Author: Ayman Khaled Hussein, Prof. Madya Mohd Nazri bin Latiff Azmi

Abstract: This study focuses on the racial and postcolonial methods as ways of reading and understanding literary texts. By applying them to literary works, one can study characters and verify their issues and suffering at some point in the course of their life within the top-quality novel. Critical and analytical, these two approaches expose the suffering of characters who try to fit in society due to racial discrimination, so the human principles are not valued or considered, leaving the characters to fight and struggle severely. This study displays how the biased society treats the character in the given work as an outsider. Thus, this study investigates one outsider, Heathcliff, by realizing the negative impacts of the racial and postcolonial approach to his life. Heathcliff is the protagonist in Wuthering Heights that Emily Bronte (1818-1848) wrote in 1847. This paper looks into the reasons for Heathcliff’s alienation and suffering in society due to his race, origin, and color. One can noticeably grasp his severe suffering, difficulties, and alienation in this work.

Keywords: Heathcliff, Wuthering Heights, Outsider, Racism, Postcolonialism.

Article Info: Received: 21 Mar 2021; Received in revised form: 28 Apr 2021; Accepted: 14 May 2021; Available online: 07 Jun 2021

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.63.31