Passage of time in WH and ATSS:
LOAS:
1- Allows for the reclaiming of setting
2- Allows for redemption and ending of cycles of violence
3- Undermines end to cycles of violence to present a sense of
generational trauma
LOA 1- Removal of Joseph’s plants and the more hospitable depiction of
WH at the end of the narrative, comparison to Kabul- goes from the
‘Titanic City’ to green, symbolic of growth and regeneration
LOA 2- Passage of time for Mariam, initially internalises the Afghan
stereotype of the subservient housewife- ‘in the first few days of marriage,
Mariam barely left her room’- love for Laila enables her to transcend this
as passage of time marks her reclaiming of autonomy in the act of killing
Rasheed, surprise in her ability to transcend role reflects deeply
entrenched patriarchal values, comparison to Cathy- initially rude, gives
way to compassion, her redemption allows for Hareton’s as he overcomes
class-based oppression in his education- heals the trauma and suffering of
future generations, leading to a sense of hope in the final narrative.
LOA 3:
However, both Bronte and Hosseini seemingly undermine this healing of
trauma by presenting the pervading presence of representations of
violence and suffering, which remain despite the passage of time. In ‘WH’,
the physical landscape itself becomes a vessel for unresolved trauma,
with the moors acting as a liminal space haunted by the memories of
Catherine and Heathcliff’s destructive love. Even after their deaths, their
presence lingers as their spirits wander the land- “there’s Heathcliff and a
woman yonder”- emphasising how the emotional intensity of their bond
transcends both death and the passage of time, and continues to disturb
the peace of the present. Bronte’s use of the supernatural in describing
the pair as ‘phantoms’ serves to blur the distinction between past and
present, serving as her commentary that such representations of past
suffering and emotional trauma are able to transcend the passage of time
and fester in the present. A similar notion is put forward by Hosseini in
‘ATSS’, as the apparent ending of cycles of violence in Kabul are ultimately
undermined by the fact that ‘the warlords have been allowed back to
Kabul’, who act as physical manifestations of the destructive and
traumatic past, which Laila reflects in referring to these warlords as ‘her
parents’ murderers’. As such, like Bronte, Hosseini conveys the inability of
the passage of time to fully cleanse the past or offer a complete sense of
resolution. This is particularly poignant given the return of the Taliban to
LOAS:
1- Allows for the reclaiming of setting
2- Allows for redemption and ending of cycles of violence
3- Undermines end to cycles of violence to present a sense of
generational trauma
LOA 1- Removal of Joseph’s plants and the more hospitable depiction of
WH at the end of the narrative, comparison to Kabul- goes from the
‘Titanic City’ to green, symbolic of growth and regeneration
LOA 2- Passage of time for Mariam, initially internalises the Afghan
stereotype of the subservient housewife- ‘in the first few days of marriage,
Mariam barely left her room’- love for Laila enables her to transcend this
as passage of time marks her reclaiming of autonomy in the act of killing
Rasheed, surprise in her ability to transcend role reflects deeply
entrenched patriarchal values, comparison to Cathy- initially rude, gives
way to compassion, her redemption allows for Hareton’s as he overcomes
class-based oppression in his education- heals the trauma and suffering of
future generations, leading to a sense of hope in the final narrative.
LOA 3:
However, both Bronte and Hosseini seemingly undermine this healing of
trauma by presenting the pervading presence of representations of
violence and suffering, which remain despite the passage of time. In ‘WH’,
the physical landscape itself becomes a vessel for unresolved trauma,
with the moors acting as a liminal space haunted by the memories of
Catherine and Heathcliff’s destructive love. Even after their deaths, their
presence lingers as their spirits wander the land- “there’s Heathcliff and a
woman yonder”- emphasising how the emotional intensity of their bond
transcends both death and the passage of time, and continues to disturb
the peace of the present. Bronte’s use of the supernatural in describing
the pair as ‘phantoms’ serves to blur the distinction between past and
present, serving as her commentary that such representations of past
suffering and emotional trauma are able to transcend the passage of time
and fester in the present. A similar notion is put forward by Hosseini in
‘ATSS’, as the apparent ending of cycles of violence in Kabul are ultimately
undermined by the fact that ‘the warlords have been allowed back to
Kabul’, who act as physical manifestations of the destructive and
traumatic past, which Laila reflects in referring to these warlords as ‘her
parents’ murderers’. As such, like Bronte, Hosseini conveys the inability of
the passage of time to fully cleanse the past or offer a complete sense of
resolution. This is particularly poignant given the return of the Taliban to
