Wuthering Heights Reaction Paper

                In the novel Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff, the orphaned gypsy who is taken in and pitied by Mr. Earnshaw, grows up to be a very complex character that changes the course of the novel with his intense and steadfast feelings for Catherine Earnshaw. When growing up at Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff was shunned by Hindley, Mr. Earnshaw’s eldest son, but grows very close with Catherine, his only daughter. Heathcliff and Catherine develop a deep passion for one another and fall intensely in love. Heathcliff never lets go of this love and is not shy about hiding his feelings for Catherine. On the other hand, Catherine decides to make logical decisions when it comes to love, even though it pains her to leave Heathcliff behind when she marries Edgar Linton. These two events in particular stay with Heathcliff and cause him to take revenge on any innocent sole connected to Hindley or Catherine.

                Once he is older and married, Hindley has a son with his silly wife Frances and they name him Hareton. Frances dies in labor, which triggers Hindley to go into a depression where he drinks his feelings away into numbness. He does not care for Hareton as he should and once he dies, Heathcliff takes it upon himself to raise the boy himself. Heathcliff takes advantage of this opportunity to get revenge on Hindely and raise his son exactly the way Heathcliff himself was raised, as nothing but an uneducated worker for the Heights. Heathcliff’s hatred for Hindley carried over to his son Hareton and he was made to suffer the consequences for his father’s actions.

                Heathcliff also takes revenge on Edgar Linton for taking Catherine away him and Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff resents how being at Thrushcross Groves has changed Catherine and blames mainly Edgar Linton for these unwanted changes. Again, Heathcliff takes advantage of the surrounding family members of his resented target in order to hurt him indirectly through the ones he loves. Isabella Linton falls victim to Heathcliff’s vengeance. Heathcliff decides to make the most out of Isabella’s advances towards him and uses her shallow love in order to take revenge against her brother. Heathcliff treats Isabella terribly with no motive other than his hatred for Edgar. Heathcliff and Isabella even have a son together, named Linton, who is a sickly boy of many complaints. Heathcliff abuses Isabella’s emotions in order to hurt Edgar.

                Heathcliff takes advantage of another situation in order to hurt Edgar even more. While she was alive, Catherine Earnshaw gave birth to a daughter named Cathy fathered by Edgar Linton. Heathcliff tricks Cathy into coming inside at Wuthering Heights and then proceeds to force her to marry his sickly son Linton, which then made Cathy his daughter in law. Cathy desperately wanted to get back home to her ailing father, Edgar Linton, but could not because of Heathcliff. He separated the family and hurt individuals who never could have expected to be in his line of fire. By hurting Edgar Linton’s family members directly, Heathcliff indirectly hurt Edgar. Seeing his family members suffer was a worse punishment to Edgar than it would have been if Heathcliff had just directly targeted Edgar himself. Heathcliff was manipulative and passionate man who would take down anyone who got in between him and Catherine Earnshaw, his love and obsession.