It was another lazy sunday at my office. Barring a few server alerts (yucks IT industry sucks), i had absolutely nothing which i could call work. Suddenly i decided to check a few assignments that are given to students on course to complete their MA in English Literature. One question did capture my attention though. "Does the character Mr. Heathcliff from Wuthering Hieghts deserve sympathy". That sent my mind racing back to 1995. I was fifth grade. It was the library class and our teacher was distributing books that had to be read during that week. That was when i recieved the children's edition of the classic "Wuthering Hieghts". The second of the three Bronte sisters, Emily was the author and this was her only novel. Recently i had the chance to read it again and it was no child's edition but the original victorian english edition.What beauty the words in it had
Now lets come back to the question of Mr. Heathcliff deserving sympathy. I hated Mr. Heathcliff when i first read the book as a child. After all he encourages Isabelle's infatuations but sadly not being in love with but just as a plan to have revenge with Edgar, Isabelle's brother and Catherine's husband. I should have hated Catherine instead, the very Catherine who was the Heathcliff's shadow during his childhood and the very Catherine who caused all the miseries in Heathcliff's life. Let me voyage into the magical journey of the past to travel to England in the mid 18th century and be in the shoes of Heathcliff. I am a seven year old gypsy orphan and a sympathetic Mr. Earnshaw takes me to his home, the Wuthering Hieghts, only to to cause ire among his children. I have Hindley Earnshaw, Mr. Earnshaw's son who hates me because i have won his fathers affections and i have catherine who is my soul mate, my twin self. One day my patron dies and it is Hindley fresh out of college to take over as the new master of Wuthering Hieghts. I am made the servant of the house and probably treated much worse than a servant. My only saviour and the reason to stay being Cathy, whom i cherish more than my own self. On one such fateful afternoon when we have our adventures go over to Thrushcross Grange and watch the Linton children play only to be reminded my status as the servant of the house when Cathy being caught by the dog is being nursed and i am being humiliated and sent home. Now Cathy is changed she mocks my appearance, i try to dress decently to impress Cathy when Linton's arrive at Wuthering hieghts, i fail to do so and
to add to my miseries i have Edgar Linton, Cathy's new found interest make fun of me. My heart is hurt and i charge at Edgar injuring him. I am brutally locked up in the attic by Hindley and Cathy climbs the roof to comfort me. I vow to revenge Hindley.
Sadly this is the childhood spent by Heathcliff. Probably he would have had a much sweeter childhood if he was left as an orphan. He was shown the high cliff of happiness only to be kicked in the rear in the deep sea of sadness below.
--- To be continued----
