Grief in Wuthering Heights

Emily Bronte incorporates various types of grief into her writing in Wuthering Heights. This may be due to the conditions of many of her own experiences, or it may not, we cannot know. Regardless, the grief that is exhibited by the many different characters, differs for various reasons. The intense feelings of grief demonstrated in Wuthering Heights are most often insinuated by death. The ways in which characters relate to one another vary greatly, and also play a great role in determining the intensity of the sorrow felt by a character. Also, one's personality and capabilities can affect how he/she may feel about another's death. All of these are connected to the conditions in which a character was brought up and how he/she was living at the time of the tragedy, which also bears a large impact on the feelings of grief displayed. For example, no one knows for sure where Heathcliff came from or how he lived before he came to Wuthering Heights as a child. We immediately learn that Heathcliff is different, and may perceive a mysterious persona about him. Which proves correct later in the book, because no other character's sorrow can compare to his, except maybe Catherine's. Heathcliff had an obsession. To him, Catherine was life. He did not want to live without her. Heathcliff came to Wuthering Heights as a child and grew up with Catherine always by his side, until Hindley returned. Therefore, his obsession began as a child. Because he grew used to having Catherine with him, as he grew older he never wanted to be separated from her. Hindley's forcing their separation probably only strengthened his passion for her, because once he couldn't be with her, he could only want it that much more. As I said before, we do not know what life was like for Heathcliff before he came to Wuthering Heights. We can only assume the worst because when old Mr. Earnshaw brought him back he told, "...a tale of seeing it [Heathcliff] starving, and houseless, and as good as dumb, in the streets of Liverpool; where he picked it up and inquired for its owner. Not a soul knew to whom it belonged...he was determined he would not leave it as he found it." (33)
So, Heathcliff, never having had anything in his life was brought to Wuthering Heights where he had a roof over his head, a warm bed, food in his belly, clothes on his back, and, Catherine. Part of his connection to her was probably because once he went from nothing to everything, and he didn't want to lose what he had. That's why he wanted so badly to always have her in his life and he held on so hard to the idealistic thought of always being with her. Before she married Edgar, she said, " I've no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in Heaven; and if the wicked man in there [Hindley] had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn't have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton'‘s is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire." (75)
This helps to illustrate how Catherine and Heathcliff's passion for one another is almost beyond comprehension. It is as if it is beyond this world. Catherine cannot marry Heathcliff because of his social status and because he cannot provide for her and she accuses Hindley of being the cause. Because they cannot marry, she chooses to marry Edgar because she loves, "his looks, and all his actions, and him entirely and altogether,"(73). When Heathcliff heard Catherine talking, he decides to leave. Whatever he does, he betters himself to the point where he can seek revenge on Hindley and all others who caused him to be so "low" to where it would have degraded Catherine to marry him. He basically wishes to punish those who made it so he and Catherine could not be together in this life. Yet, it is almost as if they already knew then that they would be together for eternity whether they were married or not, because their souls "are the same." Catherine said, "...surely you and everybody have a notion that there is, or should be, an existence of yours beyond you. What were the use of my creation if I were entirely contained here? My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning: my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn a mighty stranger...so don't talk of our separation again: it is impracticable." (76-77)
It is as if they just know they will always be together. Because Heathcliff and Catherine had such a strong connection, and they felt so passionately about each other, Heathcliff's grief for Catherine's death was agony for him. It was as if he was losing a part of his soul. "Catherine Earnshaw, may you never rest as long as I am living! You said I killed you--haunt me then! The murdered do haunt their murderers. I believe–I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always–take any form–drive me mad! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" (158)
He wanted her to be with him no matter what, even if it meant she had to come back from the dead and haunt him, at least they would be together in some form. It seems even Catherine felt the same way. She knew she was going to die soon and said, "We've braved its ghosts often together, and dared each other to stand among graves and ask them to come...But Heathcliff, if I dare you now will you venture? If you do, I'll keep you. I'll not lie there by myself: they may bury me twelve feet deep, and throw the church down over me , but I won't rest till you are with me. I never will!" (119)
She says that she will come back and haunt him until he is dead along with her. It seems
Heathcliff sticks around long enough to finish out his plan of revenge for those who prevented him and Catherine being together and made him miserable, until he figures out it isn't that important. Before he dies he says, "My old enemies have not beaten me; now would be the precise time to revenge myself on their representatives [Catherine Linton and Hareton]: I could do it and none could hinder me. But where is the use? I don't care for striking: I can't take the trouble to raise my hand!...I have lost the faculty of enjoying their destruction, and I am too idle to destroy for nothing." (303)
