By the end of chapter five, what impression have you formed of Heathcliff?

Authors Avatar
Laura Kennie

By the end of chapter five, what impression have you formed of Heathcliff?

Give evidence from the text for your comments.

The first time we are introduced to Heathcliff is at the very start of chapter one.

Our first image of Heathcliff is that he is animal like:

"his black eyes withdrew so suspiciously under their brows..."

This is Mr Lockwood's first impression of him and we see it through his eyes. However, as we find out, Lockwood is not a very good narrator, neither is he good at first impressions. Except, on this occasion, his impression of Heathcliff is fairly accurate.

Heathcliff is not only compared to animals in this way, but also to the house at Wuthering Heights. The house is described old and worn with deeply set windows, just like Heathcliff's deeply set eyes. Also it becomes obvious later on that Heathcliff has had quite a tragic past just as the house has had with the stormy weather.

"the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather."

I think that Emily Bronte purposely wrote the description of the house to match Heathcliff's character.

This animal imagery is expressed even more, further on in chapter one:

"my caress provoked a long guttural snarl"

Another image that is associated with Heathcliff is a violent and hostile one.

Heathcliff is quite rude to the people he lives with and also he is almost physically violent to his servant Zillah in chapter three:

"Heathcliff lifted his hand, and the speaker sprang to a safer distance, obviously acquainted with its weight.

So far, my first impression of Heathcliff is that he is very reclusive and quite savage, in an animalistic way. Also that he was violent and very wayward about human relationships.

This becomes more apparent in chapter two when we see how aggressive he is towards other.
Join now!


Lockwood is shocked when Heathcliff talks to a woman in his house in such a savage tone:

" 'Get it ready will you? ' was the answer uttered so savagely that I started"

In the next few chapters we hear about Heathcliff's childhood from diaries that Lockwood stumbles upon and reads.

The diaries tell of a wet Sunday morning where Heathcliff and Catherine (Heathcliff's was Catherine's adopted brother) had to listen to a sermon, read by Joseph (their servant) in a cold attic, while Catherine's brother and his wife got to enjoy themselves by the ...

This is a preview of the whole essay