Phoebe Jeziel

Phoebe Jeziel asked:

Do you think Heathcliff loved Hareton, even though he said he didn't? Heathcliff used Hareton for his revenge, but I can't help but feel like Heathcliffe loved Hareton despite not wanting too (or maybe he loved him as much as someone like him could love the son of his sworn enemy). Not to mention that Hareton loved Heathcliff like a father and Hareton's love couldn't have come up out of nowhere.

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Aislinn Boyter I think Hareton reminded Heathcliff of himself and because of that Heathcliff was fond of him, which isn't love for Hareton's own sake but a love born out of Heathcliff's ego. *Spoiler* I don't know if Heathcliff decided to let Hareton be with Cathy because of that fondness or if Catherine's ghost was wearing him down to the point of not caring for revenge as much anymore.

Alexandra Hawes Perhaps Heathcliff saw a somewhat resemblance between himself and Catherine's, and Hareton and Cathy's relationships. As both Heathcliff and Hareton were poor and uneducated young men, and the two Catherine's looked very similar to eachother, Heathcliff see's the similarities of the love that Hareton bares for Cathy, as he did to Catherine. It is un doubtable, that Emily Bronte purposely implements the relationship between Hareton and Cathy into her text, to convey a sense of hope and resemblance between the two generations' relationships, however, by crafting Hareton to be so much like Heathcliff, Bronte establishes situational irony. This occurs, as Hindley used to treat Heathcliff like a servant as a minor, and Heathcliff has imposed these vices onto Hareton. This was a lot of rambling so here's the compressed version of what I just said: HARETON AND CATHY'S RELATIONSHIP, REMINDS HEATHCLIFF OF HIS AND CATHERINE'S RELATIONSHIP. BECAUSE OF THIS, HEATHCLIFF CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL SOME SORT OF AFFECTION, AND SYMPATHY FOR HARETON, AS HE REMINDS HEATHCLIFF OF HIMSELF.

Robert I think that Heathcliffe loved Hareton a lot, and much more than his own son.

Aashimi Bhatia I would take a part of your sentence and add another ending to it, he loved him as much as someone like him could love anyone who wasn't Catherine. I don't think Heathcliff would have loved Hareton more even if he wasn't Hindley's son. He loved him as much as he was capable of, he loved him as Catherine's nephew and as someone who reminded him of himself.

Aaron There were hints that Heathcliff somehow didn't detest Hareton as much, which is the closest thing that could be compared to love in Heathcliff's shriveled heart. He mentioned before that Hareton had much better qualities than Linton, and he would've preferred it if he were his son instead.

And as mentioned by others, later on he saw something in himself within Hareton, around the time when Cathy warmed up to him. He said it wasn't because Hareton resembled his Aunt Catherine (although that could've been a factor), but it was more like Hareton's situation mirrored his when he was younger. Heathcliff used to be brutish and Catherine was more refined, which was mirrored by the interactions between Hareton and Cathy.

Perhaps he initially deprived Hareton of care to get back at Hindley, but he soon warmed up to him, or at least grew indifferent to making him suffer. Hareton probably cared about Heathcliff only because he was ignorant of being wronged, and because he was the closest thing he had to a father figure growing up. Kind of like Stockholm Syndrome, if you think about it.

Clara I think Heathcliff loved Hareton quite a lot. He admits it towards the end, when he says to Nelly that only she and Hareton can come to the cemetery when he gets burried : Heathcliff really appreciates Nelly in my point of view, or at least respects her a lot; so I got from this indication that he appreciates/respects Hareton just as much.
I also think Heathcliff loved Hareton because he reminds him of Catherine (his eyes and everything), but mostely he reminds him of himself (being intelligent but deprived of education bcs of someone else).
Basically I think that Heathcliff meant to use Hareton for his revenge, but he started caring about Hareton as he grew up: he believed no one could understand Hareton more than himself, so he started caring about and protecting Hareton.

Simone Heathcliff used Hareton to punish Hindley, but he did love him deep down as he was probably the closest thing to family, as he was Cathy's nephew and the old Mr Earnshaw's grandson. However, he was too much of a troubled soul to love anyone properly. He clearly resented all of the Lintons and saw Hareton as his son more than his actual son, but also saw the parallels with Catherine to her mother. I think he envied Hareton as Catherine chose to be with him, unlike Cathy who broke his heart all those years ago.

Anju Heathcliff was reminded of himself when he saw Hareton. And as time passed, he looked strikingly similar to his Cathy. That is the reason he had a small affinity towards Hareton, i feel.

Isn't it beautiful, how finally Heathcliff got to see Cathy and himself as one?! Or is it my imagination :-/

Susan G I think Heathcliff had great fondness for him but Heathcliff was only capable of love for "Cathy and Heathcliff", the idea of it anyway. They were young and he was hurt. Where as most people get hurt and move on he let it consume him.

Daniel I see the relation between the two as an ironic example of Stockholm Syndrome and its reverse, for Hareton was, arguably, the only one living whom Heathcliff did not loathe, if not even loved.
The irony lies in the origin of his love: Hareton was clearly Heathcliff's own creation; meant to satisfy by his brutish nature the fiend's perverse revenge. However, he has thus become a mirrored image of the villain in his youth, connecting him, in some sense and to a moderate degree, to humanity.
Nevertheless, it was probably not the only reason for this "tenderness", since the lad was Catherine's close relation and bore a resemblance to her, but I prefer the first explanation.

