What Is Heathcliff's Abuse Of Power

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

Heathcliff is a victim of class hatred but he also manipulates situations to his advantage and becomes an arch - exploiter. For example, after the death of his wife, Hindley went insane. Heathcliff used this opportunity to take revenge and took Wuthering Heights away from Hindley. He then went further and married Edgar’s sister, not for love or monetary gain but to get back at Edgar for marrying Catherine, and treated Edgar’s sister terribly.

Hindley hated him”’. This shows that Mrs. Earnshaw neglects Heathcliff, not loving him as much as her other children. Hindley hates Heathcliff and therefore abuses him, making him a victim. However, Mr. Earnshaw loves Heathcliff, and along with Hindley and Mrs. Earnshaw, makes him into a loved and neglected victim.

Wuthering Heights is a novel which deviates from the standard of Victorian literature. The novels of the Victorian Era were often works of social criticism. They generally had a moral purpose and promoted ideals of love and brotherhood. Wuthering Heights is more of a Victorian Gothic novel; it contains passion, violence, and supernatural elements (Mitchell 119). The world of Wuthering Heights seems to be a world without morals. In Wuthering Heights, Brontë does not idealize love; she presents it realistically, with all its faults and merits. She shows that love is a powerful force which can be destructive or redemptive. Heathcliff has an all-consuming passion for Catherine. When she chooses to marry Edgar, his spurned love turns into a

Cruelty compels one to inflict cruelty upon others. In her novel, Wuthering Heights, Brontë illustrates the rough life of Heathcliff, conflicted with whether he should focus his life on loving Catherine Earnshaw or inflicting revenge on those who tortured him as a child. Mr. Earnshaw adopts Heathcliff into the Earnshaw family as an orphan gypsy, a social class that most of the Earnshaw did not care for. The eldest child of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley, abuses Heathcliff horribly, shaping the way Heathcliff perceives the world around him. Catherine Earnshaw, Hindley’s younger sister, motivates Heathcliff to endure this pain through their affectionate relationship. With his heart focused on revenge, Heathcliff devises a cruel plan to retaliate those who hurt him; he returns to Wuthering Heights as a refined, powerful man. He takes some of his anger out on Hareton Earnshaw, Hindley’s son; this parallels Hindley’s abuse towards Heathcliff. Through Hindley’s and Heathcliff’s abusiveness in Wuthering Heights, Brontë asserts that cruelty cycles from its perpetrators to its victims.

Heathcliff eventually becomes master of Wuthering Heights as well as treating the unwanted son, Hareton after Hindley had died in the way his step-brother had treated him.

Heathcliff is a prime example of situational stress leading to sociopathic behavior. Hindley’s problems begin the day Heathcliff is comes to Wuthering Heights. Hindley is jealous of Heathcliff and feels inferior to him. When Mr. Earnshaw dies and Hindley controls the Heights, he demotes Heathcliff to the lowest position in the house, therefore feeling superior. Eventually Hindley drinks himself away and gambles the property to Heathcliff.

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

Because of that, he vowed to get revenge on others. After Mr. Earnshaw dies, Hindley becomes the heir of Wuthering Heights. He abuses Heathcliff, and Heathcliff decides he will get revenge. He says, “I’m trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don’t care how long I wait, if I can only do

Hindley invites the Lintons to dinner the following day, and they agree to visit, on the condition that the Linton children will not have to encounter Heathcliff. Hindley agrees to this condition, although Nelly convinces Heathcliff to make himself presentable. As the Lintons arrive, Hindley banishes Heathcliff to the kitchen. Edgar makes what Heathcliff considers

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

Heathcliff’s loathing feelings against Hindley even last long after Hindley’s death. Heathcliff has created a demonic reality in which his mistreatment of Hereton will enable him to gain revenge against Hindley. Heathcliff also maintains his revenge by becoming extremely possessive of the Heights. Heathcliff’s vicious watch dogs ensure the security of the Heights because maintaining complete control of the Heights continues his revenge against Hindley.

Hindley and Mr. Linton fear Heathcliff’s malevolence and violence, trying to avoid him as much as possible because of it. Mr. Linton forbids his daughter, Cathy, from visiting Wuthering Heights because he does not want Heathcliff to hurt or harm her. Hindley attempted to murder Heathcliff because of his malevolence (167). Heathcliff’s malevolence may be a symptom of his grief after Catherine died. Catherine was his only and true love, and her death may have caused him to become slightly crazy.

When Hindley takes over Wuthering Heights he basically turns Heathcliff into a poor slave that wasn’t aloud an education. This classification is one of the main reasons that Catherine choose to marry Edgar instead. After she married she soon became pregnant. She gets very sick and 2 hours after the baby is born, Catherine dies. This is when Catherine truly becomes a forbidden love. Heathcliff is so devastated by her death that he shouts “Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest, as long as I am living! You said I killed you – haunt me then! The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe – I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh god! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!”