The motif of Revenge throughout the novel and its impact on each character of the story. CP

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Johnny Rapp January 20,2014 Chapter 1-6 Motif of Revenge

“Mr. Hindley came home to the funeral; and—a thing that amazed us, and set the neighbours gossiping right and left—he brought a wife with him. What she was, and where she was born, he never informed us:” Excerpt From: Brontë, Emily. “Wuthering Heights.” iBooks.

Mr. Hindley has always despised Heathcliff because his father, Mr. Earnshaw brought Heathcliff with him back from vacation and treated Heathcliff like he was his own son. In fact, Mr. Earnshaw seemed to have liked Heathcliff more then his own son! All the attention that Mr. Hindley once had was all gone in the matter of days. So the first thing Hindley felt was hatred to this new son in the house. Hindley ran away from home and has now returned for his father's funeral, but he still has that feeling of hatred and revenge over Heathcliff.

Revenge Chapter 5-8

“Look here!’ he replied, pulling from his waistcoat a curiously-constructed pistol, having a double-edged spring knife attached to the barrel. ‘That’s a great tempter to a desperate man, is it not?”

In this part of the book Hindley shows Lockwood the weapon he wishes to use to kill Heathcliff. Heathcliff has a lot of fortune and Hindley thinks if he were to kill Heathcliff then he shall get all of his wealth. This would be the best way to get revenge on Heathcliff once and for all. Hindley sees this as his chance to finally show who is the better man between the two.

Chapter 8-12

“I seek no revenge on you,’ replied Heathcliff, less Revenge Ch. 1-4

Heathcliff is now talking to Edgar. There is sort of an undercover feud between Edgar and Heathcliff. Heathcliff is jealous because Edgar is in love with Catherine so Heathcliff begins to show interest in Isabella, Edgar's Sister.

Revenge Chapter 13-16

“I experienced pleasure in being able to exasperate him: the sense of pleasure woke my instinct of self-preservation, so I fairly broke free; and if ever I come into his hands again he is welcome to a signal revenge."

Heathcliff is still becoming more and more interested on getting revenge on Hindley. He is realizing that Hindley has a deep desire to even try to kill Heathcliff. Heathcliff wants to she who is the better man. If Hindley wants to destroy Heathcliff that bad then he must face Heathcliff one on one.

Chapter 17-20

“I experienced pleasure in being able to exasperate him: the sense of pleasure woke my instinct of self-preservation, so I fairly broke free; and if ever I come into his hands again he is welcome to a signal revenge."

At this point in the book Hindley, Heathcliff's arch nemesis, has died. Heathcliff feels free when he realizes he does not have to deal with the stress of Hindley any more. Feud against Hindley was a part of him that he does not have to bare with now. Heathcliff realizes thatHindley got the best of him

Chapter 21-24

"'Master Heathcliff is requested to send no more notes to Miss Linton, as he will no longer allow her to recieve them (247)."

Heathcliff can obviously no longer get revenge on Hindley so he simply carries down the revenge to Hindley's kids. Heathcliff knows that Hareton and Catherine are in love because they have been sending letters to eachother back and forth. Heathcliff wishes that his son will marry Catherine so in return he doesnt allow Hareton or Catherine to exchange letter anymore in revenge.

Chapter 25-28

"Catherine surveyed him with grief and astonishment; she changed the ejaculation of joy on her lips to one of alarm: she couldn't believe they were meeting again face to face" (281).

After Heathcliff and Edgar did not allow Linton and Catherine to meet he finally comes to the realization that if the two were to get married then he would in fact inherit even more. He allows the two to meet and in the quote above it shows how the two were so astonished to finally get to meet after a long time. Just like the situation that happened between Heathcliff and older Catherine. This lights a spark in Heathcliffs mind, seeing that this story was similar to his own.

Chapter 29-36

"Heathcliff gazed after him and sighed.

