Characters And Relationships In Brontë's Wuthering Heights

Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is a domestic novel. It discusses the theme of home and abroad. Some characters are presenting home and others presenting abroad. One of these characters is Catherine who shows complicity. Her character is full of oppositions which confuses the reader. This makes the reader cannot determine his feeling towards her. This character (Catherine) is playing two roles a ‘victim’ and a ‘victimizer’ in different situations during the events.. These two roles can be seen during Catherine’s actions and behaviours. According to this mixed and complex character, this essay discusses Catherine’s both roles. It is important to understand the way Catherine described in the novel. Also, some of the characters

Her abusive behaviours are clear during the events. The first victim of her is Heathcliff, who loves her. However, she leaves him to marry someone she does not love, just to be a lady with a high position in her niebourhood. This can make the reader thinks that Catherine does not have true love for Heathcliff and she is selfish to break his heart. Actually, what Catherine says is contradictory with her actions. For example; when Nelly Dean tries to convince her to separate from Heathcliff, Catherine refuses. In chapter nine Catherine says“, I am Heathcliff! He 's always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being. So don 't talk of our separation again: it is impracticable” (9.101) (Shmoop, 2017). Thus, anyone can realize her victimization behaviour in this part. However, she blames Heathcliff for the ruination of her character (Ingi, 2013, p.10). She says to him, “I shall not pity you, not I. You have killed me—and thriven on it” (Brontë 140) The second victim is Linton who loves and respects Catherine. Nevertheless, she does not love him, she marries him for a purpose as mentioned above. Her husband (Linton) is a victim of her behaviors which full of violence. She slaps him on his face because she feels angry. Moreover, when Linton asks her to choose between him and Heathcliff, she chooses Heathcliff. This action shocks Linton,

She presents victimization behaviors. However, she deserves sympathy. Because of the harsh and tough environment she lives in. Moreover, according to Hagan “ we must condemn the sin, but pity the sinner” (1967, p.305). Thus, reader should not blame her character, but blame her actions, which refers to the external factors that affect her actions. Actually, the reader feel pity for Catherine for what is done for her, specially her death. At the end of the novel, reader’s sympathy towards Catherine grows up until the novel reaches the event of Catherine’s death. This falling action that makes the reader thinks that problems and suffering will end with Catherine’s death is totally wrong. Because Catherine’s illness which leads to her death is finally presents her as a victim in the reader’s