Moses Tan ELITB4

Both Fyodor Dostoevsky and Emily Bronte perceive moral transgression as an escape from
conventional Christian ideals in search of a higher reality, in their respective novels Crime and
Punishment and Wuthering Heights.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
In order to conceive proof of a higher reality, moral transgression is used by the protagonists of
Crime and Punishment and Wuthering Heights as a means of escape from the quintessential
Christian ideals imposed by society. Be it through the inverted bildungsroman of a tortured and
vengeful Heathcliff in Brontes text or Raskolnikovs desire for intellectual abstraction to support the
providence of a set of secular moral beliefs in Dostoevskys novel. Through Heathcliffs cultivated
derision for Christian ideals and Raskolnikovs intellectual retreat from society, Bronte and
Dostoevsky both allow their characters to alienate themselves from the moral confines of a Christian
society that seeks to control them and thus seek other moral alternatives.


At the beginning of Crime and Punishment Raskolnikov isolates himself from society; embarking on a

self-imposed retreat in order to seek enlightenment through intellectual abstraction. There is a

subtle irony within Raskolnikovs actions; his deliberate separation from Russian society has the

markings of a traditionally Christian retreat except his pursuit is not for the strengthening of

religious faith, rather it is described by Dostoevksy as an experiment. Thus it may be argued that

Dostoevsky has directed his protagonist to parody a traditionally Christian custom as a means to

prove the scientific rationality behind a set of secular modernistic beliefs. These secular beliefs are

convincingly caricatured through a choice selection of supporting characters such as the student and

policeman; who engage in a game of intellectual abstraction. Although Dostoevsky ascribes the

game to be trivial talk, the subject discussed is disturbingly pernicious as it concerns the murder of

a sickly, stupid, ill-natured old woman. Hence by tagging the murder as an experiment or game

the ironically light-hearted use of metaphor highlights the dangers of engaging in intellectual

abstraction, as it removes the student (whose argument runs parallel with the development of

Raskolnikovs thoughts) from conventional moral inhibitions to such an extent that the student

boasts that he could kill the old woman without the faintest conscious-prick. The students

Moses Tan ELITB4

Both Fyodor Dostoevsky and Emily Bronte perceive moral transgression as an escape from
conventional Christian ideals in search of a higher reality, in their respective novels Crime and
Punishment and Wuthering Heights.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
ambition mirrors Raskolnikovs desires to break free from societal conventions by giving a

distinctively Utilitarian argument, as he considers the life of the pawnbroker to be No more than/ a

louse...a black beetle, less in fact.... Dostoevsky delves further into Utilitarianism with notion of an

exchange of lives as for one life thousands would be savedits simple arithmetic! By traditionally

using the rationale of Mathematics to champion Utilitarianism, Dostoevsky cleverly conflates a

narrative of murder into one of hopeful emancipation. However the potential moral victory of a

murder is dampened by the considerations of the policeman as he asks the student to contemplate

whether [he] would kill the old women [himself]? The student readily denies highlighting the moral

inhibitions of a law-abiding society once the game of intellectual abstraction is superseded by

reality. Although the students construction is designed to exaggerate his abilities to commit

murder, a sensitive psychoanalytic reading could interpret the inconsistencies of an individual who is

voided of conscience and yet unable to conduct murder, to be Dostoevsky inserting a

deontological argument of intrinsic evil surrounding the crime of murder, positioning his readers to

raise doubts upon Raskolnikovs abilities to emerge unscathed from transgressing conventional

moral code in his eager pursuit of secular beliefs.


Conversely in Brontes Wuthering Heights, despite being poor and dispossessed like Raskolnikov
Heathcliffs lifelong persecution had extinguished any curiosity he once possessed in the pursuit of
knowledge Instead Heathcliffs search for a higher reality is driven by a bitter vendetta, seeking
vengeance against a Christian society that had once sought to subjugate and persecute him. Through
the oppressive nativity of the gipsy brat Bronte justifies Heathcliffs rejection of Christian Ideals,
particularly through the imposition of repressive Christian influences by the unpleasant sycophant
Joseph. Joseph is crucial in undermining Christian ideals as his character is described to have
ransacked the Bible[to] rake promises on himself, and fling curses at his neighbours. His beliefs
Moses Tan ELITB4

