4.2.

Death and decay

“All sinners would be miserable in heaven.” (Brontë, 2013: 68).

Death and decay are inherent aspects of life, and while they may be unsettling, they play a
crucial role in the natural state of being a human. My purpose for this chapter is to present the
dark side of death and the profound effects of decay. Sometimes death is the proof needed in
order to realize how breakable us humans really are.

When people pass away, their body usually undergoes a state of decomposion, of decay, and
there is nothing in this world able to prevent such a thing. This process is usually disturbing and
can be one of the factors that increased the association of death with ugliness and perturbance.
Decay is usually accompanied by nasty odors that add to this state of distress. This whole
disintegration process can be an emotional reminder of the impermanence of life.

Decay is not only physical – sometimes it can be an internal state of suffering, usually following
someone’s passing or other form of degradation. The decay of the soul is often associated with
the decline of moral and ethical values, things that are considered to be dead or almost dead in
the life of a character, considering that I am referring to literary works. Some of them depict the
soul as pure and innocent, and the decay occurs through exposure to the harsh realities of life.
The loss of innocence is often symbolized by experiences of betrayal, trauma or moral
compromise and other symbols of inner degradation. This idea of decay of the soul could also be
explored through sinful actions or even thoughts. Doing morally wrong actions and accumulating
negative karma could be the representation of tarnishing the purity of the soul, as seen in
Heathcliff’s character development. While his body is not necessarily deteriorating before he is
put to rest, his heart was in a state of decay almost everyday since he decided to get revenge. I
believe that he even realized this by the end of the book, because he wanted to isolate himself
and perhaps reflect on all of his decisions along the years.

While death occurs, some might find this occasion adequate to reflect on their own life. By doing
so, they are evoking feelings of anxiety and a deep vulnerability altogether. But now comes the
question – how are these two terms linked, besides the evident similarity between death and the
process of decay? Well, obviously, I do not want to analyze something that probably has already

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been discussed several times in many topics regarding human decomposion. I would rather
discuss how Emily Brontë linked the general meaning of a lifeless body decomposing to a more
poetic meaning: sometimes, death brings out the worst in people and with Heathcliff this is
completely and utterly true. While Catherine is decomposing in the ground, his soul is
decomposing everyday until it is ultimately rotten. Not every meaning is necessarily general;
sometimes it only takes a bit of imagination to understand the hidden message the author
intended for those with a bigger vision.

Heathcliff’s death scene is probably the best example I can give to my previous theory about the
decay of the soul, and how it is connected to death. What is described to be a somewhat
gruesome scene is actually a very fitting ending for a character like him. While he did not hold
back from hurting everyone who dared to cross his path, it was an expected move from the
author to end Heathcliff’s life in an almost horrific way. This repellent man was finally being
aware that nobody will mourn him, that there will be no one sitting by his grave, regretting his
unfortunate passing, and he will eventually be forgotten. His heart was swollen with darkness
and the author wrote his ending in a spectacular way that actually made sense. After all, how was
he supposed to end up? Happy, victorious? I have no doubt that he felt these emotions more than
once, but a happy ending for Heathcliff seemed almost impossible. His death is a very important
moment in the novel, in my opinion anyways, because I caught a glimpse of his human nature,
and this is probably the most terrifying thing. This demon, this reincarnation of Satan himself,
finally makes amends with his life choices and is ready to join Catherine in the afterlife, not
afraid of death, not for even a split second. It seemed to me that he welcomed it with open arms.

“Mr. Heathcliff was there – laid on his back. His eyes met mine so keen and fierce, I started, and then he
seemed to smile.” (Brontë, 2013: 280). This particular moment was written so morbidly beautiful
that it almost seems to fragile to discuss. But I shall give it a try. This man, scary just by his
demeanour, died alone in his bed, while he was washed away by the rain, almost like a symbolic
moment. It is known that when it rains, the water washes away dirt and eventually cleans and
purifies the earth. My take on this idea is that Heathcliff was soaking wet from the rain because
he was the ‘dirt’ being washed away from the face of the earth, leaving behind a purified world
now that he was no longer part of it: “I could not think of him dead, but his face and throat were
washed with rain; the bedclothes dripped, and he was perfectly still.” (Brontë, 2013: 280).

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Another moment in Heathcliff’s death scene that stood out for me was the fact that his corpse
locked eyes with Nelly. It is clear as day that a moment like that would be terrifying for anyone,
and Heathcliff is no exception. The tension was almost palpable, the confusion and the final
realization that he was gone. His degradation was finally complete – starting with the moral
degradation and the final physical one. His smile was like the cherry on top – in my vision,
Heathcliff was a man with a cold expression, not letting things like happiness and fulfillment to
be shown on his face. So now that he was gone for good, he allowed himself the opportunity to
smile and I took that as a sign that he actually found Catherine in the afterlife as he wished. What
helped me believe this theory even more was Nelly’s words some time after Heathcliff’s burial,
while she discussed the latest events with Lockwood: “I believe the dead are at peace – but it is not
right to speak of them with levity.” (Brontë, 2013: 281).

