Wuthering Heights and Kleist's Novellen: Rousseauian Nature, Spontaneous Love, Infancy and the Performative Subversion of the Law

This article analyses the numerous thematic similarities between Wuthering Heights and Heinrich von Kleist’s Novellen, especially “Der Findling”. I justify this seemingly unconventional comparison on basis that both Kleist Emily Brontë were deeply influenced by Rousseau’s works his novel, Julie, ou, laNouvelle Héloïse (1761). The of authors share a typically Rousseauian theme: hostility toward urban civilization strong intimacy with nature. theme is loaded ideological force present in at least four subthemes: communion nature, natural childhood, nature spontaneous love parodic reiteration normative community. Thus, although there no evidence Brontë’s direct knowledge work, suggest their shared recourse to common precursor may account for uncanny similarity Novellen Heights.