Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

735 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Emily bronte love and friendship analysis

“It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and [Edgar’s] is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.” These words are spoken by Catherine Earnshaw in Emily Bronte’s novel, Wuthering Heights. The complicated love triangle that exists between Catherine Earnshaw, Edgar Linton, and Heathcliff is central to the plot of Wuthering Heights. This, and other subplots about love between other characters make love the main theme of this novel.
Catherine is the daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Earnshaw, and they live at Wuthering Heights. Catherine has an older brother – Hindley, and an adopted brother – Heathcliff. Mr. Earnshaw loves Heathcliff and favors him over his own son. Catherine and Hindley despise their new brother at first, but Catherine slowly begins to love him. Hindley becomes more and more jealous of Heathcliff, so his father sends Hindley away to college. While his son is gone, Mr. Earnshaw dies. Hindley returns to the funeral married to a woman named Frances. He takes over Wuthering Heights, and forces Heathcliff to work as a common laborer. However, this does not deter Catherine and Heathcliff’s friendship, which begins to evolve into love as the two mature.
Catherine and Heathcliff continue to defy their brother as they grow older, refusing to clean themselves, dress properly, or behave in a civilized manner. One day the two come to Thrushcross Grange (another house on the same land as Wuthering Heights), where they attempt to scare the two children, Edgar and Isabella Linton, who live there with their ...

... middle of paper ...

...e between Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar. The actions that these three took as a result of this affected each other and their children greatly. The forced “love” that existed between the relationships of Edgar and Catherine and Catherine II and Linton is one type of love to the novel. The absence of love in the marriage of Isabella and Heathcliff adds another depth to the story. The great love that caused Hindley to result to alcoholism following his wife’s death adds another form of love to Wuthering Heights. The “happy-ending” love between Catherine II and Hareton is another type of love within this novel. Finally, the love between Catherine and Heathcliff that began as a love between playmates in childhood and transformed to obsession following Catherine’s death is a powerful type of love in this story that affects all of the rest of the characters.

Show More
Related

  • How Does Heathcliff Change In Wuthering Heights

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    It would be false to consider Wuthering Heights a story of timeless, undying love. While Heathcliff’s incessant yearning for Catherine may pull on one’s heartstrings as an attempt to showcase the man’s everlasting devotion to one forbidden woman, under more precise scrutinization, it all appears to be a cover-up for Heathcliff’s true desire-- to climb to the top of the social classes for redemption from the trauma in his early life. Emily Brontë hints through Heathcliff’s characterization that his thirst for revenge spawns not from his unrequited love for Catherine, but from an insatiable desire to prove himself as superior to those who have wronged him.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Social Dysfunction In Wuthering Heights

    1547 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Bronte’s Wuthering Heights she explores social dynamics through the characters of Catherine and Heathcliff, when there are environmental factors such as isolation and familial tension involved. The relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff has been viewed as an iconic passionate love for decades even though it is actually passionately destructive. However, many of the characters in the novel are equally destructive and are often seen as unsympathetic and even cruel. Marianne Thormahlen describes this portrayal of human nature in her article, “The Lunatic and the Devil’s Disciple: The ‘Lovers’ in Wuthering Heights,” “The varying views regarding the relative degrees of evil exhibited by the characters in Wuthering Heights reflect the is...

    Read More

  • Distortions and Exaggerations in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    1017 Words  | 3 Pages

    Heathcliff's love for Catherine transcends the normal physical "true love" into spiritual love. He can withstand anything against him to be with her. After Hindley became the master of Wuthering Heights, he flogged Heathcliff like a slave. Although Heathcliff could have simply run away, his decision to endure the physical pains shows his unrelenting devotion to Catherine. Fortunately, Catherine feels as deeply for Heathcliff as he does for her, explaining to Nelly that "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same…" Their love for each other is so passionate that they can not possibly live apart. At Catherine's death, Heathcliff hopes that she will not rest, but will haunt him until he dies. This absurdity contradicts the traditional norm that one should pray that the dead rest in peace. Near the end of the novel, we learn that Catherine has haunted Heathcliff, allowing him only fleeting glances of her. This shows that despite their physical separation, nothing can part them spiritually. When Heathcliff dies and unites with Catherine once again, the neighbors see them haunt the moors. We finally see the power of their love; Not only does this love transcend physical barriers, it transcends time as well...

