Erick DayritJessica Wang

Alexa WongWells Zeng

Period 3

Wuthering Heights

Publication Year: December 1847Author: Emily BrontëNationality: EnglishAuthor Birth date: July 30, 1818 Death date: December 19, 1848

Distinguishing Traits of Author:

Emily Brontë, who published Wuthering Heights under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, was the fifth child of Reverend Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell Brontë. She and her sisters would often play imaginative games when they were young. Emily was reclusive. She did not leave home often, and she was not a typical Victorian girl. She whistled like a man and actually enjoyed pistol shooting with her father. She attended Roe Head girls’ school, but got extremely homesick and had to return home after a few months. She later became a teacher at Law Hill School in Halifax, but came home again after she became unhealthy due to stress. Wuthering Heights was the only book she wrote.

Setting of Work:

The story begins in 1802, with Lockwood’s first diary entry. Nelly’s story spans three decades, from 1770 to present time (1802). Most events and all major events occur at either Wuthering Heights or Thrushcross Grange. In the English countryside, where the story takes place, there is often extreme and harsh weather, which is characteristic of Gothic and Romantic literature. The natural severity of the landscape adds to the dark tones that are prominent in the novel.

Wuthering Heights, originally the Earnshaw home, is where Cathy, Hindley, Nelly, and Heathcliff spent their childhoods. This house harbors a great deal of violence throughout the story, especially when Heathcliff releases his anger and beats Hindley severely (130). It is also where Catherine and Heathcliff’s destructive love begins (32). Cathy and Heathcliff were both wild, passionate characters. Wuthering Heights, in contrast to Thrushcross Grange, is representative of the dark side of human nature, which includes revenge, hatred and obsession. Its harsh-looking exterior and the events surrounding it reflect the kind of people it bred.

Thrushcross Grange, home of the aristocratic and well-bred Linton family, rests four miles from Wuthering Heights. In contrast to the Earnshaw home, it is not only a symbol of refinement but also much more peaceful and not riddled with a violent history. When

young Heathcliff and Catherine stumble across the manor, they peek inside and notice “a splendid place carpeted with crimson… a pure white ceiling bordered by gold, a shower of glass drops” (34). Visibly, Thrushcross Grange is also more welcoming and appears noble. The children raised in this household are well mannered and reflect a high-class background, unlike Cathy and Heathcliff, who “promised to grow up as rude savages” (33). In all, Thrushcross Grange acts as a haven of sorts, with its beautiful appearance and cultured inhabitants. Catherine herself remains reasonably happy here for some time when she is married to Linton.

Plot Synopsis:

The story begins with Lockwood, a new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, going to meet Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights. Upon his arrival, Wuthering Heights is seen as rather primitive. Lockwood dines at Heathcliff’s estate, where he meets Joseph, the uncivilized servant, Mrs. Heathcliff, and Hareton Earnshaw. Towards the middle of dinner, Lockwood feels dizzy and asks to stay there for the night. Zillah, another servant, leads Lockwood up to Catherine’s room. He reads her journals and falls asleep, but is awakened by her spirit pounding at the window. He tells Heathcliff, who is angry that he did not get to see her. When he arrives at Thrushcross Grange the following day, he meets Nelly, the character who tells Lockwood the story.

Her story begins with Mr. Earnshaw coming back from a trip to the town. He brings a child with him – Heathcliff. Heathcliff and Catherine get along right from the start, while Hindley, who see that Mr. Earnshaw favors Heathcliff, bullies him. Shortly after, Mr. Earnshaw’s health begins to fail and he passes way. After his death, Hindley changes dramatically and pushes Heathcliff away to the servants. While exploring the moors one day, Heathcliff and Catherine come across Thrushcross Grange, where the Lintons take in Catherine, while casting Heathcliff away.

Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights at Christmas time and exhibits manners and social grace However, she she sees Heathcliff, part of her old self comes out. Hindley tells Heathcliff to act properly, but he flees and hides away. Nelly dress him up, but even the, he stands out from Edgar and Isabella, who arrive to visit.

Hindley and his wife Frances have a son named Hareton. Catherine continues to keep in contact with the Lintons. One day, Heathcliff points out how she splits her days, spending some with him and some with Edgar and Isabella. Later, Edgar visits Catherine; she asks Nelly to leave the room and lashes out, hitting her, after Nelly insists on staying. Hindley almost drops Hareton. Edgar proposes to Catherine, who agrees because she wants to use him to raise Heathcliff’s status. Heathcliff, who does not hear the latter half of Catherine’s explanation, leaves Wuthering Heights.

