Relationship between cathy and the two men
Emily Bronte was born in 1818 and died in 1848. She lived is Haworth, Yorkshire, in a parsonage that stood at the end of the moor. The house was mysteriously similar to 'Wuthering heights', which is situated in similar surroundings.
Emily had an extremely passionate, violent character, a character which was not expected of women in the Victorian era, as women were expected to be loving, gentle, submissive and serene. The personality of Cathy, the heroine of the story, very strongly represents that of Emily Bronte.
As a writer, Emily Bronte used the pseudonym of Ellis bell. The logical reason behind this is that in the Victorian era, women writers were not taken seriously. The Victorians would have been remarkably shocked to discover that a woman wrote about such violent emotions.
During their childhood Emily and her sisters were usually left alone to read, play and make up stories. They would read many gothic novels.
The gothic novels contained a love for life and death, gloomy mysterious houses, dark characters, and persecuted heroines torn between lovers.
These components were included in Wuthering heights' which over time, has turned into one of the greatest novels in English Literature.
The main aim of this essay will be to look at the relationship between Cathy and her two lovers - Edgar Linton, a man well respected in the community, a legitimate heir to his father's properties, and Heathcliff - an adopted orphan, destitute, and almost penniless.
The Earnshaws were a well-off middle class family in the Victorian era. Mr. Earnshaw, the head of the family, took a business trip to Liverpool, and there found a poor orphan child sitting at the side of the street. Through pity, he brought the child home and kept him as his adopted child.
Because Mr. Earnshaw treats the child, Heathcliff, as an adopted son, an equal to Cathy and Hindley - their brother, he would never have anticipated the relationship between his daughter Cathy and Heathcliff.
As Heathcliff grew up, he played mostly with Cathy, not her brother Hindley, who could have been an available playmate. Cathy and Heathcliff's relationship was formed and cemented in their childhood. However at first, Cathy resented him being there, as Nelly says 'She grinned and spat at the stupid little thing'. Despite this they formed an extremely close attachment to each other, or as Nelly say 'They were very thick'
Hindley and Heathcliff were enemies from the start; there was never a time of friendship between them, this could possibly be because even in childhood, Hindley felt threatened by Heathcliff - a rival for his father's love and affection/attention. This is why Cathy is even more drawn towards Heathcliff - she is naturally inclined to what her brother dislikes.
They would play together on the moors, laughing and rambling. They were so attached to each other that they even slept in the same bed in childhood. Nelly says - 'Cathy was much too fond of Heathcliff.' Nelly also says that keeping the two of them separate was the greatest punishment they could inflict on Cathy. This indicates that at a young age Cathy and Heathcliff were not only compatible but also inseparable.
At Mr. Earnshaw's death, Cathy and Heathcliff comfort each other as they cry. Nelly says 'no parson in the world ever pictured heaven so beautifully as they did in their innocent talk.' This implies that Cathy and Heathcliff portraying innocence, and that in reality Heathcliff has a sweet nature, his personality being poisoned when he is ill-treated and degraded by Hindley.
Cathy spent a happy innocent and blissful childhood. This changes, however, when Hindley arrives home from college for his father's funeral, and degrades Heathcliff. This is also the time when things start to go wrong for ...
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At Mr. Earnshaw's death, Cathy and Heathcliff comfort each other as they cry. Nelly says 'no parson in the world ever pictured heaven so beautifully as they did in their innocent talk.' This implies that Cathy and Heathcliff portraying innocence, and that in reality Heathcliff has a sweet nature, his personality being poisoned when he is ill-treated and degraded by Hindley.
Cathy spent a happy innocent and blissful childhood. This changes, however, when Hindley arrives home from college for his father's funeral, and degrades Heathcliff. This is also the time when things start to go wrong for Heathcliff.
At first, when Hindley demoted Heathcliff to the position of servant, he bore his degradation well, as Cathy taught him what she learnt and played with him on the fields. Nelly says, 'they forgot everything the moment they were together again.' It is from around this time when they realize they can not bare separation from each other.
Cathy was kept by the Linton's for five weeks when she was spying on them with Heathcliff and got bitten by a dog. Heathcliff was sent away as a servant. Mr. Linton told Hindley to take proper care of his sister, in other words, create an enforced separation between her and Heathcliff.
During her stay at the Grange, Cathy had been introduced to a more sophisticated and civilized way of life and was attracted to its pretty, delicate mannerisms. This is the time when her friendship with Edgar Linton begins.
