While the master of the house he makes Heathcliff his servant and treats him like he is not part of the family. While working as a servant he is forced closer to his stepsister Catherine but he is willing to be degraded as long as he retains Catherine’s friendship. Then on a visit to Thrushcross Grange they are seen and apprehended as burglars. Heathcliff is driven away; this could also contribute to his hate, while he is away Catherine is treated at Thrushcross Grange because of her dog injuries. While she is there she becomes attracted to Edgar Linton, this could also contribute to Heathcliff’s hate. He does however release some of the anger when he throws hot applesauce over Edgar Linton. Catherine then moves further away from Heathcliff and she decides to marry Edgar Linton. This makes Heathcliff move away.
While all this has been going on Hindley’s wife dies during childbirth, which causes him to become steeped in degradation and become an alcoholic.
Heathcliff returns after three years. He succeeds in winning Wuthering heights from Hindley Earnshaw. While he owns Wuthering Heights he robs Hindley of his wealth and property. He also drives Hindley to a life of perdition by encouraging his drinking, gambling and he brutally assaults him. He returns from his trip too see Catherine, settle a score with Hindley and commit suicide. But she tells him, “to marry whom he will.” He elopes with Isabella. He marries Isabella to get back at Edgar because he married Catherine. Heathcliff makes it known that he does not have feelings for Isabella, “If she desired to go, she might.” This shows his cruelty again and that he is trying to make Catherine jealous. On his return he hears about Catherine’s illness during pregnancy and sadly she dies leaving Edgar a daughter called Catherine Linton. He is brutal to Hareton who is Hindley’s son, “Now my bonny lad you are mine.” Says Heathcliff to Hareton.
Then to make things worse his wife, Isabella, leaves him because of his cruelty, she leaves him with a son called Linton. Isabella then dies and Heathcliff forces a romance between Catherine Linton and Linton Heathcliff. His cruelty is then furthered by keeping them hostage at Wuthering Heights, until they marry. While they are married he shows no sympathy for them. While his son Linton is dying he does not even bother to call a doctor for him, “His life is not worth a farthing and I won’t spend a farthing on him,” he also hits Catherine.
Edgar then dies and Heathcliff is now the owner of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. But Linton’s marriage does not last that long and he dies. A relationship begins to bloom between Catherine Linton And Hareton Earnshaw. Heathcliff then appears to attain a degree of composure and he allows Hareton and Catherine to develop their friendship, this is probably the nicest thing he has done in the whole story. Heathcliff dies quietly.
