Emily Bronte is the author of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff one of the main characters in the book and he's diagnosis with Obsessive Disorder. If you don't know what Obsessive disorder is, its a disorder of the brain and disorder. It involves both obsessions and compulsions that take a lot of time and get in the way of important activities the person values(Bronte 1). Heathcliff suffers from persistent impulses, somethings he just can't control, the images in his head just won't stop. He has no trouble hurting anyone physically, verbally, or emotionally unless it is his love, Catherine.For example, Heathcliff hangs Isabella’s dog before he elopes with her “My surprise and perplexity were great to discover... Miss Isabella’s springer, Fanny, …show more content…
He lacks sense of empathy and remorse for others. “Miss Linton, I shall enjoy myself remarkably in thinking your father will be miserable: I shall not sleep for satisfaction. You could have hit on no surer way of fixing your residence under my roof for the next twenty-four hours than informing me that such an event would follow” (Bronte 333). Heathcliff is being cruel by not letting the daughter see her dying father. Heathcliff has become so hardened and cruel that he has come to committing the lowest of the low. Heathcliff’s sociopathy first began to develop because of his tragic early experiences. Not much is known about the first seven years of Heathcliff’s life, but we can assume that they were extremely difficult. This is from when Mr.Earnshaw brings Heathcliff home. “All that I could make out was a tale his seeing [Heathcliff] starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb, in the streets in Liverpool; where he picked it up and inquired for its owner. Not a soul knew to whom it belonged” (Bronte 33). “Nelly, I am Heathcliff - he's always, always in my mind - not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself - but, as my own being”. ( Bronte 243). Heathcliff is being selfish and is only worried about himself and not having empathy for no
“I have not broken your heart - you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine”. (Brontë 156) Since the beginning of time, love is something all aspire to attain. It has shown through novels, movies, plays, and songs, however not all love is the same. In Emily Brontë’s novel, Wuthering Heights, published in 1847, characters illustrate through disputes that occur, deception and selfishness. This is illustrated through the events of; Heathcliff's hunger for revenge, Edgar Linton's impact on Catherine in comparison to Heathcliff, and Heathcliff’s deception on all characters.
In her novel, Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë uses psychological disorders in order to amplify the characters relationships. While Hindley, Linton, Edgar, and other minor characters suffer from multiple psychological disorders, it is Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff whose disorders shape the layout of the novel through their deep relationship. Their disorders range from histrionic personality disorder to monomania to Munchausen syndrome. Cathy and Heathcliff’s obsession for attention and each other drive them to develop psychological disorders that worsen throughout the novel due to lack of medical knowledge and diagnosis.
From the beginning of the novel and most likely from the beginning of Heathcliff's life, he has suffered pain and rejection. When Mr. Earnshaw brings him to Wuthering Heights, he is viewed as a thing rather than a child. Mrs. Earnshaw was ready to fling it out the doors, while Nelly put it on the landing of the stairs hoping that it would be gone the next day. Without having done anything to deserve rejection, Heathcliff is made to feel like an outsider. Following the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Heathcliff suffers cruel mistreatment at the hands of Hindley. In these tender years, he is deprived of love, friendship, and education, while the treatment from jealous Hindley is barbaric and disrupts his mental balance. He is separated from the family, reduced to the status of a servant, undergoes regular beatings and forcibly separated from his soul mate, Catherine. The personality that Heathcliff develops in his adulthood has been formed in response to these hardships of his childhood.
Unlike Satan, the premises of the revenge of Heathcliff take root in his childhood, rather than in a specific moment. Heathcliff grows up with the Earnshaws, a family with two children, Catherine and Hindley. Mr. Earnshaw especially favored Heathcliff, although not related by blood. Because of the favoritism shown, Hindley expresses his anger by antagonizing Heathcliff. In a letter written by the young Catherine Earnshaw, she states that Hindley “has been blaming our father (how dared he?) for treating H. too liberally; and swears he will reduce him to his right place” (Brontë 22). The love of Heathcliff for Catherine helps him survive the time during his childhood after the death of Mr. Earnshaw. However, the “social and intellectual meanness” of Hindley “produces a Heathcliff whose manner and intellect Catherine finds unacceptable” (Vargish 10). Heathcliff does not accept the harsh treatment he receives, as he states “I’m trying to settle how I should pay Hindley back. I don’t care how long I wait, if I can only do it, at last. I hope he will not die before I do!” (Brontë 61). When Nelly tells Heathcliff that God should punish, Heathcliff responds by saying that “God won’t have the satisfaction that I shall” (Brontë 61). The thirst for vengeance Heathcliff harbors has begun to grow into a
As a child and adolescent, both Heathcliff’s sullen manner and unpleasant appearance fail to comply with the so called heroic characteristics that are often encompassed by the genuine romance hero. He does however pursue many similar traits to that of the Byronic hero including his arrogant and selfish morality. “Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil? I sha'n't tell my reasons for making this inquiry; but I beseech you to explain, if you can, what I have married”. Bronte commonly uses other characters prejudice outlooks to emphasise Heathcliff’s unruly behaviour and appearance. One character ...