What is also disturbing to read is the scene in which Heathcliff decided to make the sexton dig
up Catherine’s grave so he can take a look at her. This scene was also analyzed in subchapter
2.3, but in that part of my thesis I mainly focused on the ways in which Heathcliff’s love and
obsession for Catherine got him to act impulsively. Here, my aim is to prove just how insane
Heathcliff really was for profaning Catherine’s resting place, and how much absence of light one
must have in order to act this way. Love and grief are no excuse for this type of decision, and I
think the whole point of this scene was to induce fear among the readers, and also shock: “I’ll tell
you what I did yesterday! I got the sexton who was digging Linton’s grave to remove the earth off her
coffin lid, and I opened it. I thought, once, I would have stayed there, when I saw her face again – it is
hers yet! – he had hard work to stir me, but he said it would change if the air blew on it, and so I struck
one side of the coffin loose and covered it up – […].” (Brontë, 2013: 240). I caught the slightest
glimpse of description about the corpse’s state; Heathcliff says that he could not take off the lid
over her face because she did not change a bit, and if she made contact with air, her body would
face a certain decomposion.

Because I discussed Heathcliff’s death scene, it is only fitting to discuss Catherine’s as well. She
was also consumed with deep feelings of regret and anxiety, and almost like Heathcliff, the
decay was firstly moral and eventually physical, in a way that led to her not being able to be
aware of her surroundings, becoming delusional. “I was sincerely glad to observe that Catherine’s
arms had fallen relaxed, and her head hung down.” (Brontë, 2013: 137). Due to the intense fight that

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took place between Edgar and Heathcliff, she made herself ill by refusing to eat anything for
three days; she became so distraught and disturbed that she fell into a fever that shattered her
mental health and led to her eventual death. Catherine’s decadence had a symbolical meaning
behind it, just like Heathcliff’s did. While it was not based on revenge or any dark and twisted
feeling, Catherine’s decay was also a way of showing that making the wrong decisions in life
might not actually get you anywhere near your primarly goals, and you are left with deep regret.
This also proves my point that death and decay are hand it hand – sometimes they do not occur
in this specific order, because there are times that the soul starts the process of decay before the
actual death, and sometimes people meet their death and face the stage of decomposion later on.

I appreciate the way in which Emily Brontë became a paradox herself by managing to write
some horrific and terrifying scenes, but made sure to make us readers understand that once the
character went trough enough agony, they were happier once they were dead. She almost made
death seem beautiful, but also agonizing.

The whole concept of death and decay is meant to pass on feelings of terror or even horror.
Being considered terms of the Gothic, they are meant to be treated as such. But as it is said in
The Handbook of the Gothic, there has to be a clear division between terror and horror, because
as much as they seem to be similar, they are very different: “Horror, we might say, is a stark
transfixed staring; terror has more to do with trembling, the liminal, the sense of waiting so fully
adumbrated by Blanchot and by Beckett; horror, to use contemporary idiom, is 'in your face', whereas
terror consorts with a certain withholding of the occasion of fear.” (Mulvey – Roberts, 2009: 245).
The whole point in writing scenes that involve death and other disturbing elements while
representing the process of deterioration, no matter if it is interior or exterior, is to provoke an
authentic reaction. Fear is never a feeling you have time to think upon, and because of that, it is
one of the truest reactions one can evoke. And if it is not fear, it is disgust or worry. This could
be the case in Linton’s sickness, degradation and eventual death. Even if the author did not
properly name the disease that eventually took over Linton’s health, there were several signs that
he was a sickly child. Throughout the novel, he became more and more weak, a sign that he was
decaying from the inside and finally on the outside, when he passed away. Descriptions of him
usually gave off the feeling that he was constantly pale and very fragile. Heathcliff’s abuse
certainly led to his demise a bit too soon, in my opinion. His purity and positiveness is thrown

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out the door the moment he is taken in by his father, and his degradation process is initiated. His
soul was in a slow process of decay, besides his physical body. Despite Cathy’s efforts to keep
him alive, he lost his battle with sickness. This scene was particularly difficult for me, not
because of the way it was written, but rather because Cathy was forced to care for him after she
was also forced into marriage with Linton. She felt a sense of duty because she suddenly became
a wife, but she was also manipulated and felt betrayed. As Linton’s illness deteriorates, Cathy
experiences a multitude of feelings, including sympathy for his suffering, resentment for the
circumstances that led to their marriage, and a sense of entrapment.