When Cathy returns from the Linton's, however, she laughs at Heathcliff's distress and bad temper. Heathcliff is angry at this and goes off sulking. After her return from the Grange, Cathy thinks she is a 'cut above' Heathcliff. This is their first conflict, and the start of a long period of separation between them.
While the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff deteriorates, the relationship between Cathy and Edgar grows. Edgar is spiteful to Heathcliff and he dislikes it when Cathy talks about him.
Cathy is very susceptible to this therefore she is infuriated by Edgar's behavior. She thinks he should be more understanding in regards to her relationship with Heathcliff.
The dispute that occurs at this point is the first time Cathy reveals her real personality to Edgar, who is appalled and does not know how to react - he is not used to this kind of behavior and he does know how to control her.
This shows that Edgar does not know Cathy's true nature, and Cathy hides her real self from him until this incident.
When she pinches Nelly, it shows that she thinks she's so superior, the 'mistress of Wuthering heights' and that she has a right to control the others. Heathcliff however resents being told.
Edgar is disgusted at her display of passion. However, when she cries, Edgar pities her and forgives her. Here he shows his soft side, and they declare themselves lovers once more.
Edgar is infatuated with Cathy. He thinks he loves her, but in reality, he does not see her true personality. Therefore it would be true to say that Edgar loves the false side of Cathy, the one with gentle manners and delicate lady-like characteristics.
Edgar's love towards Cathy is unrequited - he does so much for her and wants her to return his love as much.
Cathy's love for Edgar is superficial, she only loves him for his good looks, wealth and position in society.
Cathy appears to be materialistic, and therefore shows a preference towards Edgar rather than Heathcliff. Edgar looks like the more suitable option but Heathcliff would actually be the more promising one.
Cathy agrees to marry Edgar, but she still feels in her soul and heart that she's wrong.
Although she does love Edgar in a general way, her love is only on the surface, 'like the foliage in the woods,' and she knows it will soon change, 'as winter changes the trees,' but her love for Heathcliff is sincere and permanent, as she says, 'it resembles the eternal rocks beneath'
Cathy believes she can use Edgar's money to 'aid Heathcliff to rise and place him out of her brother's power.' It could be possible that Cathy is genuinely marrying Edgar to benefit Heathcliff - she could be making a sacrifice.
On the other hand, she could be marrying Edgar to satisfy her love of material comfort and to spite Heathcliff as a punishment for running away and leaving her.
Cathy believes her and Heathcliff's souls are joint and make up one being, as she says, 'I am Heathcliff.' She says Heathcliff is always on her mind, as her own being, and tells Nelly that they could never be separated, when Nelly warns her that marriage to Edgar may mean just this.
Heathcliff, hearing Cathy saying it would degrade her to marry him, runs away and does not return until Cathy has stayed out a whole night, nearly dying for his sake, and time has elapsed, bringing about her marriage to Edgar Linton.
During her marriage to Edgar, Cathy is extremely careful to take on the role of the caring, loving mistress she is expected to be, while Edgar is careful not to rouse her temper. Edgar is afraid of her 'moods,' but always tries to conceal this fear. Nelly describes this as, 'the gunpowder lay as harmless as sand because no fire came near to explode it,' Referring to Cathy as the gunpowder. Cathy would have periods of 'gloom and silence' which were accepted and respected by her husband.
When Heathcliff returns, he has transformed himself into a gentleman. Cathy is amazed, but feverishly happy and delirious at his return as Nelly says, 'she kept her gaze fixed on him as if she feared he would vanish were she to remove it' - she is so astounded and does not fully believe that she is seeing Heathcliff - she keeps staring at him to ensure he will not disappear.
When Heathcliff becomes a gentleman, he is still of inferior class to Edgar Linton, because he is a self made man, whereas Edgar is a legitimate heir to his Father's properties and land, which have been in his family for centuries and has been passed down through generations.
Heathcliff was a destitute orphan who was brought home only through the kindness of Mr. Earnshaw.
Edgar vehemently despises Heathcliff and does not wish Cathy to remain friends with him. At first, Edgar is tolerant and allows Heathcliff to visit Cathy, despite his disapproval. He fears rousing her temper, or even loosing her, so he would rather let her have her own way. However, Edgar looses his patience when Heathcliff makes advances to marry Isabella for the sole sake of revenge. Edgar and Heathcliff come to blows and Cathy locks herself in her room and starves herself then becomes dangerously ill. She says if she cannot keep Heathcliff as her friend, 'if Edgar will be mean and jealous,' she will try to 'break their hearts' by breaking her own. Here Cathy plays the weak female role and uses emotional blackmail. By saying this, she meant that she'll kill herself, which will upset them and 'break their hearts.'
