Poison Love And The Bronte Sisters: A Reading Of Wuthering Heights And Jane Eyre In Relation To Modern Day Toxic Relationships

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The novels Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte had been published in 1847. Yet, the interrelationships portrayed in these works have an uncanny resemblance to most modern day toxic relationships. It is evident, that the romantic relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, or Jane and Mr Rochester from Jane Eyre, was not an ideal one, but was seeded with betrayal, emotional abuse and was inherently dysfunctional.

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Unhealthy co-dependence, deceit and self-destructive passion might make these two gothic romances interesting for readers, but the novels had portrayed a type of poison love which, alarmingly enough, is present in most twenty-first century abusive relationships. It seems that the Bronte sisters had foreshadowed a generation, replete with emotionally taxing relationships and destructive love. The fact that Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship has been romanticized by readers and critics alike, is in fact, quite alarming and a matter of great concern. Mr Rochester from Jane Eyre, who lied to his fiancée Jane about his wife and mistreated the deranged woman by locking her up, reminds us of cheating and abusive partners who inflict mental trauma on their spouses and habitually lie to them.

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The quote “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same" from Wuthering Heights, might seem blissfully romantic to most, but the concept of such a parasitic co-dependence of the two protagonists on each other is flawed and frightening. This harmful relationship shared by the characters, has instilled the idea of the romantically ‘doomed’ love in young readers, which can lead to dangerous psychological after effectsif materialised. Love, here, is dark and treacherous, replete with poison groves and snares. Not only was Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship an incestuous one, but also emotionally abusive, while Jane Eyre marries Mr Rochester, a deceiving liar. Therefore young impressionable readers must be encouraged to read these texts, but they must also be warned against the toxic love romanticised in these novels. At an age where they are prone to believe and take everything at face value, they must be taught to judge and evaluate for themselves if love needs to be this painful and psychologically draining. Cathy, Heathcliff, Jane and Rochester are all very well in the pages of a gothic novel, but truth be told, they would make lousy lovers in real life.