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Villainy in Wuthering Heights
more sinister plot of revenge against Hindley and Catherine. He brutally victimizes everyone who transgressed him, and even those who were blameless but could be used as tools to get back at those who had wronged him.
Heathcliff, a survivor of sorts, proved to be quite a gentleman. His unexpected strength and charisma leads Nelly to note that “he would certainly have struck a stranger as a born and bred gentleman” (Ch. 14). But Heathcliff’s troubled psyche develops into exaggerated violence and wickedness. The manifestation of this darkness—destroying Hindley, kidnapping Cathy and Nelly, psychologically victimizing Isabella and Hareton—show that Heathcliff is an everyman, but rather a deeply disturbed individual. Isabella noted in a letter to Ellen, “Is Mr. Heathcliff a man? And if so, is she mad? And if not, is he a devil?” (Ch. 13). His inability to feel compassion in some instances despite his untiring love for Catherine both alienates and intrigues the reader. Surely anyone who goes to such drastic lengths for revenge is a villain, but his love for Catherine manages to counterbalance his ostensible inhumanity. This conflicting appearance would remain with him throughout his life. When Mr. Lockwood meets him after all is said and done, he observes, “Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much of a gentleman as many a country squire” (Ch. 1).
It is possible to say that Heathcliff was a product of his nature and nurture. Throughout his maturation he was subject to trials and tribulations that bred darker traits. This argument falls apart, though, because of Hareton. Under Heathcliff’s care, Hareton grows up much in the same way Heathcliff did—he was an uneducated field worker and is used by Heathcliff to get revenge on Hindley and Catherine. But while Hareton resembles Heathcliff in many respects—quick-tempered, easily humiliated—he proves to be a genuinely good person in search of constant self-improvement. Thus Heathcliff’s wickedness is inexcusable. At the same time, though, the reader sympathizes with Heathcliff. Bronte’s presentation of Heathcliff inspires more pity for Heathcliff than expected or perhaps deserved.
In the end, true love conquers even Heathcliff’s demons. When he meets Mr. Lockwood he has been cleansed by time, as each day seems happier than the last, his purity returning little by little. Love, though, and its healing effects are hardly the themes of the book. Like other Romantic authors of her time (Alexandre Dumas and Emily’s sister Charlotte, just to name a few) Bronte explores man’s inner nature. Wuthering Heights is a glimpse into the minds of Heathcliff and Catherine, both troubled in their own ways. However, their villainy is unique, and the novel does not seem to be a commentary on society or the human condition. Instead, the characters struggle with outer beauty and inner darkness, all the while searching for peace that was at their fingertips all along.