Examination of Heathcliffs character in the plot of Wuthering Heights :: English Literature

Examination of Heathcliff's character in the plot of Wuthering Heights WutheringHeights centers around the story of Heathcliff. The first paragraph of the novel provides a vivid physical picture of him, as Lockwood describes how his "black eyes" withdraw suspiciously under his brows at Lockwood's approach. Nelly's story begins with his introduction into the Earnshaw family, his vengeful machinations drive the entire plot, and his death ends the book. The desire to understand him and his motivations keeps us engaged in the novel. His many levels cause us to delve deeper than expected, and the introspection allows us to fully explore not only Heathcliff but also the novel itself. Heathcliff, however, defies being understood, and it is difficult for us to resist seeing what they want or expect to see in him. The novel teases with the possibility that Heathcliff is something other than what he seems; that his cruelty is merely an expression of his frustrated love for Catherine, or that his sinister behaviors serve to conceal the heart of a romantic hero. We expect Heathcliff's character to contain such a hidden virtue because he resembles a hero in a romance novel. Traditionally, romance novel heroes appear dangerous, brooding, and cold at first, only later to emerge as fiercely devoted and loving. However, Heathcliff does not reform, and his malevolence proves so great and long-lasting that it cannot be adequately explained even as a desire for revenge against Hindley, Catherine, Edgar, etc. As he himself points out, his abuse of Isabella is purely sadistic, as he amuses himself by seeing how much abuse she can take and still come cringing back for more. The author does the same thing to the readers to us that Heathcliff does to Isabella, testing to see how many times the reader can be shocked by Heathcliff's gratuitous violence and still, masochistically, insist on seeing him as a romantic hero. Heathcliff drives the plot, as without Heathcliff we would not have any of the problems needed to be dealt with. Heathcliff is connected in some way to almost everyone in this novel, and unfortunately in some way he deals with them negatively. Heathcliff helps to attach all of these stories together, as he is the reason such misfortune happens to everyone and thus he sits at the crux of the basic plot. He remains throughout the novel to be somehow involved in most happenings, whether it is part of the present day with Mr. Lockwood or when Nelly recalls of his doings back in the day when Catherine was still alive.He Considering this historical context, Heathcliff seems to embody the anxieties that the book's upper- and middle-class audience had Examination of Heathcliff's character in the plot of Wuthering Heights :: English Literature Examination of Heathcliff's character in the plot of Wuthering Heights WutheringHeights centers around the story of Heathcliff. The first paragraph of the novel provides a vivid physical picture of him, as Lockwood describes how his "black eyes" withdraw suspiciously under his brows at Lockwood's approach. Nelly's story begins with his introduction into the Earnshaw family, his vengeful machinations drive the entire plot, and his death ends the book. The desire to understand him and his motivations keeps us engaged in the novel. His many levels cause us to delve deeper than expected, and the introspection allows us to fully explore not only Heathcliff but also the novel itself. Heathcliff, however, defies being understood, and it is difficult for us to resist seeing what they want or expect to see in him. The novel teases with the possibility that Heathcliff is something other than what he seems; that his cruelty is merely an expression of his frustrated love for Catherine, or that his sinister behaviors serve to conceal the heart of a romantic hero. We expect Heathcliff's character to contain such a hidden virtue because he resembles a hero in a romance novel. Traditionally, romance novel heroes appear dangerous, brooding, and cold at first, only later to emerge as fiercely devoted and loving. However, Heathcliff does not reform, and his malevolence proves so great and long-lasting that it cannot be adequately explained even as a desire for revenge against Hindley, Catherine, Edgar, etc. As he himself points out, his abuse of Isabella is purely sadistic, as he amuses himself by seeing how much abuse she can take and still come cringing back for more. The author does the same thing to the readers to us that Heathcliff does to Isabella, testing to see how many times the reader can be shocked by Heathcliff's gratuitous violence and still, masochistically, insist on seeing him as a romantic hero. Heathcliff drives the plot, as without Heathcliff we would not have any of the problems needed to be dealt with. Heathcliff is connected in some way to almost everyone in this novel, and unfortunately in some way he deals with them negatively. Heathcliff helps to attach all of these stories together, as he is the reason such misfortune happens to everyone and thus he sits at the crux of the basic plot. He remains throughout the novel to be somehow involved in most happenings, whether it is part of the present day with Mr. Lockwood or when Nelly recalls of his doings back in the day when Catherine was still alive.He Considering this historical context, Heathcliff seems to embody the anxieties that the book's upper- and middle-class audience had