Heathcliff and Hareton Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights Essay

3. Lockwood compares himself to Heathcliff in his hospitality and in his capacity within the subject of relationships. Lockwood also indirectly contrasts the environment’s suitability to the two

Throughout Wuthering Heights, there are multiple symbols employed to enrich the overall narrative, many of which have a multitude of meanings in order to elevate the text to a higher literary standard. One of the less obvious motifs is books. However, when reviewing their role in both Catherine and Cathy’s lives it is not clear to what degree it would be fair to claim they have a central role in the overall narrative, especially because of the “plurality” and “ambiguity” of each individual instance where the symbolism of books is introduced.

In Wuthering Heights, one of the main negative parenting examples is shown in Heathcliff. Although Heathcliff was treated well by Mr. Earnshaw, his siblings and adopted mother differed. In the beginning this was stated, “He has been blaming our father(how dared he?) for treating H. too liberally; and swears he will reduce him to his right place-(Bronte, 15).” This quote shows the anger Heathcliff had, especially for Hindley. At the end of this quote he hints at planning his revenge against Hindley, later executing it on Hareton(Hindley’s son). This Later, this greatly affected Heathcliff as he looked for revenge when he mistreated Hareton just as Hindley had treated him when they were younger. Heathcliff also became a very bad person in general, wishing that Cathy not rest in peace and haunt him, and his manner and mischief towards everyone around him. Heathcliff's abuse towards Isabella is also a result of his childhood as well as the heartbreak of Catherine. In the novel, the parenting of Hareton symbolize hardship and strength. It symbolizes this because Hareton although not smart, powers through his rough childhood and shows strength in overcoming those obstacles, later ending up marrying Cathy and now is

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

Mr. Earnshaw, the father of Older Catherine, found Heathcliff in the streets of Liverpool “where he picked it up and inquired for its owner” (p. 61-62) Bronte’s use of allusion in the quote above serves to depict Heathcliff as an “it,” (p. 62) a creature, and not a human being. However, Mr. Earnshaw favored Heathcliff and it is this built up jealousy from other members in the Wuthering Heights estate that causes Heathcliff to “bred bad feeling in the house.” (p. 55) He became the object of abuse by everyone excluding Mr. Earnshaw. From that time on and for the rest of his life it seems Heathcliff lives by an animal code, loving only one person who loves him, and seeking revenge on the others, who he feels have in one way or another mistreated him.

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.

Much of the charm and allure of Wuthering Heights stems from Heathcliff, one of the main characters and the destined lover of Catherine Earnshaw. He is passionate and short-tempered, and he is also very prideful of himself despite the fact that he was considered a “dirty, ragged, black-haired child” and a “gipsy brat” (Bronte 37). Heathcliff is insecure as a young boy. At first, Heathcliff believes himself to be inferior to Edgar Linton, a light-skinned, dapper boy that was his rival for Catherine Earnshaw’s love. He wishes that he had “light hair and a fair skin, and was dressed and behaved as well, and had a chance of being as rich as [Edgar Linton] [would] be,” (Bronte 56).

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

The first theme is that of displacement. After reading a majority of Wuthering Height there is a lot involving people who have been displaced. Our first example of this would be when Mr.Earnshaw brings back Heathcliff to Wuthering Heights “The master tried to explain the matter; but he was really half dead with fatigue, and all that I could make out, amongst her scolding, was a tale of his seeing it starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb, in the streets of Liverpool, where he picked it up and inquired for its owner." (Bronte, p.38) From this quote we can see that Heathcliff is out of placed due to the fact that he is very dirty, and ragged, where as the Earnshaws are fair-skinned and well-groomed.

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.