Nelly begins to speak of Catherine and Edgar’s married life, which for the most part, is fairly pleasant and quaint. Edgar still dotes on Isabella. Heathcliff returns a couple of years later a well-made man. Isabella becomes infatuated with Heathcliff because she does not know who he really is. Heathcliff hangs Isabella’s springer. Catharine is give an ultimatum where she must pick between Edgar and Heathcliff. She calls Edgar a coward and strikes him. Isabella begins to mope around while Catherine keeps to herself in her room. She is believed to be dying and lashes out when she learns Edgar is reading. Nelly discovers that Isabella has run away with Heathcliff. She

receives a letter from Isabella who details her life at Wuthering Heights with Heathcliff. She has discovered who he really is and hates him. Catherine becomes pregnant. Edgar wants nothing to do with Isabella because he believes she betrayed him. Nelly visits Wuthering Heights to tell Isabella and Heathcliff persuades her to set up a meeting between him and Catherine. Heathcliff meets with Catherine, who is on the verge of death. Catherine dies shortly after and is buried in the moors. Edgar mourns.

When Nelly tells Heathcliff, he claims that he already knows and cries out for her to haunt him; before she is buried, he replaces Edgar’s locket with his. Isabella leaves Heathcliff. Hindley dies, leaving Heathcliff Wuthering Heights because of his debt to him. Linton Heathcliff is born.

Nelly skips ahead twelve years. Cathy is now a lady; she is curious about what lies outside and meets Hareton on an adventure. She mistakes him for a servant. Isabella dies and Linton is left to Edgar. Edgar returns with Linton. Cathy, who was excited to see him, is disappointed at his sickly figure. Joseph arrives to take Linton, at Heathcliff’s request. Linton leaves for Wuthering Heights. He asks Nelly about his father and becomes scared of Heathcliff, claiming that he wishes to return to Thrushcross Grange. Cathy grows older and Heathcliff invites her to Wuthering Heights to see Linton. Nelly discovers that Catherine and Linton have been writing love letters to one another; she burns them and forbids her from writing to him again. Cathy is saddened because she is no longer allowed to communicate with Linton. She and Nelly go on a walk one day; Cathy breaks down because of the thought of Edgar and Nelly dying, thus leaving her alone is too much for her to bear. Heathcliff visits Cathy and tells her that Linton is dying because of her absence, making her feel guilty. Cathy visits Linton; they get into an argument about their parents, leading Cathy to push Linton. Nelly discovers that Cathy has been sneaking out to Wuthering Heights, so she tells Nelly of her adventure. She went over to play with Linton. While there, she ridiculed Hareton and Linton threw a fit. Hareton locked them both in the kitchen. She begs Nelly not to tell Edgar of her trip.

Nelly speaks to Lockwood again, telling him to pursue Cathy. Back in the story, Edgar, who is dying, writes to Linton to evaluate him as a husband for Cathy. Cathy and Nelly meet with Linton with Edgar’s approval. Linton who is still quite ill, tells Nelly that he feels better. He falls asleep and does not awaken until Cathy and Nelly must leave. They meet with Linton again, who acts nervously. He reveals that Heathcliff had threatened to kill him if she did not marry him. Heathcliff arrives and tells them both to go to the Heights. Linton says that he cannot enter without her. When they arrive, Heathcliff locks both Cathy and Nelly in Wuthering Heights. He releases Cathy from her room the next morning, but keeps Nelly for five more nights. Zillah finds Nelly, who was presumed to be dead in the marsh. Heathcliff manipulates Linton once again, who no longer has sympathy for Cathy. Cathy also escapes, but from her mother’s window. Edgar is close to death; Nelly tells him of Linton’s behavior and before he can change his will, he passes away. Green, the lawyer, fires all the servants, with the exception of Nelly. Heathcliff brings Cathy back to Wuthering Heights and reveals Linton’s plans to be an abusive husband. Heathcliff tells Nelly that he opened Cathy’s grave shortly after her death and wishes to be buried next to her; he feels at peace when she is present.

