Love: The Destruction Of Cathy's Relationships

Not only does Cathy use her erotic ways to get what she desires, but she also uses physical pain and eventually, murder. After fighting with her father about Cathy’s attempt at running away, Cathy had had enough. One night Cathy leaves an apron in the oven of her house, locks all the doors, steals her father’s money, and leaves her parents to die in her childhood home, erupting into flames. Enjoying every second of her act and not feeling any remorse, Cathy’s cheeks “were bright with color and her eyes shone and her mouth turned up in its small childlike smile” (85). The murder of her parents is Cathy’s first real act of evil that Steinbeck shows in the book, showing how much hatred she is capable of and the extent to which she will go to get her way.

Love can come in many forms. The love between significant others, families, and friends are most often the love that comes to mind when we think of affection and the act of caring for others. Throughout “The House of the Spirits”, many types of love are displayed, but one that stands out as peculiar or odd among the rest is the love Ferula feels for Clara. Ferula displays a passion for looking after and generally being near Clara. This devotion to her sister-in-law is far from average, as Ferula feels almost jealous of Esteban, Clara’s husband, and longs to be the only person that Clara can depend upon. “Ferula had come to love Clara with a jealous passion that resembled that of a demanding husband more than it did that of a sister-in-law.”

In his ironically titled story, “Devotion,” Adam Haslett introduces Owen, a middle-aged man who lives with his sister in their deceased parents’ home in England, and as they both prepare for a visit from a special friend, his hidden fears and emotions are awakened. As the author reveals the intricacies of the bond between the siblings it is clear their relationship isn’t as loving and healthy as it could seem, but is instead a harmful relationship that keeps them away from a normal life in a larger world. Relying on flashbacks, letters, and symbolism to unravel the reasons Owen and Hillary live together in their parents’ home, Haslett also conveys how fear of being alone can make a person selfish and cause them to inadvertently ruin someone

What Janie’s grandma experienced was not warm, caring love. Getting love was the worst thing to ever happen to Nanny. The child conceived by the horrific effects of the rape, Leafy, was also sexually assaulted at a young age. One day Nanny explains to Janie, “But one day she didn’t come home at de usual time and Ah waited and waited, but she never come home all dat night… De next mornin’ she came crawlin’ in her hands and knees… Dat school teacher had done hid her in the woods all night long, and he had donerped muhbaby and run on off just before day” (Hurston 18). This shows that someone as sensitive as your first love and virginity can be the worst thing to ever happen to a little girl. Leafy gave birth to Janie and left the newborn with her mother, Nanny, to live the rest of her life drinking away the pain. When Nanny explains how Janie’s mother left it further highlights the idea of love being the worst tragedy in one’s life. The rape left Janie’s mother absolutely broken, to the point she could not raise the child. Janie never met her mother and never got the love she wanted from her maternal mom. The love and sexual interest the Crawford women hoped to get wasn’t what they

stories of the tragic effect of a love so strong that it can kill sets the table for the

All my life I have valued so dearly men who never lay a hand in anger against women. I feel like it’s a huge disrespect and the exact opposite of anything like love. Therefore, when Westley slaps Buttercup I was appalled. How dare the “hero” of the book do such a thing? It wasn’t until much later that I realized this was part of Goldman’s satire to the concepts of love and heroism. At the end of the book I had finally grasped the idea that love can be very strong, but never perfect. Westley and Buttercup’s love came slowly. For an example, Westley said, “I’ve been saying it so long to you. You just wouldn’t listen. Every time you said ‘farm boy do this’, you thought I was saying ‘as you wish’, but that’s only because you were hearing wrong. ‘I love you’ is what is was, but never heard and you never heard.” In my small experience of love, I know it can be very beautiful but sometimes also frustrating. I can directly put this lesson into play in my teenage

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

Though Adam is favored by many throughout the book, he experiences rejection by those closest to him. The first rejection he feels is by his brother, Charles Trask. Through most of their childhood, Charles dislikes Adam because their father favors him. He is jealous of the relationship between Adam and their father because he tries so hard to please his father, but his father chooses Adam. Charles’ jealousy is seen when he confronts Adam after their father and Adam had a secret talk: “‘What did you do on his birthday? You think I didn’t see? Did you spend six bits or even four bits? You brought him a mongrel pup you picked up in a woodlot. You laughed like a fool and said it would make a good bird dog. That dog sleeps in his room… And where’s the knife? ‘Thanks,” [their father] said, just ‘Thanks’” (29). Charles believes that Adam does not even have to try to receive their father’s love, while Charles has to work his hardest to get any kind of recognition. Another person that rejects Adam is Cathy Trask, Adam’s wife. From the start of their relationship, Adam sees Cathy in a light that is not true to who she is. He sees her as the perfect wife that agrees with everything he says and wants to achieve the same dreams as he does. But this false notion of Cathy causes her to reject Adam. After moving across the country against her will and having children with Adam, Cathy believes she is ready to leave him. She tells Adam this, but he does not take it well and tries to convince her to stay. She replies “I don’t give a damn what you believe. I’m going… I can do anything to you. Any woman can do anything to you. You’re a fool” (199). She shoots Adam before leaving her twins and their house behind. Because Adam holds Cathy on a pedestal and continually

