Many critics have pointed out that the story of Wuthering Heights essentially repeats
twice. The fact that Wuthering Heights
repeats itself can be supported because the theme of vengeance is relevant to
both Hindley’s actions towards Heathcliff, and also Heathcliff’s actions
towards Hareton,Cathy, and Linton. First, Hindley terrorizes Cathy and
Heathcliff. After Healthcliff suffers from a broken heart and also loses a
loved one (Catherine), he uses revenge to help him hope with his hardships and
heartaches in life. Heathcliff’s vengeful attitude is directed towards Hareton,
Cathy II, and Linton, whom are all tormented by Heathcliff.
In
the beginning of the novel, Mr. Earnshaw takes in Heathcliff, who is an orphan.
Mr. Earnshaw genuinely likes Heathcliff and feels the need to give him a good
amount of attention since he was an orphan. Hindley is envious of the attention
that his father gives Heathcliff, “He has been blaming our father for treating
Heathcliff too liberally; and swears he will reduce to his right place,”
(Brontë 39). Cathy noticed that Hindley is envious and blames his father for
giving Heathcliff too much attention. Although Heathcliff was very young when
Hindley chastised and belittled him, it had a domino effect in the long run.
Heathcliff, due to the environment he grew up in, becomes an insecure and
unsure of himself. However, when he is around Cathy, he is less self-conscious
and feels like he can be himself around Cathy; she brings out the best in
Heathcliff.
Heathcliff
is blatantly in love with Cathy, however she is in love with and married to
Edgar. When Heathcliff loses the person that he felt was the only one that
understood him, he loses his composure. It began with verbal conflict and
little physical contact, but extrapolated into much more. Once Catherine dies
from the extreme heartache she suffers from trying to decide between her two
admirers, Heathcliff seems to evolve into a completely different person. However,
he does not see it himself, "I seek no revenge on you....That's not the
plan. The tyrant grinds down his slaves and they don't turn against him; they
crush those beneath them...Having leveled my palace, don't erect a hovel and
complacently admire your own charity in giving me that for a home,"
(Brontë 103). Heathcliff is ashamed of what he has become, but notices too late
to change anything. By the time that Heathcliff realized that he damaged
relationships with people, it is too late. Similarly to Hindley, a few mistakes
Heathcliff makes come back to haunt him because he was too arrogant and
stubborn at the time to notice that he was becoming manipulative and vengeful. Heathcliff,
ever since he was a young boy terrorized by Hindley, has had inner conflict
with himself caused by extreme insecurity. Once Cathy dies, he feels he has
power over Edgar because Edgar no longer has anything that Heathcliff wants.
Heathcliff becomes power hungry and controlling. Hindley mistreats Heathcliff
from the beginning, which sparks a chain reaction of hatred and immorality in
Heathcliff that is prominent throughout the whole novel.