Nelly now receives her information from Zillah, who explains the rest of the story. After fruitless attempts to convince Heathcliff that Linton is dying, the inevitable occurs and Cathy is left with nothing. Only Hareton, Heathcliff, and Cathy are left. Lockwood tells Nelly that he plans to go to the Heights to tell Heathcliff that he is leaving Thrushcross Grange. When visiting Wuthering Heights, Lockwood brings Cathy a note from Nelly, but she cannot reply because Heathcliff has taken everything from her. Hareton throws Cathy’s books in the fire for humiliating him.

Lockwood returns to the Grange and discovers that Nelly now resides in Wuthering Heights. Upon his arrival, he is shocked to see a more pleasant atmosphere. He is informed that Heathcliff is dead. Nelly tells him that, before he returned, Heathcliff ordered her back to Wuthering Heights. Hareton and Cathy made amends. They dug up Joseph’s plants to plant a garden. Heathcliff was angry, but did not exhibit his usual rage; he no longer had any interest in revenge. He wanted only to be with Catherine. He began to act creepily; he stayed out all night, had a smile on his face , and stared out of windows. Shortly after, he died. He is buried next to Catherine in the moors. Someone reports to have seen him walking around with a woman that looks like Catherine. In the present, Cathy and Hareton are to be married. Lockwood leaves and passes Edgar’s, Catherine’s, and Heathcliff’s headstones.

Description of Characters:

Heathcliff is a Byronic hero, rebellious and vengeful since youth. Mr. Earnshaw found him on the streets and brought him home to Wuthering Heights, favoring him over Hindley and Catherine. Heathcliff’s manipulative tendencies start when he is only a child, for he takes advantage of his power over Hindley and shows no affection toward his caretakers. Sullen, dark and mysterious, he harbors deep grudges. A man whose “mind was unchangeable, and unchanged” (74), Heathcliff heartlessly exacts his revenge on Edgar by abusing Isabella. After losing the love of his life, Heathcliff’s obsessive and jealous, possessive tendencies manifest to their full extent. He welcomes his son with only insults, coldly expressing his disappointment “with the whey-faced whining wretch” (154). Simply by the cruel way he addresses another human being conveys how monstrous he has become. Without an ounce of remorse, Heathcliff, now merely a vessel of hatred, is blinded both by revenge and his aching for Catherine. In fact, he mercilessly involves innocent children in his plot. In addition to depriving Hareton of a proper education the way he was denied one, he manipulates Cathy into returning to Wuthering Heights to marry Linton, so that he may own both houses. He tells Cathy that Linton “was in earnest – in love… he’s dying for you – breaking his heart at your fickleness” (171). Heathcliff treats people as playing pieces in his elaborate game. Caring nothing for his son, Cathy, or anyone around him, Heathcliff’s becomes absorbed in his savage hatred and loses his humanity as a result of his own pain.

Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff’s best childhood friend and soul mate, is likewise rebellious, hardheaded and daring. She has a fearless nature, for when she is attacked by a bulldog, she does “not yell out – no! She would have scorned to do it” (35). Catherine’s hardy, charismatic, seemingly unbreakable spirit is apparent when Heathcliff notes that she “kindles a spark of spirit in the vacant blue eyes of the Lintons”

(37). She is a captivating presence, greatly admired by even strangers, but especially by Heathcliff. However, she is equally manipulative and mischievous – perhaps more so. In her father’s dying days, she engages in “a naughty delight to provoke him; she was never so happy as when we were all scolding her at once, and she defying us with her bold, saucy look” (30). A troublemaker, Cathy possesses a boldness that is sometimes inappropriate. She delights at being the center of attention. This self-centeredness is apparent in her own last days. Bitter at Edgar and Heathcliff for neglecting her in her deep, tormented frustration, she claims she will “try to break their hearts by breaking my own” (86). The manipulative behavior she showed in her youth only becomes stronger. Despite her poor health, she craves the attention of those she feels have a duty to tend to her and apologize to her. However, despite Catherine’s violent fits, her pitiful state is only a result of her torn feelings between two men she loves. At one point, she expresses her wish to be girl again, “half savage and hardy, and free… and laughing at injuries, not maddening under them” (92). Her spirit, though damaged, pines for freedom until her very death.

