The whole story focuses on Cathy's destiny: we see her as a child, an adolescent and finally a beautiful lady. Cathy's life is described in relation to the two men that marked her existence: Heathcliff and Edgar Linton, symbolizing passion and desire in opposition to rationality and control.
The first, Heathcliff, enters the story as a little gipsy brought by Cathy's father from Liverpool and raised by the family. A very strong attachment will grow between Cathy and Heathcliff, out of the pressure exerted by other members of the family (and not only), in order to force them apart - they will always be together against the world. We will notice that later on, this pure childish affection will grow into something greater.
Cathy is portrayed from the beginning as a wild, rebellious and passionate unconventional character (think about the notes she made on the Testament's pages), an outsider, a female who, just like Heathcliff, lives in the civilised world, but does not entirely belong to it.
The latter, Edgar, is described as a real gentleman, an educated and polished young man, a sophisticate person, although a little cold and distant. He appears when the two adolescents (Cathy and Heathcliff) first visit Linton's house, Grange.
The primitive Heathcliff is unaffected by the magic nature of the Grange, but Catherine is torn between opposing feelings: on the one hand, there are both the sensitive and imaginative nature of Heathcliff and the deep affection she has for him - on the other hand, the polished manners and the social status of Edgar.
So, Cathy undergoes a metamorphosis which will never be complete: she is half-turned into a lady. On the one hand, this will separate her from Heathcliff - on the other hand, it will make her be attracted to Linton, and eventually to marry him.
While the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff is depicted as one of identity, (Heathcliff confesses he cannot live without Catherine, who is his soul, while Catherine reveals a similar sense of complete identification with Heathcliff: I am Heathcliff) the relationship between Cathy and Edgar is described as a group of clichés which can hardly express sincere feeling (she chooses Linton for what he stands for, not for what he is).
Cathy uses metaphors to describe the two men in her life: Edgar's soul is as different from Heathcliff's soul as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire (we encounter here only contrasts).
The fact that Heathcliff is seen by everybody as degraded worsened their relationship (Cathy declares: It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff).
In contrast to Heathcliff, Linton is portrayed as an educated and wealthy young man. By marrying him, she hoped to gain also material independence for Heathcliff - that is certainly unfair for Edgar. I wonder whether Cathy felt guilty (just a little bit) because of her feelings and wishes (probably we will never know for sure).
I am sure of it that you cannot divide your heart equally: you can choose either sensitivity and passion or stability and sensibility (and the ending of the novel shows us what Cathy will choose). The last part of the story shows us a Cathy whose soul is hurt, whose heart is broken, a Cathy tired from her life who wants to come back to her childhood, to come back to that time when there were no troubles.
Cathy dies because that is the only way of renewing her bond with Heathcliff : anything is worth sacrificing for their love.
Her passion is shared by Heathcliff: when Cathy dies, Heathcliff prays she may not have rest until he himself is dead: he begs her to haunt him. Having the intention of being reunited with Catherine, Heathcliff passes with no regret into the world of shadows.
Heathcliff and Catherine are finally reunited in death.
The first, Heathcliff, enters the story as a little gipsy brought by Cathy's father from Liverpool and raised by the family. A very strong attachment will grow between Cathy and Heathcliff, out of the pressure exerted by other members of the family (and not only), in order to force them apart - they will always be together against the world. We will notice that later on, this pure childish affection will grow into something greater.
Cathy is portrayed from the beginning as a wild, rebellious and passionate unconventional character (think about the notes she made on the Testament's pages), an outsider, a female who, just like Heathcliff, lives in the civilised world, but does not entirely belong to it.
The latter, Edgar, is described as a real gentleman, an educated and polished young man, a sophisticate person, although a little cold and distant. He appears when the two adolescents (Cathy and Heathcliff) first visit Linton's house, Grange.
The primitive Heathcliff is unaffected by the magic nature of the Grange, but Catherine is torn between opposing feelings: on the one hand, there are both the sensitive and imaginative nature of Heathcliff and the deep affection she has for him - on the other hand, the polished manners and the social status of Edgar.
So, Cathy undergoes a metamorphosis which will never be complete: she is half-turned into a lady. On the one hand, this will separate her from Heathcliff - on the other hand, it will make her be attracted to Linton, and eventually to marry him.
While the relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff is depicted as one of identity, (Heathcliff confesses he cannot live without Catherine, who is his soul, while Catherine reveals a similar sense of complete identification with Heathcliff: I am Heathcliff) the relationship between Cathy and Edgar is described as a group of clichés which can hardly express sincere feeling (she chooses Linton for what he stands for, not for what he is).
Cathy uses metaphors to describe the two men in her life: Edgar's soul is as different from Heathcliff's soul as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire (we encounter here only contrasts).
The fact that Heathcliff is seen by everybody as degraded worsened their relationship (Cathy declares: It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff).
In contrast to Heathcliff, Linton is portrayed as an educated and wealthy young man. By marrying him, she hoped to gain also material independence for Heathcliff - that is certainly unfair for Edgar. I wonder whether Cathy felt guilty (just a little bit) because of her feelings and wishes (probably we will never know for sure).
I am sure of it that you cannot divide your heart equally: you can choose either sensitivity and passion or stability and sensibility (and the ending of the novel shows us what Cathy will choose). The last part of the story shows us a Cathy whose soul is hurt, whose heart is broken, a Cathy tired from her life who wants to come back to her childhood, to come back to that time when there were no troubles.
Cathy dies because that is the only way of renewing her bond with Heathcliff : anything is worth sacrificing for their love.
Her passion is shared by Heathcliff: when Cathy dies, Heathcliff prays she may not have rest until he himself is dead: he begs her to haunt him. Having the intention of being reunited with Catherine, Heathcliff passes with no regret into the world of shadows.
Heathcliff and Catherine are finally reunited in death.
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