Heathcliff Character Analysis

Since its publication, Wuthering Heights has intrigued its readers; a love story gone wrong, twisted by vengeance and heartbreak. Many important factors of the novel are displayed in the portion of the novel narrated by Ellen. The passage in Wuthering Heights in which Catherine Linton’s funeral is described is vital in explaining important relationships in the novel, particularly the relationship between Heathcliff and Edgar Linton.

Mr. Earnshaw, the father figure at the Wuthering Heights estates, upon returning from a trip to Liverpool, has brought a young orphan boy in place of the gifts he promised his children. Despite Mr. Earnshaw’s kind heart, the family refuses to accept the boy. Wuthering Height’s maid, Ellen “Nelly” Dean, narrating the family’s history to Lockwood, tells him the family’s first impressions and their treatment of the boy. She states, “they entirely refused to have it in bed with them, or even in their room; and I had no more sense, so I put it on the landing of the stairs, hoping it might he gone on the morrow” (Brontë 40). Both children are upset at Heathcliff for have crushing the gifts their father has promised to bring back to them. Neither let him room with them, resulting in Heathcliff sleeping on the floor outside of Mr. Earnshaw’s room for the first night of his arrival. Aside from being an orphan, this was Heathcliff’s first experience with rejection at Wuthering Heights. Not only did the children dislike Heathcliff for have ruining their gifts, but the adults did not appreciate his arrival either. Nelly claims she hopes “it might be he gone on the morrow” (Brontë 40). In addition to wishing the boy would disappear, she refers to Heathcliff as not the pronoun “he,” but with the word “it,” degrading him to a “thing” as opposed to a human being. Nelly then descripes Mrs. Earnshaw’s opinion on the boy, “Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it out of doors: she did fly up, asking how he could fashion to bring that gipsy brat into the house, when they had their own bairns to feed and fend for?,” (Brontë 39). She is just as welcoming as the children and maid, Nelly, are. She refers to him as a derogatory, gypsy boy,

In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Heathcliff’s strong love for Catherine guides his transformation as a character. While Heathcliff enters the story as an innocent child, the abuse he receives at a young age and his heartbreak at Catherine’s choice to marry Edgar Linton bring about a change within him. Heathcliff’s adulthood is consequently marked by jealousy and greed due to his separation from Catherine, along with manipulation and a deep desire to seek revenge on Edgar. Although Heathcliff uses deceit and manipulation to his advantage throughout the novel, he is never entirely content in his current situation. As Heathcliff attempts to revenge Edgar Linton, he does not gain true fulfillment. Throughout Wuthering Heights, Brontë uses Heathcliff’s vengeful actions to convey the message that manipulative and revenge-seeking behaviors will not bring a person satisfaction.

Catherine was bitten and Heathcliff was sent back to Wuthering Heights. According to the Linton’s he was uncivilized and his bad behavior was not accepted in their household. Catherine was accepted into their house and welcomed even though she was not respectful. Luckily for her she knew when to turn it off and not let them see that side of her, but are polite. Thrushcross Grange is actually a house where its members of the Linton family are civilized. The Linton’s are rich and have many luxuries that Catherine is not using to but she wants to become a esteemed lady. Thrushcross is an elegant house that the Linton’s own and love to hang out in the parlor. Later on when Catherine returned home to Wuthering Heights the Linton’s came over but Edgar had spoken to Heathcliff, which was not part of the agreement. Hindley had sent Heathcliff away for his actions with Edgar. Edgar saw how Hindley treated Heathcliff and he was fearful of him. Edgar was fond of Catherine but he was not willing to visit Wuthering Heights because of Mr. Earnshaw. Edgar was eager to marry Catherine and move her to the ThrushCross Grange, which is more lavish then the callous, dreary, and desolate Wuthering

When Heathcliff returns three years later, his love for Catherine motivates him to enact revenge upon all those who separated him from her. Since he last saw Catherine, he has “fought through a bitter life”; he “struggled only for [her]” (Brontë 71). Nelly observes a “half-civilized ferocity” in Heathcliff’s brows (Brontë 70); she views him as “an evil beast…waiting his time to spring and destroy” (Brontë 79). Heathcliff’s obsessive love for Catherine becomes a menacing threat. Heathcliff reproaches Catherine because she “treated [him]

   "My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff" (81)" These words, uttered by Catherine, in the novel Wuthering Heights are for me the starting point in my investigation into the themes of love and obsession in the novel. Catherine has just told her housekeeper that she has made up her mind to marry Edgar Linton, although she is well aware that her love for him is bound to change as time passes. That she is obsessed by her love for Heathcliff she confirms in the above quotation and by saying that she will never, ever be separated from him. Why does she not marry him then? Well, she has

