“Wuthering Heights is one of the best novels in English literature and has been featured in many works of art. This amazing novel was written by the writer Emily Brontë in 1847. The author beautifully presented several characters who experienced painful events through the events of the novel. This novel was marked by dramatic events and tragedies. Therefore, it has inspired many writers to feature it in works of art on radio and cinema. The orphan boy Heathcliff and the beautiful girl Catherine Earnshaw were considered the two main characters around which events revolved. Many other personalities contributed dramatically to the formation of dramatic events. In some situations, the character was a victim, while in other situations he caused harm to others. This showed the complexity of the characters in the novel and made it more expressive. In this article I will try to understand and analyze Heathcliff's character through the various events of the novel and how his character went from victim to perpetrator causing harm to others. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The character of Heathcliff was portrayed from the beginning of the novel as a victim of circumstances and some of the surrounding characters. The events began when Mr Earnshaw went to town to work. He found a starving child who was homeless on the streets, then brought him home to adopt. From day one everyone hated Heathcliff, the name Mr. Earnshaw had called him. Hindley was considered the most important reason for changing Heathcliff's character in the novel. Heathcliff considered him an enemy from the beginning and would take his place in his father's heart, which is why he never stopped hurting and torturing him. Heathcliff was an innocent child and did not diminish respect for anyone at home. He reacted to Hindley's abuse with silence. When Mrs Earnshaw's wife died, Mr Earnshaw decided to send Hindley to a military school due to his bad behavior and treatment of Heathcliff. Mr Earnshaw loved Heathcliff and allowed him to study together with Catherine, who was the same age. Events changed dramatically when Mr. Earnshaw died. Hindley came back, he was 20 and had the worst report at military school. Of course, he did not forget that Heathcliff was the reason for his departure. He immediately separated Heathcliff from his studies, employed him in the rank of servant, and prevented him from sighting Catherine, who was so fond of her. We find it in the following quote: “He drove him out of their company to the servants, deprived him of the curate's instructions, and insisted that he work outdoors instead; forcing him to do it as hard as any other boy on the farm. Gradually, Heathcliff at the age of 15 turned into a dirty and ill-tempered young man due to his work on the farm and the physical abuse and violence he constantly received from Hindley. Therefore, Heathcliff turned into a traceless ferocious animal. of the humanity left in his heart, but the only thing that remained at the center of his life was Catherine, whom he loved madly. In this historical period, at the beginning of the 19th century, there were many complex issues that were prevalent in British society, such as different classes and racism against other races. The issue of different social classes was the main reason that prevented Catherine from marrying Heathcliff because she could not face society and marry him. We find in the following quote that Catherine realized this lesson by thinking: “”I am no more committed to marrying Edgar Linton than I must be inparadise; and if the wicked man in there hadn't brought Heathcliff so low, I wouldn't have thought of it. Marrying Heathcliff now would degrade me." Furthermore, we find that racist thinking towards people of other races was widespread in British society and we find in many dialogues of Heathcliff's victims expressions that reflect this racist thinking. For example, Isabella Linton linked Heathcliff's ethnic background to various mistakes and criminal acts. We find it in the following quote: “”Even the cowardly children crept up, Isabella stammered—”“How frightening! Put it in the cellar, dad. He is identical to the son of the fortune teller who stole my tame pheasant. Isn't that true, Edgar?”” Heathcliff suffered from the two cases in the novel because he was a poor, orphaned child whose origins were unknown. Therefore, this made him despised by many in class and racism. Nelly was aware of the reality of society and this negative vision and tried to advise him to overcome this problem that came from the background. We find it in the following quote: “”If I were in your place, I would have a high idea of my birth, and the thought of what I was should give me courage and dignity to support the oppression of a small peasant!”” Heathcliff's his character changed considerably due to the tragedies to which he was subjected. He transformed from an innocent person who met no evil with evil into a retaliatory personality. He only thought about retaliation against the characters who abused him, and the idea of revenge was at the center of his life and the main driver of his actions. As events progress, we discover that Heathcliff's thoughts of revenge are no longer limited to the characters who abused him but also want to take revenge on their children, brothers, relatives and anyone who may be strongly related to them. The following quote illustrates His strong desire for revenge: “”My old enemies have beaten me; now would be the precise moment to take revenge on their representatives: I could do it, and no one could hinder me. ""We also discover that his desire for revenge came to include everyone, even Catherine, whom he loved as if revenge had become his primary goal and the sense of torment of others was his only desire. We find out that he wished Catherine, his beloved, to suffer and wished her not to feel peace even when she died. this in the following quote: ""Isn't it enough for your infernal selfishness that while you are at peace I writhe in the torments of hell?"". There were many characters who fell prey to Heathcliff and his unbridled desire for revenge. Isabella Linton, Edgar Linton's sister, was his greatest victim. He managed to deceive her, attract her and marry her, especially after his return as a rich man after long years of alienation. His only goal was to destroy her, her family, and get revenge on her brother, but in the end she ran away from home and lived with her son away from others until her death. In the following quote we find her suffering from Heathcliff's desire for revenge against Edgar and she was the victim of Heathcliff's desire and anger: “He told me of Catherine's illness, and accused my brother of having caused it; promising that I would be Edgar's proxy in suffering, until he could capture him. Furthermore, there were several characters who were victims of Heathcliff's anger, Heathcliff's son Linton, after his mother's death returned, lived under Heathcliff's control which pushed him to marry Catherine Linton to gain his wealth. As well as Catherine Linton, the daughter of Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton, who was deceived by Linton Heathcliff and forced to marry her after being locked up and threatened, Hareton Earnshaw
tags