Online Journal: Wuthering Heights HW #2
There
are many different types of relationship between characters. There are positive
and negative relationships. There are relationships that change lives and there
are relationships that end lives.
The simplest
relationship is family. One family is the Earnshaw family which consists of
Hindley, Catherine and their parents. The Earnshaw was a happy family of four
before the appearance of Heathclif; after him, the family split into two
groups, one that favors Heathclif and one that bully him. The parents treat
Heathclif as if he was one of their children which are proven by the adoption
and the fact that Mr. Earnshaw defense Heathclif and Mrs. Earnshaw does not
lecture him when she sees Heathclif acting mischievous. At first Catherine did
not like Heathclif but as time passed, she began to enjoy playing with him.
Watching his own parents and sister favoring an outsider, Hindley teams up with
Nelly, a servant of the house, and bullies Heathclif. The other family is the
Linton family which consists of Edgar and Isabella as well as their parents.
Their story is not really mentioned in details but they share the same thoughts
with Hindley about Heathclif. All of them believe that Heathclif is not worthy
enough to have any association with them.
Another
relationship is natural romance which includes the couples who actually love
each other. Beginning with the earlier generations, although there are no
details that support this, the parents of the two families seem happy together
and so we can conclude that they love their partners. Hindley found himself a
wife during the time he was sent away for college. The Earnshaw family was
never informed about this marriage and the parents, Mister and Miss Earnshaw
never found out. Hindley and Frances married without any acknowledgement of the
Earnshaw family which means that they had fell in love with each other. The
proof for their love is the fact that after Frances died, Hindley began an
alcoholic and he lost hope for practically everything that doesn’t include
drowning himself with alcohol. Another couple who loves each other is Catherine
and Heathclif. Even though the lovebirds had not married each other, they love
each other. Their love is proven because Nelly said that they were always
together, playing and keeping the separate was the only punishment for
Catherine, the wild child. Heathclif proved that he loves Catherine by the life
he lives with in the beginning of the book where he lives unhappy and isolated
in the Wuthering Heights with the gates and guard dogs. Heathclif begged for
Catherine’s return as Lockwood is leaving the room where he dreamt of her
ghost. Catherine and Heathclif are separated by social class and wealth.
The
last relationship is the servant to master bonding. Nelly is a servant of the
house but when she was young she ate with Hindley and Catherine. Mr. Earnshaw
even allowed her to request for a souvenir before he left for his journey which
he returns with Heathclif. Nelly, as a servant formed an alliance with Hindley
and after she began to take a liking of Heathclif, she began to silently
helping both Hindley and Heathclif.
Relationships
between characters have a huge affect on their role in the story. The emotions
of the characters and their position in the novel are directly connected. The
feelings towards each other affects the way they act within the novel; for
example, Hindley hates Heathclif for separating his family while Heathclif
hates Edgar and Hindley for separating Catherine from him.
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