The Ecological Interconnection between Self and Place in Wuthering Heights (1847) through the Triangle of Catherine, Heathclif, and the Moors: An Ecocritical Approach

Ecocriticism is an interdisciplinary field that studies the relationship between literature and the physical environment, focusing on human relationships with the surrounding nature. This paper examines Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights through an ecocritical lens, focusing on the interconnected relationship between ‘self and place’ as embodied in the triangle of Catherine, Heathcliff, and the Yorkshire moors. Drawing on ecocritical theories of ‘place attachment’ and ‘environmental determinism’, this study challenges the previous ecological perceptions of the novel’s setting that introduce the moors landscape as an ecological ‘space’, and attempts, through the analysis of characters’ relation with each other’s and with the moors to approach the setting from the notion of ‘place’. The paper compromises three parts: first, introducing ecocriticism and the expression of its different approaches in fiction. Then, drawing upon the notion of ‘self and place’, referring to the core differences between ‘space’ and ‘place’ in ecology with some examples of ecocritical works. Finally, handling of the paper’s perspective that the moors landscape is a ‘place’ through examining the interrelated connection between characters and the moors. By tracing human-nature bonds across generations, the study illuminates Brontë's critique of ecological and societal norms and her vision of potential harmony between humanity and nature. This approach offers fresh insights into Brontë's masterpiece, positioning Wuthering Heights as a pioneering exploration of environmental consciousness and the profound impact of place on human identity and relationships.