preview

How Does Hindley Use Violence In Wuthering Heights

Good Essays

Violence is used by many people for a variety of different reasons. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, violence is a tool used by many characters. Hindley largely uses violence to control Heathcliff and attempt to assert his dominance. Heathcliff takes revenge on Hindley and other characters for previous abuse and manipulation, and Cathy attempts to control people and get what she wants, often using violence to achieve this. Violence is used as both a controlling force and as a means to exact revenge by almost every character in Wuthering Heights. One of the most violent characters towards Heathcliff specifically is Hindley who uses violence to assert control over the Heights and take vengeance on Heathcliff. When Hindley and Heathcliff …show more content…

From their early years, Heathcliff takes out his jealousy of Edgar on Edgar himself. An example of this jealousy is shown here:, “He seized a tureen of hot applesauce, the first that came under his gripe, and dashed it full against the speaker’s face and neck, who instantly commenced a lament that brought Isabella and Catherine hurrying to the place.” (Bronte 61) Here is the first of many substantial acts of violence committed by Heathcliff. He is jealous of Edgar’s wealth and how much his family and Cathy love him. He wants to get revenge on him for taking Cathy away from him, so he uses violence. This further shows that violence is largely used to take vengeance on others, especially by Heathcliff. As the characters aged, Heathcliff exacts revenge on Edgar for marrying Cathy by marrying and then abusing his sister Isabella. He believes that since he cannot directly punish Edgar for marrying Cathy and making her ill, he will punish Isabella instead, “He told me of Catherine’s illness, and accuses my brother of causing it, promising that I should be Edgar’s proxy in suffering, till he could get a hold of him.” (Bronte 143) Heathcliff admits that the only reason he married Isabella is to indirectly take revenge on Edgar through her as a proxy. To do this, he uses various forms of violence and verbal abuse, all as a means to get back at Edgar. This …show more content…

Two of the most notable examples occur in the same event, the first being when she hits Nelly due to her inability to get what she wants. Even though Nelly has been Cathy’s charge for her entire life, she doesn’t hesitate to hit her for such a small reason, “She stamped her foot, wavered a moment, and then, irresistibly impelled by the naughty spirit within her, slapped me on the cheek a stinging blow that filled both eyes with water.” (Bronte 73) This shows that Cathy is willing to do whatever it takes, including use violence, simply to control people so she can get her desired outcome, proving control is one of the main purposes of violence between characters. The second example is when she slaps Edgar as revenge for his attempt to calm her down. This occurs in tandem with her assault on Nelly:, “In an instant one was wrung free, and the astonished young man felt it applied over his own ear in a way that could not be mistaken for jest.” (Bronte 73) At this point, Cathy and Edgar were in love, which makes this more meaningful. Cathy sees Edgar’s attempt to make her stop shaking Hareton as a threat, and reacts by using violence. This is because she is so used to getting her way and having control, that another person trying to control her is foreign. This is also an act of revenge, as Cathy can’t have anyone controlling her and needs to make sure it won’t happen again.

Get Access