The disorderly atmosphere of Wuthering Heights, generated by Heathcliff’s raucous behavior causes Catherine to gravitate towards a more uncivilized and mannerless version of herself. Several times, Catherine snaps at others and throws furious tantrums, as she scolds and even slaps Nelly for cleaning in Edgar’s prescence. The rambunctious setting of Wuthering Heights conjures a different Catherine, where, “to pracise politeness...would only be laughed at,” influencing her to act on rebellious

Manipulation is a known tool used for many horrid reasons such as taking advantage of others or releasing the negative emotions out of chaos. A story of a dystopian world manipulating the citizens and another about a man manipulating a woman’s life, seeking revenge of his scarred heart for many decades because of her rejection are two stories known to use that tool. 1984 by George Orwell and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte are different in every way yet the techniques the authors impose are very similar, highlighting the message of manipulation. These two novels portray two different scenarios of manipulation using similar techniques.

With such an infamous knack for the art of the scorn and slander, it’s not much of a surprise that Catherine enjoys her gossip. While telling Nelly about Edgar’s Marriage proposal, with Heathcliff eavesdropping close by, Nelly asks Cathy why she would not marry heathcliff instead. Her response, “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now” (Bronte 81), shows that she not only cares more about her social status and appearance, but that she disregards Heathcliff’s feelings almost entirely as she has, as if she were shopping, gone with the better deal. Once Heathcliff hears Cathy’s words, he becomes a changed man, and by no means for the

Somehow, I think that Heathcliff tricked himself into believing that Edgar was responsible for Catherine's death. In addition to his hatred for Edgar now, Heathcliff still did not like him from their strife during his visit to Thrushcross Grange. For whatever reasons, Heathcliff's will for revenge against the Lintons grows stronger. He even made his son marry Catherine Linton so that he would gain control of the Linton estate after Edgar Linton dies. This paper is about Emily Bronte’s book Wuthering Heights.

Martha Nussbaum describes the romantic ascent of various characters in Wuthering Heights through a philosophical Christian view. She begins by describing Catherine as a lost soul searching for heaven, while in reality she longs for the love of Heathcliff. Nussbaum continues by comparing Heathcliff as the opposition of the ascent from which the Linton’s hold sacred within their Christian beliefs. Nussbaum makes use of the notion that the Christian belief in Wuthering Heights is both degenerate and way to exclude social classes.

Like Heathcliff, she was also a wild spirit, intrinsically inclined toward Wuthering Heights, yet capable of adapting to high-society living. However, she could not continue to ignore her inherent affinity for both Heathcliff and the natural world. Only as she approached death did she finally admit that she “[didn’t] want…Edgar” or Thrushcross Grange to be her home (Brontë 127). Catherine’s frantic love for Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights manifested as the “brain fever” that led to her death, symbolizing the conflict between her effort to fit into society and her longing for a life free of constraints with Heathcliff (Brontë 132). Despite his newfound suffering, Heathcliff continues to love Catherine, even after her

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.

father dies, however, Heathcliff is thrown out of his home by Catherine’s brother Hindley out of jealousy. For Pride and Prejudice, the same situation is replicated, though the roles have flipped. Darcy’s father adopted Mr. Wickham as a child, but the adopted son proved to be a scoundrel, gambling away his inheritance, manipulating families for money, and led Darcy to banish Wickham from the house upon his father’s death. Both stories are rooted in jealousy and banishment, whether the main character was evicted or vice versa. “The pride, hardness, and sullenness which Heathcliff displays as a child is significant only because these traits make his later violence possible… His nature is soil capable of nourishing violence… but the seed of frustration has to be planted first” (Hagan 147). Heathcliff was truly wronged as a child, which assists in his transformation into a revenge-driven monster. Darcy, however, is the one who initiated the hatred between his adoptive brother. For both men, it is this parallel situation on opposite ends that create a tense, revenge-driven relationship between their brothers. These adversaries act as barriers for the love Heathcliff and Darcy seek, and each demand a sacrifice later in life to overcome the bad blood that stains each childhood.

It is the opinion of this essay that the character of Heathcliff evolves a lot more than the character of Catherine. When we first meet Heathcliff, he was found on the streets of Liverpool by Catherine’s father who then adopts him into the family as one of his own. This would have been a dramatic change for Heathcliff. Then after experiencing this quality of life until the death of the father he is then cast into the role of a servant/labourer by Catherine’s brother who despises him. Finally, when Heathcliff hears part of the conversation between Catherine and Nelly, he hears Catherine plans to marry Edgar Linton as she could never marry Heathcliff. “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now”. (82) It is here Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights and returns three years later, a gentleman of means and of polite demeanour, not what you would expect from him. Here we can bring back the point that one’s environment dramatically affects one’s behaviour. Like Catherine, Heathcliff defies social norms expected of his gender. After he returns back from travelling having acquired great wealth and on the surface seems a changed man, he would be accepted into middle class society as he displays the characteristics expected of him. It is well described in the book to enforce the dramatic change in him for readers to understand how far he has come from