'It will be odd if I thwart myself,' he muttered, unconcious that I was behing him, 'But when I look for his father's face, I find her every day more! How the devil is he so like? I can hardly bear to see him" (328).

Heathcliff walks upstairs and looks Hareton in the eyes and realizes what he has been doing. He sees Hareton as a younger version of himself and then realizes all of the pain he has put him through by wanting to seek revenge. He realizes that it was none of their faults at all so he must stop.

End of Johnny

Hindley begins the revenblaming [his] father (how dared he?) for treating H [Heathcliff] too liberally! and swears he will reduce him to his right place" (Bronte 24). Hindley has mistreated Heathcliff since childhood because he felt that his father gave more of his love to Heathcliff rather than to Hndley. Another form of revenge exemplified is how Heathcliff is basically mad at the world for the death of his love, Catherine. "Cathy, do come. Oh, do--once more! Oh! my heart's darling hear me this time--Catherine at last!" Heathcliff is so depressed about this separation that he is a mess and slightly going crazy, considering he is trying to talk to her ghost.

-Mikaela Howell :)

Ch. 5-8

"From the very beginning, [Hindley] bred bad feeling in the house; and at Mrs. Earnshaw's death, which happened in less than two years after, the young master had learned to regard his father as an oppressor rather than a friend, and Heathcliff as a usurper of his parent's affections and his privileges; and he grew bitter with brooding over these injuries" (Bronte 41). This is where Hindley's resentment originated. When Heathcliff comes into his house, he does not easily give up the role of the young man of the house. When Catherine and Heathcliffwe re together, "they forgot everything...at least the minute they had contrived some naughty plan of revenge" (Bronte 48). Catherine helped ame Heathcliff's living with the Earnshaws more bearable and also was a co-conspirator in Heathcliff's plot of revenge on Hindley. "[Heathcliff is] trying to settle how [he] shall pay Hindley back. [He doesn't] care how long [he waits], if [he] can only do it at last. [He hopes] Hindley does not die before before [he does]" (Bronte 63). Heathcliff's desire for revenge competes with his love for Catherine. It drives him and basically gives him a reason to live. Catherine also supports him in this.

-Mikaela Howell :)

Ch 9-12

"It expressed itself plainer than word could do, the intensest anguish at having made [Hindley] the instrument of thwarting his own revenge" (Bronte 78). When Heathcliff rescues Hareton from his drunken father, Hindley, Heathcliff comes to a realization. He figures the death of Hindley's heir would be the perfect for of revenge. Later on when Heathcliff is speaking with Catherine when he returns, he says "[he] mediated this plan--just to have on more glimpse of [her] face! a stare of surprise, perhaps! and prevented pleasure! afterwards settle [his] score with Hindley" (Bronte 103). Heathcliff is driven by the opposing forces of love and vengeance. Althoug, they go hand in hand because even though Catherine is aware of Heathcliff's plan, she does not intervene because she also thinks Hindley deserves it. She does question Heathcliff's revenge on her as well and he responds with "I seek no revenge on you...that's not the plan. The tyrant grinds down on his slaves and they don't turn against him; they crush those beneath them" (Bronte 121). Even though Catherine deserves another plot of revenge from Heathcliff for turning on him, he loves her too much to hurt her in such a way, even thoug he kind of is by pursuing Isabella when she told him she didn't want him to.

-Mikaela Howell :)

Ch 13-16

Hindley states "Oh,damnation! I will have it back; and I'll have his gold too; and then his blood; and hell shall have his soul! It will be ten times blacker with that guest than ever it was before!" (Bronte 157). Hindley losses everything to Heathcliff but must partially blame his own weakness and indulgence. He plots his revenge on Heathcliff to rob him and take his life. Mr. Linton goes on to describe Hareton to his children and says "your cousin is not so strong or so mercy as you are, and he has lost hismothe, remember, a very short time since, and therefore, don't expect him to play and run about with you directly. Don't harass him much by talking" (Bronte 215). This shows that Hareton has not been raised properly. Since he has been dishonorably raised, it helps Heathcliff's plan of revenge on Hindley.

