Character Analysis Of Heathcliff

895 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The characterization of heathcliff

Heathcliff was adopted into the Earnshaw home when he was a young boy. The Earnshaw family consisted of Mr and Mrs. Earnshaw, Hindley, and Catherine. Since he was first brought to the home by Mr. Earnshaw, he has caused trouble. Heathcliff’s actions throughout the book alone could be considered evil or immoral, but readers feel sympathetic because of his inability to share his thoughts or feelings in a considerate manner or because some characters treat him worse than he treats them. Hindley, the Earnshaw’s biological son, had the most difficult time with Heathcliff. Heathcliff constantly threatened to tattle on Hindley just to make him furious or get him into trouble. Hindley and Heathcliff’s hatred towards each other never ceased. After Mr. Earnshaw passed away, Hindley finally had the opportunity to mistreat and degrade …show more content…

Although, Heathcliff may have seemed vicious towards Hindley, Hindley was just as or even more monstrous. Hindley constantly told Isabella of his plans to kill Heathcliff and Hindley was resentful of Heathcliff becoming part of his family. Also, Heathcliff and Catherine are the true definition of a whirlwind romance and they may seemed insane at times, but he is so cruel because he simply cannot control his love for Catherine. Of course readers feel sorry for Hareton and for the cold-hearted treatment he endured from Heathcliff, but it is disclosed that Hareton’s eyes reminded Heathcliff so much of Catherine and the loss he feels. He is mad at the world that she ended up with Edgar rather than him. Despite Heathcliff’s thoughtless intentions for marrying Isabella, readers feel sorry that he didn’t end up with the woman he really loves, Catherine. Heathcliff’s difficult life is not an excuse for his actions, but it definitely makes it seem more understandable and relatable for

Show More
Related

  • Character Analysis Of Wuthering Heights

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    The initial downward spiral of Heathcliff’s life was predominantly caused by harsh influences in the environment in which he was raised. Heathcliff, an adopted child, grew up in Wuthering Heights, a desolate and dystopian estate when compared to the beauty of the neighboring Thrushcross Grange. In childhood, Heathcliff displayed evidence of a sympathetic personality through his emotional attachment to Catherine and kind attitude towards Nelly. At the time of Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Nelly describes a scene where, “Miss Cathy had been sick, and that made her still; she

    Read More

  • Wuthering Heights Love And Hate Quotes

    751 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another example of Heathcliff’s manipulation is his use of Isabella Linton. The silly girl becomes infatuated with him when he visits Catherine at the Grange, and although he does not care for her at all, he realizes that, as Edgar’s heir, she could be valuable in his scheme to ruin the man who married the woman he loves. His blatant disregard for her affections and his strangling of her dog on the evening of their eloping is abhorrent and exhibits the true extent of Heathcliff’s impulse to harm others. However, after Brontë develops Heathcliff so that the reader rejects all of his reasoning, he is able to overcome his corruption.

    Read More

  • Selfishness in "Wuthering Heights"

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • How Does Heathcliff Change In Wuthering Heights

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    Heathcliff’s existence as a young boy is defined by his role of essentially being a replacement Earnshaw, which causes him to face

    Read More

  • The Self-destructive Relationship in Wuthering Heights

    1235 Words  | 3 Pages

    On the face of it, it would seem that the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff is self-destructive to an extreme. Due to the lovers’ precarious circumstances, passionate personalities and class divisions, it seems that fate transpires to keep them apart and therefore the hopelessness of their situation drives them to self destruction. However, although the relationship is undeniably self-destructive, there are elements within it that suggest the pain Heathcliff and Catherine put each other through is atoned for to an extent when they share their brief moments of harmony.

    Read More

  • Heathcliff - A Character Defined By His Past, in Wuthering Heights

    1226 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hindley, being the only biological son of Mr Earnshaw, was envious of the relationship shared between Mr Earnshaw and Heathcliff and burned with fury. He made no effort to hide his resentment toward Heathcliff. Hindley despised Heathcliff to such an extent that when Mr Earnshaw died, he treated Heathcliff more like a servant and bided him to talk to Catherine. Life then became miserable for Heathcliff and then became revenge driven. Hindley’s abusive and arrogant attitude toward Heathcliff, resulted in the chain of revengeful events that occurred in the novel.

    Read More

  • Events that Affect Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights

    398 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Nature Of Revenge In Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'

    1342 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hindley Earnshaw justifies his abuse towards Heathcliff through being deprived of his rightful place as the only son; however, his revenge on Heathcliff eventually leads to his death. Hindley 's villainous actions can be traced back to his

