Heathcliff
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Order NowCharlotte BrontĂ« described Heathcliff as a âmanâs shape animated by demon life â a ghoulâ To what extent do you think this is an accurate assessment of the ways in which Heathcliff is presented in the novel?
Heathcliff is presented in this novel in various different ways. He is a character that arguably shifts from having human qualities, to presenting traits of the Byronic hero and finally becoming a typical gothic villain. The doomed central character of Heathcliff in this gothic novel could be paralleled to that of Satan in John Miltonâs âParadise Lostâ where Satan is cast out by God from Heaven into the terrible darkness of Hell.
One could argue that BrontĂ« does in fact present Heathcliff as âa ghoulâ by making a connection between him and the exotic and describing him from the very start as âdark almost as if [he] came from the devilâ showing that his striking physical appearance, just like the Byronic hero, makes him unable to integrate into a higher social class. In an attempt to confine and dehumanize Heathcliff, Hindley forces him into servitude; although Heathcliff endures it, he plots how he can âpaint the house-front with Hindleyâs bloodâ. His cruelty serves to conceal the heart of a romantic hero and the fact that Heathcliff is subject to xenophobia which was a common sentiment among the British people in the colonial days of the early nineteenth century leads him to become an outcast and makes him a âchild of the stormâ, someone product of circumstances and a man distrustful of everybody and unable to engage in any social relations. Young Heathcliff shows a strong will to improve his station in life, but his unfortunate background and his repeated frustrations turn his nature into a devilish one.
Moreover, his relationship with Catherine leads to their own fatal destruction and this suffering turns Heathcliff into a damned hero. Once Catherine is dead, he loses all aims in his life and like the Byronic lover, he does not allow himself to find a happy ending, instead he lives the rest of his days with guilt and perpetual torment. His passionate nature leads to an intolerable frustration that makes him lose his humanity.
Heathcliff is presented as an evil man and the typical Gothic villain displaying no human feelings with his cruel treatment of Catherine and Isabella. Even Cathy whom he calls âmy love, my life, and my soulâ accuses him of being her murderer (âyou have killed me â and thriven on itâ) showing the gothic heroâs mystical power to triumph over womenâs will and conscience by resorting to his dark demonic appeal as well as showing his âothernessâ by the fact that he can love to a great degree but can also inflict pain and suffering, typical features of a gothic hero. Furthermore Isabella asks âIs Mr.Heathcliff a man? … And if not, is he a devil?â Isabellaâs questions reflect Heathcliffâs abnormity caused by his drive for revenge. He is depicted in a monstrous way even though he manages to make enormous fortune and he is synonymous of âdemonâ throughout the course of the novel as he is capable of inflicting brutal behaviour towards his wife and his lover.
He could also be seen as neither a man nor a ghoul but a way in which BrontĂ« uses him as a social commentary. Heathcliff, like the Byronic hero might represent an attack and the refusal on the established norms and values of Victorian society. Moreover, Heathcliff as a supernatural presence, that is âa ghoulâ has been challenged by the fact that his love for Catherine and all the emotions that follow show the concerns of a genuine human heart. Therefore, Heathcliff could be regarded as the result of a fusion of two types of âothernessâ the human and the inhumane.
In conclusion, the prejudice he endures is what makes him a âdemonâ and âa ghoulâ. From his rejection since childhood he learns that the only way to survive is to emulate it. His behaviour is conditioned by other people and therefore he becomes a âgothic villainâ as at first he is portrayed as the victim and his desire for ârevengeâ turn him into a âdemonâ.