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High School - 12th Grade

In "Wuthering Heights", what part do the images of horror and violence play in your understanding of Isabella's marriage to Heathcliff?

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Posted by none on Wednesday September 10, 2008 at 7:45 AM and tagged with characters, emily brontë, heathcliff, horror, isabella, theme, violence.

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  1. lit24
    lit24 Teacher
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    eNotes Editor

    In Ch10 we learn that Isabella  has become infatuated with Heathcliff. "The attachment rose unsolicited and was bestowed where  it awakened no reciprocation of sentiment." The elder Catherine warns Isabella, "Heathcliff is a fierce, pitiless,wolfish man...and he'd crush you like a sparrow's egg." But Isabella goes ahead and elopes and gets married to him. In no time Isabella is cured of her infatuation,"Is Mr.Heathcliff a man? If so, is he mad? and if not, is he a devil?"Ch13.  Finally, in Ch17, she escapes from Heathcliff who almost kills her and seeks shelter in Thrushcross Grange.

    Isabella and Heathcliff's marriage is characterised by so much of violence and hatred because Heatchliff never was in love with her. There is place only for the elder Catherine in his heart. But he marries Isabella  to wreak his vengeance on Edgar who has married the elder Catherine. At the same time he emphatically tells Catherine that he does not intend to marry Isabella to make her jealous "I seek no revenge on you" Ch11.

    The scheming Heathcliff has another reason for agreeing to marry Isabella:once Edgar dies Thrushcross Grange will pass on to Isabella and thus indirectly to him, "She's her brother's heir, is she not?"

    Given such a combination of circumstances it is not surprising that both Isabella and Heathcliff  try to kill one another in Ch17: "he snatched a dinner knife.....a little deeper than his missile."

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    Posted by lit24 on Wednesday September 10, 2008 at 8:43 AM