The Theme Of Conciliation In 'Wuthering Heights'

“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves” (“Confucius”). This quote from the Chinese philosopher Confucius poignantly illustrates the extent of the negative effects that revenge can have on a person. Indeed, what once was a quest to destroy another quickly becomes a countdown until one destroys oneself. Nonetheless, the need to enact vengeance is pervasive throughout society, from the “eye for an eye” (“The Code of Hammurabi”) mentality of the code of Hammurabi to Internet mob shaming. However, these pursuits of vengeance do nothing to provide any sort of moral reconciliation: two eyes are lost instead of just one under Hammurabi’s code, and Internet mob shaming only serves to ruin people’s lives instead of combating real world problems. Throughout both literature and life, the inefficacy of hostility in providing true conciliation has been an often repeated phenomenon, with the former realizing this more often. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontё, characters’ decisions to stop acting cruelly towards others provide moral reconciliation, illustrating that a positive resolution can only happen when one lets go of hostility. For example, the fact that the younger Catherine’s choice to stop mocking Hareton eventually results in a relationship between the two demonstrates that letting go of prejudice towards another can result in the formation of positive relationships that bring happiness. Upon learning that Hareton is her cousin, Catherine shirks him,