New Materialism and Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights (1847) has been regarded as a Victorian-Era novel due to the themes it has dwelled on. Emily Brontë, by bringing class differences, women’s role in society, and the perception of men’s superiority into the novel, has appealed to a wide readership. Critics and academics have frequently discussed this work for nearly 200 years. While the work has been analyzed by various approaches, its romantic, social, and gothic aspects are generally emphasized. However, Brontë prioritized setting and atmosphere while creating the plot and included plenty of geographical descriptions. She places great emphasis on nature in the setting, highlighting the influential role of each natural element on humans, who are integral parts of the natural world. New Materialism is the approach that argues that the “things” that we consider inert and passive in nature are actors of the network that creates each phenomenon. According to new materialism, it is the objects around one that they are in constant contact with that form their thought structure and motivate them. The functions of these objects and even their mere existence motivate people. When examined through this perspective, the idea arises that “things” considered inanimate may be “vibrant matters”. On the other hand, Wuthering Heights constitutes a comprehensive example to show the vibrant agency of nature. In this study, we analyze Wuthering Heights from a new materialist perspective and use the concepts of actor-network theory, intra-action, and vibrant matter as methods.