The "Love Story" That Is Heathcliff and Catherine
After all they have been through they still don't end up together! Seriously Emily Bronte. Lets take a step back and really analyze this. After taking a closer look I've come to the logical realization that maybe they really never would have worked in the first place. They are from two completely different worlds.
To Begin, Catherine is too much of a spoiled brat that cared about her and her family’s social status instead of what she really wanted which was to be with Heathcliff. Poor Heathcliff. He was already abused physically and now he has his feelings manipulated by Catherine just to be thrown to the side when she did not need him. There is no doubt that Catherine loves Heathcliff but she blames Hindley, “[for bringing] Heathcliff so low, [she] shouldn't have thought of it [because] It would degrade [her] to marry Heathcliff now,” (Chapter 9, page 92). As a child, she ignored everyone else's dislike of Heathcliff because to a child, a social class means nothing. Heathcliff was just her friend and there was nothing stopping them from continuing as friends. Because this lack of restraints, their love flourished. But now Catherine allows Hindley's attitude and treatment of Heathcliff to change how she feels. There is no doubt that Catherine loves Heathcliff but the love she feels differs from his. She loves him but she is not willing to sacrifice everything she has to be Heathcliff while Heathcliff would die for Catherine. In that sense, Hindley really gets what he wants by having Catherine betray Heathcliff. Catherine also thinks that Edgar is out of her league while she is out of Heathcliff’s but I disagree. Heathcliff is seen as the “villain” of the text but who wouldn’t be bitter if the woman you loved so dearly basically dropped you for a boy who is afraid of his own shadow? Heathcliff may not be rich like Edgar Linton but atleast he rely on papa and mama to defend him. Heathcliff is brooding and moody and he is twice the man that Edgar Linton is. Heathcliff is far out of Catherine's league because he is (at first) a good person (mostly). He does not manipulate Catherine or use her for any purpose. The only thing Heathcliff is guilty of is loving Catherine unconditionally, and he paid for it.
The "Love Story" That Is Heathcliff and Catherine
After all they have been through they still don't end up together! Seriously Emily Bronte. Lets take a step back and really analyze this. After taking a closer look I've come to the logical realization that maybe they really never would have worked in the first place. They are from two completely different worlds.
To Begin, Catherine is too much of a spoiled brat that cared about her and her family’s social status instead of what she really wanted which was to be with Heathcliff. Poor Heathcliff. He was already abused physically and now he has his feelings manipulated by Catherine just to be thrown to the side when she did not need him. There is no doubt that Catherine loves Heathcliff but she blames Hindley, “[for bringing] Heathcliff so low, [she] shouldn't have thought of it [because] It would degrade [her] to marry Heathcliff now,” (Chapter 9, page 92). As a child, she ignored everyone else's dislike of Heathcliff because to a child, a social class means nothing. Heathcliff was just her friend and there was nothing stopping them from continuing as friends. Because this lack of restraints, their love flourished. But now Catherine allows Hindley's attitude and treatment of Heathcliff to change how she feels. There is no doubt that Catherine loves Heathcliff but the love she feels differs from his. She loves him but she is not willing to sacrifice everything she has to be Heathcliff while Heathcliff would die for Catherine. In that sense, Hindley really gets what he wants by having Catherine betray Heathcliff. Catherine also thinks that Edgar is out of her league while she is out of Heathcliff’s but I disagree. Heathcliff is seen as the “villain” of the text but who wouldn’t be bitter if the woman you loved so dearly basically dropped you for a boy who is afraid of his own shadow? Heathcliff may not be rich like Edgar Linton but atleast he rely on papa and mama to defend him. Heathcliff is brooding and moody and he is twice the man that Edgar Linton is. Heathcliff is far out of Catherine's league because he is (at first) a good person (mostly). He does not manipulate Catherine or use her for any purpose. The only thing Heathcliff is guilty of is loving Catherine unconditionally, and he paid for it.
Hey Lauryn!
ReplyDeleteNice to see you posting again! I always love hearing what you have to say.
You present an interesting point. You start off by saying that Catherine and Heathcliff never actually end up together. I have to disagree. I think that they finally get to be with one another in death. If you recall, the two are buried next to one another and Lockwood recalls that it would be hard to imagine an unquiet slumber for the sleepers in that quiet earth. I think that the fact that Catherine and Heathcliff end up together in death has a lot to do with your comment on social class. You mentioned that Catherine loved Heathcliff as a child because social class has no bearing on children. I think that the same can be said for those who have died. Just as social class has no importance in childhood, it has even less importance in death. That is what I think is so beautiful about Catherine and Heathcliff’s relationship. Although it could not transcend earthly challenges like social class, it was able to transcend the greatest challenge of all: death. Maybe that is why Catherine and Heathcliff are considered such a perfect picture of love. Not because of the destruction that they encountered, but because of the ultimate boundaries that they transcended.
LAURYN *Calvin's voice*
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting post you have here and I say this because there's so many ideas/points I can reply to. First, let me just say that you seemed to really connect with Heathcliff as a character. You definitely show through your tone that you think he's just a misunderstood character. I agree with you in that sense. In some instances though you paint him as completely innocent. Regardless of what one goes through in life it should not be an excuse to act reckless. You also downplay Catherine's good character. Catherine absolutely loves Heathcliff and does sacrifice for him. She sacrifices living a happy ending by marrying Edgar so that she could help out Heathcliff financially. That to me is a huge sacrifice. You also say that Catherine thinks that Edgar is out of her league while she is out of Heathcliff’s but I don’t think she thinks this at all. I believe that she knows she has power over Edgar and that he loves her unconditionally as well.
I love the cute little picture on your blog. I also find it so funny that how colloquially you wrote this blog and how simplistically you explained the novel. I agree with the point that you think the pair was never meant for each other. So I do have to disagree with Penny dreadful in that sense. I imagine that even if Heathcliff were to end up with Catherine, in life, he most likely would have sprang his misanthropic ways on her. People only want what they cannot have and once they have it, they do not want it anymore. I have to also disagree with Rosecela in her point f Catherine being a good character. Maybe she was not as evil as Heathcliff, but she was evil in many ways. She mistreated Heathcliff as a child, through him aside because he had no money, assaulted Nelly, and sacrificed herself just to make the people who loved her the most regretful. Now I do not call that “a good character”. She did not marry Edgar to help Heathcliff financially she married. Catherine, with her won lips says “ ‘… did it never strike you that if Heathcliff and I should married, we would be beggars?” (chapter 9). She was looking out for herself when she did not marry Heathcliff. So yes, Lauryn, I do think that the two were never met to be together, in life.
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