Catherine Jarnshaw's Relationship Essay

1481 Words6 Pages

A Thin Line Human interaction marks the importance of our society; with it we can express attraction towards another. However, attraction can be a hard topic because of its ability to change rapidly. Studies by Ohio University conclude that “... love and hate co-construct each other,” making it so each emotion could switch to its counterpart (Jungkunz). This means that to admire a person could hate, and to hate a person could admire. During the classic book of Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë uses her couples Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, and Catherin Linton and Hareton Earnshaw, to exhibit an indistinguishable thematic tie of the emotions love and hate. Catherine’s and Heathcliff’s relationship commences when they both first …show more content…

When they first meet, Catherine is of a higher part of society. With appalling behavior, she mistakes Hareton as a “servant [of Wuthering Heights]” (183). Insulted by her mistake, Hareton sends her away from Wuthering Heights, but not before throwing an insult back, and calls her “[a] saucy witch!” (184). In an addition, Catherine in another meeting chastens Hareton for not being able to read. Through the interaction, she asks him if he is “[either] not right ... [or if he is] so stupid... not [to] understand [her]” (207). Hurt by her cruel jest, Hareton responds with a strong burst of expostulating curses. In his anger, he goes as far as to mention the “devil [in a sentence]” (207). Despite these shared resentments, Hareton and Catherine eventually do see eye to eye. Catherine becomes the same level of Hareton’s social class thanks to a decision made by Heathcliff, before his death, that forces her to stay at Wuthering Heights to help around the establishment. Significantly, this action eventually allows for both of Hareton and Catherine to see that they are in the same predicament, and if they want to survive, they must stick …show more content…

In the instance of love and hate, they are so closely tied together that one word or action could trigger either one, thus resulting in happy endings or sad endings. Love and hate, in the context of Wuthering Heights, exemplifies the quick change of both emotions. Between both couples, heavy and emotional reactions were achieved through the interlocking relationship. Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff exemplify the transition from love to hate, and Catherine Linton and Hareton Earnshaw examplify the transaction from hate to love. In the blindness of one’s feelings, they might also not say enough for their point to come across of how they feel thus sealing the fate of the selected emotion of the