Hindley Earnshaw, Catherine’s older brother, is also a vengeful, jealous man. He inherits Wuthering Heights after his father dies, and with this power, debases Heathcliff by depriving him of an education and treating him as a servant (59). He finds satisfaction in the failures of others – especially of someone who he feels has wronged him by simply setting foot in the house. Hindley’s mistreatment of Heathcliff comes to a stop, however, when Heathcliff returns after three years of absence and Hindley has become a widower and alcoholic. Irresponsible and careless, he drinks excessively and in a drunken fit, nearly loses his son when he drops him over the balcony (54). Although Heathcliff takes advantage of Hindley’s incapacitated, drunken state, it is ultimately Hindley himself that brings about his own demise. Now as much a monster as Heathcliff, he gambles with abandon, forgetting his schemes in lieu of his unstoppable addiction. His murderous and hateful feelings toward Heathcliff do not diminish even in his sorry condition, as he plots to kill Heathcliff. Hindley is also arrogant, for when he marries, “he had room in his heart for only two idols – his wife and himself” (46). He views himself as superior to everyone around him.

Edgar Linton is a dynamic character who matures from a demanding, spoiled child into a patient, selfless father. He is pacifistic by nature, unlike Catherine or Heathcliff. Catherine remarks that his “cold blood cannot be worked into a fever – your veins are full of ice-water” (87). Partially as a result of his aristocratic upbringing, Edgar shows no signs of hardiness or violence and is rather mellow, which is perceived by Catherine as a weakness when he refuses to fight Heathcliff on his own (85). However, this soft-heartedness makes him a devoted father later on when he is left with young Cathy in his custody. Caring endlessly for her happiness and wellbeing, he even sets aside his hatred toward Heathcliff when considering Linton’s worthiness to be her husband, and Nelly notes that “no mother could have nursed an only child more devotedly than Edgar” (98). In all, Edgar proves his selflessness and willingness to place family and love before all else – even his own pride.

Isabella Linton is much like her brother in many respects – well bred, not

confrontational, and to some degree immature and spoiled. Her naiveté leads her to become infatuated and believe blindly that Heathcliff is actually in love with her, and she follows him with the loyalty of a dog. However, even when she discovers how violent and monstrous he really is, she does not wish to watch him die. She saves him from Hindley, who plans to shoot him (133). It is arguable that she simply warned him for fear of being involved in a crime, but she still has a sense of fairness and integrity even in dealing with people who do not. She can also be characterized as an impulsive woman blinded by love. She explains how she “can recollect yet how [she] loved [Heathcliff]; and can dimly imagine that [she] could still be loving him…[e]ven if [Heathcliff] had doted on [her], the devilish nature would have revealed its existence, somehow” (127). Although her reckless attitude leads to a rather cacophonous period of time at Wuthering Heights, she is not entirely unlikeable and has admirable qualities that other characters lack.

Linton Heathcliff is the peevish, emotionally and physically fragile son of Heathcliff and Isabella. Immature and self-pitying, he deliberately makes Cathy feel guilty for leaving him in his dejected state. He complains that “you’ve hurt me so, that I shall lie awake all night… you’ll be comfortably asleep, while I’m in agony” (176). Since he wants Cathy for himself and feels she deserves to be punished for neglecting him, he manipulates her and toys with her emotions until she gives into her pity for him. Caring only for himself, Linton even coaxes Cathy and Nelly to Wuthering Heights so that he may escape Heathcliff’s wrath. Once they arrive, he smugly retreats, having done his part. Linton is sensitive and fragile by nature, largely due to his poor health. However, the damage and abuse he suffered by Heathcliff’s hand also contribute to his illness and death. Like the other characters, he is neither entirely innocent nor guilty. Both needy and whiny, as well as pitiful and helpless at the same time, Linton suffers and causes suffering.

Hareton Earnshaw, the brutish boy who lives with Heathcliff after his father Hindley dies, suffers the same deprived childhood as Heathcliff, but still remains blindly loyal to Heathcliff. Despite his mistreatment he possesses a good heart, crying brokenheartedly when Heathcliff dies (246). He is also stubborn and insistent, actively pursuing the education he was denied by convincing Cathy to teach him to read. He forgives her for Hareton, despite being raised like a servant, is nothing like Joseph besides his swearing and sometimes crass or physically rough behavior. Hareton is inherently a good person, but has not been dealt the best luck. He comes off as crass, but as Cathy speaks to him more, his true kindhearted, docile nature is revealed.

