The Lack of Male Heroes in Brontë Novels
Julia Mehlin
Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë used their masterful literary techniques to create stories with a multitude of complex male characters, and although most of the men depicted in Brontë novels are undoubtedly entertaining to read about, most of them are far from heroic. Although the true definition of the word ‘hero’ is somewhat ambiguous, heroic figures in literature are often characterized by their courageousness, empathy, and willingness to make sacrifices to benefit others. A heroic character does not foolishly indulge in his wicked vices like Arthur Huntingdon in Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and a hero does not seek to cause chaos and destruction for the purpose of vengeance like Heathcliff in Emily’s Wuthering Heights; however, one character that does possess some heroic qualities is M. Paul Emanuel from Charlotte’s Villette, as he is both serious and severe, but also thoughtful, understanding, and giving. Both Heathcliff and Arthur are portrayed negatively by the female protagonists in the novels because they have evil motives and cruel tendencies that are only exacerbated as the plots of each story begin to unravel. In contrast to Heathcliff and Arthur—who are the antithesis of what a hero should be—M. Paul is revealed to be a loving man with an admirable desire to help others, which is discovered by the narrator, Lucy Snowe, as she begins to fall in love with him despite their wildly different religious beliefs and conflicting demeanors. By observing Heathcliff’s violent desire for revenge and Arthur’s abusive, self-centered habits, readers understand that M. Paul the is the only male character from these three novels who possesses distinct heroic qualities as told through the eyes of a woman.
Almost anyone familiar with the twisted story of Wuthering Heights feels inclined to wince when Heathcliff’s character becomes the subject of conversation. Those who sympathize with Heathcliff due to his childhood mistreatment must first overlook the undeniable acts of violence, cruelty, and harassment that he commits without remorse throughout the novel. Although Heathcliff is solely motivated by his passionate love for Catherine Earnshaw, that seemingly innocent love quickly spirals into a villainous obsession in which Heathcliff wishes to terrorize both the Earnshaw and the Linton families for hindering his ability to be with Catherine. There are simply no heroic qualities to Heathcliff, and female characters from the novel assert this claim by calling him negative names such as “unmannerly wretch” (Brontë 31), “incarnate goblin” (187), and “fierce, pitiless, [and] wolfish” (118)Heathcliff is more a villain than a hero because although the male hero is prone to making mistakes, he understands that he has done something wrong and feels guilt (or shame) for having created discomfort in someone else’s life; however, Heathcliff enjoys inflicting suffering on other characters, and he even asserts, “I have no pity! The more the worms writhe, the more I yearn to crush out their entrails! It is a moral teething, and I grind with greater energy, in proportion to the increase of pain” (Brontë 168). Every female character in Wuthering Heights (besides Catherine) fears Heathcliff’s wrath because they know that he resembles “an evil beast…waiting for his time to spring and destroy” (Brontë 123). Heathcliff’s violet nature is almost too fervent to be believable, and his desire to cause harm to both the women and the men in his way makes him the most unheroic and downright villainous character from any Brontë novel.
Similar to Heathcliff, Arthur Huntingdon from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is yet another lead male from a Brontë novel who takes on the role of a truly disgraceful antagonist. The Tenant is a highly realistic story that presents the diary of a brave woman named Helen Graham, as she documents her pain, confusion, and sorrow from being in a relationship with a narcissistic man whose wealth and high social status enables him to indulge in numerous harmful and immoral behaviors. Not only is Arthur physically and emotionally abusive towards his good Christian wife, but he is also an adulterer, a liar, and a relentless drunk. Being a wealthy man enables Arthur to heavily involve himself in upper-class gentleman culture, which encourages his dangerous habits and allows him to pressure other men into engaging in their own terrible habits.
Arthur’s “contaminating influence” (Brontë 323) is especially observed by Helen in chapter twenty-two, when Arthur teases and mocks his friend, Lord Lowborough, for telling the other gentleman that he thinks, “we’d better go no farther. We’d better just stop while we can” (Brontë 190). Although Lord Lowborough understands that their incessant drinking and gambling would only end in ruin and a “visit to the bottomless pit” (190), Arthur ignores this statement and continues to force everyone around him (including himself) to drink and be sinful. Afraid of Arthur’s dangerous and uncontrollable male nature, Helen ultimately decides to take little Arthur and escape from her husband’s cruelty despite that action being a crime. Like Heathcliff, Arthur shows no mercy throughout the novel, as he has no religious ties and no societal laws to keep him in line. Although on his (self- inflicted) deathbed Arthur demands, “Helen, you must save me” (Brontë 441), Helen knows that a dark and unchanging soul like his is not a soul that belongs in heaven. Because Arthur Huntingdon is cowardly, selfish, and aggressive, he is also extremely unfit to be categorized as a male hero, but he can be viewed by readers as a nasty villain.
