How Does Heathcliff Use Direct Characterization In Wuthering Heights

   "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

In addition, remaining persistent taking over everything that belongs to Edgar. Heathcliff throughout the novel exemplified that for him, revenge was an extensively more influential emotion than love. Ultimately, leads to why Heathcliff does not forgive Catherine for marrying Edgar. Although he does make it known that he loves Catherine and desires to be with her, he seems to show no remorse constantly attempting to ruin the life of her daughter; Cathy. Heathcliff is viewed a villainous figure as a result of his obsession with revenge, becoming more violent as the plot progresses. Frequently, Heathcliff comes across as a very violent character, uttering various threats and his violent acts. He illustrates that he lacks pity and sympathy when he hangs his wife and Isabella’s dog; thus, demonstrating one of his violent acts and validating the aspect of him as a villainous figure. Although Heathcliff basically engages in war among the two households, he would never harm Catherine as his love for her is immense. His love for Catherine reveals that he does truly have a sympathetic side in the mist of his villainous figure.

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.

In this chapter, we see that Catherine has changed drastically from being a wild savage to a young mannered lady. Shockingly, we can see the distinctive difference between Heathcliff and Catherine's character. They were once the same, but this chapter serves as the platform to highlight the contrasting differences between these lovers. On one hand, one can argue that it develops their relationship immensely.

She wants a future and doesn’t want to settle for less since Hindley made Heathcliff into a servant. She is marrying Edgar and not Heathcliff because of status, and Edgar is rich. She also shows how she feels about both Heathcliff and Edgar: “he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.” Knowing that Catherine's marry makes Heathcliff life miserable since he is not allowed to see her and is shock that Catherine chooses Edgar over him. Heathcliff then decide to make her miserable as well and seek revenge on her. The fact, she love Heathcliff describes Edgar is only an option; she never shows any details to have real feelings for Edgar. Heathcliff tell us: “I seek no revenge on you”… “The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don’t turn against him: they crush those beneath them” (pg84) ironically Heathcliff tell us he will not seek revenge to Catherine but his actions show us he still when to get Catherine. When Heathcliff leaves and returns three years later; He attempts to see how Catherine’s doing and if he could win her love. Aware that she is married, Heathcliff returns as a gentleman and with money but doesn’t win Catherine back. Therefore Heathcliff starts his revenge by seeing and marrying Isabella, who is Edgar sister; and is trying to get Catherine

As soon as Catherine arrives to Wuthering Heights, she is hardly recognizable. Hindley, is treating Heathcliff as a servant, so he allows Catherine's playmate to go up to her and greet her when she arrives. Heathcliff is given welcome kisses from Catherine, but while doing so, Catherine comments upon his dull appearance and compares him to Edgar in very unfavorable manner. Heathcliff is damaged by the changes in his friend's attitude and physical appearance.

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).

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.

Heathcliff overhears this conversation between Nelly and Catherine and leaves Wuthering Heights after hearing Catherine say that it would degrade her to marry him. Heathcliff tries to make himself more presentable to Catherine by moving up the social system. However, he does this by cheating and taking advantage of people. Heathcliff takes advantage of Hindley's state of alcoholism and takes over Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff also takes advantage of Edgar Linton's will my making young Catherine (the daughter of Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton) marry Linton (the son of Heathcliff and Isabella Linton)

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)

Mr. Earnshaw brought a boy home named Heathcliff. Heathcliff and Catherine become great friends and Mr. Earnshaw expressed favoritism towards Heathcliff over his biological son, Hindley. When Hindley gained control of Wuthering Heights, he made Heathcliff a servant. Catherine and Heathcliff still spent as much time together as possible. Soon, Catherine suffered from an ankle injury and stayed with the Linton’s at Thrushcross Grange. During this time, Catherine spent time with Edgar Linton and learned how to act like a lady. Catherine rejected Heathcliff and choose Edgar to marry. Heathcliff became wealthy and took over Wuthering Heights; Heathcliff married Isabella Linton, Edgar's sister. Catherine died while giving birth, and Heathcliff

To start the novel, Nelly acts as a caretaker for Catherine and becomes her friend, even though she ultimately dislikes Catherine. Nelly raises Catherine and her sibling, Hindley, as was typical of families at the time. When Heathcliff comes along, he also falls under Nelly’s care and he becomes her favorite. After observing the initial interactions between Heathcliff and the other children, Nelly begins to realize that Catherine actually acts rather bratty and begins disliking her. As the story progresses, and Mr. Earnshaw dies, Catherine undergoes another change as Hindley takes charge and pushes Heathcliff to the wayside. However, Nelly remains constant and loving towards Heathcliff yet remains kind towards Catherine. Even later, as Catherine must stay at the Linton’s following an injury with Heathcliff, Nelly remains her confidante. Catherine tells Nelly what is happening in her life after she returns home before anyone else. Even when she throws a tantrum when Nelly will not leave her and Edgar alone, per the instructions Nelly was given, Catherine still confides in her about what is happening in her life. Nelly is the first to find out when Edgar

The only consolation for him is the friendship and love of Catherine for him. However, when Heathcliff hears Catherine saying that ‘’it would degrade her to marry Heathcliff, he feels distracted, broken inside, because the only one who he thought loved him, betrays him. These words he heard from Catherine, turns him into a wild beast, filled with anger and resentment and he runs away and disappears for about three years after hearing that. He comes back at Wuthering Heights, now rich and well educated, only to take revenge on those who treated him ill and degraded him. His actions, starting those towards Hindley, seem to go beyond capability of a normal person. Resentment, hate and his ill-consciousness have occupied his mind and spirit. He is now transformed into an evil, whose deeds not only destroy his own soul, but also other people’s life. However, the readers, get to know through carefully analyzing the behaviors of characters, that Heathcliff does not seem to be ‘’the worst’’ among the other characters of this

“My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff!” (Brontë, 82)

The first paragraph of the novel provides a vivid physical picture of him. He has dark hair and skinned as Lockwood describes how his "black eyes" withdraw suspiciously under his brows at Lockwood's approach, that is why Hindley called him gypsy. Nelly's story begins with his introduction into Earnshaw's family as an orphan brought to live at Wuthering Heights. He Fall in love with Catherine Earnshaw, but he leaves Wuthering Heights when he hears that Cathy will marry Edgar. One day he returns to get revenge and gain the property of Wuthering Heights and Thrush cross Grange. He makes everyone miserable until the end, when he gives up his plan of revenge and dies. Heathcliff is powerful, fierce and often cruel man. His vengeful machinations drive the entire plot, and his death ends the book. The desire to understand him and his motivations has kept countless readers engaged in the novel. However the novel teases the reader with the possibility that his sinister behaviours serve to conceal the heart of a romantic hero, or that Heathcliff's cruelty is merely an expression of his frustrated love for Catherine. Traditionally, romance novel heroes appear dangerous at first, only later to emerge as fiercely devoted and loving so, Heathcliff did conversely when he showed love first, and then he took