Heathcliff is the main character of the novel Wuthering Heights written by Emily Bronte. In the novel he has been presented as a heartless brute embodying dark power. Due to the course of events he becomes evil to the core - so savage that his lone purpose in life becomes to destroy and devastate others. Even after he has devastated his love, his wife, degraded the life of a potentially great man, turned the heir of Wuthering Heights into an uneducated ploughboy, and watched the death of his son with no concern, the reader finds himself feeling strangely sympathetic towards the character. Emily Bronte’s unique character representation thus creates a dilemma in readers mind about him being protagonist or antagonist of the novel. Though he is the main character of the novel, he is both protagonist and antagonist. In one hand he is the main character and readers sympathize with him, on the other hand on the path of revenge he destroys everyone including himself and becomes the villain.
In literary terms the protagonist is the main character in a story, novel, drama, or other literary work, the character that the reader or audience empathizes with. The antagonist opposes the protagonist. The antagonist in a work of fiction is the character who opposes the hero, or protagonist. The antagonist, when there is one, provides the story's conflict. Antagonist is also known as the villain and bad guy of the novel.
The moment Heathcliff arrives at the Earnshaw household, he was subjected to racism due to his dark skin color. Bronte describes the boy through Mr. Earnshaw as “dark, almost as if it came from the devil” (43; ch.4). This immediately spurs the reader to view the character as evil and immoral. Nelly describes him to be “dirty, ragged, black haired child” (43; ch.4). From the start everyone excepting Mr. Earnshaw resented the kid. Slowly Catherine becomes fond of him and falls in a love that was beyond physical attraction. On the other hand her brother hated him, as Mr. Earnshaw showed more affection to Heathcliff. After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley becomes the master of Wuthering Heights and starts to degrade Heathcliff to the lowest level of class distinction. He treats Heathcliff in such a harsh way that Heathcliff’s mind becomes overwhelmed with anger and wish of taking revenge. From this time he begins to plot his revenge against Hindley. He says, “I’m trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don’t care how long I wait, if I can only do it, at last. I hope he will not die before I do!”(73; ch7) Though he was plotting he doesn’t do anything directly. Soon after Hindley’s wife dies giving birth to a child boy named Hereton Earnshaw. In the shock of the death he becomes addicted to drinking and deserts all his responsibilities as a father and as the master of the household. Hindley’s treatment towards Heathcliff grows to be even worse. From Nelly’s words, “The master’s bad ways and bad companions formed a pretty example for Catherine and Heathcliff. His treatment of the latter was enough to make a fiend of a saint.” (79; ch.
Heathcliff found secret pleasure in his persecutor sinking into a life of debauchery. On the other hand Catherine slowly becomes infatuated towards Edgar Linton who is from the noble class of society. Due to this infatuation and Catherine’s new found class consciousness she decides to marry Edgar Linton. Though she loves Heathcliff she decides to do this instead. She explains herself in the conversation with Nelly.
“I’ve no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn’t have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more my self than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Linton’s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.” (98; ch.9)
This conversation between Nelly and Catherine is overheard by Heathcliff. This throws Heathcliff from the cliff of his tolerance limit. Love for Catherine was the only reason why Heathcliff never rebelled against the injustices. Thus with shame and hatred he leaves Wuthering Heights.
Up till now one can call Heathcliff the protagonist, as he is the main character and is also facing all sorts of disrespect and heartless behavior with out any retaliation. His love towards Catherine also makes him a man of great heart. He even saves his most hated enemies child Hereton Earnshaw from certain death. This portrays goodness in him.
Heathcliff vanishes for three years, during which Catherine marries Edgar Linton and Hindley drowns further more in his addiction of drinking as Hereton becomes guardian less. After three years of disappearance Heathcliff returns with a completely new appearance and attitude. With unknown source of wealth and new appearance he seemed to overcome the class barrier and rise up to the higher class. Even Edgar who called him a “ploughboy” was compelled to say, “Sit Down, sir.” (117; ch.10) But soon readers realize that this Heathcliff is not the supposed protagonist. He had came back to take revenge and inflict pain upon others. After returning his first action was to meet Catherine. With this meeting he starts his diabolical plan of taking revenge. With this meeting he sows the seed of jealousy and love in Edgar and his sister Isabella’s mind. On the other hand by lending money to Hindley he soon takes over Wuthering Heights. Hindley’s degradation amuses him, but it was not enough to quench his obsession for revenge. To further his revenge he even takes it out on Hereton. He degrades Hereton the same way, in which once he was degraded. We find him teaching the boy to swear, desiring that boy become just as foul as he. As the novel continues, Heathcliff develops another aversion. This time to the man that married his lover, Edgar Linton. In one particular scene Edgar, Catherine and Heathcliff are all involved in a passionate dispute. As Edgar acts like a coward, Heathcliff says,
“I wish you the joy of the milk blooded coward, Cathy! …. I compliment you on your taste; and that is the slavering, shivering thing you preferred to me! I would not strike him with my fist, but I’d kick him with my foot, and experience considerable satisfaction. Is he weeping, or is he going to faint for fear?” (141; ch.11)
