In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte utilizes quotes to foreshadow certain events that happen in the novel. An example of this is: "This writing, however, was nothing but a name repeated in all kinds of characters, large and small-Catherine Earnshaw, here and there varied to Catherine Heathcliff, and then again to Catherine Linton" (24). This quote is significant because Wuthering Heights is a romance novel and the quote indicates a dilemma Catherine Earnshaw faces in Wuthering Heights; contemplating who she should marry, Linton or Heathcliff. Earnshaw represents her maiden name, Edgar Linton and Heathcliff are people she can choose to marry. By writing her name as Catherine Heathcliff and Catherine Linton multiple times in the book, this shows her inability to choose who to marry and uncertainty of who she wants to marry. Catherine chooses to marry Linton because he is young, cheerful, rich and loves her; she also explains that she cannot marry Heathcliff because he has been degraded too much by her brother. By marrying Linton she will be one of the greatest woman in the neighbourhood. Her decision in choosing to marry Linton explains Heathcliff's bitter personality in the beginning of the novel where he is seen to be quite short-tempered and introverted to Mr. Lockwood, his tenant.
The next quote is significant in the way that it foreshadows Hindley Earnshaw's actions against Heathcliff: "He has been blaming our father (how dare he?) for treating [Heathcliff] too liberally; and swears he will reduce him to his right place-" (27). This quote hints that Hindley will be deliberately cruel to Heathcliff. In Wuthering Heights, Hindley purposely degrades Heathcliff as a revenge since Heathcliff usurped his position as his father's son, stealing all the spotlight when they were still children.Eventually it reaches the point where Mr. Earnshaw rather believes Heathcliff than Hindley, his own son. Hindley is especially displeased with the way Mr. Earnshaw treated Heathcliff because Heathcliff is only an adopted child; in Hindley's mind, Heathcliff should not have been treated that well. Therefore when Hindley gains control of Wuthering Height he degrades Heathcliff to the position of a servant, what Hindley considers to be Heathcliff's rightful position. He also forbids contact between Catherine and Heathcliff, to teach Heathcliff the difference between their status.
The last quote left the strongest impression on me: " 'For shame, Heathcliff!' said [Mrs. Dean]. 'It is for God to punish wicked people; we should learn to forgive' "(64). This quote also foreshadows Heathcliff's revenge later in the novel, on Hindley, for mistreating him from his hatred, or Catherine, for choosing Linton over him and betraying him. However, this quote left the strongest impression on me because both Hindley and Heathcliff are punished by 'God' for being wicked. Hindley is punished for purposely ruining Heathcliff's life as a revenge. Hindley loses everything including his wife, the one he loved the most, and also loses himself from the loss of his wife. Heathcliff fails to be together with Catherine and ends up with Isabella. They have a son but his son dies leaving him with only his widowed daughter-in-law, as revealed in the beginning of the novel. Heathcliff ends up spending his life alone in Wuthering Heights still wishing to be with Catherine, even when she is dead.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Angela,
ReplyDeleteEven though Catherine decided to marry Linton because he is young, cheerful, and rich, do you think she should have married Heathcliff? After all, they were like brothers and sisters before she got married. Later on in the novel, Catherine even says in chapter 9 "my love for Heathcliff is like the eternal rocks beneath-a source of little visible delight". If she had married him, perhaps everyone would have been happier: Catherine would have been with her true love, Heathcliff wouldn't have been as bitter, and he would not have married Isabella to anger Linton. At the same time, it's understandable for Catherine to marry Linton. Not only does he have more reputation in the society, he would have, in Catherine's ideal scenario, kept Heathcliff and her alive: "If Heathcliff and I married, we should be beggars? whereas, if I marry Linton, I can aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother's power?" (p. 60 according to my book). Yet, her sacrifice for survival replaced by artificial love poses an interesting question. Would one rather live shorter but enjoy those years, or live longer and regret what once could have been? This question is often asked to alcoholics. They know that drinking damages their health, but that's how they enjoy life.