Both Fyodor Dostoevsky and Emily Bronte perceive moral transgression as an escape from
conventional Christian ideals in search of a higher reality, in their respective novels Crime and
Punishment and Wuthering Heights.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
are an embodiment of a religion of hate as unlike Earnshaw Seniors view that young Heathcliff is a
gift of God, Joseph constantly likens Heathcliff to the divil imself. Bronte also actively heightens
readers aversion towards Joseph by parodying his speech to the Yorkshire vernacular. The
deliberately distortion of Josephs language is achieved through a near incomprehensible
combination of Middle-English and phonetic spelling as seen when he says coom hither, causing his
long-winded religious sermons to seem frustratingly unintelligible to even the most patient of
readers. Although Bronte received positive religious influences from her father Patrick Bronte (Who
was an Anglican priest) it is through her markedly negative portrayal of Joseph that Bronte
enlightens her readers to the darker side of religious persecution. Bronte further criticises Christian
Ideals by vilifying other social institutions. The formal education of Heathcliff and his soul mate:
Catherine is perceived to be predated by unhappiness and tyranny as The curateset as many
chapters as he pleased; and Joseph might thrash Heathcliff till his arm ached as a result Bronte
encourages the children to flee from the teachings of a Christian society and instead pursue a
Rousseauian education amongst the wilderness of the moors to become as rude as savages. The
negative connotations surrounding the savage development of Heathcliff and Catherine exemplify
Brontes clever use of the novels Chinese Box Structure to further vilify Heathcliff within the
pejorative narrative frame of Nelly Dean.
1
Yet despite her dislike for the Black villain, Nellys hostile
narrative frame is unable to suppress her sympathy and even admiration for his remarkable inner
strength as the extent of the cruelty the young Heathcliff is forced to endure was enough to make
fiend out of a saint. Thus Nelly implicitly alludes to the sheer magnitude of abuse experienced by
Heathcliff at the hands of those seeking to subjugate him, and perhaps even the possibility of
Heathcliff possessing redeeming qualities. Charlotte Bronte, a contemporary of Emily Bronte
concurred:
Carefully trained and kindly treated, the black gypsy cub might possibly have been reared
into a human being but tyranny and ignorance made of him a mere demon
2


1
Oates. J.C The Magnanimity of Wuthering Heights
Moses Tan ELITB4

Both Fyodor Dostoevsky and Emily Bronte perceive moral transgression as an escape from
conventional Christian ideals in search of a higher reality, in their respective novels Crime and
Punishment and Wuthering Heights.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Thus Brontes manipulation of her readers to sympathise with the devilish figure of Heathcliff
follows through the concept of being of the devils party as William Blake suggests in Miltons
Paradise Lost.


In order to completely divorce himself from Russian Christian Society Dostoevsky directs Raskolnikov

to be so badly dressed that even a man accustomed to shabbiness would have been ashamed.

Though this greatly exaggerated shabby portrayal is further extenuated through the impoverished

revolting misery of the picture of St Petersburg - the insufferable stench from the

pothouses...drunken men... Dostoevsky abruptly alters his protagonists narrative progression by

isolating him yet again, this time sharply contrasting the filthiness of the scene by taking sudden

notice of Raskolnikovs beauty, as He was by the way exceptionally handsome, above

average...beautiful dark eyes... The phrase by the way creates break in the scenes of misery

surrounding Raskolnikov, replacing it with a lighter, civil tone of poetic conversation that succeeds in

conveying the sublime beauty that is trapped behind his self-imposed cloak of repulsiveness.

Hence, Dostoevsky has masterfully varied the degree of narrative tone and imagery to influence his

readers to perceive a repugnant Christian society in sharp contrast with his beautiful protagonist.

The particularly romantic depiction of Raskolnikovs sublime beauty perhaps serves to convince

readers that Raskolnikov is a Romantic hero. The suggestive use of this literary archetype is crucial

in fulfilling the Hegelian interpretation of a hero as it implicitly rewards his character an inherent

right within the Romantic conventions to pursue anoble and just cause successfully maintaining

Raskolnikovs position on the moral high-ground despite his intentions to commit a murder.



Similarly, Bronte also exploits Romantic conventions in Wuthering Heights in order to perceive an