    Read More

  • How Does Bronte Create Tension In Wuthering Heights

    684 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Wuthering Heights, Bronte used the theme of passion, not in a helpful way but in a destruction all way. This novel included Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. These two had grown up beside one another. Catherine was introduced to Edgar Linton after learning how to be proper from the guidance of Mr and Mrs Linton. After marrying Edgar, Catherine found that Heathcliff had been in love with her

    Read More

  • How Does Bronte Present Insanity In Wuthering Heights

    711 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Emily Bronte’s novel “Wuthering Heights” the story is about Heathcliff and Catherine’s difficult love story. It’s also focuses on how Heathcliff is plotting out his revenge on everyone. Heathcliff and Catherine both exhibit madness and irrational behaviors. However, even though Catherine sticks out the most to me simply because of some of the choices she made in her life and then regretted Heathcliff also did some insane things.

    Read More

  • Heathcliff Character Analysis

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Heathcliff is an orphan boy brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw, who has two children of his own already - Catherine and Hindley. Heathcliff changes over the course of his life by the following; Heathcliff begins by getting along well with Catherine Earnshaw, however, Catherine Earnshaw is introduced to Edgar Linton and Heathcliff becomes jealous of their forming relationship, and once Catherine has passed away after delivering Edgar’s child, Heathcliff becomes haunted by her ghost, and wishes to only be united with her in death.

    Read More

  • Dorian Gray Innocence

    1159 Words  | 3 Pages

    Growing up, Heathcliff and Catherine acquire an adoration for one another. Nelly describes Catherine as “‘much too fond of Heathcliff,’” stating that the “‘greatest punishment we could invent for her was to keep her separate for him’” (42). Heathcliff’s life takes a turn for the worse after Catherine returns from the Linton manor proclaiming her love for Edgar Linton. After some time, she accepts a marriage proposal from Edgar, symbolizing a turning point in Heathcliff’s development as a character. After hearing this news, Heathcliff is devastated and opts to leave Wuthering Heights to fend for himself. Following this, their relationship evolves and becomes more and more complex, depicted by the intricate narration throughout the novel. Despite the fact that she marries Edgar, however, Catherine states that Heathcliff is more herself than she (50). She exclaims, “‘Whatever our souls are made of, [Heathcliff’s] and mine are the same, and [Edgar’s] is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire’” (50). Perhaps the most tragic aspect of the complicated relationship that Heathcliff and Catherine share is the fact that they are never truly together despite their mutual love for one another. This in itself allows Heathcliff to transition from innocence to experience, because he is not only exposed to

    Read More

  • Interweaving Characters and Surroundings in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is a novel about lives that cross paths and are intertwined with one another. Healthcliff, an orphan, is taken in by Mr. Earnshaw, the owner of Wuthering Heights. Mr. Earnshaw has two children named Catherine and Hindley. Jealousy between Hindley and Healthcliff was always a problem. Catherine loves Healthcliff, but Hindley hates the stranger for stealing his fathers affection away. Catherine meets Edgar Linton, a young gentleman who lives at Thrushcross Grange. Despite being in love with Healthcliff she marries Edgar elevating her social standing. The characters in this novel are commingled in their relationships with Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.

    Read More

  • The Self-destructive Relationship in Wuthering Heights

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ctive. Catherine is pushed to death and Heathcliff to brutal revenge, bordering on the psychotic. Yet before Cathy’s death, the knowledge that the other loves them is strong enough to make Wuthering Heights such a classic love story, and “that old man by the kitchen fire affirming he has seen two of 'em looking out of his chamber window, on every rainy night since his death,” shows that as they walk together on the moors, their self destruction may have led them to death, but also to what they most desired-being together.

