The Character of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

636 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Character analysis of heathcliff in wuthering heights

The Character of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

What do we learn about Heathcliff’s character from Pg 12 - the

entrance of Heathcliff (paragraph 2) to Pg 13 “my amiable lady”.

How typical is this of elsewhere in the novel?

This extract is taken from the beginning of the novel, chapter 2. In

this chapter we begin to pick up on the uncomfortable atmosphere in

Wuthering Heights and a further insight into the characters and their

relationships.

Heathcliff’s entrance on page 12 causes a plea of shelter from Mr.

Lockwood. He says “You see sir, I have come according to my

promise!”. This emphasises Heathcliff’s status of power in the WH and

the constant need to please and treat him with respect. This

exclamatory sentence shows us Mr. Lockwood naivety to the situation in

WH, more emphasise is provided for this characteristic in Mr

.Lockwood’s inability to understand the danger of the moors, which in

turn leads the reader to believe that he may not understand the danger

of Heathcliff.

This extract intrigues readers through the desire to understand

Heathcilff. His obvious rudeness to assist in Mr. Lockwood’s safe

journey to his abode shows us how much he has changed since refusing

to leave Catherine in the care of the Linton’s at Thushcross Grange in

chapter 6, “I refused to go without Cathy” (pg 51). This unbelievable

contrast between the young Heathcliff and the master we are introduced

to is Emily Bronte’s method to draw us in to the inner consciousness

of his character through this obvious inner conflict we are being

presented with. His body language is deeply described throughout the

novel which not o...

... middle of paper ...

...r Linton told him he was “incurable”. Again another

factor from the past that has now become true. In my opinion its

almost as though HC has given in to these accusations he was

surrounded by in the past.

The atmosphere in the house is described as “an austere silence”,

“grim” and “taciturn”. Mr Lockwood is left to believe that this is

their “every day countenance”. Similarly to how Nelly blaming HC for

the atmosphere he unintentionally carried with him from his arrival at

Wuthering Heights, “from the beginning he bred bad feelings in the

house”. In the past HC was used as a scapegoat and an easy target for

the others to blame him, now the conclusions can be made that HC is

the reason for this “cloud” that surrounds the present day, and he has

spread his past “incurable” nature on to all those that surround him.

Show More
Related

  • HIH: Australia's Biggest Corporate Collapse

    2066 Words  | 5 Pages

    WHAT WAS THE HIH BOARD DOING WHILE THIS SAGA WAS GOING ON? WHAT SHOULD THEY HAVE DONE?

    Read More

  • The Effect of Gangs in There Are No Children Here

    952 Words  | 2 Pages

    Acording to Kotlowitz, life in the Henry Horner Homes is controlled to a great extent by gangs, particularly the Conservative Vice Lords. Residents so fear and respect the Vice Lords' control that they refuse to call 911 (34). Snitching can get a resident killed. Even though the Chicago Police Department installed a hot-line number and promise confidentia...

    Read More

  • Analysis of Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston

    3047 Words  | 7 Pages

    Scapegoats are generally the way in which people cope with the stress and fear of the unknown that comes along with mass terror. This phenomenon has been seen on countless occasions, all over the world. When people suffer especially when the masses are suffering in the same way and for the same reasons, there is a tendency to want to make others suffer more. “The stories, the murmurs, the headlines of the last few months hand imprinted in my mind the word HATE.” (page 136). This way they can feel in a position of more power, they can fee...

    Read More

  • Arthur Miller's The Crucible

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    When lies are taken as the truth by scapegoating it can kill innocent people and have adverse effects on the other community members.

