Readers of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and Maryse Conde's Windward Heights can easily be overwhelmed by the deluge of rumors that permeates each of their respective novels. After examining the complicated filtering of narratives in Brontë's novel and the multitude of voices in Condé's text, the reader may find that the presence of a letter offers a refreshing opportunity to receive unmediated information. A letter provides a first-person account, eliminating the possibility of mistranslations or distortions of a character's experience. Yet the letters raise just as many complications, since the writer is free to narrate what he chooses and the events he describes are mediated by his personal subjectivity. This subjectivity is central to understanding Isabella and Irmine's letters, where the characters' partiality determines their accounts of their respective marriages to Heathcliff and Razy. Direct analysis suggests that Irmine suffers far greater humiliation and horror than Isabella, who is much more superficial in her complaints. A deeper study, however, shows that it is impossible to project a clear-cut dichotomy between the two women, and ultimately shows that Condé works with the same themes used by Brontë to give a new understanding of this desperate character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Despite preliminary evidence that superficial concerns primarily define Isabella's misery, a close reading reveals that her suffering is comparable to that of Irmine. Isabella spends much of her letter detailing how degrading her new circumstances are compared to her previous life at Thrushcross Grange. She "sobs" (Brontë, 138) after learning that there is no servant to help her in bed and insists that she "could not taste the liquid treated so dirty" (Brontë, 140) after Hareton drinks the milk from the jug. She orders the servant Joseph to provide her “immediately with a place of refuge and means of rest” (Brontë, 141), and when he scoffs at her request she becomes so distraught that she stubbornly throws the tray of food on the ground. All these actions smack of a spoiled child unable to cope with a life without luxury and seem particularly trivial when compared to the events described by Irmine. She details how she suffers "repeated rapes" (Conde, 78) at the hands of Razy and how he "gave her" to Justin" (Conde, 79) to be at the mercy of his sexual whims. Following this comparison, the characterization of Isabella's suffering as such seems almost offensive when compared to the horror that Irmine must endure a horror so terrifying that she cannot articulate it. She hints at this coping mechanism when she writes: It is for amuse myself by dwelling on subjects such as the lack of external comforts; they never occupy my thoughts, except at the moment when I lack them: I would laugh and dance with joy, if I discovered that their absence was the sum total of my miseries, and the rest it was an unnatural dream! (Brontë, 134-5). Great horror clearly lies beyond the "lack of external comforts" if their being the sum of her problems drove her to "laugh and dance for joy", because the the rest would simply be an "unnatural dream." She claims that this misappropriation of her complaints serves only to "amuse her," but the extent of her terror suggests that this statement too is a mask for her true feelings. Towards the end of her letter, she chooses not to name the "language" and "habitual conduct" that Heathcliff uses to secure her "aversion" (Brontë, 143), as shehe states. Yet the immediately preceding sentence suggests fear rather than revulsion: "I sometimes marvel at him, an intensity which dulls my fear, and yet, I assure you, a tiger or a venomous snake could not arouse in me such terror as he awakens." (Brontë, 143). Here, he requalifies his primary emotion towards Heathcliff as being not just "fear", but a fear that exceeds that which a wild beast could inspire. Isabella does not elaborate on the source of her terror, but her allusions to it imply that it is inspired by an extremely formidable force. clearly outlines the origin of his horror. Her candor in characterizing her suffering may explain why she appears relatively sane in the face of her terrifying ordeal, while Isabella seems to hover on the edge of madness. Irmine clearly endures enormous agony as a difficult situation often characterizes her as being in "hell" or "on fire". Yet he is able to accept the blame for his actions, recognizing that he has "gravely offended" (Conde, 77) his family and that this is "rightly so" (Conde, 79). ) so that they ignore any communication from you. She also manages to admit her ambivalence towards Razy, a man who despises her and yet "despite everything, [she] never stopped loving" (Conde, 79). Isabella, on the other hand, who refuses to articulate her suffering, projecting it onto material losses, is consumed by violent impulses. Seeing Earnshaw's knife, "a horrible idea" overcomes her as she examines it not with "horror" but with "greed" (Brontë, 138). Although he describes Earnshaw's desire for revenge as "on the verge of madness" (Brontë, 139), he is unable to realize that his revenge fantasy should, by extension, also be considered a form of madness. Isabella has no outlet to express the agony of what she is experiencing, resulting in a state bordering on madness. Irmine, however, is able to express her circumstances and thoughts, and even recognize their contradictions. Following this line of reasoning, one might naturally conclude that Irmine occupies a better position than Isabella since she is able to express her suffering and avoid madness. you feel in repressing your pain. However, once again it is impossible to create a clear dichotomy between one character who has a better situation and another who occupies a worse situation. Irmine could be more forthcoming in her letter, but nothing comes of her effort. Lucinda reads it, does not "bother to mention this letter to Cathy" (Conde, 79), and gives no indication that she has ever visited, helped, or even sympathized with Irmine. Isabella's letter, however, is saved for years by Nelly, who may not be able to help her with her current situation, but who can at least listen and empathize. One of the most fundamental attributes inherent to letters is that they are meant to be read by another, not to be kept as a personal reflection, like a diary. Having barely been received, Irmine's letter ultimately serves little purpose in communicating her anguish, while Isabella's letter succeeds in gaining her an audience. These two women may suffer and express their suffering in divergent ways, but ultimately both endure tremendous pain that cannot easily be pitted against each other. Ultimately, despite the differences between their suffering and their responses, both women function similarly as tools upon which their husbands rely. to enact their revenge. Both are reduced to objects whose value lies in their ability to harm the offending competitor, be it Linton or Linsseuil. Right after writing how Razy takes advantage of Justin's passion for her "for,.