He basically gives up and wants to die so he can go be with Catherine. We assume they are together because Nelly says that many people claim to have seen him, and she once ran into a frightened boy who said he saw Heathcliff and a woman, "yonder, under t' Nab,"(316). Edgar's grief for Catherine's death was not as deep as Heathcliff's. We know they cared about each other. Catherine said she loved him, "...because he is handsome and pleasant to be with," "And because he is young and cheerful," "And because he loves me," "And he will be rich, and I shall like to be the greatest woman of the neighbourhood, and I shall be proud of having such a husband," (72-73). Catherine liked Edgar for his looks and his money. She says, " I should only pity him–hate him, perhaps, if he were ugly, and a clown," (73). When Nelly remarks that he won't always be handsome, young and rich, Catherine replies that, "He is now; and I have only to do with the present," (73). This says a lot about their relationship. Catherine said, " My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary," (77). Edgar cared about Catherine to the point he had, "a deep-rooted fear of ruffling her humour," (86). As soon as he discovered the seriousness of Catherine's illness, he took immediately to attending to her. "No mother could have nursed an only child more devotedly than Edgar tended her," (126). Yet, his desire for her recovery was somewhat based on the hope that his lands would be, "secured from a stranger's gripe, by the birth of an heir," (128). Nelly told Heathcliff that, "The person [Edgar] who is compelled of necessity, to be her companion, will only sustain his affection hereafter by the remembrance of what she once was, by common humanity, and a sense of duty!" (140). Then, in a sense, Edgar was only taking care of her because it was his duty as a husband and because he wanted an heir to his fortunes. He was quiet about his grief for her death, unlike Heathcliff who voiced his severe feelings of agony. His young and fair features grew deathlike with, "the hush of exhausted anguish,"(155). He never spoke of his grief for Catherine's death. Though, "He spent his days and nights there [with Catherine's body], a sleepless guardian,"(159). We assume he was moved by her death, because Edgar turned his life around and devoted it to raising his beautiful daughter, the only thing left of Catherine. She was spoiled, as Nelly said, "I don't believe he ever did speak a harsh word to her," (178). Edgar also, "Took her education entirely upon himself," (178). He was very protective of her, and she grew up living a very sheltered life. "Till she reached the age of thirteen, she had not once been beyond the range of the park by herself," (178). This was very unlike Heathcliff, because once Catherine died, he devoted his life to his revenge. There is not a lot said about Hindley and Frances's relationship. We can assume that Hindley greatly loved her and cared about her. When Hindley's father died, Hindley came back with a wife that no one ever found out what she was or where she was from because, "she had neither the money nor name to recommend her, or he would scarcely have kept the union from his father," (40). He must have been in love because he obviously sis not marry her for her money. He also took great care to respect her feelings because, "A few words from her, evincing a dislike to Heathcliff, were enough to rouse in him all his hatred of the boy," (42). After the birth of Hareton, when Frances was failing, a girl working at Wuthering Heights told Nelly, "He had room in his heart for only two idols–his wife and himself: he doted on both and adored one, and I couldn't conceive how he would bear the loss," (59). We become aware then, how difficult Frances's death will be. Hindley does not know how to take the death. The first thing he does is deny her illness. He says, "Damn the doctor! Frances is quite right: she'll be perfectly well by this time next week," (59). He also tells the doctor, "I know you need not–she's well–she does not any more attendance from you! She never was in consumption. It was a fever; and it is gone: her pulse is as slow as mine now and her cheek as cool," (60). When she did die Hindley, "neither wept nor prayed; he cursed and defied: execrated God and man, and gave himself up to reckless dissipation," (60). Hindley basically gave up on life when Frances died, which was unlike Heathcliff or Edgar. The servants could not bear his "tyrannical and evil conduct," (60). Hareton fell into Nelly's hands and, "Mr. Earnshaw, provided he saw him healthy and never heard him cry, was contented, as far as reagarded him," (60). Hindley started drinking all the time, and once almost killed Hareton because he dropped him from the top of the stairs. Hindley was unkept and vicious. He did not have a housekeeper for years and let the house fall apart. Hareton grew up learning to be like his father cursing all the time, and doing things like hanging puppies from a chair. Eventually, Hindley gambled everything away and drank himself to death. If Heathcliff liked anyone besides Catherine, it was Hareton. Hareton was also fond of Heathcliff. This was probably because Hindley did not give him any attention whatsoever as a youth, and when Heathcliff began living at Wuthering Heights once more, what little attention Hareton got from Heathcliff was enough. Hareton liked Heathcliff from the start. When Hindley died, Heathcliff told Hareton, "Now, my bonny lad, you are mine! And we'll see if one tree won't grow as crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!"(176). While Heathcliff does not have good intentions regarding Hareton, Hareton is not aware until later that he was ever wronged. Yes, He lives in his own house as a servant deprived of any education or anything a gentleman might have received as a boy, but he is unaware of what he could have. Heathcliff still raised him and there is still somewhat of a father-son bond between them that Hareton never had with Hindley. Also, because of the way he was brought up Hareton is very much like Heathcliff and Heathcliff can sympathize with him. He said, "I know what he suffers now, for instance, exactly: it is mere beginning of what he shall suffer, though. And he'll never be able to emerge from his bathos of coarseness and ignorance. I've got him faster than his scoundrel of a father secured me, and lower; for he takes a pride in his brutishness...And the best of it is, Hareton is damnably fond of me! You'll own that I've out-matched Hindley there. If the dead villain could rise from the grave to abuse me for his offspring's wrongs, I should have the fun of seeing the said offspring fight him back again, indignant that he should dare to rail at the one friend he has in the world!" (206).
When Catherine Linton informed Hareton of how Heathcliff had wronged him an his father he still defended him. "He wouldn't suffer a word to be uttered to him, in his disparagement: if he were the devil, it didn't signify; he would stand by him; and he'd rather she would abuse himself, as she used to, than begin on Mr. Heathcliff," (301-302). When Heathcliff died, Hareton was the one that was the most upset. He grieved deeply for him. "He sat by the corpse all night, weeping in bitter earnest. He pressed its hand, and kissed the sarcastic, savage face that everyone else shrank from contemplating; and bemoaned him with that strong grief which springs naturally from a generous heart, though it be tough as tempered steel."(315) One theme of this novel is that love is stronger than death. Heathcliff and Catherine's love for one another affected every single person they were surrounded by. Throughout the novel their love prevailed over everything else even though others loved and suffered. When Catherine died, Heathcliff's focus in life was still her, though it might have been indirectly at first. Edgar's new love was his daughter and Hindley loved no one, not even himself. Hareton started a new life with Cathy Linton once Heathcliff died. Heathcliff and Catherine proved that their love was stronger than any.