Hindley and Cathy were shocked and disgusted by this boy, as they had never seen anything like him before. “What is it?” quotes Cathy. “It’s dirty”, quotes Hindley. Despite this setback, Cathy warms to Heathcliff very early on and is it any wonder that Heathcliff falls in love with Cathy as no one has ever cared for him before. However, it is the opposite from Hindley who despises Heathcliff and feels that he is being replaced by Heathcliffe in Mr Earnshaw and Cathy’s affections.
Heathcliff and Hindley become enemies very early on and a good example of this is when Heathcliff’s horse goes lame and he tries to blackmail Hindley into giving his horse to him. Heathcliff says, “I’ll tell Mr Earnshaw that you beat me if you do not give me your horse”. Eventually Hindley throws a huge rock at Heathcliff injuring him.
When Mr Earnshaw sends Hindley away, he is understandably upset. He feels that his own father had chosen Heathcliff over him. Hindley would grow vengeful and angry towards Heathcliff.
After Mr Earnshaw’s death, Hindley was the master of the house and his first act was to stop Heathcliff’s education. This was a terrible thing to do as with no education Heathcliff’s chance of being respected and becoming a gentleman had disappeared. Also the chance of marrying Cathy had evaporated. Hindley also made him work as a ploughboy and sleep in the stable. The master of the house no longer considers him family. Hindley is amused and enjoys humiliating Heathcliff in front of Cathy. He is taking his revenge on Heathcliff but it would now be Heathcliff’s turn to grow angry and vengeful.
Heathcliff sees Cathy less and less everyday since Mr Earnshaw’s death. Hindley is determined to separate them forever. However, when they are together they make the most of this time and decide to run away for a few hours. They wonder over to The Grange and are bewildered by the beauty and class of the house. “Ah it was beautiful” quotes Heathcliff. “A splendid place carpeted with crimson and a pure white ceiling bordered with gold”. Think how this differs from the neglected Wuthering Heights. Emily Bronte creates two completely different houses in The Grange and Wuthering Heights. Even the weather seems to differ round them this is good use of symbolism by Emily Bronte. The contents of these houses would be even more different!
Cathy and Heathcliff look through the window and the reader is introduced to the Lintons for the first time. Isabella and Edgar are fighting over who can hold the puppy. Cathy and Heathcliff laugh at this. To them it is pathetic that they have all they want and still argue over petty things. When Heathcliff is telling the story to Nelly Dean it is now clear that Heathcliff loves Cathy praising her and speaking highly of her.
The next key scene is when Cathy returns from her stay at The Grange. She has been there for six weeks and on her return she acts lady-like and is very cruel to Heathcliff. “How very dark and grim you look,” says Cathy. She does not mean to be cruel but she is naïve and does not know that she is hurting him. Hindley thoroughly enjoys humiliating Heathcliff in front of Cathy. Heathcliff is shown up as he stands in the presence of the beautiful lady Cathy. Cathy’s love for Heathcliff has not changed, however she begins to express it very differently.
Isabella and Edgar come round for Christmas dinner and Cathy dresses up for their arrival. This is the first sign of Cathy falling for Edgar. It is noticeable that she acts differently around them. Heathcliff is determined to look his best for Cathy. Bronte is showing Heathcliff’s love for Cathy yet again. The smartly dressed Heathcliff is banished from the table by Hindley before supper begins. “Begone you vagabond”, quotes Hindley. This shows Hindley’s determination to separate Cathy and Heathcliff forever.
Heathcliff is again humiliated, this time by Edgar. “I wonder if the locks make his head ache”. Heathcliff can take no more and Emily Bronte shows Heathcliff’s violent nature when he pours hot sauce over Edgar Linton.
Heathcliff’s evil side comes out when he swears revenge on Hindley.
Cathy now has affection for Edgar Linton. She loves his charm, wealth and what he can offer her in social class. He has so much to offer yet Heathcliff has little.
Cathy now has the choice of two completely different characters in Edgar and Heathcliff both have qualities and faults. Edgar is scrawny, blonde and pale compared to the tanned, muscular and dark Heathcliff, however Edgar has class and is a gentleman. He could provide and promised an excellent life for Cathy. Heathcliff on the other hand is a ploughboy with no education. Although Cathy is fond of Heathcliff and maybe loves him, she will not marry out of her social class and so Edgar’s proposal is a far more attractive package.