At this point in Cathy's illness it is not very clear what she feels for either of the men. However, when she is gibbering and rambling to Nelly, it soon becomes apparent.
She believes Edgar has changed and does not love her any more, she says, 'no, ill not die, he'd be glad - he does not love me at all, he would never miss me!' by this she means that she assumes Edgar does not love her and would be overjoyed at the news of her death and she does not want him to be happy without her.
She is also angry that Heathcliff's nature has spiraled out of her control; therefore she longs to return to the time when she and Heathcliff were young and happy, and would play on the moors innocently free of bitterness. She thinks back to the time when Heathcliff hurts a lapwing, but at her request, promises not to hurt one again. Now she realizes that Heathcliff is beyond her reach and is burning with the fire of revenge and spite, as he feels she has betrayed him through her marriage to Edgar.
During her illness, Cathy hallucinates and thinks she is back at Wuthering Heights in her room. She forces Nelly to open her window, even though this will increase her illness, because she wants to feel 'the wind from the moors,' which used to blow about Wuthering Heights, where she would play with Heathcliff. She believes this cold fresh air is her only 'chance of life'
Cathy confesses that the seven years of separation from Heathcliff were a meaningless blank and she now realizes that her marriage to Edgar was her grave error, as she says, she had been 'converted at a stroke into Mrs. Linton, the lady of Thrusscross Grange and the wife of a stranger: an exile and an outcast.' Cathy now also understands that she will die and her current life is over, but she wishes either to return to her care-free past, or live with Heathcliff in the afterlife. However, her realizations and confessions are much too late to change anything.
Before Cathy dies she, and Heathcliff meet for the last time, and their conversation is established purely on honesty. Cathy wants her 'old Heathcliff' back, the one who loved her without a sense of betrayal. She knows she must die now, and Heathcliff must come to her when the time is right - when he is ready and when his sense of revenge has died down. Heathcliff is adamant that nothing else could have separated them, but Cathy's marriage to Edgar which was solely with her own will and now she is dying due to this.
Cathy's dying words prove that Heathcliff must have known deep down that Cathy did love him. It is Heathcliff who is with her at her death, not Edgar, despite him being married to her.
Twenty three years later, Heathcliff joins Cathy in death. This is how long it takes for the fire of his revenge to burn down and he is ready to join Cathy in their 'heaven on the moors,' in peace and love. During the last 23 years Heathcliff led a sad existence on this earth and was just waiting to die and join Cathy.
Hareton is almost like Heathcliff's spiritual son, as he is extremely similar to his aunt Cathy. Heathcliff says he could have loved the lad, 'had he not been Hindley's son,' but from the way Heathcliff treats Hareton - he never hurts him - it seems Heathcliff does love him deep down. It is partly due to this that his anger calms down, and his revenge seems somewhat pointless. Heathcliff is ready to enter Cathy's world, when he completely loses the will to continue his revenge.
However, before Heathcliff's revenge 'desire' dies down, he initiates the marriage between his unwell son and Catherine, Cathy's daughter. This is ironic because like Cathy, he ends up being materialistic and revengeful, but he realizes revenge is empty and profitless.
The author shows Cathy and Heathcliff's love has matured in the after life, when a child sees 'Heathcliff and a woman' out on the moors - he sees the 'ghost' of the lovers in their middle age and not back when they were children. This shows that their love has blossomed and they can now live together as adults in a spiritual world, as this was robbed from them when they were alive. This shows Cathy no longer wants to be a child and return to Wuthering Heights to recapture the love she lost, but she is happy now to have found a secure and mature love, as the author hints in an 'ethereal world'
In conclusion, the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff differs entirely to the relationship between Cathy and Edgar.
Cathy's love for Heathcliff is true, deep love, while her love for Edgar is materialistic; she only loves him as a friend, for his wealth and status in the community. Cathy marries Edgar to take pleasure and enjoy her life - for richness and comfort.
Heathcliff would have been the right choice of marriage for Cathy, because their love for each other was ever-lasting.
Cathy's biggest mistake was marrying Edgar. However, her death compensates for this grave error. Heathcliff believes that all that occurred was her fault - nothing would have gone wrong had she not married Edgar.
Edgar loves Cathy more then Cathy loves him back, and Edgar wants this love returned to him. However, her true love is only endurable for the one and only Heathcliff.
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