How does Bronte use the second generation to further explore the themes of Wuthering Heights?

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Harry Moore

How does Bronte use the second generation to further explore the themes of the novel?

The second generation expand on the numerous themes such as love, revenge, hatred and natural imagery. The relationship between Hareton and Cathy help boost the theme of love, while the way Heathcliff uses Linton shows an element of revenge and hatred. The dominant theme for the second generation seems to be the whole idea of Heathcliff extracting revenge on the Linton’s in hope that he can help the sorrow he feels for Catherine’s death.

The relationship between Cathy and Linton isn’t a true loving relationship – it is being manipulated by Heathcliff for his own selfish gains. There is no sign of a loving bond, although Cathy does care to some extent about Linton as she visits him and wonders about him. The most important feature of Cathy and Hareton’s love story is that it involves growth and change. Early in the novel Hareton seems brutal, savage, and illiterate, but over time he becomes a loyal friend to Cathy and learns to read with help from her – this is one of the scenes where Wuthering Heights is shown as a warm, open place. When Cathy first meets Hareton he seems completely alien to her world, she denies that they are cousins because of his appearance and job on the farm. This relationship also ties in with the theme of social class – Catherine has been well brought up in a totally different environment to Hareton, while Hareton works on the farm in dirty, ragged clothes (contrasting to Cathy’s silk clothing), despite their differences in social status they still become good friends and lovers.

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Revenge is a major theme of the novel.  Early in the novel Heathcliff is described as plotting revenge, and the second half of the novel is dominated by Heathcliff's revenge against Hindley and his descendants for his mistreatment of him and against Edgar and his descendants for Catherine's death.  Heathcliff's revenge affects everyone in the novel, and he seems to think that if he can revenge Catherine's death, he can be with her.  He has been looking for her since her death, as he has been sensing her near him.  However, it is only at the end of the ...

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