Cathy Linton is the daughter of Edgar and Catherine Linton. She inherits passion from her mother and kindliness from her father. Cathy is not allowed to venture far from home, isolated from society and kept from knowing anything beyond Thrushcross Grance. She is a naïve, compassionate character with an innocent curiosity and carefree manner, always doting on her father and selflessly pining for him when she is trapped at Wuthering Heights (202). Her capacity for love parallels that of her mother’s for Heathcliff, though by contrast she is unselfish and sensitive to the wellbeing of others. When Cathy scorns Hareton, she quickly realizes her unfairness and apologizes

with a book and a promise to teach him to read (226). Though young, Cathy possesses a deep well of caring and an understanding of right and wrong. She is a nurturing girl, but this is partly what leads to her marrying Linton – pity. Cathy is also headstrong and displays perseverance when she decides to go to Wuthering Heights against her father’s wishes. She loves both her father and Linton, and her gentle nature causes her to act out on her emotions.

Nelly is the main narrator of the story and a long-time servant of Wuthering Heights. She does not limit her storytelling to what other people say and do – she includes her own actions and words to provide a full picture of each circumstance. During Catherine’s and Edgar’s quarrel, Nelly admits that “I did not love her, and rather relished mortifying her vanity now and then” (51) to justify her crying out in response to Catherine’s pinch. By establishing that her shout was not caused entirely by pain, but partially out of spite, Nelly appears frank and honest about her own character flaws. In no way is she simply a submissive, plain and humble servant. Nelly’s general partiality provides as clear a picture as possible of the other characters, and of Nelly herself. Although she interferes a great deal and acts as the catalyst to many major plot events, such as Heathcliff and Edgar’s fight (88), her story is as unbiased as possible. Nelly is at once meddling and disobedient, and motherly and caring. However, despite her honest account of events, she is biased in her actions. Since Cathy is sweet and shows affection toward her, she treats Cathy much better than she did Heathcliff or Catherine, even requesting that Heathcliff allow her to stay with the girl. Nelly is able to evoke each character’s true countenance. It is through this characteristic that makes Nelly different from people of her class, such as Joseph and Zillah.

Joseph, one of the servants at Wuthering Heights, is a crass, rude man with a thick Yorkshire accent. He is extremely pious and a religious fanatic. Self-righteous, judgmental, and disagreeable (104), Joseph is generally disliked by everyone besides Hareton, with whom he shares a sort of camaraderie.

Zillah is another servant. Unlike Nelly, she puts her conscience aside for the sake of her job – that is, she only does what she is told and follows Heathcliff’s orders without a second thought of the morality of the action. When Cathy cries out for help, that Linton is dying and Zillah should call for Heathcliff, Zillah stays put “for fear of being moved to interfere… I didn’t want to lose my place” (215). She is rather selfish and unsympathetic.

Lockwood is a pretentious, shallow, and slightly idiotic tenant who stays at the Heights. Upon his first day, he jumps to several mistaken conclusions, including the assumption that young Cathy is Heathcliff’s wife (9). His function is to enable the story, for when he falls ill, his curiosity leads him to ask Nelly to spill the secrets of Wuthering Heights. He is also pretentious, as he is convinced Cathy “cannot appreciate a better class of people”, referring to himself (223).

Symbols, Motifs, Archetypes, Allusions:

Motifs/Symbols: Windows primarily symbolize freedom and escape. When Catherine is on her deathbed, she looks through her bedroom window and imagines her childhood, yearning to be a carefree girl once again. When Heathcliff dies, his window is left open and rain is pouring in. When Lockwood encounters Catherine’s ghost, he reaches through a window and brushes her hand. Windows are somewhat like portals into other worlds – past worlds, better worlds.

Dogs symbolize loyalty as well as violence, savagery and animalism. When Heathcliff hangs Isabella’s dog, she continues to follow him blindly, as a dog would. Heathcliff’s dogs attack Lockwood in the beginning of his visit, and the Lintons’ bulldog attacks Catherine, both incidents displays of savagery or violence.

The two locks of hair (Edgar’s and Heathcliff’s) in Catherine’s locket represents her torn emotions and indecisiveness between Heathcliff and Linton – between a deep and destructive, yet genuine one or a love relatively happy, yet devoid of passion.

