How Does Heathcliff Obtain Power In Wuthering Heights

Heathcliff’s biggest antagonist is Catherine, and even though he no longer loves her, he has a keen obsession with making her life miserable in order to reverse the humiliation he experienced while growing up enamored with her. Although Catherine is higher up in societal rankings than Heathcliff, he still has the power to get away with whatever torture he pleases. This is observed in the scene where Edgar becomes angry with Catherine when she lashes out on Nelly, Hareton, and Edgar in a fit of anger, and Edgar exclaims how her actions have made him “afraid and ashamed of [Catherine]” (8.70). Because of Edgar’s tender persona and Catherine’s restraints from her social standings to act like a well-behaved woman, it is noted by Heathcliff

In many ways, it is shown that Heathcliff relies on deception as his main method of gaining power over others. At Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff “forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman” (1.5). This being Lockwood’s account of Heathcliff as a first impression, it seems as if he has already done enough to deceive Lockwood solely by being compared to his dwelling. Because of the gothic regality of the Heights, Heathcliff is automatically assumed a gentleman. However, his dark countenance combined with the dreary atmosphere of the interior seems unlikely for such an estate. In confusing Lockwood in this way, Heathcliff puts up a guard for his social status, so that nobody dares to threaten him because his appearance is so misleading that they may not know what they are dealing with. Additionally, Wuthering Heights is much less ornate than Thrushcross Grange, as it is described as “a splendid place carpeted with crimson, and crimson-covered chairs and tables, and a pure white ceiling bordered by gold” (6.46). By not living there, even when he technically could, Heathcliff maintains the illusion of an underdog status, coaxing people to undermine him and pity him by assuming he is a lesser for not having all of

Because Catherine was the one person that mattered most that Heathcliff proved himself to, once everybody else is dead, he returns to her, because he realizes that, without some sort of tormenting to do, he is nothing. When Catherine dies and Heathcliff replaces Edgar’s strands of hair in her locket with his own, it is easy to read into it as a romantic gesture, perhaps a symbol of them being together for eternity. This could be the case, if he hadn’t just selfishly wished for her unrest as long as he is alive. Instead of having a loving moment, Heathcliff instead portrays her death as his own descent into madness as pleads for her to “be with [him] always--take any form--drive [him] mad!” (16.162). Once he doesn’t have Catherine to exert his power onto, Heathcliff has nobody and nothing to live for. He can abuse the children all he wants, but their physically being inferior proves nothing of his power over people worth proving it to. Instead, he has a sick desire to torment Catherine even past her death for how she wronged him. In another case, Heathcliff’s request to be buried directly next to Catherine by the moors may also suggest the same idea of eternal love and rest. However, considering the theme of Heathcliff’s desire to get even with everybody else he lived around, it only makes sense