Heathcliff was the primary character that drove the plot of Wuthering Heights. The novel began and ended with him and his vindictive actions are most important to the progression of the story. He was unique from the other characters in the way that he looked, with “black eyes [withdrawn] so suspiciously under their brows...[and] dirty, ragged, black hair” (Bronte 3, 37). Mr. Earnshaw had generously brought this gipsy boy when he returned from a trip, picking him up from the miserable factory towns occupied by the lower classes in 1840. Earnshaw’s family did not receive this boy well, so Heathcliff was often characterized as a demon, epitomizing the equivocal attitude of the upper class, who at times felt charitable to and at times afraid of the lower class.
Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, Mr. Earnshaw’s daughter, quickly became inseparable forming an innocent yet incestuous bond. The only sentiment Heathcliff held was loyalty to Catherine and Mr. Earnshaw, so when they were both taken away from him, Earnshaw by death and Catherine by Edgar Linton, he adopted a resolute vengeance. Jealousy led him to lash out at Edgar Linton because he felt entitled to
…show more content…
Hindley, Mr. Earnshaw’s son, despised Heathcliff, whom he saw “as an usurper of his parent’s affections and his privileges, and he grew bitter with brooding over these injuries” (Bronte 38). Hindley vituperatively abused Heathcliff, breeding the anger, vengeance, and cruelty that Heathcliff possessed when he grew older. Heathcliff even recognized to Nelly that “[he] felt no pity” (Bronte 122). While Heathcliff grew numb to the abuse, he became anesthetized to any type of feeling. When he returned after fleeing Wuthering Heights and obtaining a fortune, he capitalized on the suffering of all those he loved and hated: Hindley, Hareton, Catherine Earnshaw, Cathy Linton, Isabella, Edgar, and his own son,
Heathcliff’s anger intensified and he was bent on destroying not only his enemies but also their families. He then married his son to Catherine and Edgar’s daughter in an attempt to gain control over Thrushcross Grange. After
Catherine Earnshaw appears to be a woman who is free spirited. However, Catherine is also quite self-centered. She clearly states that her love for Edgar Linton does not match how much she loves Heathcliff. She is saying that she does love both, and she is unwilling to give one up for the other; she wants “Heathcliff for her friend”. Catherine admits that her love for Linton is “like the foliage in the woods”; however, her love for
13. Mr. Earnshaw returned home from Liverpool with an orphan (Heathcliff). His daughter Catherine took to Heathcliff, as did Mr. Earnshaw, but Hindley hated the boy and tortured him. Heathcliff had to be hard and insensible in order to cope with Hindley’s abuses. Nelly Dean repeatedly describes Heathcliff as “sullen.”
With the coming of age of Catherine and Heathcliff, the hapless families of Earnshaw and Linton brave the storms that brew between them and realize that they must rise up to meet what they have forced upon themselves. Foremost, the main characters, Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar are never quite as they appear to be, and are constantly changing in both dynamic and static ways. For example, Catherine is the one who changes the most. As she states, “In my soul and in my heart, I’m convinced I’m wrong … I’ve dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas: they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind,” (p. 79). This expresses how she feels as if she has been
Brontë shows how cruelty passes through generations through Hindley’s mistreatment towards Heathcliff. From the moment Mr. Earnshaw adopts Heathcliff, Hindley enters a state of melancholy and loathes that his father clearly favors Heathcliff over him. Mr. Earnshaw’s adoption of Heathcliff upsets Hindley, his father clearly favors Heathcliff over him. Consequently, Hindley reciprocates this hatred when he meets Heathcliff, comparing him to satan and wishing for his death. Heathcliff, unable to act against these cruel words, silently absorbs them. This interaction reveals traits of each character: the maliciousness of Hindley’s character, who hates on the young Heathcliff without reason; and the timidity of Heathcliff, fostered by his inability to stand up for himself. Although timid at the moment, Heathcliff assimilates this cruelty so that he can inflict it upon others, just as Hindley does the same to him. This depicts how the victim of suffering develops into the bearer of cruelty. Soon after Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Hindley assumes control of his household and unleashes even more cruelty on Heathcliff. In a fit of
In this chapter, we see that Catherine has changed drastically from being a wild savage to a young mannered lady. Shockingly, we can see the distinctive difference between Heathcliff and Catherine's character. They were once the same, but this chapter serves as the platform to highlight the contrasting differences between these lovers. On one hand, one can argue that it develops their relationship immensely.
As a young orphan who is brought to Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is thrown into abuse as Hindley begins to treat Heathcliff as a servant in reaction to Mr. Earnshaw’s death. As a reaction to both this and Catherine discarding Heathcliff for Edgar, Heathcliff’s sense of misery and embarrassment causes him to change and spend the rest of his time seeking for justice. Throughout this time, Heathcliff leans on violence to express the revenge that he so seeks by threatening people and displaying villainous traits. However, Heathcliff’s first symptom of change in personality is when Heathcliff runs into Hareton after Cathy “tormented
As soon as Heathcliff was adopted by Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley held a grudge against him as he challenged the possibility of inheritance and wealth. Hindley would degrade Heathcliff by name calling and abuse, and even hoped that a horse would “. . . kick out [his] brains!” Heathcliff resented Hindley for what he had done to him and got a lot of his own evil tactics from Hindley himself. Being around a negative and oppressing influence for long enough can have drastic effects on a person’s mental health and portrayal of them self and others.
