Wuthering Heights
Infatuation is a common human feeling. However in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights (New York: Signet Classic, 1993), infatuation quickly becomes obsession for the main character Heathcliff. Heathcliff’s obsession with Catherine and her subsequent selfishness and infatuation with herself are made abundantly clear in Wuthering Heights (New York: Signet Classic, 1993). Because of his obsession with Catherine, Heathcliff views her as heaven and living without her is hell to him. Catherine’s desire for attention is never fulfilled so she views life as hell and death as heaven. The differences in Catherine and Heathcliff’s infatuations account for their opposing perspectives of heaven and hell. Heathcliff bases his entire life around Catherine and smiting those who thwart him from being with her. Because he lives his life for Catherine, being with Catherine is heaven to him but being without her is hell. Everything Heathcliff does in the book is in order to be in Catherine’s company or to get revenge on Edgar and Hindley, the two men who cause the most separation between him and Catherine. Heathcliff’s obsession with Catherine is clearly seen throughout the book but it is best seen when he leaves after hearing th
Catherine is a complete parallel to Heathcliff because he devotes his entire life to another while all throughout Catherine’s life, she only lives for herself. Because Catherine never receives the complete and total attention of everyone until she is on her deathbed, death for Catherine is heaven and life is hell. Catherine does not care for anyone but herself, Emily Bronte develops this much more than Catherine’s love for Heathcliff. Catherine’s love for Heathcliff can even be seen as selfish, Catherine says, “’I am Heathcliff‘”(84). The only way Catherine can describe her love for another person is by comparing them to herself. Rather than claiming that she loves Heathcliff for everything thing he is, she says they are the same. Because Catherine does not know what love for another person is, her only way to express her feelings by calling herself Heathcliff, because she can only love herself. The only love for Catherine is herself, and while Heathcliff may come close, she does much more to show her love for herself than for Heathcliff. Catherine does not marry Linton because she loves him but because he will reflect well on her. She doesn’t care if her and Linton are soul mates because he is rich and in marrying him, Catherine becomes a part of high society. What reflects her selfishness even more is that she picks Edgar over Heathcliff, the only person besides herself she has come close to loving, because by marrying Edgar she will be seen as respectable. Rather than following her heart, Catherine follows her own selfish instinct preferring appearance over feeling. Catherine would rather marry Edgar and improve her reputation than be in true love with Heathcliff. When Heathcliff and Edgar fight over Catherine, rather than choosing between the two, she wishes to keep both, saying, “’Well, I cannot keep Heathcliff for my friend - if
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Approximate Word count = 1260
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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