If he can’t have love, he wants revenge: A review of Wuthering Heights

High Expectations and First Impressions

Opening Wuthering Heights brought an air of anticipation. With its status as an iconic romance, expectations were set high long before reading. Even before diving into the story, the name ‘Heathcliff’ was known as shorthand for a brooding romantic figure. Surprisingly, he emerged as a much more complex and less sympathetic character than anticipated. Reactions to Heathcliff shifted between empathy, confusion, and a growing sense of unease throughout the reading experience.

The Complexity of Heathcliff

Heathcliff’s character possesses a depth and disturbance often compared to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Both are haunted by lost love and shaped by deeply troubled family lives. Heathcliff is viewed by the narrator, Nelly Dean, as a powerful force threatening the foundation of Wuthering Heights. Always an outsider in the Earnshaw family, Heathcliff never adopts their name, symbolizing his persistent exclusion. Though he grows up with Catherine, he remains neither sibling nor true husband, living in the painful space of ‘almost’—close but never fully belonging.

“His character is as complex and disturbed as Shakespeare’s Hamlet. And there are similarities between the two – they are both haunted by loved ones and both suffer from dysfunctional family situations.”

Heathcliff’s Relationship with Catherine

Heathcliff’s childhood with Catherine forms the foundation of their unique connection, but barriers remain. He deeply loves her, but is never truly her partner. “Almosts” define their story, drawing out sorrow both in Heathcliff and in the reader. Their bond remains intensely significant, yet perpetually incomplete.

“He grew up with Catherine, but he is never quite her sibling. Similarly, he loved Catherine but was never quite her husband. Heathcliff’s story is filled with tantalising almosts that serve to torture the readers as well as himself.”
Author’s Summary

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights portrays Heathcliff as a tormented outsider whose complex nature and unresolved longing make him an unforgettable and deeply tragic figure.

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The Boar The Boar — 2025-11-20

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