Edgar has offered to marry Cathy and she is very excited, but is still conscious of her feelings towards Heathcliff. She discuses this dilemma with Nelly Dean, although Cathy is unaware that Heathcliff can hear her every word. “If I marry Edgar I shall be rich and shall be the greatest of women in the neighbourhood and shall be proud of my husband” Cathy says. The reader can now see her desire to be wealthy and well respected. Heathcliff having heard this runs away before Cathy has finished talking. Nelly sees through her words and then Cathy admits that it is with Heathcliff and with Wurthering Heights that she belongs. Cathy now says that she will use her influence as Edgar’s wife to look after Heathcliff. When Cathy realises Heathcliff has disappeared she wanders the moors in the snow trying to find him, but he has gone.
Eventually Cathy agrees to marry Edgar. Without Heathcliff there are no obstacles. In this marriage Cathy can do whatever she wants were ever she wants, she is spoilt. No servants dare question her and not even Edgar will cross her. When Cathy is moody Edgar retreats to his books. This is the only way the marriage will work, as Edgar and Cathy are so different. Cathy is clearly depressed, she misses the moors and she misses Heathcliff!
On Heathcliffs return he has changed greatly. He is now tall dark and muscular and a powerful figure compare this to the scrawny, blond, milky skinned Edgar. He also mysteriously returns as a wealthy gentleman. How has he gained this wealth? Cathy is excited for the first time in years when Heathcliff returns “Oh Edgar, Heathcliff is back Heathcliff is back”. How must Edgar feel seeing Cathy like this over someone else? Edgar replies “must we have that gypsy in our home”, and his jealousy grows as Cathy acts as if Edgar is not there.
Heathcliff returns with one thing on his mind, revenge! He planned to kill Hindley and then to commit suicide. However seeing Cathy again brought back his old feelings for her. His plan was now to gain ownership to both the houses and drive Hindley to his death. We have no idea how he gained his wealth, Bronte leaves that to our imagination, but we do know from Heathcliff’s earlier years that he is conniving, determined and devious. These qualities must have helped him gain his wealth and will help him in achieving his next goal.
Edgar and Heathcliff hate each other. However they show this in different ways. Edgar hides behind his servants whereas Heathcliff is willing to fight Edgar man to man. Heathcliff is a dangerous character and Edgar is no match for him.
Edgar now despises Heathcliff, even more so when the innocent and naïve Isabella is drawn into Heathcliff’s clutches and Heathcliff marries her for revenge on Edgar and for a chance to inherit the Grange. Not only does Heathcliff marry Isabella, he physically and mentally abuses her. Isabella now realises that marrying Heathcliff was the biggest mistake of her life. She has now lost everyone’s respect and her life is a misery. Once Isabella marries Heathcliff, Edgar completely shuts off all his feelings for his sister; Emily Bronte is showing Edgar’s coldness here.
Heathcliff and Cathy have a passionate meeting. Cathy accuses Heathcliff off killing her when he ran away. Heathcliff insists that Cathy will haunt him after her death, as he cannot live without her. Emily Bronte shows the readers Heathcliff’s human side when they both cry together; here they are at peace for the first time since they were children. At this moment Heathcliff is the same scared little boy who arrived at Wuthering Heights long ago. This is the last time they speak and Cathy falls unconscious in Heathcliffs arms.
When Cathy dies we again see how the two men are completely different yet linked in their love for Cathy. I believe that both men are as distraught as each over the death of Cathy, however they express this very differently. Edgar’s heart is broken and says nothing just sitting in the corner crying over his wife. Heathcliff on the other hand is raging. He cannot accept the fact that she is gone. “I cannot live without my soul” Heathcliff exclaims. He becomes obsessed, digging up Cathy’s grave and replacing Cathy’s picture of Edgar in her locket with his own picture. Isabella cannot take his mood swings she is beaten more than ever after Cathy’s death and eventually runs away.
Edgar and Heathcliff are two completely different people both physically and mentally. They are from completely different backgrounds. Edgar was spoilt as a child and lived in a big house with many servants. Compare this to Heathcliffs background; he lived on the streets of Liverpool taking what food he could from bins. However they are linked by one thing and one thing only Cathy! Their love for Cathy even surpasses their growing hatred of one another. Emily Bronte shows us this only when Edgar realises that Cathy belongs on the moors and is buried there instead of in the Linton family vault.