    Read More

  • Generational Curses In Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    From being isolated in the moors of England, with only the two houses-Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. And those are placed 4 miles apart from each other. Having grown up at Wuthering Heights, Catherine, Hindley, and Heathcliff all suffer from a lack of love and structure. Wuthering Heights is a very bleak and dark place, that isn’t too happy. None of them found happiness until they fled from that dreary place that they call home. Heathcliff is grumpy and mean, and wants to inflict that on everyone else around him. Hurt people, hurt people. As opposed to Thrushcross Grange, which is more structured. Edgar and Isabella are more compassionate people, because of the love that they received from their parents. It also leaves them vulnerable to Catherine and Heathcliff’s aggressive nature, as well as a ploy in Heathcliff’s plan. Knowing this, Catherine is only stuck with two options-marry Heathcliff or Edgar. Based on the decision she made (good or bad, depending on the person) it started a spiral of events that currently effects Linton, Hareton, and Cathy. The same thing is to be said about Cathy. Cathy is still in the same environment. Though she is growing up at Thrushcross Grange, and be raised by her father and Nelly. Hareton is growing up at Wuthering Heights, under the wrath of Heathcliff, which is not pleasant. He is becoming mean and malicious, something Heathcliff wants. Then you have Linton who grew up

    Read More

  • The Power of Love in Wuthering Heights

    1397 Words  | 3 Pages

    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 destructive force, motivating him to enact revenge and wreak misery. The power of Heathcliff’s destructive love is conquered by the influence of another kind of love.

    Read More

  • Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    (4) Wuthering Heights’s mood is melancholy and tumultuous. As a result, the book gives off a feeling of sorrow and chaos. For example, Catherine’s marriage with Edgar Linton made Heathcliff jealous and angry. In retaliation, Heathcliff married Edgar’s sister, Isabella, to provoke Catherine and Edgar. Heathcliff and Isabella’s marriage ignited a chaotic uproar with Edgar and Catherine because Linton disapproved of Heathcliff’s character, and Catherine loved Heathcliff in spite of being married to Edgar. Inside, Catherine wanted to selfishly keep Heathcliff to herself. Their relationships all had tragic endings because Catherine died giving birth to Edgar’s child. Isabella also died, leaving behind her young son. Heathcliff and Edgar resented each other because of misery they experienced together. The transition of the mood in the story is from chaotic to somber.

    Read More

  • How Does Bronte Present Heathcliff As A Byronic Hero

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    Even in his first introduction to Wuthering Heights, the Earnshaw family immediately ostracizes Heathcliff for his distinctive appearance. When Mr. Earnshaw presents Heathcliff to the family, his wife demands to know “how he [Mr. Earnshaw] could fashion to bring that gipsy brat into the house…?” (37). Mrs. Earnshaws’ dissatisfaction with the orphan child foreshadow his lonely childhood at Wuthering Heights as the family does not treat him equally as he does not come from their society. Additionally, Mrs. Earnshaws’ assumption that Heathcliff must be a “gypsy” shows her prejudice. When Catherine stays at Thrushcross Grange, Hindley reduces Heathcliff’s status to a servant. When she returns and begins to court Edgar, Heathcliff feels so ashamed of his position and appearance that he exclaims, “But, Nelly, if I knocked him down twenty times, that wouldn’t make him less handsome, or me more so. I wish I had light hair and a fair skin, and was dressed, and behaved as well, and had a chance of being rich as he will be!” (57). Heathcliff’s heightened sense of not belonging shows how the Earnshaws have reduced his confidence by degrading him because of his background and his status as a minority. Heathcliff’s admittance that he will never be as appealing as Edgar

    Read More

  • The Importance of Setting in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    689 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ly declared their love there. As respite from the prison of Wuthering Heights the moors are a mysterious place that is liberating, and boundaryless. Catherine says, “I wish I were out of doors- I wish I were a girl again, half savage and hardy, and free” (105). Once Catherine compares Linton and Heathcliff saying, “My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath a source of little visible delight, but necessary” (84).

    Read More

  • Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights - A Classic Romance Novel? Wuthering Heights Essays

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    Emily Bront, author of Wuthering Heights, grew up in isolation on the desolate moors of Yorkshire, knowing very few people outside of her family. In the book, Bront contradicts the typical form of writing at the time (the romance) and instead composes a subtle attack on romanticism by having no real heroes or villains. She creates only perceivable characters, and adds a bit of a Gothic sense to the whole thing. Bront accomplishes this by presenting us with the anti-romantic personalities of Heathcliff and Edgar, main characters who are brutal and immoral monsters and eventually die in the end.

    Read More

More about Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

Open Document