An Analysis of the Obsessive Love in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte: an Anxious-Ambivalent Attachment Approach

This research aims to explore the portrayal of obsessive love in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights through a literary psychological approach, specifically using John Bowlby’s Attachment Theory. The main focus is on the anxious-ambivalent attachment type, which is caused by inconsistent caregiving, fear of abandonment, emotional overinvolvement and dependency, continuity of attachment from childhood to adulthood. Using a qualitative descriptive method and close textual reading, the study seeks to understand how emotionally intense relationships depicted in the novel reflect patterns of insecure attachment. The findings reveal that the obsessive love in the novel stems from unresolved emotional wounds rooted in early experiences of neglect and rejection. The characters involved exhibit an overwhelming fear of loss, an insatiable need for validation, and a tendency to blur the boundaries between affection and possession. Love in this narrative becomes not a source of mutual support, but a driving force for control, dependency, and destruction. The emotional intensity portrayed reflects a deep psychological need rather than a healthy romantic bond. This study shows that literature can serve as a mirror to human psychological conditions, revealing the impact of attachment history on adult relationships. By applying psychological theory to a fictional narrative, the research contributes to the interdisciplinary dialogue between literature and psychology. It emphasizes that literary texts do not merely entertain but also reveal the complex emotional patterns found in real-life human experiences.