What is your understanding of the character of Heathcliff. Is he a man or a monster?
             The power of love between the two central characters Catherine & Heathcliff; is central to the plot of Wuthering Heights. Although love is the novels main theme, it is also concerned with the emotions and beliefs of jealousy, anger, grief at the loss of Catherine and hope of the possibility of a reunion and consequent life after death. These human characteristics are central to the plot, and are found especially in the main character of Heathcliff. He has all the attributes of a hero; magnetic, powerful and melancholy, yet holds a side of savagery, brutality and dishonesty. The combination of both human attributes make Heathcliff a mysterious, yet extremely humane character. The emotions he holds of jealousy towards Edgar, the anger of his mis-treatment by Hindley, and the grief he holds after the death of his true love Catherine; is evidence of the human characteristic he holds. His passionate nature in both love and hate ironically makes him more humane and somewhat more appealing to the audience. His actions; although overly uncouth and brutal, are possible understandable to the reader due to the intensity of the romantic notions of love and desire that Heathcliff holds.
             The inner turmoil Heathcliff possesses is that of a tortured man not a monster, he is very much real and human and is only instinctively acting on the emotions he holds. Isabella's marriage and the abused ordeal she is subjected to, leads her to suggest Heathcliff is the devil. Whilst his actions are brutal, he merely is acting upon human emotions of jealousy and anger towards Catherine. Whilst this does not excuse his actions, it allows for the understanding of Heathcliff as a human at the mercy of his weaknesses, rather than a monster set to destroy all of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff at a young age is considered a quiet child ...