Despite there being a lack of heroic male characters within these Brontë novels, Villette offers M. Paul as a more likeable figure with heroic qualities that are easier to identify. Although Villette is told from the perspective of a female narrator, Lucy Snowe proves to readers that not all men are inherently bad, perhaps they are just misunderstood. When M. Paul is first introduced by Lucy in the novel, she calls him a “dark little man…pungent and austere” (Brontë 129); however, unlike the evil spiraling of Heathcliff and Arthur, M. Paul becomes increasingly admired by Lucy as more of his personality is revealed to her. In chapter thirty, after many scenes of quarreling, Lucy exposes M. Paul’s kind nature when he offers to share his food. After M. Paul “divided the portion intended only for himself and ordered [Lucy] to eat [her] share” (Brontë 356), Lucy begins to develop more benevolent feelings towards her co-worker. Despite the “natural coarseness in M. Paul’s presence” (Brontë 143) that Lucy observes towards the beginning of the novel, she soon understands that she may have made an error in her assessment of M Paul’s true character. Instead, towards the end of the novel, Lucy claims that M. Paul “was a man whom it made happy to see others happy; he liked to have movement, animation, abundance and enjoyment round him” (Brontë 382). Lucy acknowledges that she feels “happier with his presence, [and] happiest with his kindness” (382), and this love for M. Paul only grows as he continues to make a good impression on Lucy by being generous and true to her. With a sense of pride, Lucy informs her reader that “the essence of Emmanuel’s nature is—constancy,” which is an incredibly heroic and noble quality (Brontë 395).
M. Paul’s religious beliefs also make him a heroic figure. Even though Lucy is a devout protestant and M. Paul is a steadfast Christian, he is able to overlook Lucy’s religious affiliation (which was not an easy thing for Catholics to do during that time) in order to connect with her more on a deeper spiritual level. Lucy further solidifies her love for M. Paul by revealing her belief that “Emanuel seemed of the best; touched with superstition, influenced by priest-craft, yet wonderous for fond faith, for pious devotion, for sacrifice of self, for charity unbounded” (Brontë 396). Lucy’s high praise for Paul Emanuel’s kindness portrays him as a heroic man who is devoted to being a truly good person. In contrast to how Arthur frowns upon Helen for being “too religious” (A. Brontë 204), M. Paul encourages Lucy to “remain a Protestant. My little English Puritan, I love Protestantism in you” (C. Brontë 494). M. Paul’s ability to see past Lucy’s religion and into the goodness of her soul further conveys how he is more heroic than both Arthur and Heathcliff could ever be. M. Paul reminds Lucy that it is okay for her to be her true self, and that he is willing to love her simply for the person that she is (and not for any superficial reasons). M. Paul is a hero in Villette because he is a virtuous teacher who enjoys sharing, connecting, and being kind to others. He is worthy of being deemed a heroic male character because he is not shallow, sinful, or cruel, but rather, he is gentle, peaceful, and interested in the greater good of mankind, like all heroes are.
Despite the evil portrayals of men through Heathcliff and Arthur, Charlotte sheds light on redeeming qualities that males can possess to make them seem more like heroes and less like villains. Although Emily and Anne do not sympathize as easily with men, as they try to expose the flawed male character in all his cruelty and aggression, Charlotte is more optimistic about men’s potential towards goodness and virtuosity because although M. Paul is occasionally harsh, he is never violent or vindictive, and he has distinct moral principles that Lucy observes. The different narratives offered in Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Villette display the dichotomy between villainous and virtuous men, and a lot of these qualities can be defined by how these male characters treat women, children, and themselves. The Brontës never stray away from portraying the characteristic faults of men, but they also attempt to show that not all men are savage like Heathcliff and sinful like Arthur, as some men can be like M. Paul, who is heroic through his genuine, kind simplicity.