Wuthering Heights Controversy

Cathy, catching a glimpse of her friend in his concealment, flew to embrace him; she bestowed seven or eight kisses on his cheek within the second, and then stopped, and drawing back, burst into a laugh, exclaiming, 'Why, how very black and cross you look! and how - how funny and grim! But that 's because I 'm used to Edgar and Isabella Linton. Well, Heathcliff, have you forgotten me? ' (Bronte, 45). (Hindley is speaking).

Both Catherine and Heathcliff express these emotions when exposed to an unusually intense thunderstorm with “growling thunder [...and] violent wind” (Brontë 84). After Catherine told Nelly that she was now engaged to Edgar Linton, Heathcliff ran away out of anger because of Catherine’s rejection of him. In turn, when it was discovered that Heathcliff was missing, Catherine ran out into the storm, not accepting his disappearance. The violent nature of the storm reflects Heathcliff’s anger towards Cathy for not choosing him, exemplified when the storm itself destroys the chimney of Wuthering Heights. This mirrors Heathcliff’s new desire to destroy those who have hurt him at Wuthering Heights, including Catherine.

Cathy and Hindley alter him into a vicious, lonely master: ‘“The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don’t turn against him, they crush those beneath them”’. This shows that Heathcliff will not take revenge on Cathy directly, but will hurt those who are close to her. This is because Cathy married Edgar Linton and said that it would degrade her if Heathcliff was her husband. In addition, he will take

Heathcliff resents her scorn. He desires to regain her approval. He attempts to be “decent” and “good” for her sake (Brontë 40). However, his attempt to be decent fails miserably. He resents the attentions that Catherine gives to Edgar. Catherine would rather wear a “silly frock” and have dinner with “silly friends” than ramble about the moors with him (Brontë 50). Heathcliff keeps track of the evenings Catherine spends with Edgar and those that she spends with him. He desperately wants to be with Catherine. When Catherine announces to Nelly her engagement to Edgar, Heathcliff eavesdrops, but leaves the room when he “heard Catherine say it would degrade her to marry him” (Brontë 59). Catherine has spurned his love, choosing Edgar over him. Heathcliff cannot bear this rejection. The love he possesses for her transcends romantic and filial love (Mitchell 124). He feels that he is one with her (Mitchell 123).

During his early years Heathcliff didn’t deceive those as much, but towards his teenager years his adopted sister Catherine shows how deceitful she can be. Catherine is attacked by a dog and is required to stay at this family called the Lintons for five weeks. While she is there she meets a young man named Edgar and hides her “wild side” to impress Edgar. “Catherine

Catherine serves as a constant presence with every surrounding object reminding him of her and driving him to the brink of insanity. She acts as the essence of his life and Heathcliff’s passion does not prevail until he ultimately decides to join her in death. At the end of the book, Heathcliff informs Nelly about his yearning for death and on his deathbed, he moans out for Catherine (Bronte

Heathcliff finally meets Catherine for the last time as he tells her that, Heathcliff is angered with her even at her deathbed and is vengeful even when she is taking her last breaths. He is in the belief that when his revenge on Catherine is complete, he will regain his tattered identity. He fulfills his vengeance by telling Catherine that she, “deserves this” and that she has, “killed herself”. However, after Catherine’s death and his revenge fulfilled, Heathcliff feels as lost as ever, he comes to understand that the only way he can recover his true identity is to be with his true love, Catherine. With Heathcliff having, All of the calculating, rage, and cruelty have finally tired Heathcliff.

After Heathcliff’s return Nelly notes that Heathcliff has changed from being his old peasant like character to this classy new person that seems undistinguishable at first glance upon reunion. He seems to have made a fortune or at least a significant wealth based on his appearance and long period gone. This is going to be the beginning of a long series of frustrating moments between the main characters. First of all, Heathcliff’s arrival brings an upset in Edgar because Edgar really isn’t too fond of Heathcliff and not to mention that Heathcliff is fond of Catherine and Edgar instantly becomes jealous and angry. Catherine and Edgar in turn have a more stressing relationship in the moment as Edgar refuses to conform to Catherine’s behavior

Even though Edgar originally kept Cathy away from her cousin so that she may not run into Mr. Heathcliff, Edgar again unselfishly thought of what was best for his daughter’s heart and future and allowed her to pursue a relationship with Linton. Edgar while talking with Nelly exclaimed, “ What can I do for Cathy? How must I quit her? I’d not care one moment for Linton being Heathcliff’s son; nor for his taking her from me, if he could console her for my loss. I’d not care that Heathcliff gained his ends, and triumphed in robbing me of my last blessing!

Catherine thinks even if she marries Edgar, that she and Heathcliff will be much to each other as they always were. Nelly tells Catherine that Heathcliff was in the room when Catharine said it would degrade her to marry him. Catherine goes into a panic and tries to chase after

In chapter twenty two Cathy takes care of Edgar because he is ill. One day Cathy went on a walk and lost her hat. Nelly came to help her find it, after looking for it they realized that it went over the gate. Nelly helped Cathy over the wall and while she was over it Heathcill saw her and basically yelled at her for writing Linton and then just stopping. Heathcliff tells Cathy that Linton is heartbroken. Cathy feels bad and goes to Wuthering Heights the next day with Nelly.

Furthermore, when Heathcliff returns, Catherine should take no interest in trying to rekindle her feelings for him as Edgar had been putting in effort to make their marriage work 'Mr. Edgar had a deep-rooted fear of ruffling her humour' Up until this scene the couples were getting along and if Catherine had concealed her zealous behaviour towards Heathcliff then the calm atmosphere would have remained. Catherine rudely ignores her husband's presence to the extent that he demands the disrespectful behaviour to be stopped and a decision made 'Will you give up Heathcliff hereafter, or will you giver up me? It is impossible for you to be my friend and his at the same time…' Indeed, Edgar is right to put Catherine's in this difficult situation because any other typical husband at the time would have been less patient with Catherine or banned Heathcliff from the house at an earlier stage. Catherine struggles because the two men in her life represent two types if world and she cannot have both at the same time.

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)

As soon as Catherine arrives to Wuthering Heights, she is hardly recognizable. Hindley, is treating Heathcliff as a servant, so he allows Catherine's playmate to go up to her and greet her when she arrives. Heathcliff is given welcome kisses from Catherine, but while doing so, Catherine comments upon his dull appearance and compares him to Edgar in very unfavorable manner. Heathcliff is damaged by the changes in his friend's attitude and physical appearance.

Heathcliff is so desperate for acceptance that he is willing to cheat people to gain the property he craves. By doing so he hopes to show Catherine that he is worthy of her, a landowner in his own right. After Catherine accepts Edgar's proposal, she seeks out Nelly and tells here that "[I]t would degrade [her] to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how [she] love[s] him; and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more [herself] than [she] [is]. Whatever [their] souls are made of, his and [hers] are the same, and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire." (Page 74, lines 29 - 33).