How Is Heathcliff Uncivilized

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The above content explains how children are born without any knowledge of how to act, so they have to be educated and tamed before they grow up and becomes too late. Without a teacher, the new generations can never be civilized. In the novel, Edgar and Linton both had at least one parent to teach them how to behave in a civil manner, and consequently, both characters are educated and cultured. Conversely, Heathcliff and Hareton grew up without stable parents, and as a result, both become wild and uncivilized. In her novel, Wuthering Heights, author Emily Bronte utilizes animal imagery to contrast the civilized with the untamed. When Heathcliff and Catherine compare Edgar to weak animals, they equate being civilized with frailty. Heathcliff references Edgar as …show more content…

When Catherine and Heathcliff are together for the last time before she dies, Heathcliff "gnashe[s] at [Nelly] and foam[s] like a mad dog" (Bronte 159). The animalistic verb "gnash" has a negative connotation and an association with rage or pain. The image of "foam[ing] like a mad dog" has a negative connotation and is associated with a rabid and violent animal. A characteristic of a civilized society is the ability to communicate through language, but when Heathcliff becomes agitated, he loses this ability. Instead, he demonstrates his pain through physical actions like an animal. After Catherine dies, Nelly witnesses Heathcliff "howl[ing], not like a man, but like a savage beast" (Bronte 165). The verb "howl" is used almost exclusively for animals and is generally associated with wolves, fierce and agressive animals. The verb "beast" has a highly negative connotation and association with being dangerous or harmful. Bronte utilizes these animalistic verbs and images to portray Heathcliff as a wild and untamed creature rather than a human. This portrayal of Heathcliff causes the audience to distrust and fear

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