Heathcliff cried vehemently, "I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" Emily Brontë distorts many common elements in Wuthering Heights to enhance the quality of her book. One of the distortions is Heathcliff's undying love for Catherine Earnshaw. Also, Brontë perverts the vindictive hatred that fills and runs Heathcliff's life after he loses Catherine. Finally, she prolongs death, making it even more distressing and insufferable.
Wuthering Heights, a novel by Emily Brontë, is a passionate love story, but is also a story fueled by revenge and hatred. This is especially true for one of the main characters, Heathcliff, who lives a life full of bitterness and contempt. The last straw that turns Heathcliff into a vengeful man is when his childhood friend marries someone else. He ends up making a decision that impacts the life of his childhood friend's daughter, Cathy, all out of revenge against her father. These terrible events that plagued Heathcliff are what drive him to take revenge on those who wronged him, and make this a story of good and evil, and of hate and love.
In the novel Wuthering Heights, author Emily Brontë portrays the morally ambiguous character of Heathcliff through his neglected upbringing, cruel motives, and vengeful actions.
Heathcliff is a character who was abused in his childhood by Catherine’s brother, Hindley, because of his heritage as a “gypsy”, and Hindley was jealous of the love that Heathcliff got from Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley’s father. This is also selfishness upon Hindley’s part since he only wanted his father’s love for his sister and himself. So to reprimand Heathcl...
In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Heathcliff is an orphan boy brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw, who has two children of his own already - Catherine and Hindley. Heathcliff changes over the course of his life by the following; Heathcliff begins by getting along well with Catherine Earnshaw, however, Catherine Earnshaw is introduced to Edgar Linton and Heathcliff becomes jealous of their forming relationship, and once Catherine has passed away after delivering Edgar’s child, Heathcliff becomes haunted by her ghost, and wishes to only be united with her in death.
The famous saying that from a true love to a great hatred is only a
Suffering endlessly and betrayed countlessly, Heathcliff experiences emotional trauma, but in some cases it appears as if he likes suffering. Tolerating years of misfortune, Heathcliff finally decides to take his revenge against the two families that have wronged him. Ever since he was a boy, Heathcliff was hated and abused by many especially by his step-brother Hindley. Every event that takes place in the novel, Wuthering Heights, leads up to what occurs in the future. The negative actions taken against Heathcliff shape the type of vengeful, but loving character he has become.
“Wuthering Heights is a strange, inartistic story”(Atlas, WH p. 299). “Wuthering Heights is a strange sort of book” (Douglas, WH p.301). “This is a strange book” (Examiner, WH p.302). “His work [Wuthering Heights] is strangely original” (Britannia, WH p.305). These brief quotes show that early critics of Emily Bronte’s first edition of Wuthering Heights, found the novel baffling in its meaning - they each agreed separately, that no moral existed within the story therefore it was deemed to have no real literary value. The original critical reviews had very little in the way of praise for the unknown author or the novel. The critics begrudgingly acknowledged elements of Wuthering Heights that could be considered strengths – such as, “rugged power” and “unconscious strength” (Atlas, WH p.299), “purposeless power” (Douglas, WH p.301), “evidences of considerable power” (Examiner), “power and originality” (Britannia, WH p.305). Strange and Powerful are two recurring critical interpretations of the novel. The critics did not attempt to provide in depth analysis of the work, simply because they felt that the meaning or moral of the story was either entirely absent or seriously confused.
Emily Bronte, on the surface, appeared to be a very withdrawn woman and is said to be reclusive throughout her entire life. She was even incredibly embarrassed when her sister, Charlotte Bronte, found her book of poetry, even though Charlotte was incredibly impressed by it. Beneath the surface lies a woman full of passion and capable of powerful emotions, though she had never felt such emotions, to write a novel that is still discussed today and is regarded as a literary classic. Novels are often regarded as a window to the souls of the authors, and Wuthering Heights is no exception. Wuthering Heights is often seen as a type of construct of Emily’s life and personality, because of the similarity of characters to people in Emily’s life, and how the events that occur at Wuthering Heights are secluded in their own right, much like Emily’s own life.
Heathcliff is characterized “as dark almost as if it [Heathcliff] came from the devil.” (45) Throughout Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is treated poorly and is mainly a product of a troubled childhood. This man then manifests into a person that is hardly capable of holding back his impetuous actions, and, therefore, exemplifies the capacity of the most powerful emotions. Although he may not be the ideal protagonist, it is ultimately not his fault and in the end is defined by the events in the story. Due to the extreme emotional and physical pain endured throughout his life, Heathcliff exhibits the strongest love and hate towards others through passion and revenge.