Revenge in Emily Brontes Wuthering Heights :: Wuthering Heights Essays

Wuthering Heights - Revenge Emily Bronte, who never had the benefit of former schooling, wrote Wuthering Heights.   Bronte has been declared as a â€Å"romantic rebel† because she ignored the repressive conventions of her day and made passion part of the novelistic tradition. Unlike stereotypical novels, Wuthering Heights has no true heroes or villains.   The narration of the story is very unique and divergent because there are multiple narrators.   Bronte’s character Lockwood is used to narrate the introductory and concluding sections of the novel whereas Nelly Dean narrates most of the storyline.   It’s interesting that Nelly Dean is used because of her biased opinions.   There are many major themes of the book, but revenge is the most imminent theme, the factor that leads the protagonists to their dismal fate.   Bronte proves there is no peace in eternal vengeance, and in the end self-injury involved in serving revenge’s purposes will be more damaging than the original wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heathcliff never finds peace through his revenge.   In fact, the only time he truly finds happiness is when he gives up his plan for retaliation.  Ã‚   Austin O’Malley states   â€Å"Revenge is like biting a dog that bit you†Ã‚   (O’malley 1).   O’Malley’s quote reflects Heathcliff’s immature need to propagate agony in those who have offended him.   Heathcliff’s plan for revenge on Edgar and Catherine is to marry Isabella, who is ignorant of love and of men because she has never experienced either.   He wants to hurt Edgar because of his marriage to Catherine, and he wants to get revenge on Catherine by making her jealous. Catherine’s death proves that this flawed plan of repayment helps nothing.   Heathcliff, haunted by the ghost of Catherine because he is her â€Å"murderer,† still is motivated by the need for revenge and tries to get young Cathy away from Edgar by having her marry his son, Linton.   Heathcliff never finds peace until he gives up his plan for revenge just before he dies.   When Heathcliff gives up his plan for revenge, he meets Catherine in death and truly becomes happy once more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Catherine’s revenge does not make things better for her.   Her   revenge on Heathcliff by blaming him for her upcoming death does not meliorate her mind.   Just before she dies, she ascribes Heathcliff for her â€Å"murder.†Ã‚  Ã‚   â€Å"You have killed me, and thriven on it, I think† (Bronte 158).   Catherine resembles what Oliver Goldsmith said,   â€Å"When lovely woman stoops to folly, and finds too late that men betray, what charm can soothe her melancholy?