Adam’s goodness may be the preferred trait one would prefer to inherit, however it ends up being the downfall of him because it prevents him from seeing a person for who they really are. His kind nature ultimately is the reason he is able to be tricked by Cathy’s manipulative ways. However, after believing he is left with nothing and letting himself wallow in self pity, the honorable and wise Samuel Hamilton reminds him of an important story. Mr. Hamilton reminds Adam that King James of the bible once said, “thou salt prevail over sin”, however it is up to the man to rise above his pain and mistakes. Adam, still feeling sorry for himself, is hesitant to believe Samuel’s advice. However, after making a visit to his wife Cathy in her new life as a whore, he finally realizes he can be okay with out her. He realizes that his children deserve a father better than one who is in love with a whore. He sees through Cathy’s manipulation and decides that he can live happily with what he has. Adam confirms his choice to overcome Cathy saying, “I seemed to come out of a sleep, in some strange way my eyes have been cleared. A weight is off me”(Steinbeck 328). Adam rises above the Cathy he once idolized and allows himself to see who she really is. In result not only does he realize the improved Eden he can build with his sons, he proves that the power to overcome his destiny lays within one self. Adam, however is not the only Trask who proves this possible, Cal

The darkening of Cathy Ames’ scar represents the growing of evil. Throughout her whole childhood, Cathy escaped punishment through deception and manipulation. It is not until her boyfriend discovers her true intentions and desire to steal his money that Cathy will first be punished. He unsuccessfully tries to kill Cathy, leaving her with a scar on her forehead. As Cathy’s crimes become more complex and rooted deeper in evil, the scar darkens, “‘And both of them remarked about how sometimes it was darker than other times”’ (212). When first meeting Cathy, characters feel an uncomfortable strange feeling in her soul and then remark on the peculiar scar. The scar exhibits Cathy’s true nature and ever-growing evil.

Another way the idea of good versus evil is expressed is by the internal conflicts of the characters. Cathy is good example of a character that has an inner conflict of good versus evil. Cathy, the most evil of all in this novel, kills her parents, manipulates Adam and Charles, attempts to abort her children, shoots Adam, abandons her twin sons once they are born, and murders Faye, her friend and boss. However, the good in Cathy overcomes the bad. By the end of the novel she becomes religious and she leaves all of her fortune to her son. Charles is also a good example of a character struggling with inner conflict. Whenever Adam beats him in a game, Charles becomes very abusive towards him; once he almost kills Adam. However, Charles also protects Adam from others and he does, in fact, love him. He "fought any boy who ... slurred Adam and ... protected Adam from his father's harshness" (Steinbeck 491). Adam is forced to join the service and is sent to war, Charles tries to keep in touch with him by writing letters. In

Next, Through Christopher's understanding of relationships, Haddon unveils the reality of the idealistic thoughts of normality in society. Society thinks a relationship is to mutually love and respect and trust one another. It’s considered “normal” to show affection if you care for someone. Christopher has an inability to express his feelings of love. "And Father said, 'Christopher do you understand that I love you?' And I said 'Yes', because loving someone is helping them when they get into trouble, and looking after them, and telling the truth,” (87) Despite the normality society has put on relationships, every person has their own opinion on how a relationship works. The normality of relationships is only an ideal standard. Contrary to what most believe as a typical relationship, some don’t express their thoughts and feelings in the same way. Haddon shows his readers that just because there are standards to what a relationship should be like, doesn’t mean everyone has to abide by those standards. The love Christopher's parents have for him is one- sided, they can’t expect him to feel the same way. (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). Normality is a standard and the standard society has on relationships are unattainable considering all people are different.

The bond between a mother and child is often spoken of as being unlike any other. Yet there are always exceptions to the rule where this connection isn 't as impenetrable as one might assume. This book is an example of this bond gradually becoming weaker over time. It shows how it affects the child, Bone, and leaves her vulnerable to the abuse of her step-father. Bone’s mother, Anney, had fallen in love with a man who abused her which at first, she’s unaware but eventually comes to realize but still chooses to stay with him. Throughout the book there are instances of Anney’s negligence in recognizing her daughter’s abuse and being of aid to her but wasn 't. In having to deal with her

Nussbaum also establishes a conflict between the fundamental Christian world of the Lintons, and the chaotic world of Heathcliff. The distinction is clearly drawn as a virtuous and companionate world in which the Linton’s live, while Heathcliff is drawn to immoral and devious actions. The author does not however see it this simple. The superficial piteous world is in fact shadowed by a shallow a fake ideal of life. Even Catherine realizes the forged environment in which the Linton’s live, as she explains, “in whichever place the soul lives. In my soul and in my heart, I’m convinced I’m wrong.” Even though Heathcliff is portrayed as a demonic figure, he also is shown as the romantic Christina lover. This love is the driving force behind his urge to fight against what is expected of him. Both the Linton’s and Heathcliff are not given the satisfaction of becoming the portrait for the ideal Christian.

As the novel progresses, the two major themes of love altering one’s soul and misfortune being