"It is by thus triumphing over the forces of both time and space that the miniature offers its consumer a fantasy of control, one suggesting that art, knowledge, and/or technology can conquer even death" (448).
I believe this quote is saying that Wuthering Heights is a small part of history that is able to out live even the death of the culture of the time. In other words, Wuthering Heights a mini slice of life from the time period that we are able to experience through reading.
It is interesting then to look at all of the aspects that Nancy Armstrong writes about. Folklore is especially intriguing, especially in the context of Heathcliff's arrival into the Earnshaw home. He is perceived as something that embodies these superstitious fears. Being unknown in origin, he irks the family and sets off this seemingly traditional culture. By doing this, he exposes much of the culture as kind of an ironic figure.
The cultural criticism seems to suggest that Wuthering Heights works to preserve the culture of the time - "the native culture" (449). In photography, the more urban areas get a look at the less industrialized life of rural England - almost as if they are looking back in time. Wuthering Heights also does this for us. It reveals the history, culture, and traditions that we have certainly built upon.
I believe the quote suggests Emily Brontë did a remarkable job capturing the overall picture of what it was like for a typical, elite family to live on the moors of England during the nineteenth century. Brontë achieves this success by implementing many factors in Wuthering Heights that mirror those back in the 1800s. Brontë incorporates the use of a service staff, gypsies, massive properties that are to be inherited by the upcoming generations, cousins marrying cousins, women lacking rights, characters performing cultural tasks specific to the time period, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I believe this quote is saying that artistic forms that are capable of being captured (i.e. photography, folklore, novels such as Wuthering Heights) are important entities of society. These moments in time that people are able to conceal and share with others around the world reveal a great amount of detail about the past and how the world use to function. The facts the art forms are able to offer other cultures, classes, and generations are far more important than the concept of time and space and far more powerful than death itself.