Harsh weather/the moors are a constant reminder of wild, passionate and unpredictable human nature. Each time the weather takes an extreme turn, such as an onslaught of rain or high winds, something disrupts the current course of events. It rains when Heathcliff leaves, when Edgar falls ill, when Cathy and Nelly ride to Wuthering Heights to visit a dying Linton, and finally, when Heathcliff himself dies and his room is drenched in rain. However, the moors also represent freedom and limitlessness for Catherine and Heathcliff specifically, for they find solace and familiarity in the relentless, merciless winds.

A motif of doubles occurs between generations. Isabella’s infatuation with Heathcliff is similar to Cathy’s initial infatuation with Hareton. Cathy’s devotion to her father parallels Catherine’s passionate love for Heathcliff – it is only different in nature (170). In fact, Zillah, Cathy, and Hareton are similar to Nelly, Catherine and Heathcliff in their relationships, except (217).

Archetype: Heathcliff is the most apparent archetype. He is classified as a Byronic hero and

a tormented romantic hero for the suffering he endures throughout his life and his obsession with Catherine destroy himself and other people. He is surrounded by tragedy, and his actions depict him as a tortured but evil man. He is an embodiment of revenge and hatred.

This type of character originated from a novel by Lord Byron, and is generally a flawed type of character who possesses the following attributes: 1) conflicting emotions and moodiness, 2) self-criticism, 3) mysterious origin, 4) distaste for social institutions and social norms, 5) self-destructive tendencies, and 6) alone; rejected from society.

Outcast: Heathcliff is an outcast, isolated from the rest of the people in Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights. He is poorer than the rest of the people in the two places. Even after becoming rich, he is isolated in other ways – having lost his love,

Catherine, he is still unable to find acceptance or belonging anywhere. Catherine is married to Edgar.

Allusion: Lockwood describes his “several incoherent threats of retaliation” by referring to

King Lear’s similar words that lack substance (12).

There is an allusion to Hercules in Chapter 14 of the novel. This occurs when Heathcliff gloats about succeeding in deceiving Isabella into marrying him, which is “a positive labour of Hercules” (111). At one point in Hercules’ life, he was hated by everybody. Heathcliff compares himself to Hercules to emphasize that point – he talks about how Isabella confessed that Heathcliff was able to make her hate him, just as the villagers of Thebes hated Hercules.

Themes:

1) Class difference is the root of competition and strife. In Wuthering Heights, there is a constant division between high-class and low-class

people. This theme is prevalent throughout the novel as characters take advantage of others or abuse their own power. A difference in social status and wealth is partly what allows these bitter conflicts and prolonged feuds.

The Earnshaws, and especially the Lintons, are well-to-do, whereas Heathcliff, brought in as an orphan, has virtually nothing. As a result, Hindley takes an instant disliking to him and resents him not only for intruding in his home but also being the center of his father’s affections (22). Heathcliff’s outward appearance – dark, shaggy, unkempt – upon first entering Wuthering Heights is the first thing he is judged for. Because he appears unworthy of high status, Catherine and Hindley scorn him and look down on him. Class difference physically separates people from one another. In addition, because it can be identified so easily based on dress or manner, the upper class characters instinctively avoid and shun those who seem below them.

Essentially, Hindley uses class division as an instrument to demean Heathcliff and exact his revenge. Recognizing the irreversible effects of being deprived a proper education, Hindley brings Heathcliff so low that Catherine feels it would degrade her to marry Heathcliff (59). Here, a class conflict is deliberately created. The gap that Hindley forms between Heathcliff and the rest of the family is unable to be reversed. Class difference is shown to be both the cause of conflict and a result of conflict.

Class conflict does not disappear with the new generation. That is, when young Cathy meets Hareton, she addresses him as a servant, which offends him. When she is told that he is her cousin, Cathy stares, “fixed in astonishment… ‘He my cousin!’ cried [she] with a scornful laugh” (144). Although children, the belief that the upper and lower class should not be able to interact on a basis of equality is still deeply engrained. Again, by instinct and visual clues Cathy jumps to a conclusion about Hareton’s social standing and is averse to the idea of being related to him.

2) Violence and cruelty is an unbreakable cycle. Hatred begets hatred and physically hurting another is seen as the only way of righting wrongs.

Violence is prevalent in Wuthering Heights, both between different people and between one person other entities. An expression of anger or pain, it is done out of selfishness and uncontrollable impulse. In many instances, violence causes irreparable damage. It also reflects the unrelenting, brutal weather that inflicts the countryside.