    Read More

  • Use of Scapegoats in The Lottery and in Our World

    1646 Words  | 4 Pages

    Scapegoats appear abundant in the world today. Political parties and businesses consistently seem to find a person or small group that takes the blame for serious issues. This can cause problems and arguments that sometimes lead to something serious like wars. Scapegoats are just a way of passing blame off of oneself and on to others, just so reputations can remain intact. This sort of attitude shows how lethargic the world has become, where people don’t even take responsibility for their actions. Many people from older generations complain about how all the new generations become too comatose and unwilling to take on their own actions and indiscretions. With attitudes like this, peace will never be found and will inevitably lead to conflict. Something must be done to stem the flow of scapegoats which have been utilized far too much over time.

    Read More

  • Interweaving Characters and Surroundings in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    Definitive criteria for judging the success or failure of a work of fiction are not easily agreed upon; individuals almost necessarily introduce bias into any such attempt.  Only those who affect an exorbitantly refined artistic taste, however, would deny the importance of poignancy in literary pieces.  To be sure, writings of dubious and fleeting merit frequently enchant the public, but there is too the occasional author who garners widespread acclaim and whose works remain deeply affecting despite the passage of time.  The continued eminence of the fiction of Emily Bronte attests to her placement into such a category of authors: it is a recognition of her propensity to create poignant and, indeed, successful literature.

    Read More

  • The Practice of Scapegoating

    1363 Words  | 3 Pages

    When a crisis appears, it is common practice to not only blame, but also punish someone for a malefaction committed by another. No matter the circumstance, it will not be the last occurrence. The practice of scapegoating has followed humankind since its creation in biblical times. When a guiltless party is blamed for a misdeed, the religious practice of scapegoating has been adopted, whether it is for social, political, or medical reasons.

    Read More

  • Wuthering Heights' Heathcliff

    1166 Words  | 3 Pages

    Juliet" who at the end of the play took his own life to be with his

    Read More

  • Theme Of Heathcliff In Wuthering Heights

    1094 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Emily Brontë’s Personal Influence on Wuthering Heights

    1826 Words  | 4 Pages

    It has been proven evident throughout the history of literature that authors will tend to incorporate their own lives into their works. This is the case in Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Although the novel is in itself fictional, Brontë invites readers into her private life by the way in which she writes her novel. Literary elements are often taken into consideration when determining the value of a literary work. However, they offer more than just layers of complexity to a work. Brontë uses countless metaphors to portray relevance to her own life. The ongoing comparison between the characters in Wuthering Heights and Brontë’s own life only exemplifies how often authors use their works to reflect their lives.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    1962 Words  | 4 Pages

    The famous saying that from a true love to a great hatred is only a

    Read More

  • Analysis of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Wuthering Heights Essay - Is Heathcliff truly evil?

    653 Words  | 2 Pages

    Wuthering Heights Essay - Is Heathcliff truly evil? I think with the modern understanding of the way childhood affects one's whole perception of life and the world, we would be arrogant to call Heathcliff evil. Without a doubt Heathcliff is an anomaly. Lockwood initially describes him as "a dark skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman". The first view we have of heathcliff is as dark, handsome, gentlemanly and morose.

    Read More

  • Bronte's Use of Language and Setting in Wuthering Heights

    822 Words  | 2 Pages

    Bronte's Use of Language and Setting in Wuthering Heights Between pages 15 and 18 there are identifiable ways in which 'Bronte' uses 'language and setting' to establish the characters and create a distinguishable atmosphere. In this essay, themes, genres and styles will be discussed to show how 'Bronte' establishes the characters; there will also be a discussion of the 'gothic' elements which Wuthering Heights contains. Many people would argue that the style of 'Wuthering Heights' is peculiar and complex, the power of Wuthering Heights owes much to its complex narrative structure and to the device of having two conventional people relate a very unconventional tale. Bronte importantly introduces the element of 'the supernatural' into chapter 3 which is an important technique as it grips the reader. Lockwood has come into contact with the ghost of Cathy, who died 18 years before, Some might argue that she is a product of Lockwood's imagination, and it is clear that Bronte has presented these facts in this way so that the reader can make up their own mind on the subject.

    Read More

More about The Character of Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Open Document