Heathcliff compares himself with Edgar which shows how low his self - esteem is at this point in the narrative. However when Edgar insults Heathcliff’s efforts, Heathcliff loses his temper and throws the tureen of hot apple sauce over Edgar, prompting Hindley to beat Heathcliff. This affects Catherine deeply as she defends Heathcliff but it is obvious that she is upset, ‘…You should not have spoken to him! He was in a bad temper and now you’ve spoilt your visit and he’ll be flogged…’
Another example of Heathcliff’s obsession is when he marks a calendar to show, ‘...the crosses are for the day you have spent with the Linton’s, the dots are for those spent with me. Do you see? I’ve marked every day.’ This incident shows that Heathcliff is feeling rejected by Catherine and he wants to spend more time with her. With the marking of the calendar, Bronte symbolises his reliance on her every day of his life.
In Chapter 11, Heathcliff argues with Catherine which prompts Edgar to offer Catherine an ultimatum, ‘Will you give up Heathcliff hereafter or will you give up me?’ Catherine does not answer but she starts fitting. Three days later, Catherine starts hallucinating and talking to Heathcliff as if he is there. Bronte shows the reader that she is deeply affected by Heathcliff.
When Heathcliff visits Catherine as she is dying, he holds Catherine and Bronte shows that he is like a wild animal by describing him as, ‘a mad dog.’ Nelly says that Heathcliff, ‘gathered her to him with greedy jealously. I did not feel that I was in the company of my own species. Heathcliff asks Catherine, ‘…Why did you betray your own heart Cathy? …You loved me then what right had you to leave me?’ This shows Heathcliff’s emotion and this could mean that he is obsessive, ‘What right had you to leave me?’ he demands, as if he is her husband.
However when he is forced to leave, because of Edgar’s return he promises Catherine that he will not, ‘…stray five yards…’ from her window. This reflects the incident at Thrushcross Grange when he promised that he would stay outside all night in case Catherine wished to return. Heathcliff’s character is very loyal and even in death he stays nearby to be with the woman he loves so completely.
When Heathcliff discovers from Nelly that Catherine is dead, he is devastated and behaves in an animal like manner, which is quite disturbing. ‘He dashed his head against the knotted trunk ; and lifting up his eyes, howled, not like a man, but like a savage beast getting goaded to death with knives and spears.’
Heathcliff will not let Catherine go, and he wants her to haunt her to haunt him for the rest of his life, because Catherine was the only love he had. If she does not remain with him, then Heathcliff’s life will not be worth living. The true emotion of Heathcliff’s character is revealed, later in the play when Heathcliff unburdens himself to Nelly about the torment of being obsessed by the very thought of Catherine for 18 years. Bronte portrays his character, in a way that the reader may feel sorry for Heathcliff.
Heathcliff is still obsessed when Catherine and the following is an example. Before Catherine’s burial, Heathcliff, ‘…spent his nights, at least, outside…’ where Catherine’s’ body lay uncovered. Nelly deliberately left the chapel open for Heathcliff to see Catherine for the last time. Heathcliff replaced Edgar’s lock of hair with his won, which symbolises that he wanted a piece of him to remain with Catherine in her death. Nelly implies that Heathcliff had touched Catherine’s face because of the ‘disarrangement of the drapery about the corpse’s face…’
In Chapter 29, Heathcliff confides in Nelly about his astonishing deed the day before. Heathcliff admits that he bribed the sexton who was burying Edgar,’…to remove the earth of his coffin lid, and I opened it.’ The use of gothic, bizarre imagery of Heathcliff seeing Catherine’s copse is quite shocking and reveals to the reader how far – reaching his obsession is. He even goes far as to making sure that he is buried next to Catherine when he dies, which shows the extent of his obsession.
Heathcliff tells her that Catherine’s ghost has tormented him, ‘…she has disturbed me, night and say, through eighteen years – incessantly – remorselessly…’ He explains that he has felt her presence without being able to reach her. This may make the reader feel sympathy towards him. However of what Heathcliff is saying is true,‘…I felt her by me –I could almost see her, and yet I could not!’ he did bring it on himself. After all Heathcliff did ask Catherine to haunt him for the rest of his existence. Heathcliff also adds in her narration that he is scared to close his eyes in case he sees Catherine, ‘…but always to be disappointed.’
Before his death, Heathcliff loses the will to live, partly because he is happy that he will be reunited with Catherine and secondly because Heathcliff does not want to continue his vendetta against the Earnshaw family and Cathy. When Heathcliff does die, Nelly describes him as’…His eyes met mine so keen and fierce…he seemed to smile…’ One may assume that his obsession with Catherine and his longing for death was what ultimately killed him.
Heathcliff’s strange behaviour and mysterious death seems to be the result of his mad obsession with Catherine and the inability to function rationally without her in his life.
At some moments in the novel, the reader may feel sorry for Heathcliff as he has never known much affection in his life apart from Catherine. This may be the reason why Heathcliff was driven by his jealous obsession which manifested itself in his very being and the way in which he led his life.