    Read More

  • Examples Of Revenge In Wuthering Heights

    1394 Words  | 3 Pages

    He faced much abuse from his brother, Hindley, as well as being a social outcast. Heathcliff was able to live a comfortable life during the lifespan of Earnshaw, and was able to persist through the abuse of Hindley, but Heathcliff’s true breaking point came from the romantic rejection from his lifelong best friend, Catherine. Catherine was Earnshaw 's daughter, who was slightly younger than Heathcliff. At first, Catherine had rejected Heathcliff 's friendship due to the fact he was a foreigner, but as time went on, they began to grow on each other. “She was much too fond of Heathcliff. The greatest punishment we could invent for her was to keep her separate from him: yet she got chided more than any of us on his account.” (5.10)They were two very adventurous children, and spent all their time together. They were two of the same children, but this began to change under the influence of the Linton family. Catherine for a short period of time lived with the Lintons after one of the guard dogs bit her leg after she and Heathcliff trespassed onto their territory. Prior to the trespass, Heathcliff and Catherine mocked the Linton children for their petty antics and delicate nature.”...instead of a wild, hatless little savage jumping into the house, and rushing to squeeze us all breathless, there 'lighted from a handsome black pony a very dignified person, with brown ringlets falling from the cover of a feathered beaver, and a long cloth habit, which she was obliged to hold up with both hands that she might sail in.” (7.1) With Catherine 's renowned attitude, Heathcliff was left without a friend. As time progressed, Heathcliff began to develop romantic feelings towards Catherine. Although Catherine also had a strong feeling that she was destined to be with Heathcliff, she was unsure if she could marry him due to his low social stature. "I 've no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be

    Read More

  • Heathcliff's Defence Analysis

    607 Words  | 2 Pages

    I, Heathcliff, feel as though my actions are not reasoned correctly by the narrator's nelly, Mr lockwood and Isabella. So you have heard about my low points in the book, and some of you are probably thinking, “wow what a bad guy he is”. But i assure you none of the reasons for condemning my actions are just. You have heard their side of the story. Here’s mine.

    Read More

  • How Does Heathcliff Obtain Revenge In Wuthering Heights

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many years later Mr. Earnshaw died, Hindley was set out to make life for Heathcliff even more miserable than before. In fact, he treated Heathcliff like he is a servant in his own home. Heathcliff was introduced like a servant and treated very poorly. Hindley made sure that Heathcliff knew that Hindley’s life was ruined when Mr. Earnshaw brought Heathcliff home. A couple years later Hindley created a plan to kill Heathcliff by shooting him with a knife on the top of the gun.

    Read More

  • Wuthering Heights: The Power to Transform

    1438 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although, Mr. Earnshaw tried to make Heathcliff an equal part of the family, Heathcliff never truly fits in. Heathcliff is from a completely different social class than the rest of his “family”. This led to the hatred that Hindley felt towards Heathcliff. Hindley robs Heathcliff of his education, forces him to work as a servant at Wuthering Heights and frequently beats him. Throughout this all, Heathcliff never complains.

    Read More

  • Love And Hate In Heathcliff's Wuthering Heights

    899 Words  | 2 Pages

    His strong, merciless hate towards others is a result of the events that occurred in his childhood. “I’m trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back.I don’t care how long I wait, if I could only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!” (69) Because of all the torturous things Hindley did to Heathcliff back when they were children, “Hindley had blamed our father for treating Heathcliff too liberally; and swears he will reduce him to the right place,” (30) he hopes Hindley will not die before him just so he can carry out his revenge-driven plan. He is shaped by what has happened in his life previously which then causes meticulous actions that signify his intense hate towards everyone at Wuthering Heights. Although it is essentially not his own fault, some argue that there is no excuse for Heathcliff to act vindictively. In contrast, though, the psychological problems that he experienced have hand-crafted Heathcliff into the person he is. “It expressed, plainer than words could do, the intensest anguish at having made himself the instrument of thwarting his own revenge.” (58) This only adds to the complete and serious hatred he has for everyone that even saving his nephew from falling from the balcony was a thwart to his own revenge. The audience can conclude based on the characterization of Heathcliff as malicious that he is only focused on

    Read More

  • Wuthering Heights, By Emily Bronte

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many may deduce Heathcliff as a sadistic demon who spares no one in his quest for revenge. For instance, he placed Hareton in the same conditions that Hindley, Hareton's father, put onto Heathcliff: no education, indecent clothing, and used as a farmhand. However, no matter the circumstances, the fact that Heathcliff spares Hareton and young Catherine's love cannot be overlooked. Heathcliff states that his "old enemies have not beaten [him]" and that "now would be the precise time to revenge [himself] on their representatives" however, he claims that there was no point in troubling himself in raising his hand (336). In some sense, it can be argued that young Cathy's resemblance of her mother, older Catherine, causes this change of heart in Heathcliff, since Heathcliff's undying love for Older Catherine is the reason for his wrath.

    Read More

  • The Relationship Between Hindley And Heathcliff

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, the Earnshaws, a middle class family, live at the estate, Wuthering Heights. When Mr. Earnshaw takes a trip to Liverpool, he returns with an orphan whom he christens “Heathcliff”. During their formative years, Catherine, Mr. Earnshaw’s daughter, plays with Heathcliff on the moors and becomes close with him. As a result, they form a special bond and Heathcliff and Catherine fall in love, unlike Hindley, Mr. Earnshaw’s son, who does not get along with Heathcliff. While Heathcliff benefits from his relationships, his connections are disadvantaged in terms of status, reputation, financial stability, and happiness.

    Read More

More about Character Analysis Of Heathcliff

Open Document