Spaces of death in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights

Abstract

In this article I explore the idea expressed by philosophers and social geographers such as Henri Lefebvre, Edward Soja, and Henk van Houtum that “space” is a social construct; that the space in which a society exists and of which it consists is shaped by that society itself, and that specific locations are assigned to each of the members of the community. I discuss how the dominant spaces in society are shaped by those in positions of authority according to their own ideologies so as to ensure social order and their continued empowerment within the social structure. Additionally, I suggest that it is possible for those who do not conform to social norms, and who are consequently cast into dominated spaces, to undermine the authority of those in positions of power by embracing their marginalised state, and thereby to generate new spaces they can inhabit. I explore these ideas in relation to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and its depiction and examination of central nineteenth-century ideas and anxieties about death and the different areas allocated to the dead.

In hierdie artikel ondersoek ek die idee, verwoord deur filosowe en sosiale geograwe soos Henri Lefebvre, Edward Soja en Henk van Houtum, dat “ruimte” ’n sosiale skepping is; dat die ruimte waarin ’n gemeenskap geleë is en waaruit dit bestaan deur die samelewing self gevorm word en dat spesifieke ruimtes aan elk van die lede van die gemeenskap toegeken word. Ek bespreek hoe die dominante spasies in die samelewing deur dié in posisies van outoriteit in ooreenstemming met hul eie ideologieë geskep word om sosiale orde en die voortbestaan van hul eie mag binne die sosiale struktuur te verseker. Ek voer ook aan dat dit moontlik is vir dié wat nie by sosiale norme hou nie en wat gevolglik in ruimtes van onderdrukking gewerp word om die outoriteit van dié in magsposisies te ondermyn en sodoende nuwe ruimtes vir hulself te skep. Ek ondersoek hierdie idees ten opsigte van Emily Brontë se Wuthering Heights en dié teks se uitbeelding en ondersoeking van kern negentiende-eeuse idees en vrese met betrekking tot die dood en die verskeie areas wat aan die dooies toegeken word.