Essay about Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Through self-centered and narcissistic characters, Emily Bronte’s classic novel, “Wuthering Heights” illustrates a deliberate and poetic understanding of what greed is. Encouraged by love, fear, and revenge, Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, and Linton Heathcliff all commit a sin called selfishness.

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

Heathcliff is abused; his only source of love is his dearest Catherine, yet even that love cannot thrive in Heathcliff’s environment. The problem is not that his love is unrequited, but rather that Catherine believes she would fall to ruin if she were to be with Heathcliff “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him---because he's more

In this particular scene, Catherine is trying to talk Heathcliff out of putting Isabella in danger. This proves that no matter what Heathcliff wants to do, Catherine can always talk him out of it. Catherine can control all of his actions, thus his obsession with

The conflict is that Catherine prefers Heathcliff but Edgar is the one who provide her with the needs she wants. Catherine didn't talk to Edgar as much as she talked to Heathcliff. Heathcliff is important to Catherine because they knew each other since they were young. Catherine wants to be with Heathcliff but she doesn't think he’ll ever amount to anything. “I’ve no more business to marry Edgar Linton that I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn't have thought of it It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now.” (Bronte, 81). Their love was so tragic, depressing and controlling hurt them worse. Later in the story, Catherine refuses to answer Edgar question when he tells her to choose between the two

1. As it deteriorates and dies, Heathcliff and Catherine’s relationship serves as a cautionary tale and a witness to love’s destructive nature. Their love for one another is an addiction. Catherine long for Heathcliff and states, “I wish I could hold you.. till we were both dead” (Brontë 357). Catherine understands their relationship as “a source of little visible delight, but necessary” (Brontë 183). She views herself as one in the same with her lover, “Nelly, I am Heathcliff” (Brontë 183). She is obsessed with him-- regardless of her relationship with Edgar, Heathcliff never ceases to occupy her thoughts. If she were to lose Heathcliff, she would effectively go through withdrawal; their love is an addiction. She wants possession of Heathcliff

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

Brontë’s Catherine loves the wild Heathcliff and desires defiance of rules and limitations. However, unlike Gretchen, Catherine conforms to social norms by marrying the dull Edgar Linton instead of Heathcliff. Isabella becomes passionate about diverging from societal norms and the ability to making her own decisions. With these desires in mind, she marries an abusive man – even when Catherine warns her about Heathcliff.

With this description, Catherine emphasizes the social values of the eighteenth century through her willingness to defy authority and reason, pitting her against the strict societal expectations of the era. However, the exposure of Catherine to Thrushcross Grange as she stays at the manor to recover from the injury to her ankle, prompts a transformation in her romanticist character that openly explores the cultural values of the Yorkshire Manors. The civility of the Lintons in Thrushcross Grange transforms the once-defiant and youthful Catherine into a mature and well-groomed lady that develops an internal conflict between her love for the well-mannered and wealthy Edgar Linton and the lowly Heathcliff. In Brontë’s novel, Catherine emphasizes her characterization in a scene where she laments this internal conflict saying, “I've no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn't have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him” (Brontë

Catherine gives Edgar rather cold half comforting, half mocking words, after Heathcliff was sent to the attic. Nelly initially calls her unfeeling and selfish, for not jumping to Heathcliff's aid. She retracts this almost a second later when Catherine starts crying and dives under the table to hide it. Later, Heathcliff overhears Catherine talking about not wanting to marry him, and runs away. While Heathcliff is away, Edgar and Catherine start up a more romantic relationship and eventually marry. Nelly says that the biggest difference with Catherine after this is that she is better

This leads to him running away from the heights entirely, leaving Catherine to marry Edgar. “He had listened till he heard Catherine say it would degrade her to marry him.” (81). Upon his return (two years later), Heathcliff marries Isabella to get back at Catherine, and her speech about how marrying him would degrade her. Isabella is also taken against her and her family’s will. Heathcliff kidnaps her and locks her away at the heights. In a letter written to Nelly, Isabella confirms that it was truly against her will for her leaving, and that she cannot return in the time of crisis in her brother’s life. “… an entreaty for kind remembrance and reconciliation, if her proceeding offended him: asserting that she could not help it then, and being done, no power to repeal it.” (140). In the act of kidnapping Isabella, Heathcliff’s intent is to hurt Catherine. Catherine would develop almost a jealous-like temper towards the whole situation, as Heathcliff knew it would. Even on Catherine’s deathbed, there is a constant push and pull (in almost a literal sense) of the cruelty that goes on between the two of them. Between the crying, the vexing, and the constant apologies, comes the brutal cruelty of the words Catherine speaks to Heathcliff. “I shall not pity you, not I. You have killed me – and thriven on it, I think.” (164)

Catherine even reveals to Nelly that her love for Linton is temporary and false, whereas her love for Heathcliff is as eternal as “the rocks beneath” (70). Her decision shows her naivety, therefore demonstrating the destructive features of the women of the time.

Emily Bronte created a book called Wuthering Heights that was published in 1847. The book has been rejected multiple times by the Victorian readers because of its disturbing, unexplained vision of anarchy and decay (Knoepflmacher). I chose the book Wuthering Heights because it has an interesting name. I never thought the book was narrated by two people and that it had a dramatic romance to it. Also I have notice that there is a large amount of hate towards the character Heathcliff due to his actions towards revenge. Although many critics claim that Heathcliff is the true villain of Wuthering Heights I disagree with these critics because in my opinion Heathcliff is not the true villain of Wuthering Heights. I say this because a villain is

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.