When Heathcliff is first brought to Wuthering Heights, Hindley shows no restraint in displaying his hatred of this newcomer. In one instance, he “threatened [Heathcliff] with an iron weight… threw it, hitting him on the breast” when Heathcliff provokes him (28). Hindley feels hurt that his father prefers a strange, foreign child over him, and thus shows no remorse in his treatment of Heathcliff. Violence is the only and most effective way he can express himself – his hatred is beyond words and his pride is so damaged that he must retaliate with equal force: physical force.

However, Heathcliff becomes the single largest perpetrator of violence. Animalistic and ferocious in his pursuit of revenge, he even takes to hanging Isabella’s dog (111). Heathcliff is blatantly obvious in his displays of cruelty. At this point, he has become nothing but a vessel of hatred and similar to the way Hindley expresses his resentment, Heathcliff expresses his disdain for Isabella and the Lintons by attacking their pet. His actions show how monstrous he has become, and how incapable he is of remorse.

Heathcliff and Hindley’s lifelong feud does not end until Hindley dies. He and Heathcliff fight after Hindley plans to shoot and kill Heathcliff. A bloody fistfight ensues, and years of pent up anger are released in the scene (130). The violence in this scene is animalistic, with Hindley’s arm being torn open by the gun he planned to use on Heathcliff. Both characters engage in a ruthless, bloody struggle for dominance; their abhorrence for each other is unbridled and savage in every sense of the word.

3) Nature and nurture both contribute to a character’s morals and values.Several characters display strong emotions or hold firmly to personal beliefs.

Sometimes the cause of a character trait is environment, which includes the people around them or the circumstances under which they live. At other times the character simply acts a certain way by nature - that is, he cannot help a tendency or an action because he was born that way.

Heathcliff’s past is clouded in mystery, but it is assumed by Nelly that he was, from birth, a “sullen, patient child; hardened perhaps, to ill-treatment” (27). She suggests that Heathcliff may have been abused in the past, and thus retains this hard outer shell and shows no affection to his adoptive father. Thus, early in the novel, it is already established that people who have undergone struggle or hardship appear to be more resilient to the smaller trifles of everyday life. It can be said that Heathcliff is this way as a child as a result of both nature and nurture.

However, when Heathcliff dedicates his life to his passionate, blinding revenge, it is a result of nurture. Because Hindley deprived him of his education, which subsequently led to his loss of Catherine, Heathcliff develops a raging hatred and determination to do harm to Hindley in return. He does this by depriving Hindley’s son Hareton of an education to see if “one tree won’t grow as crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!” (138). Out of sheer malice, Heathcliff has no remorse for the

innocence of the generation after him - his bitterness at having his future torn away from him leaves him just as much a monster as Hindley. The consequences of his circumstances from many years ago wreak their effects not only on him, but on everyone around him as well.

While nurture is a powerful force behind the development of a character, it is still hinted that young Cathy possesses her mother’s passionate capacity for love and her father’s kindly, enduring patience. Nelly notes that “her capacity for intense attachments reminded me of her mother” (139). In many ways, Catherine’s taking care of Linton and the bond she forms with him reflect both these traits; she seems a sweet, motherly figure by nature. However, her sheltered upbringings also make her naive, as she openly trusts Heathcliff when he asks her to accompany him to Wuthering Heights and repeatedly forgives Linton for disrespecting and treating her as a personal nurse.

4) Revenge, although initially satisfying, eventually leads to the destruction of others in addition to the intended target.

After his father passed away, Hindley devoted his time into degrading Heathcliff for what he did to him as a child. Hindley’s father favored Heathcliff over his own children because Hindley, in particular, did not meet his father’s expectations. As a result, Hindley decides to get revenge on Heathcliff by depriving him of an education and making him a servant. The demotion to a lower class leads to the destruction of Heathcliff because it prevents him from being able to marry Catherine. This is an injustice for Heathcliff because he dearly loves Catherine, but now that he is “degrading” to marry, he is not allowed to be with his soulmate. It does, however, catalyze his motives to seek revenge to get back at those who wronged him.

