Heathcliff

Camila Oller

__ Heathcliff __



__ Role of Heathcliff during Wuthering Heights and his changes __

Heathcliff is the main character in Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights. He is seen as the dark and unusual newcomer at the beginning when Mr. Earnshaw brings him in to his family after a trip he made. Miss Nelly Dean, gives an image of Heathcliff as if he were sort of diabolical, using references as “…it’s as dark almost as if it came from the devil”.

During his childhood and being raised as an Earnshaw, Heathcliff is always treated differently. In his early days, he was treated superior to Hindley by Mr. Earnshaw. This brought a lot of anger from Hindley towards him and created a hostile environment in their home. After Mr. Earnshaw dies, Heathcliff and Catherine create a special bond between them. They spend most of their time together and have an unusual connection.

Everything changes when Catherine and Heathcliff decide to go on an adventure and end up at the Lintons. Catherine stays and comes back as a lady. When she takes a look at Heathcliff, she kisses __**Hi people**__ him and then laughs for being so “//black and cross//”. This is a turning point in the development of Heathcliff’s character throughout the novel. He tries hard to change his physical appearances and is constantly worried about his actions and most importantly, Catherine.

After the incident, Heathcliff hears Catherine say that she would never marry him, as a result, he leaves. During that period of time, Catherine marries Linton and moves to Thrush cross Grange. When Heathcliff returns he needs to see Catherine before he takes care of business with Hindley and tries to escape the law. When he sees her he changes his mind. This decision shows how Catherine is capable of controlling him to some extent. With his return Heathcliff is way more masculine and becomes extremely wealthy.

Heathcliff decides to marry Isabella and Catherine becomes ill. After Catherine’s death there is an extreme change in Heathcliff’s personality. He becomes invisible before Nelly Deans eyes yet, he manipulates everyone around him to do what he wants, including his wife.

Heathcliff’s character does not change from this point on in the novel. How he manipulates Linton into sending letters to Cathy and beats him if he doesn’t, shows Heathcliff’s cruelty and foolishness.

When Hindley dies, Cathy and Linton marry leaving Heathcliff with Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Even this does not make him look happy in any way. He digs up Catherine’s grave after eighteen years, this seems to bring calmness to him. He confesses that he is being haunted by Catherine’s ghost for all those years and in this scene one can see his desperate passion and madness.

Heathcliff starts to feel that there is a change coming. He does not know what it is, but when he admits it to Nelly Dean he does something not mentioned before in the novel. Despite all his hatred and anxiety, he does an effort to smile.

His death scene is a powerful one. Miss Dean narrates how he was actually smiling without any effort by being **buried next to Catherine**. She can’t close Heathcliff’s eyes, making the reader feel curious about his death.

All of Heathcliff’s character throughout the book connects to the question that Isabella asks.

__ “Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil?” __

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"'And I pray one prayer--I repeat it till my tongue stiffens--Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living; you said I killed you--haunt me, then! The murdered DO haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts HAVE wandered on earth. Be with me always--take any form--drive me mad! only DO not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I CANNOT live without my life! I CANNOT live without my soul!'"

- Emily Bronte,

Wuthering Heights Ch. 16

     ** Bibliography **

** 1. **"Wuthering Heights: Heathcliff a Character analysis." //Violent Dreams //. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. .