Analysis of Catherine’s Character in Emily Bronte’s novel – Wuthering Heights

Catherine is a very complex character in Emily Bronte's novel – Wuthering Heights. We first meet her in the beginning paragraphs of the novel at first she appears a innocent child who loves the outdoors however later on when she is introduced to the Linton's this all changes she becomes greedy materialistic and two faced. She makes another change just before and after she married Edgar Linton. She became very fragile but also very violent. Before she died she made a final change to being very envious however throughout all her life she always remained loyal to Heathcliff and always loved Heathcliff Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship wasn't started off very well however once they were able to get to know each other they became great friends â€Å"†¦ Catherine was much to fond of Heathcliff† Even after the Christmas Catherine spent with the Linton's she was still good friends with him. She was such a good friend she risked creeping along a roof to be able to reach him. There friendship was so great it could be called love. Their love still continued into Catherine's and Edgar's marriage on which she said this about Heathcliff, â€Å"if all else perished and he remained I should still continue to be. I believe that the skill of Pathetic Fallacy was used to describe Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship as the house, Wuthering Heights itself. Wuthering Heights is rough, cold solid as was the relationship of Catherine and Heathcliff. â€Å"There younger relationship as friends was solid and wild whilst there relationships as adults and on the moors was rough and cold. This proves that her one tribute throughout her whole life was her love for Heathcliff. The more dark side of her character began to expose itself after the 5weeks she spent at the Linton's in Thrushcross Grange Catherine once a rough and wild girl spending her time playing on the moors now had changed. When she arrived home around Christmas time she had changed completely. Catherine was now wearing glamorous clothes, a silk frock with brilliant white trousers. Catherine manner had changed she was polite and what was known as Ladylike. She now didn't run to where she needed to go as before, she rode on horse back. With all these beautiful luxuries is no wonder why she had started to grow fond of these items, she had started to become materialistic. Her opinions on Heathcliff had changed she even tells him â€Å"you're sp dirty† however this is what she once was. Before her arrival to Thrush cross grange she would of neither cared or commented on the way Heathcliff looked that the state he was in would of not troubled her however as the story moves on I can see that when she is at Thrushcross she is peaceful and ladylike however when at Wuthering Heights she is rough both reflect the characteristics of each house. Subsequent to her stay at Thrushcross Grange Catherine's relationship with the Linton's became stronger. Catherine's relations were most strong with Edgar Linton they visited each others house frequently. There relationship grew and grew till it was announced that Catherine was to wed Linton and Catherine commented on marrying Heathcliff by saying â€Å"†¦ degrade me to marry him† This is a sign that she found her self superior to Heathcliff. Heathcliff hearing this ran away for three years. Catherine and Heathcliff were soul mates they were one soul entwined at Wuthering Heights. The relationship is rough, wild, dark and cold just like them and Wuthering Heights are. It appears to us that if one was taken away the other two would be destroyed since they are all there to support each there take one away the others shall fall. This is shown to us after Heathcliff left Catherine came down with a Brain fever and Wuthering Heights suffered great structural damage in a storm â€Å"†¦ knocked down a portion of the east chimney stack† Another example of this is when Catherine and Nelly leave to go to Thrushcross grange after Heathcliff left leaving Hindley to fall into a bad patch of drinking and gambling. Mr and Mrs Linton at Thrushcross grange contract an illness from Catherine and shortly they both die. Once Mr and Mrs Linton died there were just Edgar Nelly and Isabella looking after Catherine. Bronti uses this sentence to describe the relations between Catherine and the Linton's â€Å"†¦ the Honeysuckles embracing the thorns† The thorn was Catherine – the rough wild and harmful while the Honeysuckle was the Linton's – the kind gentle and harmless. The honeysuckle was moulding around the thorn meaning that the Linton's were doing everything to make Catherine better. But trying to make her better was a lost cause because she could never be truly at full health without the other half of her soul, this was Heathcliff. Catherine would always be damaged into they were reunited. When Heathcliff finally does return Catherine again makes a dramatic change. Following the return of Heathcliff Catherine becomes Envious. We can see that Isabella, Edgar's sister has strong feelings for Heathcliff. Catherine also sees this and try's her hardest to push Isabella away from her soul mate. Not just is Isabella being driven away by Catherine she is also being pushed away by Heathcliff. Heathcliff wants Catherine to be in much pain for marrying Edgar. Isabella eventually realises this but it was to lat she realises after Heathcliff and they have wed. We she this when she writes letter to Nelly which said â€Å"I hate him†¦ † The marriage had bad effects but none of them were attended since a couple of months later Catherine died next to her one and only true soul mate Heathcliff. It is evidential that Catherine never fully recovered from her brain fever. Her soul had been theoretically cut into when Heathcliff left, one half was with him the other with her. When he did finally return Catherine was happy however she noticed after a short period of time that Heathcliff paid more attention to Isabella than he did her. Catherine soul once again was ripped by Heathcliff's terrible deed, his and Isabella's marriage. However much later Heathcliff tried unsuccessfully to mend there relationship, however this could not be done and Catherine died next to Heathcliff in Thrushcross Grange. Catherine as you can see was a very complex character. She experienced all the character traits life could throw at her but one that stood above the rest was her love for Heathcliff. All the way through her life Heathcliff was there in some shape or form. She was connected to him all the time, she climbed buildings just to see him, ran out in the harsh cold weather of the moors to play with him but when he was not there she suffered major illness. Even when they we both married they were willing to risk everything by sharing a long and passionate kiss. Catherine belongs to Heathcliff; Heathcliff Belongs to Catherine just like Wuthering Heights belongs to the moors and the moors belongs to Wuthering Heights. Each of these 4 are cold, harsh wild and strong. When there together supporting one another they are an uncontrollable force.