An Ardent Love for Pursuing Human Nature

In Emily Bronte’s magnum opus - Wuthering Heights, veiled under the guise of a forbidden romance in the Yorkshire moors, lies a compelling story that exposes the struggle between human nature and civilization. Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw bonded upon a shared childhood, their fierce love transforms into boundless passion and zealous hatred when Catherine marries Edgar Linton. Outraged by this perceived betrayal, Heathcliff leaves, returning three years later, resolved to wreak vengeance on both the Earnshaw and Linton families. Reading this timeless gothic novel feels like getting lost in an ardent dream, where Emily’s poetic writing is infused with her unique disposition, taste for Romanticism and rich inner world, bringing the haunting portrait of the vast moorland to life. Though the misplaced desires of the characters paint the novel in dark colors, the ending of Cathy and Hareton reveals the novel’s true form.

The love between Heathcliff and Catherine is vehement and obsessive at its core. As Catherine puts it: “I am Heathcliff, he’s always in my mind – not as a pleasure – but, as my own being.” (82) In the same way Heathcliff and Catherine reveled in long walks, conversations and squabbles, rebelling together in their childhood. Falling deeply in love means divulging our most vulnerable sides with the object of our adoration, melding our lives and souls with them, gradually adopting habits and mannerisms of our beloved. With the passage of time, relationships can become an integral part of ourselves, making rejection and loss difficult to concede. In the story, this can be seen in two instances. When Catherine decides to marry Edgar, Heathcliff storms out in a fit of rage. And after Catherine’s death, her image continues to pervade Heathcliff’s mind, causing him to become even more savage and malevolent. Heathcliff and Catherine’s love is a testament to the destructive yet irresistible power of love, the hunger for vengeance that accompanies betrayal, torrents of obsession and the eternal loneliness which torments every human soul after the loss of love.

The conflict betwixt and between civilization and human nature is centerpiece of the book. The Lintons are an evident representation of civilization, with good social standing, affluence, upstanding morals and agreeable personalities. While Heathcliff manifests as the opposing force of nature, his appearance and characteristics creating a wild and bestial impression. Yet civilization may simply mask the true nature within, for instance, Isabella Linton displays selfishness and ignorance in her pursuit of love, and her son Linton uses his illness as a reason to be mean and spiteful. Conversely, the darker elements of human nature may not be beyond redemption. Despite Heathcliff’s diabolical actions, throughout the story, he retains respect for Ellen Dean, a humbly born servant, he also saves Hareton from Hindley, and in the end acquiesced to Cathy and Hareton’s love. It is open to the reader’s interpretation whether Heathcliff achieved atonement before his death.

In the biographies we have of Emily Bronte, she is usually portrayed as having a reclusive disposition, a passionate love for animals and a tenacious spirit underneath the bashful exterior. It is conceivable that Emily expressed herself through Catherine, Heathcliff, and the Lintons. The Lintons being the socially acceptable, sensitive and mild side of her character. Moreover, Catherine and Heathcliff symbolize her admiration for freedom and nature.

In the aftermath of Heathcliff's decades long revenge, Cathy and Hareton develop a sincere and warm love for each other. They make plans to marry and settle at Thrushcross Grange, breathing a gale of new hope into the story. Cathy learns to less judgmental and Hareton improves his mind. Cathy and Hareton become better people because of their love, overcoming their flawed upbringings and natures, learning from each other and rectifying the mistakes of their predecessors. Frail humanity may not always be pleasant or kind, yet there are endless opportunities for growth. It is within our natures as humans to commit terrible actions, but the ability to redeem ourselves and forge our own vision of peace and happiness is also within us.