However, it can be argued that Isabella never really loved Heathcliff and it was just an infatuation commonly associated with Byronic heroes. As soon as she knew what Heathcliff was really like, she described him as a ‘beast’ and fled.
Catherine described her love for Heathcliff as the ‘eternal rocks beneath’ and of ‘little visible delight’ The word ‘eternal’ suggests she will always love him yet the phrase ‘of little visible delight’ shows that Heathcliff does not necessarily make her happy. Catherine and Heathcliff’s love is very destructive. Catherine says ‘I’ll break two hearts by breaking my own’ because Edgar refused to let her see Heathcliff, she starved herself and worked up a fever so her death would hurt them both. Her passion for Heathcliff leads her to do rash things and if she can’t be with Heathcliff she forces pain upon herself. When Catherine dies, Heathcliff is always haunted by her spirit. When talking to Nelly he describes Catherine as being ‘in every paving stone’ he is reminded of her everywhere he looks and he describes himself in a state that is barely living, so much so that he says he is ‘not afraid of death’. Even after 20 years Heathcliff is still emotional over Cathy as after Lockwood sees her ghost, Heathcliff can be heard howling. He still feels pain.
However, it can be argued that although their love causes pain, the only time they are content is when they are with each other. When Heathcliff visits Cathy on her deathbed, it is the emotional climax of the novel. The way Heathcliff holds her almost like an animal shows how passionate they are, and this isn’t seen anywhere else in the novel.
One argument that disagrees with the statement is that Catherine (2) and Hareton’s love for each other provides the novel with a happy ending. Because of Catherine, Hareton learns to read and escapes a life of ignorance Heathcliff tried to impose upon him. Hareton’s suffering actually comes from Heathcliff’s attempt to avenge Hindley as opposed to love. ‘Let’s see if one tree won’t grow as crooked as another’ Heathcliff treated Hareton the same way Hindley did to Heathcliff and therefore he made him work as a servant and crippled him from an education. This was the source of most of Hareton’s suffering. However it could be argues that if Heathcliff didn’t treat him this way, then Hareton wouldn’t have needed Catherine to teach him to read and they wouldn’t have fallen in love.
In conclusion, love brought them happiness and passion into the novel and it is not the root of all suffering as it was actually revenge that led people to mistreat others, and cause suffering like Heathcliff’s treatment of Hareton and Isabella.