Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights: A Tale of Two Loves

In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, Catherine redeems her mother's inability to love another tenderly with her love towards Linton. Catherine's lovingness is not one of intense self-consuming passion where the object of love is over-looked and the love itself is the focus, but rather a love which nurtures the loved, embracing them with compassion. Cathy's love for Heathcliff is not a tender love, but rather one of necessity. Cathy loves Heathcliff as one loves a part of one's self: her love is purely self-indulgent. The relationship between Cathy and Heathcliff is one of intense, unmitigated passion. Cathy constantly taunts Heathcliff and often abuses his undying love for her. Heathcliff is harsh to Cathy as well, making it his life's work to gain revenge on her for marrying Edgar Linton instead of himself. Neither one's love benefits the other and, in fact, their love is a great source of misery for the both of them. Cathy is unable to love in any level of moderation, instead pouring every iota of her being into her burning obsession. Catherine's love, however, is a nurturing love. While Cathy's love is purely self-indulgent, Catherine's love is described as being "never fierce; it...

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