Heathcliff is introduced in Nelly's narration as a seven-year-old Liverpool foundling (probably an Irish famine immigrant) brought back to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw. His presence in Wuthering Heights overthrows the prevailing habits of the Earnshaw family, members of the family soon become involved in turmoil and fighting and family relationships become spiteful and hateful. Even on his first night, he is the reason Mr. Earnshaw breaks the toys he had bought for his children. "From the very beginning he bred bad feelings in the house". Heathcliff usurps the affections of Mr. Earnshaw to the exclusion of young Hindley-: "The young master had learnt to regard his father as an oppressor rather than a
Mr. Earnshaw found Heathcliff when he was young and living on his own in Liverpool. Heathcliff Is raised as a family member until Mr. Earnshaw’s death. Hindly makes Heathcliff live like a servant. As he matures he becomes infatuated and obsessed with Catharine. He and Catharine go on adventures and one-day end up watching the Linton’s at the grange. Attack dogs chase Cathy and Heathcliff until Cathy falls and is bitten by the dogs. While she is away Heathcliff tracks the days she is gone and puts a net over a nest of baby birds and starves them, this shows how obsessed and psychotic he is early in the movie.
Heathcliff was brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw at a young age. The portrayal of being of Heathcliff being lower than the Earnshaws leads to Catherine being instructed to stay away from Heathcliff. However, Catherine and Heathcliff become inseparable. Catherine becomes
In the first generation of Earnshaws and Lintons, Catherine Earnshaw is the root suffering for Edgar Linton and Heathcliff. Catherine’s rebelliousness shows the feminist writing to Brontë in such a patriarchal society. Catherine is torn between her love for Heathcliff and also social acceptance. She realized that if she were to marry Heathcliff, they would be beggars and she would not live a first class
The relationship between Heathcliff and Hindley revealed and developed the abusive nature of Heathcliff. Heathcliff was taken in as a young boy into a wealthy family that had two children. Ever since the day he was brought home the eldest son, Hindley, resented how the father favored him more. For example, Heathcliff threatened to tell their father if Hindley did not let him have his horse. This one childish threat had created the foundation of the resentment between the two men. Heathcliff threatened to tell their father that Hindley was making him feel unwelcome and abused emotionally, Hindley decided to not see if Heathcliff was going to follow through with the threat therefore gave him the horse. Later on through life, once the father dies, Hindley decides to take his absence as an excuse to start really physically abusing Heathcliff. He would beat him and punch him without thought of how this would transfer into the rest of his life. Heathcliff was also verbally assaulted by Hindley which is a twist on the traditional sense of cruelty. Hindley is demeaning towards Heathcliff and calls him a slave and make sure that he know that he is not equal with himself or his sister Catherine. This point planted the seed of doubt and not being good enough for the rest of his life. This continual mental assault forged the mindset of little Heathcliff to how he would exact revenge on Hindley for all of his wrongdoings. This cruelty from Hindley was due to the favoritism that Heathcliff received as a child, the death of his father, the death of his wife, and the constant reminder of his wife through his son. The constant cruelty is the motive for Heathcliff's actions once he returns to the Heights. Through baiting Hindley, in his own personal torment from his wife's passing, all the money and possessions are gambled away with Heathcliff as the new owner. Wuthering Heights itself
The social classes in Wuthering Heights are an insight to the society that Emily Bronte experienced. The British society of 1770 wasn’t accepting of a person with darker features which is reflected in how Heathcliff is treated in the novel. Orphans were also never meant to rise from their station below the servants. This is an insight into why Hindley Earnshaw hated Heathcliff and referred to him as a usurper of his father’s affections. When Hidley became master of Wuthering Heights he returned Heathcliff to his “rightful” place.
While at Thrushcross Grange, she grows infatuated with Edgar, despite her love for Heathcliff. Edgar came from an upper class family as well and took care of her when she was in a dog accident. This leads to her acceptance of Edgar Linton’s marriage proposal despite her statements regarding her love for Heathcliff. Heathcliff overhears unfortunate passages of Catherine's discourse and disappears for a period during which he mysteriously makes his fortune and changes irrevocably from the person he was. Vengeance consumes him, and Heathcliff attempts to destroy the lives of those who wronged him, (as well as their children). Ultimately, Heathcliff’s bitterly executed vengeance is effaced by a love between Hareton and Cathy that mirrors Heathcliff’s own love for Catherine. Hareton is Catherine’s nephew and Cathy is Catherine’s daughter, which makes the two first cousins.