What Is The Theme Of Love In Wuthering Heights

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Danny Brown
English 10 Honors
Period 2
Wuthering Heights Essay
Dr. McGill
November 10, 2014

We Found Love: Understanding Love in Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights

In Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, published in 1847, love is one of the key themes found in the novel. Throughout the story, we see many couples express their love for each other in many different ways. These lovers are mostly “self-centered and ignore the needs, feelings, and claims of others”; what matters are the lovers ' own feelings This attitude, that each of the characters has, allows for the novel to create a connection between love and hate. The characters in the novel develop strong attachments towards one another, and express their love and emotions in many different …show more content…

Hareton manages to surpass his brutal treatment and grows from an illiterate field worker into a kind and compassionate friend (and eventually lover) to Cathy Heathcliff. In a sense, Hareton redeems the Earnshaw family reputation by breaking the pattern of abuse that he was raised in, earning back the property, and just being a well-mannered young man. Cathy Heathcliff falls in love with him because she senses that even though he isn’t the smartest or even handsomest, Hareton feels sympathy. Their love is much different from Catherine’s and Heathcliff 's. It is characterized not by drama and abuse, but by compassion and peacefulness. Through the love of Cathy and Hareton, Heathcliff recognizes some of his love for Catherine and the unimportance of revenge and property. He thereby is enabled to regain his compassion and achieve union with Catherine. With all the reasons in the world to dislike each other, Cathy and Hareton still fall in love. “The intimacy thus commenced grew rapidly; though it encountered temporary interruptions. Earnshaw was not to be civilized with a wish; and my young lady was no philosopher, and no paragon of patience; but both their minds tending to the same point – one loving and desiring to esteem, and the other loving and desiring to be esteemed – they contrived in the end to reach it.” (Brontë 506) Their mutual sympathy changes the tone of the novel and allows for a happy

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