Mr Earnshaw’s death was a major event in the life of Heathcliff. Of the three children, Mr Earnshaw liked Heathcliff most and therefore he was treated well despite having made enemies with both Hindley and Nelly Dean. After Mr Earnshaw’s death, his status as the loved one disappeared and he became the lowliest in the family. This was the point where he was differentiated from Cathy in status and consequently treatment. The aftermath of the incident showed exactly how far their relationship had developed – “The little souls were comforting each other with better thoughts than I could have hit on; no parson in the world ever pictured Heaven so beautifully as they did…”. This close identification with each other was detected by Nelly, who was surprised both at their sudden maturity and Heathcliff’s uncharacteristic actions. As a passionately hard boy, one could hardly imagine Heathcliff being gentle in his discussions of afterlife. Bronte deliberately writes about this act of gentle comforting shows that their relationship has transcended above their character, and they are willing to bend to accommodate each other.
Their close relationship was enforced with Hindley returned to Wuthering Heights. His tyrannical treatment of the couple forced them to be close together and “hold their ranks” against the common enemy together. Their action of rebellion was to run away together frequently – “…it was one of their chief amusements to run away to the moors in the morning and remain there all day…” The turning point came in the relationship when they got caught at Thrushcross Grange. His love for Catherine is clarified as he recounts the adventures of Thrushcross Grange to Nelly – “…We laughed outright at the petted things, we did despise them! When would you catch me wishing to have what Catherine wanted?” Although Heathcliff might not know it himself, it was a declaration of his love for Catherine, showing that his care for Cathy exceeded that for himself. Another testament to their strong bond is their shared attitude of the Lintons. They do not understand the world of Thrushcross Grange, and therefore they both think lowly of the Lintons’ behaviour. However, their shared view on such things changed considerably when they were separated from each other.
Hindley’s intentions were clear when he deliberately sent Cathy to Thrushcross Grange, separately her from Heathcliff both physically and socially. When Cathy came back to Wuthering Heights, she appeared to be a different person – “…a very dignified person, with brown ringlets falling from the cover of a feathered beaver, and a long cloth habit…a grand plaid silk frock, white trousers, and burnished shoes…”. The way she was dressed, proper for a contemporary lady, belonged to the world of Thrushcross Grange and contradicted her country upbringing. Heathcliff, on the other hand, looked worse than he had before – “his clothes…had seen three month’s service in mire and dust, and his thick uncombed hair, the surface of his face and hands was dismally beclouded.” This difference in appearance, added to Hindley’s condescending comments, made Heathcliff draw on his proudness and reject Cathy’s entrance to his life again. Their relationship is also too private to be shown in a public occasion such as this, and they only start to talk to each other again when they were alone. The sympathy of Cathy to Heathcliff that exists within their relationship was repeated once again when Heathcliff was banished to his chamber. She could not concentrate during the meal – “her cheeks flushed, and the tears gushed over them. She slipped her fork to the floor, and hastily dived under the cloth to conceal her emotion,” because her mind was Heathcliff who had previously been battered.
Bronte goes to great lengths in describing Cathy’s symbiotic relationship with Heathcliff. Their entwined existence is repeated several times in Cathy’s conversation with Nelly Dean. The conversation initially started when Cathy asked Nelly’s opinion on her accepting Edgar’s hand in marriage. It then escalated into a truthful and stunning insight into Cathy’s true feelings for both Edgar and Heathcliff. The two men’s difference is clear to Cathy – “…his (Heathcliff) and mine (souls) are the same, and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.” The idea of Cathy and Heathcliff being one soul is repeated later on – “I am Heathcliff – he’s always, always in my mind.” However, this love is tinted by her decision to marry Edgar. Her reason for choosing Linton over Heathcliff borders on being ridiculous – “if I marry Linton, I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother’s power.” This bears a touch of self-deceiving attitude and springs from Catherine’s indecision to choose from the two. By adding in practical complications in the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff, Bronte stresses the symbiotic relationship between them and their love, which cannot be destroyed by Hindley’s attempted physical separation or Cathy’s marriage to Edgar.
In just the first nine chapters of the book, Bronte has laid down strong hints to Cathy’s life thereafter in her contradiction between her symbiotic relationship with Heathcliff and attraction to Edgar. Her feelings towards Heathcliff overshades that of Edgar and it is this unique and frustrating double relationship that inevitably leads to her death. The clash and conflict between the two make Wuthering Heights a passionate read.
