The polar opposites of heaven and hell are similar to those of life and death. These two are crossed in a few occasions in the novel in the form of references to both and in infernal images, these often being through Heathcliff: “ ’You’ll go to hell!’...By heaven and Hell…But by the help of Satan.” As the novel progresses, the church at Gimmerton degrades, and religion is abandoned as Cathy and Heathcliff find their separate heaven. This is on the Moors, where they are found at the end of the novel walking together: “ ‘They’s Heathcliff and a woman, yonder, under t’Nab,’ he blubbered, ‘un’ Aw darnut pass’em.”

These two polar opposites are separated by a boundary, as are all the polar opposites and in this case, the boundary is the moors and the wall, which surrounds the grounds of Thrushcross Grange. Boundaries are a major theme in Wuthering Heights as they separate two opposites, whether they are on a large scale such as the two houses, or just two people. Doors, thresholds and windows are found everywhere in Wuthering Heights, as these are simple but effective liminal image, showing the boundaries in the novel: “Then, striding to a side-door, he shouted again…(I) arrived at Heathcliff’s garden gate…I approached a window to examine the weather.” These images are completely consistent throughout the novel, as they are used to segregate all the opposites.

Throughout the novel, Heathcliff is described often like an animal (“growled Mr Heathcliff…his whiskers encroached bearishly…he’s a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man”) or the devil. This second reference can be linked to the polar opposites of heaven and hell, which recur throughout the novel: “He interrupted with an almost diabolical sneer…At this diabolical violence, I rushed at him furiously… Though it’s as dark almost as if it came from the devil…Imp of Satan.” Heathcliff often strikes in extreme violence, sometimes in ways that would be considered completely out of order for a gentleman. This is part of his animalisation and likeness to the devil himself, however it is also due to his extreme cruelty, which he puts upon many of the characters, like Linton and Cathy, who he only uses as tools to get his revenge. This is shown in his discussion with Nellie, in which he comes out to her.

Thrushcross Grange is much more civilised and Nellie notes marked improvements in Cathy upon her return for her five-week stay there: “Her manners much improved…instead of a wild, hatless little savage jumping into the house, and rushing to squeeze us all breathless, there lighted from a handsome black pony a very dignified person, with brown ringlets falling from the cover of a feathered beaver, and a long cloth habit which she was obliged to hold up with both hands that she might sail in…Doubtless Catherine marked the difference between her friends as one came in, and the other went out. The contrast resembled what you see in exchanging a bleak, hilly coal country for a beautiful fertile valley.” However, as Heathcliff invades Thrushcross Grange, it slowly disintegrates into a place more like Wuthering Heights, and at the end Cathy and Hareton live in flowering Wuthering Heights, while Thrushcross Grange is inhabited, except for cleaners. “Miss Linton moped about the park and garden, always silent, almost in tears.” This shows the changing attitudes and developing storm in the once cheerful Thrushcross Grange Park. “She rung the bell till it broke with a twang: I entered leisurely. It was enough to try the temper of a saint, such senseless, wicked rages! There she was dashing her head against the arm of the sofa, and grinding her teeth, so that you might fancy she would crash them to splinters.”

Some topics in this essay:
Wuthering Heights, Thrushcross Grange, Catherine Linton, Cathy Heathcliff, Edgar Linton, Wuthering Heights”, Grange Park, Hareton Heathcliff, Heathcliff Cathy’s, Linton Cathy, wuthering heights, thrushcross grange, polar opposites, throughout novel, life death, forced retreat, throat washed rain, grange wuthering, dark hair, edgar linton, life death crossed, heights thrushcross, dead � throat, � throat washed, thrushcross grange park,