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• 1    buttro // May 23, 2007 at 7:27 pm

  Heathcliff’s character is the most complicated in the novel ‘Wuthering Height’s” by Emily Brontê. The first half of the book is about how Heathcliff was treated badly by the other characters and in the second half of the book it is about how Heathcliff treats others badly as he seeks revenge. The major conflict in the novel is based around Heathcliff’s relationship with his stepsister Catherine Earnshaw. Both characters are madly in love with each other, however Catherine choses to marry Edgar Linton because as Catherine states “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 myself than I am”.
  Heathcliff is different to all other major characters in the book, this is evident in his name as he is only referred to as Heathcliff, all other characters were born into the families of Thruscross Grange and Wuthering Heights bearing the last name of Linton or Earnshaw. In the first chapter Heathcliff is described as a “dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose.” This is a very useful description as it describes Heathcliff, as he was in the first half of the book and then how he appeared on his return. When Mr. Earnshaw first reveals Heathcliff to us he is described as a “dark-skinned gypsy” but then later in the novel he returns as an educated gentleman as he seeks revenge for his broken heart.
  As a boy Hindley his stepbrother treats Heathcliff poorly, when Mr. Earnshaw dies Hindley is the head of Wuthering Heights and continues to treat Heathcliff like a savage. At the same time Heathcliff’s true love lies with Catherine who marries Edgar Linton. This drives Heathcliff to disappear for 3 years. He returns a changed man with revenge in mind. He ends up taking control of both Thruscross Grange and Wuthering Heights by marrying Isabella Linton. He then treats Hindley’s son Hareton like Hindley as a boy treated him. Catherine then dies after Heathcliff tells her “you loved me, what right did you have to leave me?” At her grave Heathcliff confesses his love for Catherine by stating “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!”
  Heathcliff is then left miserable and master of both Thruscross and Wuthering and that is how Lockwood meets him at the beginning of the book. Heathcliff is the main male character in the novel and is the source of all the novel’s conflict.

• 2    A. Bailey, R. Murphy // May 24, 2007 at 11:42 am

  Name: Nelly Dean

  Sex: Female

  Role: In the book Wuthering Heights, the author, Emily Bronte, made Nelly the narrator. Many have questioned why Bronte would do so. Nelly never really had a life of her own because she lived at Wuthering Heights all her life. Therefore, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange was her life. Nelly was more than a servant, and had a personal relationship with most of the characters,which is why her story is so efficient, and her lack of knowledge not as important. She really loved them, and she shows it when she says, “I kissed Hareton good-bye; and since then he has been a stranger: and it’s queer to think it, but I’ve no doubt he has completely forgotten all about Ellen Dean, and that he was ever more than all the world to her and she to him!” (Wuthering Heights Pg. 81) Hareton probably doesn’t remember her, but that shows the lack of appreciation everyone had for her.

  First Intro: Nelly Dean is first really introduced at the beginning of chapter 4 where Lockwood becomes interested in the history of the characters within the two households. She has been working in the houses for 18 years at this point, she therefore has an unrivaled knowledge of the inner relationships and scandals between the people.
  The gossip begins with “ ‘your’ve seen a good many alterations, I suppose?’
  ‘I have: and troubles too,’”
  From here, Lockwood and therefore the reader begins to learn all about the inner workings of the two households from Nelly who takes over the narration of the novel.

• 3    jgrimsto/mstewart // May 24, 2007 at 11:46 am

  Character profile redone
  Chatherine Earnshaw was raised with her brother Hindly and the “gipsy” child Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights in an isolated location in yorkshire. “Wicked aunt Cathy” is portrayed as an aggressive, spoilt, “minx” described as having a “naughty spirit within her” and the first introduction given to the audience is of her spitting at Heathcliff as a child. Although Catherine has a “love for heathcliff that resembles the eternal rocks beneath” the superficial love she feels for hindly that resembles the “foliage in the woods” that is changed by winter, Catherine Earnshaw marries Edgar Linton due to his possessions because marriage was based on the acquisition of assets at the time and not necessarily for the pursuit of love and happiness, and also because Hindley has degraded Heathcliff after their father’s death to the point where Catherine believe that they “should be beggars” if they where to marry. After the marriage and the reintroduction of a richer, changed Heathcliff, Catherine becomes sick and later dies during childbirth. Catherine’s ghost also haunts Wuthering Heights as a result of a curse laid upon her by Heathcliff: “May you not rest, as long as I am living. You said I killed you – haunt me, then.”