-Mikaela Howell :)

Ch. 17-20

“He had the hypocrisy to represent a mourner: and previous to following with Hareton, he lifted the unfortunate child on to the table and muttered, with peculiar gusto, ‘Now, my bonny lad, you are mine! And we’ll see if one tree won’t grow as crooked as another, with the same wind to twist it!” This shows that now that Hindley is dead, there is no one in the way for Heathcliff to torment Hareton. Heathcliff thinks that tormenting Hareton for the rest of his life is the key to being content in his revenge against Hindley; but in reality, this will never suffice. His raising Hareton is now his soul drive in life. "The boy was fully occupied with his own cogitations for the remainder of the ride, till we halted before the farmhouse garden gate. I watched to catch his impressions in his countenance. He surveyed the carved front and low-browed lattices, the straggling gooseberry bushes, and crooked firs, with solemn intentness, and then shook his head; his private feelings entirely disapproved of the exterior of his new abode. But he had sense to postpone complaining — there might be compensation within." This describes how Hareton was poorly raised and he is now ashamed of himself. Just as Heathcliff changed, Hareton is now beginning to.

-Mikaela Howell :)

Ch. 21-24

"Miss Cathy...was amazed at the blackness of spirit that could brood on and cover revenge for years, and deliberately persecute it's plans without a visitation of remorse" (Bronte 241). This is whe. Edgar is telling Cathy all of Heatchliffs plan of revenge on Hindley and the history behind it. She was astonished at the amount of hatred someone could have for a person and that Heatchliff had the patience to take all of that time to carry out his plan of revenge. "Mr. Heathcliff dislikes me; and is a most diabolical man, delighting to wrong and ruin those he hates" (Bronte 241). This describes Heathcliff as a hateful and unforgiving man. His plots of revenge throughout the novel personify him.

- Mikaela Howell :)

Ch. 25-28

"Apps wants us to be married...he knows your papa wouldn't let us marry now; and he's afraid of my dying if we wait; so we are to be married in the morning" (Bronte 295). This quote is Linton speaking to Cathy of their plan to marry. Essentially, it is Heathcliff's plan for them to marry so that he may inherit all of the riches of Edgar's family though Cathy. Heathcliff strives for power through revenge and he is attaining this power through the naive, young love of Linton and Cathy. "He's such a cobweb, a pinch would annihilate him" (Bronte 310). This epitomizes Lintons weakness. Once he dies, all of the money will go to Heathcliff. Heatchliff cared so much about his revenge that he would not even pay for a doctor to come trest his own son and lead him to his death bed.

-Mikaela Howell :)

Ch. 29-32

"Nobody loves you--nobody will cry for you when you die!" (Bronte 311). Cathy is speaking to Heathcliff. This is proving that Heathcliff has invested so much time in plotting his vengeance that he has shut everyone out and made everyone hate him, including the ons he loves. "You are my cousin, and you shall own me...you should be friends with your cousin" (Bronte 339). This goes against Heatchliffs plan because he didn't want anyone to like Hareton and for him to have no worth. Now that Cathy wants to be friends with him, this disturbs Heathcliff.

-Mikaela Howell :)

Ch. 33-34

“My old enemies have not beaten me; now would be the precise time to revenge myself on their representatives: I could do it; and none could hinder me. But where is the use? I don’t care for striking: I can’t take the trouble to raise my hand!" (Bronte 349). Heathcliff is finally over his longing for revenge. He has gotten to the point where he finds no worth in it anymore. "It is a poor conclusion, is it not. . . An absurd termination to my violent exertions? I get levers and mattocks to demolish the two houses, and train myself to be capable of working like Hercules, and when everything is ready, and in my power, I find the will to lift a slate off either roof has vanished!" (Bronte 348). In conclusion, Heathcliff finds no content in taking revenge. He has spent his whole life striving for something that is meaningless.

-Mikaela Howell :)