Have you ever gotten to the end of a book and been clueless about how all of the problems that are out in the open will get resolved in the next few pages? Or worse, gotten to the end of a book, without any of the problems getting resolved at all? Are you unaware of how the characters ended up? Do all of the unanswered questions gnaw at you? Do you instantly begin to make up your own scenarios of how the story should have ended, just to tighten all of the loose knots? Similarly, the relationship of Catherine and Heathcliff from Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, ends this way, abruptly and without resolutions to many of their problems. While they seem to share an idealistic relationship, it is not a sufficient one, as Catherine and Heathcliff …show more content…
At one point in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff locks Catherine and Nelly into a room for several days and even “seized her [Catherine] with the liberated hand, and, pulling her, on his knee, administered, with the other, a shower of terrific slaps on both sides of the head” (271). Heathcliff slaps Cathy after she refuses to say in the room with Nelly for the sole reason that Cathy is Catherine’s daughter, and Heathcliff takes out his anger at Catherine on her daughter, which shows how much fury he still has after all of these years. Heathcliff also tries to marry Cathy to Linton in order to take control of Wuthering Heights when Edgar dies. He says that Wuthering Heights would “go to me; but, to prevent disputes, I desire their union, and am resolved to bring it about” (215). The hope of preserving the memory of Catherine is what drives Heathcliff to force his son to marry Catherine. If Linton were to become heir of the property, it would ensure Heathcliff's ownership of Wuthering Heights, fulfilling his …show more content…
Heathcliff, after the death of Catherine, continues to be haunted by the ghost of Catherine, which leads him to doing very absurd things including digging up Catherine’s grave, and locking Nelly and Cathy in a room for days. In addition, Isabella is not in approval of the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff, leading to the lack of peace displayed in the relationship, as she is tries to pull the two apart, by getting closer to Heathcliff and refusing to come home. Like the unresolved book, Catherine and Heathcliff are not able to tie the loose ends to their relationship, leading to lack of peace. One does not receive closure with an unresolved book, and, similarly, neither does the couple. In addition, Heathcliff continues to do whatever he can to find answers to his questions, like we may do when we finish a book without
In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Heathcliff’s strong love for Catherine guides his transformation as a character. While Heathcliff enters the story as an innocent child, the abuse he receives at a young age and his heartbreak at Catherine’s choice to marry Edgar Linton bring about a change within him. Heathcliff’s adulthood is consequently marked by jealousy and greed due to his separation from Catherine, along with manipulation and a deep desire to seek revenge on Edgar. Although Heathcliff uses deceit and manipulation to his advantage throughout the novel, he is never entirely content in his current situation. As Heathcliff attempts to revenge Edgar Linton, he does not gain true fulfillment. Throughout Wuthering Heights, Brontë uses Heathcliff’s vengeful actions to convey the message that manipulative and revenge-seeking behaviors will not bring a person satisfaction.
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).
"My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff" (81)" These words, uttered by Catherine, in the novel Wuthering Heights are for me the starting point in my investigation into the themes of love and obsession in the novel. Catherine has just told her housekeeper that she has made up her mind to marry Edgar Linton, although she is well aware that her love for him is bound to change as time passes. That she is obsessed by her love for Heathcliff she confirms in the above quotation and by saying that she will never, ever be separated from him. Why does she not marry him then? Well, she has
One of the most dramatic scenes in the book is the death of Catherine. The first signs of her failing health physically and mentally come when she locks herself up in her room after Heathcliff and Edgar's fight. She fasts herself into a delirium, pulling out pillow stuffing and seeing faces in the mirror. Unlike ordinary death, which comes quick and painlessly, Catherine's slowly wastes her away into a ghost. About seven months later, she dies at childbirth, but returning to haunt Heathcliff. The main cause for Catherine's death is not childbirth, although it may have been the final contributor. Ironically, because of the spiritual link between Heathcliff and her, it is their separation that killed her. Brontë punishes the sinned by slow death, having the guilty put the wrath upon themselves. She also brings in the supernatural to prove that even at death, there is no peace. The precise description of the moments before Catherine's death emotionally charges and further involves the reader. Like Catherine, Heathcliff dies in a similar fashion, except his sufferings prior to death lasted eighteen years. He explains to Nelly, "What does not recall her [Catherine]? Those two [Catherine Linton and Linton Heathcliff] are the only objects which retain a distinct material appearance to me; and, that appearance causes me pain, amounting to agony." This is consistent because he has sinned the most of all
Catherine determines that it will be more practical to marry Edgar. She explains her reasoning to Nelly, and Heathcliff overhears part of the conversation. He is heartbroken and leaves Wuthering Heights. Catherine goes into a fit, demanding that everyone search for Heathcliff and bring him home. She is quite upset and angry (even beating her young nephew, Hareton).
Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights, she is barely recognizable. Hindley, treating Heathcliff as a servant, allows Catherine's playmate to step forward to greet her when she arrives. Catherine kisses Heathcliff, but while doing so, she comments upon his dirty appearance and compares him unfavorably to Edgar. Heathcliff is hurt by the changes in his friend's appearance and attitude.
An interesting incident in the story takes place in Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff’s former home, when he returns with his new wife, Isabella Linton. He causes her great discomfort by leaving her alone in the house for a long period of time to the point of her describing him as “ingenious and unresting in seeking to gain [her] abhorrence” (Bronte 144). Heathcliff is only emotionally attached to Catherine; to all others, he treats cruelly and does not restrain his harsh insults. The major climax of the novel and the resolution to the main conflict occur with the final, dramatic union of Catherine and Heathcliff. As the two embrace and Catherine’s maid approaches them, Heathcliff “[gnashes] at [her], and [foams] like a mad dog, and [gathers] [Catherine] to him with greedy jealousy” (Bronte 159).
Catherine’s love for Heathcliff
Upon his arrival back he now has money and he tries to join the ‘society’ that Catherine is in. Heathcliff accuses Catherine of hurting and betraying him but after he does this he just blames it on her disloyalty to herself. Heathcliff is so blinded by his love for Catherine that he will make up any excuse for her. After Catherine gives birth to her and Edgar’s baby, Cathy, Catherine dies. To get his revenge on Edgar Linton, Heathcliff wants to take over and control Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.
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)
Different people have tried to argue that Heathcliff is the way he is because of the distance between him and his dead lover Catherine. However the reader must take under consideration the cause of Catherine’s death. The
Love is a strong attachment between two lovers and revenge is a strong conflict between two rivals. In the novel Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte uses setting to establish contrast, to intensify conflict, and to develop character. The people and events of Wuthering Heights share a dramatic conflict. Thus, Bronte focuses on the evil eye of Heathcliff's obsessive and perpetual love with Catherine, and his enduring revenge to those who forced him and Catherine apart. The author expresses the conflict of Wuthering Heights with great intensity. Hence, she portrays a combination of crucial issues of romance and money, hate and power, and lastly
The unraveling of Heathcliff's revenge forms the falling action. He lures the young Cathy, the daughter of Catherine and Edgar, to his house and forces a marriage between her and his son, Linton. Since Linton is a sickly young man, Heathcliff knows he will soon die, putting Heathcliff in a place to control both Thrush cross Grange and Wuthering Heights. After Linton's death, he forces Cathy to stay on at the Heights, a situation that allows affection to spring forth between her and Hareton. She does her best to educate him and eventually falls in love with him. Heathcliff's desire for revenge eventually wears out, and he allows Cathy and Hareton to pursue their relationship. All Heathcliff longs for now is death, which will at last reunite him with.
Self-Centered. Heathcliff is self-centered, caring for himself and his interests and having little concern for others. This trait is greatly amplified by his love for Catherine and hatred for Mr. Linton. One example of this is when he trapped Cathy and her companion for no less than five days in his house at Wuthering Heights, forcing Cathy to marry Linton (255, 260). “And there I remained enclosed [in a chamber], … [for] Five nights and four days I remained, seeing nobody but Hareton [when he brought food],” shows how little Heathcliff is concerned for others, and how much he cares for his own interests (260). His own self-interest causes him to want control over Thrushcross Grange, as evidenced by the fact Linton will gain control of it after Mr. Linton, who is in poor health, dies if he (Linton) marries Cathy (263). However, Linton was also in poor health and was going to
After Isabella escapes there is a small amount of peace on the Yorkshire moors until Heathcliff discovers he has a son named Linton from Isabella. Linton stayed with Edgar after his mother’s death but as soon as Heathcliff finds out he orders his son to Wuthering Heights so he can control him and find a way to aggravate Edgar a bit more. Heathcliff despises Linton the moment he sees him as his son looks just like Edgar. Heathcliff manipulates Linton by using him to allure in Cathy who is Edgar and Catherine’s daughter. Although Edgar did his best to protect his daughter when he fell very ill and was not able to watch her closely she allowed herself to be pulled in my Heathcliff’s tricks. The reason for Heathcliff wanting Cathy was not only to hurt Edgar a bit more but also so that when Edgar and Linton die Heathcliff would be owner of Thrushcross grange. So He forced Linton to marry Cathy which scares Linton: “It’s as if it were a task he was compelled to perform- this interview-for fear his father should scold him.”