• 4    brettasaurus // May 24, 2007 at 7:14 pm

  Lockwood:
  Male.
  He is the narrator and is introduced in the book in the first chapter as he is introduced to Mr. Heathcliff. He is the new tenant at the Thrushcross Grange. He is running from his own emotional problems. He seeks refuge at Wuthering Heights for a night, and in his stay, dreams of the ghost of Cathy grasping his arm and claiming she has been waiting 20 years. Lockwood tells Heathcliff of his dream the next morning, and sparks a highly emotive response from him. Lockwood then realizes there is more going on at Wuthering Heights then first suspected. He stays because he is intrigued by Wuthering Heights. On his travels he becomes very sick, and is looked after by Nelly Dean, she then tells him of the history of Wuthering Heights and the story, and together they narrate the book.

• 5    penman/liston // May 24, 2007 at 8:02 pm

  Name: Catherine Linton

  Sex: Female

  Young Catherine Linton is a major character in the gothic/romantic novel, Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte. On the exterior it is easy to describe young Cathy. She is first of all a girl, she is the daughter of Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton. Her upbringing comes from a couple forged without love, Edgar and Cathy E, and this sheltered, uneasy upbringing can be sometimes seen in her persona. She is without doubt a self-centred, egotistical girl who like all in the book spends most her time thinking about herself and no time thinking about others. Not only does this egotistical trait haunt her she is also ill-tempered, spieful, and snobby (once again like most in the book). Her personal attributes are less to be desired though in the book her attitude and personality is the norm.

  Young cathy during the novel, Wuthering Heights, is the centre of a controversial love triangle.
  She does commit and marry Linton Earnshaw, Heathcliffes son. Though there marriage was never completely desireable and connections can be drawn from this to her mothers marriage. Linton Earnshaw does die and with this young Cathy finds new love with the often viewed barbaric Hareton Earnshaw, son of Hindley and Francis. This new love is controversial in the book and relates to her personality attributes.

• 6    Harryw // May 24, 2007 at 8:06 pm

  Character Profile
  Edgar Linton

  Edgar Linton is arguably the antagonist in Wuthering Heights. His childhood visits to Wuthering Heights establish him as a pompous and upper class twit and his attitude towards Heathcliff is one of resentment from the beginning. The character of Edgar Linton is then stereotype of a typical Victorian hero. His tender nature makes him a likeable character and the only ground on which he and Heathcliff have similar characteristics is their love for Catherine who regards him as “handsome,” “pleasant to be with,” “cheerful,” and “rich.
  Heathcliff however, shows no interest in getting to know Linton as shown in the scene with the quarrel over the dog and Heathcliff’s reaction to this was “To quarrel over who should hold a heap of warm hair” and regards Edgar as a weak and trifling individual from the outset of the novel. Nelly Dean’s narration often referred to Edgar as a “soft thing” and portrayed him as weak and insignificant.
  As the tension between Edgar and Heathcliff builds, more of his personality is revealed and it is clear that he has no chance in the world as shown in his fear of Catherine’s temper and his naivety to certain situations such as believing that Cathy could grow up at the Grange without discovering the existence of the Heights.
  Her feelings towards Catherine are summed up when Catherine speaks of his passive love saying “I have such faith in Linton’s love that I believe I might kill him and he wouldn’t wish to retaliate”. Despite certain flaws, there is much to admire in the character of Edgar Linton. Much of this is linked with his civilized living, gentle nature and pleasant manner.
  His devotion is admirable as is his love towards Catherine. His willingness to take responsibility for young Linton after Isabella’s death shows his generous nature particularly as Heathcliff, who he dislikes, is the father and, like Heathcliff, is affected by Catherine’s death but unfortunately He ends up losing everything—his wife, his sister, his daughter, and his home—to Heathcliff because good does not always overcome evil. He is a foil for Heathcliff.

