Heathcliff's plan for Hareton is fueled by a desire for revenge. Hindley's treatment of Heathcliff as a child seems to be reflected in the treatment of Hareton, as he wishes to corrupt him:
"That one tree would grow as crooked as another with the same wind to twist it".
Like Heathcliff, he is made to work with the animals and eat in the kitchen, and not live life as an equal member of the family. In fact, the two characters are similar in many ways; a neglected upbringing, taunts by those around them, an unsurity of their place in society. Perhaps the characters are used in such parallels to remind us of the suffering Heathcliff had gone through as a child. When we see Heathcliff as 'the tormentor' it would be easy to forget about Heathcliff 'the victim,' had it not been for the character of Hareton. This treatment is made easier for Heathcliff by the likeness of Cathy in Hareton's eyes and mouth. In a way, Bronte may have been using the character to remind us that Cathy is ever-present in Heathcliff's mind. But unlike Heathcliff, Hareton does not see this treatment as unfair. In fact, quite the opposite, he is brutalised but does not become brutal, and does not need any form of redemption. He looks up to Heathcliff and admires him after his father passes away.
"More of a son to Heathcliff than Linton, Hareton exhibits a sense of nobility by remaining loyal to the only father he ever really knew." Wasowski, Richard P [1.]
As Heathcliff's own son does not even look at him in this manner, Hareton's character is the only one which the mean-spirited Heathcliff seems to tolerate. At his funeral, Hareton is the only character to mourn the death of Heathcliff, showing he can rise above all of the obstacles in front of him. He also shows us that Heathcliff has the ability to provoke love from others. The late Mr Earnshaw and Catherine Earnshaw were the only two that could see him in a positive light, and both had passed long before. Perhaps one of the reasons for Hareton's ever-strong adoration of Heathcliff, is to maintain at least one decent opinion of him in another character after he dies. It could be argued that because of this non-defeatest attitude, he is one of the stronger characters of the book, certainly more so than Heathcliff and Hindley, who were unable to see past their maltreatment and heartache.
Young Cathy and Linton are certainly not highly regarded members of the household. Even when taunted by them about his illiteracy, Hareton forgives easily and even tries his hardest to teach himself to read. But without Hareton, we may not be able to see Linton's malicious traits, as they are directed mostly at his cousin.
His forgiving nature softens young Cathy and she begins to develop more patience and compassion, eventually teaching him to read herself. Hareton is important to the character of the young Catherine, as without him, we would not see her true self emerge. When she first meets her cousin, she is spoiled and spiteful, and she will not befriend Hareton as she views him as being beneath her socially. Her character is able to develop and she learns to love him and appreciate his qualities. Qualities that had been lacking in the others she has known throughout her life. Although her father had shown compassionate and loving qualities, she seems devoid of showing the same emotion, until she allows herself to fall for Hareton. Without his character, young Catherine would not have been able to grow. As she teaches Hareton to read, he teaches her the art of sympathy and kindness. They are both able to learn from each other.
One of the main purposes of the character of Hareton is to show an alternative ending for the characters of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw. While they were victims of unrequited love, Hareton and the young Catherine end the novel on a positive note. A diamond in the rough, Hareton falls in love with the educated and privileged, Catherine Linton. While we as readers, hoped for a uniting of Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, we are, once again, compensated with the happy marriage of Hareton and Catherine Linton.
Hilda D. Spear believes the character to be necessary and yet, unconvincing.
"Hareton is little more than a rough sketch of a character. The country boor who turns out to have a heart of gold, his transformation into the loved and loving friend of Cathy, is necessary to the resolution of the plot, though not entirely convincing." [2.]
But it is clear that most who read Wuthering Heights, find the character of Hareton to be one of the strongest in the book. Bronte certainly wrote the character to touch the reader emotionally and provoke a reaction of admiration. As much as he is at the brunt of a great deal of aggressive and unfair behaviour from his father, Heathcliff, young Catherine and Linton, he is not a character we would call a 'victim.'
Hareton's contribution to the book is very important, as he shows the reader that a beautiful love can exist through such a great deal of torment and distress. Without Hareton, young Catherine would not have known true love and would have been left feeling isolated and alone once again. Heathcliff used Hareton to release feelings of bitterness and hate, after the death of Catherine, as a way of revenge on Hindley. If Hareton had been a weak character, he would have been unable to deal with the abusive treatment and would have more than likely ended up in a similar way to Linton. But because of the very nature of Hareton, he would not let any maltreatment pull him down and was constantly trying to improve. In a sense, Heathcliff had fulfilled his wish and been content in knowing the strength of the boy he had raised. As a similar character to Heathcliff, did Bronte intend for Hareton to live on as an improved version of him? Did she use Cathy Earnshaw's likeness in Hareton to continue the memory of her character? If so, do these characters ever really die, or do they live on forever in Hareton, even after we finish the last page? Perhaps this was the very reason for the character of Hareton.
[1.] Wasowski, Richard P. Cliffs Notes; New Ed edition (June 5, 2000)
[2.] Hilda D. Spear. Macmillan Master Guide; Wuthering Heights (1985- Macmillan Press Ltd)