Hareton, who is the son of Hindley, was supposed to be the owner of Wuthering Heights. However, Heathcliff inherits the estate and decides to get back at Hindley by degrading Hareton to a low social class, just as he was brought down by Hindley. Hareton becomes a servant and is deprived of an education, just like Heathcliff when he was younger. The satisfaction of getting revenge pleases Heathcliff, but it introduces the downfall of Hareton into an ill-mannered and uneducated brute. He is then unable to live the life he is supposed to live because of the downgrade in his social class.

After surveying his son Linton, Heathcliff decides to use him as a part of his plot for revenge to obtain Thrushcross Grange against Edgar Linton. Unfortunately, Heathcliff sees his son as an advantageous ploy rather than a loving child. This discrepancy leads to Linton’s downfall because he is forced to pursue Cathy for Heathcliff’s own selfish interests. Linton is a very fragile boy that is constantly sick like the other Linton’s. By getting Linton to marry Cathy, Heathcliff knows that if Linton were to die, he will become the owner of Thrushcross Grange. Doing so will also allow Heathcliff to completely get revenge on Edgar. Linton’s downfall occurs when he dies as a result of Heathcliff’s self-centered, abusive ways.

5) One cannot live with a divided self. Being torn in two directions will eventually lead to a breakage, where there are just two parts that used to make up a whole. It leads to one’s demise.

A divided self calls for two completely distinct personalities. A change that extreme cannot be made without consquence. When Isabella tries to live in Wutheirng Heights, a part of her still belonged to Thrushcross Grange. The attachment to her old estate led to the development of two personalities, which deteriorated her health. It is not possible to live well with two distinct personalities, because they clash with one another. A person is just that: one. Living any other way is not living; it is dying.

Having a divided self can also be time consuming. The two parts to self both demand copious amounts of time. When Catherine returns, she feels the need to spend time with both Edgar and Heathcliff. Heathcliff discovers that she has split the days between the two and is extremely angry. A single person devotes much time to bettering oneself. There is barely enough time to do this in addition to normal tasks. Doubling that leads to an overload; there is too much for one person to handle with not enough time to accomplish it. This ultimately leads to a mandatory choice that must be made.

Even though it is possible to live with a divided self for a short period of time, it is not likely because of the level of physical and mental deterioration that will incur. There will always be one side that someone favor. When Catherine tells Nelly that she agreed to marrying Edgar, she was asked why. The most truthful reason she came up with was using Edgar’s wealth to better Heathcliff’s social status. While Catherine was living with a divided self, she continually wanted to pick Heathcliff over everything else. Circumstances she believed to be true forbade it. This inability to pick a side is really the underlying factor that tears a person apart.

Memorable Quotes:

“ ‘Ah, your favorites are among these!’ I continued, turning to an obscure cushion full of something like cats.

‘A strange choice of favorites,’ she observed scornfully.Unluckily, it was a heap of dead rabbits.” (7)

“ ‘It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff, now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.’” (59)

“ ‘I cannot express it; but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is, or should be an existence of yours beyond you. What were the use of my creation if I were entirely contained here?... Nelly, I am Heathcliff – he’s always, always in my mind.’” (60)

“ ‘Your cold blood cannot be worked into a fever – your veins are full of ice-water, but mine are boiling, and the sight of such chilliness makes them dance.’” (87)

“ ‘I love my murder – but yours! How can I?’” (119)

“I noticed on that occasion how much selfishness there is even in a love like Mr; Linton’s, when he so regretted Catherine’s blessed release!” (122)

“ ‘Now, my bonny lad, you are mine! And we’ll see if one tree won’t grow as crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!’” (138)

“ ‘Good words,’ I replied. ‘But deeds must prove it also; and after he is well, remember you don’t forget resolutions formed in the hour of fear.’” (170)

Distinctive Characteristics of the Work:

Wuthering Heights is told through first person point of view from various narrators in the story, Nelly and Lockwood being the two most prominent. The story is also a frame narrative, in which Nelly’s story of Wuthering Heights takes place within another story: Lockwood’s visit. Told in vivid imagery, this Gothic novel contains many Romantic literary elements such as extreme weather in country landscapes, ghosts, and an overall dark, foreboding atmosphere. The work, with Brontë’s depiction of passion and violence in her characters, was originally received negatively.

The novel was written around 1847, which was roughly the time period of the Industrial Revolution. This aspect of the novel is important because it contributes to a recurring theme in the novel – the role that social classes played in society.