• 7    brettasaurus // May 24, 2007 at 8:49 pm

  Lockwood:
  Male.
  He is the narrator and is introduced in the book in the first chapter as he is introduced to Mr. Heathcliff. He is the new tenant at the Thrushcross Grange. He is running from his own emotional problems. He seeks refuge at Wuthering Heights for a night, and in his stay, dreams of the ghost of Cathy grasping his arm “Terror made me cruel; and finding it useless to attempt shaking the creature off, I pulled its wrist on to the broken pane, and rubbed it to and fro till the blood ran down and soaked the bedclothes…” The ghost claimed she has been waiting 20 years. Lockwood tells Heathcliff of his dream the next morning, and sparks a highly emotive response from him. “ Come in! Come in! Cathy do come. Oh, do once more. Oh! My heart’s darling, hear me this time – Catherine, at last!” Lockwood then realizes there is more going on at Wuthering Heights then first suspected. He stays because he is intrigued by Wuthering Heights. On his travels he becomes very sick, and is looked after by Nelly Dean, she then tells him of the history of Wuthering Heights and the story, and together they narrate the book.

• 8    A.Pryor/C.Lukeman // May 28, 2007 at 10:46 am

  Edgar Linton is the son of Mr. And Mrs. Linton and is the heir to the estate of Thrushcross Grange. Edgar was very good friends with Catherine Earnshaw throughout his childhood and he eventually marries her. Edgar Linton was a gentle man, who was cold, cowardly and distant character who deeply loves Catherine. Even though he loves Catherine he is unable to reconcile his love for her because of his bitter antagonism with Heathcliff, which is generally argued that this rivalry leads to Catherine’s eventual mental breakdown and death. Edgar Linton is unable to challenge and compete with Heathclifff’s guile and ruthless determination.

  The character of Edgar Linton is a stereotype to a Victorian Hero. He is a tender character, which in turn makes him a likeable character and it his love for Catherine that is the only similar ground between him and Heathcliff. Catherine describes Edgar as “handsome, pleasant to be with and cheerful”. In direct contrast Heathcliff describes Edgar as a weak and trifling individual throughout the novel. As the tension builds throughout the novel between Edgar and Heathcliff, the personality of Edgar is revealed and becomes much clearer. It is clear that he has a fear of Catherine’s temper and a certain naivety to certain situations, such as his belief that Cathy could grow up at the Grange without discovering the existence of the heights.

  Nelly Dean’s narration throughout the novel refers to Edgar as a weak, insignificant and petty individual, “a soft thing”. As time progresses Edgar becomes more physically and emotionally attached to Catherine and he is therefore unable to leave the Heights after witnessing the quarrel between Hareton, Nelly and Catherine. During this argument violent behaviour is brought to the fore and strikes fear into Edgar, “he possessed the power to depart as much as a cat possesses the power to leave a mouse half killed”.

  Even though there are certain flaws in the character Edgar Linton, there is much to admire, such as the gentle nature and pleasant manner. Associated with Edgar’s positive aspects is his devotion or admirable love towards Catherine and his willingness to take responsibility for young Linton after Isabella’s death, which shows his generous nature, particularly as Heathcliff, who he abhors, is the boy’s father. Edgar is willing to allow Cathy to marry Linton if it would allowed her to be consoled after his own death. Her chance of possible happiness is more important to him than him than Heathcliff gaining control of Linton. Edgar, similar to Heathcliff, is vastly affected by Catherine’s death and looks forward to a reunion with her after his own death, however the intervening 17 years for Edgar are marked by resignation rather than torment as was the case with Heathcliff.

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