Later to gain power Heathcliff elopes Edgar’s sister, Isabella Linton. Their marriage proves to be far from delightful. Heathcliff never loved Isabella. He only married her to gain power of Edgar. After realizing Heathcliff’s true intention Isabella becomes heartbroken. On the other hand Catherine also falls ill, due to the mental torment she had to go through. Heathcliff’s company quickly destroys Isabella as she writes, “Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? And if not, is he a devil?”(167; ch.13) As Nelly goes to visit Isabella she describes her as having, “already partook of the pervading spirit of neglect which encompasses her.”(180; ch.14) Heathcliff has no love for his wife whatsoever, he himself even says so. “I don’t care who knows that the passion was wholly on one side, and I never told her a lie about it. She cannot accuse me of showing a bit of deceitful softness. The first thing she saw me do, on coming out of the Grange, was to hang up her little dog, and when she pleaded for it, the first words I uttered were a wish that I had the hanging of every being belonging to her,”(185; ch.14) This is the direct portrayal of his brutal intentions. Destroying innocent Isabella’s life probably the most brutal and diabolical thing he did in his life. Later Isabella was able to run away, but not in time to save herself from destruction. She says, “I gave him my heart, and he took and pinched it to death; and flung it back to me – people feel with their hearts, Ellen, and since he has destroyed mine, I have not power to feel for him.”(212; ch.17) In the meantime Catherine dies giving birth to young Cathy. Heathcliff blames Edgar for Catherine’s death and becomes more enraged with anger. But it was actually Heathcliff’s diabolical deeds that that tormented Catherine and ended in her death. Even in death he did not leave her alone, his love for her transcended death, time and place as he says,
“Why, she’s a liar to the end! Where is she? Not there – not in heaven – not perished – where? Oh! You said you cared nothing for my sufferings! And I pray one prayer - I repeat it till my tongue stiffens – Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest, as long I am living! You said I killed you – haunt me then! The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe – I knew that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always – take any form – drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!”(205; ch.16)
His love for Catherine is constant and deep which is a redeeming feature in his character. But even with Catherine’s death his path of revenge does not end. Soon after Isabella’s departure Hindley also succumbs to death. Isabella also dies leaving behind Linton Heathcliff in hands of Edgar Linton. Later Heathcliff takes him away.
The obsession of revenge was so deep rooted in Heathcliff’s mind that he now focuses his attention to the next generation. After his death Heathcliff starts top raise Hereton. Heathcliff intends to achieve revenge on Hereton by treating the boy the same way Hindley had treated him. After Hindley’s death he says, “Now my bonny lad, you are mine! And we’ll see if one tree won’t grow as crocked as another, with the same wind to twist it!”(230; ch.17) Thus he robs the boy of all knowledge of his inheritance, gives him no formal education, and degrades him to the position of a ploughboy. After achieving the goal he says that, “I’ve got him faster than his scoundrel of a father secured me, and lower; for he takes pride in his brutishness.”(268; ch.21) Heathcliff even hated his own son, Linton Heathcliff. He calls him “pitiful”, “shuffling”, and “worthless” and claims that he “despises him for himself.” To gain full control over Thrushcross Grange he devises a new plan. He uses his own son as bait to lure Edgar Linton’s daughter young Catherine Linton is a trap of love. Cathy becomes weak towards Linton, both for love and moral obligation as a cousin. Later Heathcliff at one event kidnaps Nelly and Cathy ant locks them in Wuthering Heights, while Edgar Linton lays on his deathbed at Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff Forces Cathy to marry Linton. On the other hand Edgar Linton dies. With his death Linton Heathcliff inherits Thrushcross Grange. This was Heathcliff’s main motive behind the forced marriage besides inflicting pain and suffering on Linton and Cathy. Later, after ha has treated Linton wretchedly and achieved his purpose, when Linton is on his deathbed and Cathy attempts to call for a doctor, Heathcliff says that, “None here care what becomes of him; if you do, act the nurse; if you do not, lock him up and leave him.”(357; ch.30) Yet at the end of his life, as the novel comes to a close, Heathcliff realizes the futility of his life, as it has been spent on that one task. He realizes that in destroying others life he has actually destroyed his own. Thus Heathcliff wills himself to die.
Thus despite Heathcliff’s immoral behavior and thoroughly evil actions, the book closes leaving the reader with a pitying disposition on the characters behalf. One reason for this sentiment is the fact that no one has ever loved Heathcliff aside from Catherine. His unfulfilling love for Catherine Earnshaw also makes the reader sorry for him. However his wickedness is entirely inappropriate and unusual. Without question he is brutal. The vicious manner in which he helps to destroy Hindley, Catherine and Edgar, kidnaps Cathy and Nelly, and brutalizes Isabella, Hereton, and Linton suggests that he is the villain of the novel. After never being able to love, being abused, losing ones love, and living for one thing only to later discover its futility, one might ponder that Heathcliff couldn’t help but be how he was. The circumstances were almost beyond his control. Just as the antagonist creates conflict and problems for the protagonist, in the novel he creates the conflicts as well as the problems for himself. Thus he is a unique character created by Emily Bronte who is both protagonist and antagonist in her novel Wuthering Heights.
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I did a lot more editing before submitting this one, but i lost the finished(.doc file) one!!!! Till I get my hands on my teachers copy, can you guys review this?
