Literary Criticism: Wuthering Heights

 

Mr. Earnshaw: A generous man who saved the life of an orphan, proudly gave him his surname, and cared for him like a son, naming him Heathcliff. Unfortunately, Heathcliff became disruptive to the life of his new host family, evoking both love and hate. His personality was shaped by the abuse he suffered from his adoptive brother, Hindley, balanced by the deep love he received from Mr. Earnshaw and Catherine. Nevertheless, he ultimately transformed into a tyrant—an evil figure consumed by a thirst for revenge. The climax of his descent occurs when he becomes haunted by Catherine's phantom.

​Catherine Earnshaw: Though seemingly secondary to the plot early on, her main conflict was choosing between marrying the penniless Heathcliff or a wealthy man like Edgar Linton. After her death, however, she becomes the novel's central force. She haunts Heathcliff’s mind, gradually reshaping his thoughts and behaviors like a gentle drop of water eroding a rock—transforming him from persecutor to persecuted.

​Hindley Earnshaw: The arrival of Heathcliff awakened Hindley's bitter nature, driving him into a downward spiral of abuse and self-destruction that ultimately reduced him to irrelevance.

​Edgar Linton: A relatively flat character, Edgar was a gentle man who cared deeply for his wife, Catherine, and later their daughter, Cathy.

​Cathy Linton: She represents the renaissance of her family, defeating the evil figure of Heathcliff through love and care.

​Hareton Earnshaw: Hareton undergoes a profound transformation. Unlike his father, Hindley Earnshaw, and his mother, Frances, his innate goodness prevailed. His childhood was far from serene—he was raised in isolation, deprived of family affection, and treated like a slave. Yet, his kindness served as the ultimate antidote to Heathcliff's cruelty.

​Mr. Lockwood: A peripheral character, Mr. Lockwood is the only one who has direct contact with Catherine's phantom after reading her personal and intimate diary.

​Joseph: A static character—a hypocritical, self-righteous observer who remains completely unchanged throughout the narrative.

​Linton Heathcliff: The son of Isabella and Heathcliff, Linton embodies the worst and weakest traits of both his parents.

​Nelly Dean: Nelly is a classic round character. She sits quietly at the center of the plot while actively manipulating events behind the scenes, using her advice to influence actions and serving as a complex maternal figure.

Plot: Mr. Earnshaw brings an orphan, Heathcliff, to his estate (Wuthering Heights). Earnshaw's daughter, Catherine, falls deeply in love with Heathcliff, but his son, Hindley, abuses him. Driven by social ambition, Catherine chooses to marry the wealthy Edgar Linton of Thrushcross Grange instead of Heathcliff. Heartbroken and enraged, Heathcliff vanishes, returning years later rich and obsessed with destroying both the Earnshaw and Linton families across two generations.

Set: The isolated, windswept Yorkshire moors in Northern England during the late 18th to early 19th century (spanning roughly 1770s–1802).

Themes:

Obsessive Love & Destruction: Love portrayed as a violent, dark force rather than a gentle romance.

Revenge & Retribution: The cyclical nature of trauma and how hurt people hurt others.

Social Class & Ambition: The conflict between raw human emotion and societal expectations.

Contrasts:

Wuthering Heights vs. Thrushcross Grange: Wuthering Heights is wild, stormy, harsh, and driven by passion; Thrushcross Grange is refined, calm, civilized, and superficial.

Catherine vs. Edgar Linton: Raw intensity and nature vs. polite society and domestic stability.

Apex (Climax): Catherine’s agonizing death shortly after giving birth, brought on by the emotional turmoil of her intense final confrontation with Heathcliff. This shifts Heathcliff’s revenge from fiery passion into a lifelong, supernatural obsession with her ghost.

Written by: Emily Bronte

Year Off Publication: 1847