he ways in which women writes connect writing withthe body Essay Example For Students

?he ways in which women writes connect writing withthe body Essay However many feminist theorists continue to emphasize the entirety and truthfulness of the female body. Even a feminist, against gender restrictions, is captured in a lesbian body and has to conform to their expectations An important aspect of the body, which features in both novels, is the hands. The hand represents a strong connection between people. The shaking of the hand is a polite, formal gesture, the kissing of the hand often shows courtesy and affection and the holding of hands portrays friendship, support or affection. In Written on the Body, hands are used to show affection, either during sexual encounters to explore the body, I run my fingers round the rim18 and the wise old hands who advocate a sensible route, not too much passion, not too much sex19, or as a symbol of togetherness I was holding Louises hand, conscious of it but sensing too that a further intimacy might begin logged in body more than held in the mind20 Sadomasochism, in Wuthering Heights, produces a obsession for Catherines hands. Catherine is perceived as an extremely violent character. Nelly Dean, divulges that even as a child she was physically malicious, he says in play, she liked exceedingly to act the little mistress; using her hands freely, and commanding her companions21 The fascination of controlling and being a mistress along with violence even carried on into her adulthood, with continuously the use of her hands. Even before Edgar and Catherine were lovers he witnesses Catherines violence. she hurt me extremely; so I started up from my knees and screamed out, Oh miss, thats a nasty trick! You have no right to nip me, and Im not going to bear it. she never had the power to conceal her passion. Her violence appears to be a way of releasing her anger and sexual frustration. Overall, the passion driven characters such as Catherine, Heathcliff and Hindly, torment and cause pain to others as a means to relief of their anguish. In connection with Written on the body, the hand serve as a very sexual and affectionate basis, perhaps even in the form of violence. This is suggested further in Wuthering heights, having been hit once Edgar pulls away in order that it portrays he doesnt enjoy the physical abuse but obtains pleasure from the close contact with Catherines body. Bronte describes the sheer power of Catherines aggression towards Hareton, who is only a mere child. He proclaims wicked aunt Cathy22 She appears not to be able to constrain herself, but perhaps this is the only form of power she possess. Violence toward the body, as a means of anger and frustration can also be seen in Written on the body. The narrator has the instinct to cram his windpipe into his larynx23 whist he kicked in the shins and punched in the stomach. The infliction on plain on the body appears to act as a form of relief and compensation for emotional pain. Furthermore on the body, Wuthering Heights doesnt appear as explicit and sexual towards the body, as Written on the Body. However the passion between Catherine and Heathcliff goes as deep as their desire to be one. Catherine states Nelly, I am Heathcliff-hes always, always on my mind24 and Heathcliff in reference to Catherine despairs Oh God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul! 25 Both are willing sacrifice themselves, there bodies, and their identities to be together. This connects to Freudian interpretation of the novel. The characters of Catherine, Heathcliff and Edgar can represent Freuds id, ego and superego. They merge together to form one personality and mental state, hence one body. Heathcliff represents the id, the sex drive that exists in the unconscious. His characteristics fit due to the fact he runs wild as a child, he is always in the back of Catherines mind and his three year absence remain unknown. Catherine connects with others and tests and controls Heathcliff, the id, hence she becomes the ego. History 111 EssayThere is still the impression of craving for that person, I went back to bed, gave up the fight and dreamed of Louise. 35 Both of the novels portray yearning for the body of the lover when they are not there. The presents of the figure offers fulfilment and security. The soul in the format of a ghost, or memories, within there dreams, are not enough. Therefore the body, literally is key is a romance. My final point of address is the ending conventions of romance. Both Wuthering Heights and Written on the Body do not finish typically with the lovers together or in marriage. They both appear to show either the body continuing, the body regenerating, through birth or the death of the body. Perhaps this indicates that love is the circle and means of life. Brian Finney, in an essay about Written on the body, states love has been verbalised so it is almost impossible to write anything new about the experience. 36 Nevertheless, both these novels from entirely different time periods highlight, with the use of the body, a whole new variety of ideas that I didnt contemplate until this essay. Both authors want to be distinctive and not follow their society conventions and gender boundaries. In conclusion, the body appears to represent the identity of an individual. It is something we hold onto and desire and when it is absent we yearn for its presence. Due to gender the body automatically carries ideologies of society and both novels and theorists demonstrate that these are difficult to escape. Winterson uses the body though the entire novel to represent a myriad emotions ranging from pain to pleasure. Bronte tends to apply in as a form of constriction to the human soul and desires. Both the novels, despite there different time periods, address similar ideas about the body but in entirely different ways. Overall the body plays a key role in the romantic genre. Bibliography E Bronte, Wuthering Heights, Next classics, London, 1996 V Leitch, Norton Anthology, Theory and Criticism, Norton and company Inc, USA, 2001 J Winterson, Written on the Body, Vintage, London, 1996 Other sources Women and Language, Volume xxv No 2 Adobe www. yourdictionary. com www. ags. uci. edu http://ettc. uwb. edu www. csulb. edu 1 www. yourdictionary. com 2 Norton Anthology, Judith Butler, Page 2485 3 Written on the Body page 82 4 Wuthering Heights Page 80 5 Women and Language, Volume xxv No 2 Page 25 6 Stewart Women and Language, Volume xxv No 2 Page 25 7 Norton anthology Freud the uncanny 8 http://www. ags. uci. edu 9 Norton Anthology, Judith Butler, Page 2485 10 Written on the Body page 73 11 www. yourdictionary. com 12 http://ettc. uwb. edu. pl/strony/friends/suwalki/Treasure%20Hunts/Dorota/jeanette_winterson. htm 13 Written on the Body page 89 14 Norton anthology page 2491 15 Norton anthology page 2491 16 Women and language, volume xxv no 2 page 24 17 Women and language, volume xxv no 2 page 24 18 Written on the body page 73 19 Written on the body page 71? 20 Written on the body page 82 21 Wuthering Heights page 30 22 Wuthering Heights page 60 23 Written on the body page 170 24 Wuthering heights page 25 Wuthering heights page 273 26 Norton anthology page 2031 27 Norton Anthology 2030 28 Wuthering Heights page 29 Norton anthology page 2368 30 Wuthering Heights page 340 31 Written on the body page 103 32 Written on the body page 190 33 Written on the body page 190 34 Norton anthology page 2491 35 Written on body 149 36 http://www. csulb. edu/~bhfinney/Winterson. html 302 Woman Writes Stephanie Noonan?