Heathcliff Mirrors Wuthering Heights

Introduction

Romance stories have formed a fundamental part of literature. Throughout history, writers and poets have composed volumes of literature with romance or love as the fundamental theme. This is often blended with other themes such as revenge and jealousy among others. This is the case for Emily Bonte’s Classic Novel titled “Wuthering Heights”. Wuthering Heights is a classic love story that mainly revolves around the life of Heathcliff, right from his childhood to his young adult years, with love and lust for revenge as the key themes.

This novel confirms the Sonsyrea Tate’s statement “You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you.” This is especially for Heathcliff, where “home” would be considered a state of mind. It is evident that, despite the growth, maturity and the travelling that Heathcliff is still an embodiment of the features of his hometown, Wuthering Heights. This underlines the influence that one’s home or socialization has on the characteristics of an individual. His features and characteristics are a direct reflection of the things found in the society.

Heathcliff’s behavior is a culmination or the incarnation of the pauperized masses that suffer from the rejection of the system in Wuthering. His revenge is essentially an accumulation of class hatred against individuals who represent the privileged class. This is evidenced by the fact that his desire to revenge against Hindley started during his childhood when he states “I’m trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don’t care how long I wait, if I can only do it last. I hope he will not die before I do it” (Bonte, 1847).

On the same note, Heathcliff is seen as carrying an element of bitterness in his heart especially people above him such as Hindley. His rebellion is similar to the rebellion that children have staged against their parents. As Hindley and his wife bask in their warm premises close to the fireplace, the kids are having a spending their afternoon in the cold under the boring and endless preaching of Joseph. While Joseph is a devout servant, the children are far from passive victims shown by their open rebellion where they throw the religious books given to them to the doghouse. This is also reflected in the endurance that Heathcliff shows even in the face of torment from Hindley.

It goes without saying that Heathcliff’s idea of home is the driving force of the entire plot. As much as it is difficult to pin-point a positive aspect of the character, it is evident that the bitterness that he has and the revenge that he carries against Hindley and his family are all meant to underline the society as he thinks it should be. This is especially considering that the Heathcliff had been treated as an underdog in his past by the same people against whom he is revenging. As much as his hometown has shaped his characteristics, his desire to see a more equitable society where there are no restrictions on who gets married to who, or who associates with who drives the entire plot. This is especially while considering his fight to at least be associated with Catherine. He not only begs Catherine to always be with him whatever the form she takes, but also pressurizes his son to get married to Catherine’s daughter.

References

Bonte, Emily (1847). Wuthering Heights. London: Thomas Cautley Newby