nature also has a gentle, quiet and pleasant side, what Emily shows us is mainly violent, wild and cold nature. After reading the novel, images such as crazy howling northeast wind, scalding snow, biting cold, lightning and thunder, and downpour have long been lingering and deeply engraved in readers' minds. At the same time, the people in Wuthering Heights are rough, violent and full of energy, while the people in Thrushcross Heights are gentle, obedient, weak and emotionally fragile. The death of the old Lintons-because they died of fever when they took Catherine to Thrushcross Grange for illness-fully illustrates this point. All this shows that Emily obviously tends to the former in the relationship between nature and civilization. In this way, she subverted the relationship between nature and civilization.
Wuthering Heights is a novel with rich and profound connotations. Nature in the works is an independent subject with life, and it is people's spiritual shelter and spiritual habitat. It is full of vitality, variety and variety, which is closely related to people's joys and sorrows. The work expresses the idea of returning to nature, keeping childlike innocence and returning to nature. It also reflects the relationship between nature and civilization, which is both contradictory and harmonious. The ecological wisdom contained in the works undoubtedly provides us with beneficial and profound enlightenment in today's ecological crisis era, and also makes Emily glow with new brilliance. As Mr. Zhang Ling said: "On the other side of the continuous progress and development of material civilization, people of insight, out of anxiety about materialistic desires, distorted human nature and natural destruction, are calling for human truth and returning to nature again and again. The tune of Wuthering Heights can always be in harmony with this new voice that is often called by generation after generation-this is probably the eternal' realism' meaning of this novel. " ( 15)
refer to
[1] [2] [3] [4] [8] [9] [10] [12] Study on the Bronte Sisters edited by Yang Jingyuan [C]. Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 1983, p. 295, 3 1, 3 1, 32,348-349,210,3/kloc-0.
[5] Lu Shuyuan's ecological literature and art [M].Xi 'an: Shaanxi People's Education Press, 2000, the first 2 1 1 page.
[6] emily bronte Wuthering Heights [Z], translated by Zhang Ling Zhang Yang. Beijing: People's Literature Publishing House, 1999, p. 30.
Page. The following quotations are all from the book, and only the page numbers are indicated in the article, and the notes are omitted.
[7] Wang Jin, "We only have 1 earth-a philosophy about ecological problems" [M]. Beijing: China Youth Publishing House, 1999,
Page 257.
[1 1] Luo and Song Xiren's History of Western Ethical Thought [M] (Volume II). Beijing: Renmin University of China Press, 1998, p. 309.
[13] Wuthering Heights by Song Zhao Lin/Foreword of translation [A]. Song, The Complete Works of Bronte's Two Sisters [C] (Volume 2). Shijiazhuang:
Hebei Education Press, 1996, page 2.
The preface of Wuthering Heights/Zhang Ling. Wuthering Heights by emily bronte, translated by Zhang Ling and Zhang Yang. Beijing: People's Literature Publishing House, 1999, pp. 3 and 5.