“you have left me so long to struggle against death alone, that I feel and see only death! I feel like
death!” (Brontë, 2013: 245). This specific quote spoke to me on a different level, because it
finally showed the true face of death, and its consequences. While death came like a friend to
Linton, to Cathy it came like a foe. It was like a slap in the face, making her realize just how
trapped she really was, and how death took a big toll on her appearance and mental state: “And
she looked like it too!” (Brontë, 2013: 245). It is obvious that Linton’s succumbance was the final
straw for someone so fragile like Cathy, who up until that point has never seen death and she was
consumed by its effects deeply, finally becoming numb, not knowing the proper way to react to
such a sad event: “How do you feel, Catherine? / He’s safe and I’m free.” (Brontë, 2013: 245). Death
is not always about a few tears and sobs and moving on with your life. Sometimes it is all about
the internal destruction of people, how the dying and its companions deteriorate by the minute
because it is a feeling almost impossible to digest. It’s a very complex and confusing feeling, and
I do not believe that one can simply explain it; you have to feel it in order to understand how
miserable people who are dying or are surrounded by death can become. “and she had precious
little rest – one could guess by her white face and heavy eyes.” (Brontë, 2013: 244).

While I mentioned just a few memorable and also significant deaths in the novel, they are not the
only ones mentioned by the author. To give the whole plot a gothic and dark atmosphere, plenty
of characters met their end sooner or later: characters like Isabella Linton, Edgar Linton or
Hindley Earnshaw. Yes, I agree that some deaths seemed more important than others, but I came
to the conclusion that to some, death was served like a punishment, and to others death actually
was a release from suffering.

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Concluding everything I stated, this subchapter focused on the ways in which the terms death
and decay are related, and how sometimes it is hard to obey the natural circle of life, meaning
that the general idea a lot of people have in mind after someone dies is that their body will
eventually decompose. I analyzed this idea with examples from the novel, when some characters
passed away, but I also came up with another idea: before death, some people face a state of their
soul slowly decomposing, or decaying, when they become more and more cruel and also
isolated, just like in Heathcliff’s last moments. When the soul is losing its innocence and is
eventually ruptured and shredded to pieces, there seems to be no other way to resolve this
problem other than death, and here Emily Brontë had an immaculate way of scaring me with her
descriptions of death, but she also made me realize how some characters either met their
purpose and they are finally free of their agony, or they eventually face their karma. In either
case, it was interesting to see how terror and horror came together in this beautiful story, and also
how they are significantly different, but always present in a Gothic novel.

4.3. Heathcliff and Dorian Grey: the similarity between two dark souls

For this chapter, I chose to draw parallels regarding the similarities between Heathcliff and

Oscar Wilde’s main protagonist in the novel ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’. I truly believe that

Heathcliff and Dorian Gray are very similar, in matters of evilness, coldness and darkness. While

the novels in which these characters appear seem to be different, there are a few similarities that

drew my attention. Firstly, both men are depicted as mysterious and with a dark energy

surrounding them. They both seem to posses some sort of enigmatic energy; I found myself at

times in situations when I felt bad for these characters, and then I held an enormous grudge for

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what they might have done. Their suffering and eventual downfall is almost alike: both Dorian

Gray and Heathcliff experienced profound isolation. Heathcliff’s mistreatment as a child and

Dorian’s descent into moral decay contributed to their crucial downfall – an emotional

detachment, that made it very difficult for them to find genuine connections. Revenge is a

prominent theme is both stories. Heathcliff seeked revenge for the mistreatment he endured, and

Dorian became vengeful towards those he perceived as obstacles or threats in his pursuit of

pleasure and beauty. Both of these narratives also incorporate supernatural elements. Regarding

Heathcliff, he is often associated with The Devil; regarding the whole novel, there are several

ghosts apparitions or mentions, and also the afterlife is a subject very – well present throughout

the whole story. In ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ , the portrait itself seemed to be a supernatural

elements, as it beared all of Dorian’s mistakes and aging.

Dorian Gray was initially introduced as exceptionally handsome. His features became the central

focus of his existence, and he was more than willing to go to extreme lengths to maintain them.

Dorian’s dark nature is further emphasized by the deal he made by not aging and letting his

painting suffer all the consequences of his immoral decisions, while he remained untouched by

the harsh passing of time. He became involved in a certain lifestyle that involved indulgence in

every aspect of life that brought pleasure, without any regard of the consequences. His blind

pursuit of the pleasures of life led him to engage in immoral activities, including betrayal, deceit

and even murder. Dorian’s dark side is also evident in his manipulative behavior. He often used

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his charm to manipulate those around him in order to gain what he actually desired. His ability to

conceal his true nature contributes to the darkness around his character. As he descended further

into darkness, he became increasingly indifferent to the pain he caused others. His lack of

empathy and emotional detachment showcased a cold and ruthless demeanor that aligned with

my decision to compare him with Heathcliff. Dorian’s obsession with youth and beauty became

an all – consuming feeling. This relentless pursuit of perfection, paired with his willingness to

sacrifice morality for eternal beauty added a layer of wickedness to his character.