The Main Characters in Wuthering Heights and Their Resemblance To Children Garrison Cross Woodfield

Life would be strangely different if no person matured past the state of childhood: if one possessed the physical qualities of an adult, but the faculties of only a juvenile. The environment would most definitely be a harsher, more difficult one. Survival would be based on primal instincts and untamed passions. This is the exact environment created by Emily Brontë in her novel Wuthering Heights. An entire generation, namely Catherine, Heathcliff, Edgar and Isabella, remain fixed in time, unevolved, throughout each of their adult lives.

The most evident case of this childishness is seen in Catherine Earnshaw-Linton. Married to Edgar, she is beautiful and wild. Unfortunately, her childish behaviors lead her to a life racked with sorrows. As a child, Catherine was tossed aside by her father because he thought her too noisy and boisterous. In fact, he told her he loved her only when she was quiet. Consequently, in order to feel loved, she needed to hide her true self. This was further compounded by her unfortunate visit to Thrushcross Grange, where she was 'civilized' by the Lintons. After staying there, it appeared to Catherine that she must hide herself behind fancy clothes and good manners. These ornamentations...