Emily Bronte in her first novel, Wuthering Heights brought a new sensation to the world of the 18th century. It was a world of divided life, where fine lines were drawn between all social classes, and material possessions defined people’s status. In this classified society, Emily Bronte managed to draw the image of two people who had confined themselves to the constrictive society, but who had created a shared world of their own. And this shared world yielded strong passions of love, desire and revenge.
Cathy and Heathcliff came to live together from their childhood, but their social differences brought them into direct conflict with society. Catherine Earnshaw belonged to the family of aristocrats, and Heathcliff was none other than a gypsy, who was brought into the house, as an act of kindness. Very soon, however, Catherine develops a liking for the quiet Heathcliff, as she finds him in harmony with herself. Whether playing, eating, singing, or reading the Bible, she finds a tendency to look more like Heathcliff than herself. Growing up together on the wastelands, Cathy and Heathcliff bond as they learn to share the same outlook on life. They live in freedom and high spirits in the vast expanses of land.
They unconsciously develop a bond, a love connection, so strong that they don’t even know themselves.
Conflict arises when Catherine is introduced to Edgar Linton. Catherine and Heathcliff are aware from the start that the future holds difficulties for them, but they keep busy with their own happiness until Edgar Linton enters the scene. Heathcliff is agitated and infuriated by his frequent visits and finds him a threat to his dignity, while Catherine sees no enemy in Edgar Linton and soon becomes familiar with his way of life. As new realities open up for Catherine, she sees a world larger than the one she had seen with Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights.
Catherine is torn between society and her own world. Edgar Linton seems like the right person to marry, as he has wealth, status, and honor. But with Heathcliff he has something beyond all material possessions. She says, “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” This was an epiphany for Catherine, as she realized for the first time that there was something different about her feelings for Heathcliff. She could not separate herself from him in any way, because deep down she felt that they were not separate beings, but a single soul occupying two bodies. She says “-he is more myself than me”. This was an intense emotional realization. And the movement forward was shaped by that, as Cathy began to think of ways that she could be with Heathcliff not only emotionally but also in the social world that they lived in.
In an attempt to make her relationship with Heathcliff survive the conflict with orthodox society, Catharine considers marrying Edgar Linton. She wants to calm the outside world that she had begun to disturb the calm and simple world that she shared with Heathcliff. She wanted to marry Linton so that she could not only make Heathcliff rich, but also to regain her secret connection to Heathcliff, without anyone noticing or interfering with her. However, Heathcliff is not of the same mind, she finds it against her pride for Catherine to marry someone else. She agonized over the idea that a relationship like marriage would separate them forever, and in desperation and utter helplessness she decided to go into exile. Heathcliff’s absence upsets Catherine, she wants him back. And then she marries Linton. She had hastened this act for social acceptance, and in her heart she waited for Heathcliff.
Heathcliff returns, but seeing his beloved Catherine living with Edgar Linton infuriates him. This is the moment when things begin to change in ways that Catherine could not have imagined. Catherine wants Heathcliff to remain as she was, and she fails to understand his furious anger. Heathcliff felt isolated and ostracized, and at the same time felt a connection with Catherine that often led him to the pass of Thrushcross Grange.
The following events turn out to be even worse, Catherine becomes seriously ill and Heathcliff is unable to find peace and makes desperate attempts to make Catherine realize her faults. Edgar Linton feels true to Cathy and tries to nurture her, keeping her from Heathcliff’s temptation.
The composite character Catherine and Heathcliff share becomes apparent to readers on the day they last meet. The moment contains emotions of love, anger, guilt and fear for both. Catherine wants Heathcliff to know that not even death can separate the two of them. She tells him that if any of her words were to haunt him, she would be distressed as well. She cries and clings to him for life, saying, “That is not my Heathcliff. I will still love mine; and I will carry him with me: he is in my soul.” She knows that what she shares with Heathcliff is unique, and she will surely treasure it with her and take it to her grave. Heathcliff is also burning with passion, he knows that he is about to lose Catherine and without her her life would be empty. He blames her for leaving him and ending her life as well, but he hates himself more as he can’t save her because he can never have her like before. Heathcliff’s intense emotions are clear as he says, “I love my killer, but yours! How can I?” Heathcliff is heartbroken and helpless.
Catherine dies and Heathcliff is left grieving. He is tormented and desperate he calls Catherine, curses her so that she will never be at peace until he lives. Heathcliff realizes his own death, in Cathy’s disappearance. He yells and begs, “You said I killed you, so chase after me!” “I can’t live without my life! I can’t live without my soul.”
These moments are important because they make us realize that Catherine and Heathcliff shared a pre-essence bond. They had created their own world where they had each other. Catherine and Heathcliff had isolated their selves from the traditional norms of society, and lived as they pleased. They had always been in harmony with each other and even trying they couldn’t tell each other how they felt as one. They had shared all the feelings together, all the moments and all the torments; they had turned one against a world that conspired against them. It was with this composite force that they had grown and flourished, but had remained one in all probabilities.