A Summary Of Heathcliff's Wuthering Heights

Out one brisk morning for a walk through the woods you unexpectedly find yourself confronted by a river. This is no ordinary river. It looks deep and the current is strong. Unnerved, you consider what comes next. You have to believe you can make it across and fight. Or you could be swept away. Is it worth the risk? In Wuthering Heights, step-brothers Heathcliff and Hindley Earnshaw react to the death of their sister, Catherine, in ways that contrast their approaches to love, life and loss. One, dejected, gets swept away. The other, fueled by a passion that death cannot extinguish, takes the plunge and believes he can get across. Although Hindley and Heathcliff have been with Catherine since childhood, Heathcliff chooses to devote his time and energy towards eternal life together with her, while Hindley early on chooses to distance himself, ultimately at great cost.

Many of his actions appear crazy, yet all of are borne of genuine love. Often, as Heathcliff pursues his love, he is knocked down by others. Growing up, Heathcliff is abused by his step-brother, Hindley for being different. In these childhood years, Catherine admires Heathcliff's fighting character after he is punched or has things thrown at him. She is “surprised to witness how coolly the child gathered himself up, and went on with his intention” and she also remarks “then sitting down on a bundle of hay to overcome the qualm which the violent blow occasioned” (Bronte 40). Catherine falls for him because he is tough. “Through hardness, not gentleness, made him give very little trouble” (Bronte 38). Yet, Catherine eventually admits that she cannot be with Heathcliff on account of his lack of wealth and lower-class upbringing. She says that marrying him would be “degrading” (Bronte