The Analysis of the Characters’ Tragic Fate in Wuthering Heights

1241 李和

2012034120 Abstract: Wuthering Heights tells a poignant (moving) story that a man who loses his beloved one takes revenge on people whom he is familiar with in the 18th England. For the apparent reason, the protagonists’ tragic fate is due to Catherine Earnshaw’ wrong choice to choose a partner because of her vanity, ignorance and stupidity, but what’s the underlying reason accounts for their miseries? Catherine Earnshaw is in deeply love with Heathcliff, she once said ”My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He’ s always ,always in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am own being.”(Chapter 9)But confronted with the reality, her pursuit of living in an affluent life renders her chooses Edgar Linton to be her husband rather than Heathcliff. When Heathcliff knows her thoughts accidently and does not want her to be in misery, he chooses to get away from Catherine to pursue the wealth in order to match her status.

Catherine is depressed by Heathcliff’ left and marries to Edgar Linton without much love. Heathcliff’s return with a good fortune puts Catherine into a renewal of misery. Under the pressure of Edgar Linton’ demand to choose either himself or Heathcliff, Catherine becomes mad and finally dies of uneasiness because of Heathcliff’ several meetings with her. As Catherine once said that herself and Heathcliff was one, now one of them is gone, not a day passes does Heathcliff not miss her. He assumes all the others are to blame for Catherine’ death, his intense love for Catherine