2
Shorter. C, The Brontes life and letters, p. 446
Moses Tan ELITB4

Both Fyodor Dostoevsky and Emily Bronte perceive moral transgression as an escape from
conventional Christian ideals in search of a higher reality, in their respective novels Crime and
Punishment and Wuthering Heights.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
escape into higher reality. It is through the spiritual bond between Heathcliff and his hearts darling
Catherine that Bronte explores the concept of heaven and hell. The social context of the novel acts
as a determinant between the constitution of heaven and hell as Heathcliffs social inferiority
immediately earns him the reputation of being a devil amongst the other characters whilst the
splendour of the privileged Linton familys upper-class life in Thrushcross Grange is likened to being
in heaven itself! Catherine falls prey to the materialistic allure of a heavenly upper-class society,
as she is transformed from the wild, hatless little savage into a very dignified person with brown
ringlets/ a grand plaid silk frock. Although Nelly attempts to portray a positive change within
Catherine, a particularly disconcerting interpretation would recognise that these splendid garments
have socially imprisoned the once half-savage, hardy and free Catherine as although her eyes
sparkled joyfully when the dogs came boundingshe dared hardly touch them These inhibitions
instantly vanish at the appearance of Heathcliff as Catherine flew to embrace him... The use of
flight imagery reinforces the atmosphere of freedom divulged from the embrace. The embrace is
symbolic of the potency of Heathcliff and Catherines love being able to overcome the social barriers
imposed between them. Yet despite their strong spiritual bond, Catherines love for Heathcliff is
superseded by her marriage to the effeminate Edgar Linton. It could be argued that in an ironic twist
of moral conventions, Bronte depicts Catherine as a sinner for pursuing a conventional heaven as
she has killed [her]self This suicidal gesture is manifested through Catherines physical and mental
deterioration as despite the privileges and security of Thrushcross Grange Catherine admits heaven
did not seem to be my homeI broke my heart to come back to earth. Her remorse for abandoning
her strong connection with Heathcliff is reinforced through the use of beautiful images of nature as
My love for Linton is like the foliage...time will change it/ My love for Heathcliff resembles the
eternal rocks beneath: A source of visible delight but necessary. This line encapsulates her longing
to return back to earth and once more experience the savage lifestyle she shared with Heathcliff.
The insertion of Romanticist elements of love allows the reader to perceive a love between souls as
Moses Tan ELITB4

Both Fyodor Dostoevsky and Emily Bronte perceive moral transgression as an escape from
conventional Christian ideals in search of a higher reality, in their respective novels Crime and
Punishment and Wuthering Heights.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
in comparison to the selfish pursuit of societal heaven, manipulates readers to support Heathcliffs
and Catherines escape from societal conventions in their eagerness to requite the bonding of
soulmates as Catherine insists I am Heathcliff. The irony of Catherines suffering in heaven reflects
upon the possibility of Bronte exemplifying the notion of a personal hell
3
. It is through the concept
of experiencing a torturous personal hell that readers are positioned to sympathise with Heathcliff
despite his violent and bad nature.

However, despite the shared similarities between Heathcliff and Raskolnikovs initial aversion to
Christian ideals, the closure of both novels differs greatly. The shockingly brutal murder of Alyona
and Lizaveta Ivanovna in Crime and Punishment causes Raskolnikov to completely lose his mind
thus disarming him from continuing on his quest of intellectual abstraction. From his loss of self
Dostoevsky depicts a psychological conflict within Raskolnikov as although he was in fully
possession of his faculties/but his hands were still trembling. The complete loss of Raskolnikovs
mind is crucial in raising doubts for both the reader and Raskolnikov about the moral justification for
the murder as Dostoevsky shows the weaknesses within the supposition that his protagonist is an
exceptional being. Thus when confronted with the bloody and violent reality of a murder the
calculative and cold-blooded nature of intellectual abstraction is forgone. Crime and Punishment
could be seen to champion a distinctly Christian narrative as Dostoevsky directs Raskolnikov to
escape from the remorse induced from his pursuit of intellectual abstraction back into Christian
society, as he performs the Christian act of confessing to ones sins. Hence Dostoevsky reveals that
the Higher reality of Crime and Punishment is Christianity and the notion of intellectual abstraction
is merely foolish delusion. In Wuthering Heights, despite his death Heathcliffs defiance against the
Christian ideals of civil society remains immortalised in what ...seemed to be a sneer...[on] his
savage face. Heathcliffs search of a higher-reality is deeply connected to his pursuit of requiting his

3
K.J.Palmadottir Heaven and Hell: A Human Creation
(http://skemman.is/stream/get/1946/10652/26493/1/B.A_essay...pdf)
Moses Tan ELITB4

Both Fyodor Dostoevsky and Emily Bronte perceive moral transgression as an escape from
conventional Christian ideals in search of a higher reality, in their respective novels Crime and
Punishment and Wuthering Heights.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
love with Catherine. Despite having been continually confined to the role of the novels villain, the
sheer love he holds for his hearts dearest empowers him in the eyes of the reader to undermine
the Christian tenets of marriage and the veneration of the dead as he bribes the sextons to alter the
coffins so that once buried, their decaying flesh will mingle. This macabre joining of corpses
challenges the Christian belief of life after death as their bond is immortalised within the earth
instead of the theological domains of heaven or hell. However perhaps it could be counter-argued
that Heathcliff does not wholly reject Christian Ideals, instead Bronte portrays his childhood as one
that attempts to reclaim the moral purity that was lost in the Fall of Man as his rejection of civil
conventions in favour of a wild, natural world is Brontes exemplification of a Prelapsarian
movement. Thus the extent to which both texts exemplify an escape from Christian Ideals crucially
depends on the strengths of their protagonists.

Word Count: 2164
Bibliography:
K.J.Palmadottir Heaven and Hell: A Human Creation
Oates. J.C The Magnanimity of Wuthering Heights
Shorter. C, The Brontes life and letters, p. 446