Earnshaw and raised as his own son. There, he endures daily torment from his step-brother Hareton who abhors Heathcliff and regards him “as a usurper of his parent's affections and his privileges” (Brontë 37). The display of cruelty, ranging between stinging pinches to violent beatings, between such young children appalled readers. Moreover, after Mr. Earnshaw’s death when Hindley became the head of the manor, he further ill-treats his brother by relegating him to the position of a mere servant and by forcing him labor extensively. Retorting to the mistreatment he faces, Heathcliff vows to “pay Hindley back” (Brontë 54). Hence, Hindley initiates a cycle of maltreatment that influences Heathcliff’s future treatment of others. The author opts to include detailed accounts of violence between the young boys, invoking readers to label her as vile for creating the gruesome story while they ironically remain reading the “repelling” novel. As the book progresses, Heathcliff becomes the main perpetrator of hostility, as a result of the vicious rotation of abuse. First, he deceptively marries an innocent girl, Isabelle Linton, to exact revenge upon her brother, and he impairs both her mind and body. He, even, murders her precious dog, seeking to wound her. Heathcliff’s willingness to kill demonstrates his borderline sadistic inclination to receive pleasure from inflicting pain on others. His

His foster brother Hindley avoided him as a reject from society while viewing Heathcliff’s very existence as grievous crime, particularly because Mr. Earnshaw’s love and affection were displaced towards Heathcliff instead of him (EssayFarm, 2003). Mr. Earnshaw actions backfires later on in the novel as Hindley is misused and cheated out of ownership of wuthering heights by Heathcliff. Heathcliff hateful abuse both Hindley in his weakened state and Hindley’s son Hareton, who is made the stablehand instead of the rightful owner of the heights (EssayFarm, 2003). Heathcliff then imprisoned Catherine upon her visits to his son Linton. He forced her into 7marrying Linton while her own father was dying, and so gained ownership of Thrushcross Grange as well as the heights (EssayFarm, 2003). All the crimes that Heathcliff committed was out revenge against the society and how they treated him as young boy, because Mr. Earnshaw changing society rules and allowing an outsider in their society, they all had to pay the price, but Mr. Earnshaw can not only be blamed but as well as the society of wuthering heights as well are to be blamed, just because some is an outsider doesn’t mean he should be abused and treated badly so at the end they also paid the

First, in the novel Wuthering Heights, the character Heathcliff reflects the house Wuthering Heights. The first way Heathcliff’s attributes mirror the features of Wuthering Heights is Heathcliff’s incessant aggressive, bad mood. Wuthering Heights, when seen in the novel, always seems to be having turbulent weather. Heathcliff’s aggression directly compares to the aggression of the weather there. The second way Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights relate is their resemblance of physical traits. Heathcliff over time does not age very well. Similarly, the house is not kept up, is always a mess throughout the book, and is described as rustic looking by Nelly, “The apartment and furniture would have been nothing extraordinary as belonging to a homely, northern farmer with a stubborn countenance” (Brontë 3). The third way that Heathcliff and Wuthering Heights are alike is their low level in society, so to speak.

The presentation of childhood is a theme that runs through two generations with the novel beginning to reveal the childhood of Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw, and with the arrival of the young Liverpudlian orphan, Heathcliff. In chapter four, Brontë presents Heathcliff’s bulling and abuse at the hands of Hindley as he grows increasingly jealous of Heathcliff for Mr. Earnshaw, his father, has favoured Heathcliff over his own son, “my arm, which is black to the shoulder” the pejorative modifier ‘black’ portrays dark and gothic associations but also shows the extent of the abuse that Heathcliff as a child suffered from his adopted brother. It is this abuse in childhood that shapes Heathcliff’s attitudes towards Hindley and his sadistic

Hareton Earnshaw, a victim of Hindley, Heathcliff, and Cathy, stands up for himself, shocking the reader’s perception of his character. Hareton is a victim of his father’s alcohol abuse and gambling addiction. These addictions are a result of Frances’ death and the reader becomes sympathetic towards Hindley; however, Hareton is the innocent victim affected by the lack of care from his father. Hareton is a toddler when Hindley holds him over the railing of a staircase, threatening his life. Once Hindley dies, Heathcliff takes on the responsibility to care for young Hareton. He does not know that he is being used as part of Heathcliff’s plan to get revenge on Hindley for abusing him as a child. Heathcliff wishes to keep Hareton ignorant and uneducated in an effort to degrade him. When describing Hareton, Nelly, the house servant, says, “He appeared to have bent his malevolence on making him a brute: he was never taught to read or write; never rebuked for any bad habit which did not annoy his keeper; never led a single step towards virtue, or guarded by a single precept against vice” (Bronte 152). Hareton is a victim to society because he is kept an uncivilized and ignorant young man. The reader feels sympathetic towards him because he is made to be an inferior