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Alessandra Nope, Heathcliff was uncapable of love

Lidia Romero Lapeira I think Heathcliff loved Hareton but, he was so stubborn to admit it

Christine McNeil Not Exactly An Answer!!! But...
Does anyone else see the simularities between...
Heathcliff = Snape (attitude, personality)
Heathcliff and Cathryn = Snape and Lily (haunted by a - dead- love unfulfilled)
Heathcliff and Cathy/Hareton = Snape and Harry (caring for a child because it was a part of the person he loved)

Edward Sudall At one point Heathcliff says he does not care for his own son, but would care more for Hareton if he were not raised "a dunce". I think he indeed did care for him enough to say that - to admit his feelings even reluctantly as "would be" sentiment to Nelly, is to reveal some underlying real feeling. Hareton is a dunce because of Heathcliff, and I believe for that reason he comes to identify (empathise) with Hareton more than his own son; and more than Heathcliff predicted. The feeling of control in relationships allows Heathcliff the room to feel; all his previous experience had been him lacking control even over himself. Having power over a child, like his past child self, will have resulted in some self-reflexivity. I find the affection for Hareton is moving because, it's brutal yes, but is genuinely earnt rather than gained by inborn family resemblance. Despite the apparent odds, humanity will emerge amid depravity. And as Wuthering Heights passionately shows, the two go together.

The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference.

Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) Heathcliff doesn't love anyone. A child's love for its abusive father is as irrational as the abuser's need to crush anyone who is smaller or weaker than themselves. Hareton admires what he sees as Heathcliff's strength and purpose, but Heathcliff intends to use him as he uses everyone else who gets within reach--for his own ends. What Heathcliff feels for Cathy isn't love, either, but the desire to posess and dominate and own.

Emina Paćalat I wanted to ask the same question. :D In my opinion, Heathcliff didn't love Catherine, he was just obsessed with her. And I think (or would love to believe) that Hareton was the only person he loved and appreciated in his life. I wonder if the primary reason was that Hareton reminded Heathcliff so much of himself or if he had honest emotions. But he meant to Heathcliff much more than his son Linton, that's for sure.

Kallie I think Heathcliff loved Hareton. Heathcliff repaid Hindley for any curses or beatings Hindley gave Hareton. He kept the curate away and kept Hareton’s station low, to ensure Hareton could/would stay. After Hindley died & Heathcliff had ownership of Wuthering Heights, Hareton’s usefulness for the purpose of revenge was fulfilled, but Heathcliff still chose to have Hareton remain. When he saw, Hareton & Cathy together with a potential for happiness, Heathcliff lost his will to exact his final revenge. Released from the chains of revenge, he’d created, he was free to return to Catherine.

Christi Nash I think due to Heathcliff's abuse as a child he probably had Narcissistic Personality Disorder or was a sociopath (ASPD)...Emily Bronte had profound insight into things we take for granted in the modern world, this book is my absolute favorite novel of all time...anyway, I think Heathcliff was only capable of selfish love for people he saw as an extension of himself (like Catherine) but was otherwise "love"....no.

SherryRose I don’t think there was any love in Heathcliff. His feelings for Catherine were obsessive. It wasn’t love, although he understood her better than anyone. They were a lot alike.

NorikoY Being together for a long time, perhaps, it was just a family attachment.
Whether it was love or attachment, Heathcliff did not know how to show it.

Vikas Jadon Heathcliff is one of the most complex character ever written. In my opinion, he hated Harenton for his father's deeds but later in his life become attached to him. It was neither love nor hate, just an attachment.

Wanda Kerr I think it was pretty clear that Heathcliff loved Hareton. He was not near as brutal to Hareton as he was to Hindley or young Cathy. He exacted his revenge against Hindley through Hareton by depriving the boy of education and position. He used him as a servant and worker and kept him ignorant, but he admired his strength and capability. He treated him more like a son than he did his own puny, pathetic Linton.

Lina I think Heathcliff loved nobody but Cathy when she died he became like a monster he wanted to revenge so he used Hareton

Karen

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Up2late Heathcliff did not know what the word love means and his horrible mistreatment pushed him over the edge. He was excessively selfish, perfect couple Catherine and he were never to be. They both seemed borderline.

Teri Frame Heathcliff isn't capable of love.

Hazelle Yu I believe love and hatred sometimes are inseparable. Heathcliff hated Hindley and wanted to make revenge by abusing Hareton. He showed such passion in doing so, unlike his behaviour towards his own son. I believe Heathcliff hated Hindley/Hareton so much so that the only appropriate name for the emotion is love. It is a mirror image of what he felt towards Catherine; extreme love that sometimes appears as hate.

Elizabeth This is what Heathcliff had to say in the book: "Five minutes ago Hareton seemed a personification of my youth, not a human being; I felt to him in such a variety of ways, that it would have been impossible to have accosted him rationally." I wouldn't go so far as say Heathcliff loved Hareton, but I believe Heathcliff at least understood and related to Hareton on few levels.

Amanda The Nature Nut Lady I think when something gets so cold and steely it hates anything that can melt it, which is was why Heathcliff hated the world.

Still he did not hate Hareton, even when he and Cathy's love start to warm the world around them.

Relinquishing control is probably as close as Heathcliff could come to love, so yes and no.

Selene Goberdhan Honestly i believe Hareton's love came from the fact that Hareton saw a role model in Heathcliff because Heathcliff stood up to Hareton's father Hinley which is what inspired those affections in Hareton. Heathcliff however I don't believe has any affection for him because his judgement is clouded by his revenge, Heathcliff more or less achknowledges his presence but otherwise Heathcliff sole purpose was to have his master revenge on anyone he deemed an enemy.

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J yeah I think he did but he was debating the fact through his thoughts

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Wuthering Heights

by Emily Brontë

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