Psychological Development in Wuthering Heights

1505 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Wuthering heights character analysis

Psychological Development in Wuthering Heights

Growing up, children encounter many things that shape their psychological development. Parents constitute the most prominent of these influences. But whether the development results from direct parental stimuli or indirect heredity is dubious, however some correlation definitely exists. While some children respond to their parents by mimicking them, others respond by retaliating and acting opposite as they were raised. In the latter case, the retaliation can sometimes result from a lack of attention, or separated parents, where one raises the child to loathe the other. Although the first generation of Wuthering Heights did not play an integral role in the physical upbringing of their children, the second generation still develops their personalities in response to their parents' limited influence. This responsive development manifests within the characters of Linton, Hareton, and Cathy.

Admittedly, Catherine, Heathcliff, and Hindley, aren't the soccer moms of today. Heathcliff does not even meet his son Linton until grown, only then because his mother Isabella dies. Because of paternal rights, Heathcliff gains custody of Linton. When Linton prepares to meet his father for the first time, he questions Nelly: "'And what is my father like? Is he as young and handsome as uncle?' 'He's as young,' she replies, 'but he has black hair and eyes, and looks sterner, and he is taller and bigger altogether.'…'Black hair and eyes!' mused Linton. 'I can't fancy him. Then I am not much like him, am I?'"(Bronte 152). Upon meeting his son, Heathcliff observes him as weak, sickly, and high strung, which strongly contrasts with ursine Heathcliff. Their contradictory personalities ultimate...

... middle of paper ...

...ely for living. Ultimately, the kids paid the price for their parents' misdeeds in life, all of them at one time falling under the cruel hands of Heathcliff, which was the uniting factor among the second generation.

Bibliography:

Bell, Vereen M. "Wuthering Heights and the Unforgivable Sin." Nineteenth-Century Fiction. Vol. 17, No. 2, September, 1962, pp. 188-91. Online. Galenet.

Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1996.

Federico, Annette R. "The Waif at the Window: Emily Bronte's Feminine 'Bildungsroman.'" The Victorian Newsletter. No. 68. Fall, 1985. pp. 26-28. Online. Galenet.

Shapiro, Arnold. "Wuthering Heights as a Victorian Novel." Studies in the Novel. Vol. 1, No. 3, Fall, 1969. pp. 284-95. Online. Galenet.

Woodford, Donna C. "An Overview of Wuthering Heights." Exploring Novels. Gale. 1998.

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 Essay

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    The relation between Hindley and Heathcliff plays a major role in Heathcliff’s social status. Hindley happens to despise Heathcliff because he was adopted by his father and received special treatment which Hindley longed to receive. Perhaps, this triggers Hindley jealousy and hatred towards and ...

    Read More

  • Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre: Jane Eyre's Artwork

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    "Jane Eyre." Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 3. Ed. Laurie Lanzen Harris. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1982: 42-3.

    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

  • Parental Influences in Heathcliff, Cathy and Linton

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    Emily Brontë, in her novel, Wuthering Heights, suggests that children, in their very nature, exhibit traits from their parental influences. However, these traits are not always represented at the same time and can come out in different situations. For instance, as Cathy Linton grows up, her personality is a mixture of her calmer father, Edgar, and her more fiery mother, Catherine. She shows both these personalities, but she limits each to the correct time and circumstance. Also, the same goes for Linton Heathcliff, who has become a mixture of both his mother, Isabella, and his father, Heathcliff. Lastly, this is shown in Hareton Earnshaw, who, because he has little to no relationship with his biological parents, has turned into a man more like Heathcliff, his surrogate father, instead of Hindley, his genetic father. In this way, parental influence can shape a child into becoming more like them.

    Read More

  • Generational Curses In Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights

    1131 Words  | 3 Pages

    For Hareton, he was stripped of his education, so he doesn’t know all the potential that resides within him. He was raised by a man who had no love for him because of what his father did to him. Hareton will become a product of his environment, being mean and malicious, as well as, not having a true definition of what love is. Linton can’t be comfortable with who he is because of his father exploiting his current state. He is naturally sickly, frail, and weak, and his father is using that to play on Catherine emotions as apart of his plan. He is talking to Nelly and says, “My design is as honest as possible. Ill informs you of its whole scope. That the two cousins may fall in love, and get married. I’m acting generously toy our master; his young chit has no expectations, and should she second my wishes, she'll be provided for, at once, as joint successor with Linton.” Nelly then goes to say, “If Linton died as his life is quite uncertain, Catherine would be the heir.” Heathcliff responds, “No she would not, there is no clause in the will to secure it so; his property would go to me; but, to prevent disputes, I desire their union, and am resolved to bring it about.” (Chapter 7: Volume 2) He has the potential to be nice and kind without having any other intentions attached to it. Lastly, you have Cathy, who is a lot like her mother, who constantly requires the

    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

  • Vengeance in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights

    2455 Words  | 5 Pages

    Shapiro, Arnold. “‘Wuthering Heights’ as a Victorian Novel.” Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism. Vol. 16. Eds. Joann Cerrito and Paul Kepos. Detroit: Gale Research, 1992. 108-110.

    Read More

  • Darwinism in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

    1548 Words  | 4 Pages

    Morgentaler, Goldie. “Meditating on the Low: A Darwinian Reading of Great Expectations.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 38.4 (Autumn 1998): 707-721.

    Read More

  • Nelly’s Importance in Wuthering Heights

    2073 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wuthering Heights. 1847. The. Ed. Richard J. Dunn, Ph.D. 4th ed.

    Read More

  • The Power of Love in Wuthering Heights

    1397 Words  | 3 Pages

    Heathcliff and Catherine have loved each other since their childhood. Initially, Catherine scorned the little gypsy boy; she showed her distaste by “spitting” at him (Brontë 27). However, it was not long before Heathcliff and Catherine became “very think” (Brontë 27). They became very close friends; they were practically brother and sister (Mitchell 122). Heathcliff is intent upon pleasing Catherine. He would “do her bidding in anything” (Brontë 30). He is afraid of “grieving” her (Brontë 40). Heathcliff finds solace and comfort in Catherine’s company. When Catherine is compelled to stay at Thrushcross Grange to recover from her injury, she returns as “a very dignified person” (Brontë 37). Her association with the gente...

    Read More

  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

    867 Words  | 2 Pages

    Brontë, Emily, Fritz Eichenberg, and Bruce Rogers. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.

    Read More

  • Love In Wuthering Heights

    1255 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bloomfield, Dennis. "An Analysis Of The Causes And Effects Of Sickness And Death In Wuthering Heights." Bronte Studies 36.3 (2011): 289-298. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Feb. 2014.

    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

  • Heathcliff Character Analysis

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Psychological Development in Wuthering Heights

Open Document