Theme Of Cruelty In Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights
Tested in: 2015

I read the book Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. This book is a tragic love story, in which both of the main characters suffer through the love they share for each other. As the story goes on, they both betray each other in different ways. This causes both of their families, and everyone acquainted with them, great distress. The two characters, Heathcliff and Catherine, pass down their disputes to their children which causes cruelty not only in their generation, but also in the generations to come. Therefore, cruelty comes very much into play during this book.

One of the characters that is greatly affected by cruelty is Heathcliff. He came into the story in the very beginning as an orphan to the Earnshaw

This is the sister of Heathcliff and Hindley, as before mentioned. She also despised Heathcliff at first, but after their father died, they became very close. This lasted a long while, until the day they snuck out of the house and trespassed on the grounds of Thrushcross Grange. After that happened, she had to stay at that residence to “learn her manners.” When she came back, she was a well mannered lady, and Heathcliff still was the same ruffian child. She decided to come into a relationship with the son of the other family, Edgar Linton. This was what made Heathcliff run away, because she had chosen Edgar over him because he was not as honorable. Catherine was deeply hurt for a long time after Heathcliff left. When she finally got back on her feet, her and Edgar were married. After a while, Heathcliff returned, and they both realized their feeling for each other all over again. Catherine was now torn between Heathcliff and Edgar, she knew who she loved but she couldn’t back out on her marriage. One night Catherine and Heathcliff get in a heated argument, and Edgar comes in and begins to blame her for coming back into contact with Heathcliff in the first place. After this, she traps herself in her room and essentially starves herself. “... after they had quarreled, and Edgar being cruelly provoking” Bronte, 129. Catherine says this as her recollection after she finally lets the maid back into her room.

Isabella is the sister of Edgar Linton and, later on, the wife of Heathcliff. Isabella believed she was in love with Heathcliff before she actually knew him, and she didn’t listen to Catherine’s warnings because she thought she was jealous that she could love him and she couldn’t. Little did she know, Heathcliff did not love her, and only wants her to spite Catherine and so that he can be in the Linton family to take over the property when Edgar dies. Eventually they do marry, in secret against everyone 's wishes, and Isabella immediately regrets it. “promising that I should be Edgar’s proxy in suffering… I do hate him- I am wretched!” Bronte 151. This was after Heathcliff finds out about Catherine’s illness, and is livid at Edgar. So he decides to take all his anger out on Isabella. This shows how cruel and bitter Heathcliff is being to her, and he is just using Isabella. He does not love her at all, he only loved Catherine, And if he can’t have her, then he will be certain that everyone involved with her