1
Faculty of Education / English Department/ Third Stage
Instructor: Mohammed B. Bakr
Subject: Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights/ Characters Analysis
Date: 27/10/ 2024
The characters of Wuthering Heights are central to its dark and complex exploration of
love, revenge, and fate. Here is an overview of the major and minor characters:
1. Heathcliff
The novel’s central figure, Heathcliff is an orphan taken in by Mr. Earnshaw. He
becomes passionately attached to Catherine Earnshaw, but their love is thwarted. Heathcliff
grows up to be a bitter, vengeful man, obsessed with revenge on those who wronged him,
especially Hindley Earnshaw and Edgar Linton. His intense love for Catherine drives his
destructive actions throughout the novel.
2. Catherine Earnshaw
Catherine, Heathcliff's soul mate, is free-spirited. Despite her deep love for Heathcliff,
she marries Edgar Linton, believing it would improve her social standing. Her divided loyalties
between passion (Heathcliff) and comfort (Edgar) lead to much of the novel’s tragedy. Her early
death leaves a lasting mark on Heathcliff and the other characters.
3. Edgar Linton
Edgar, Catherine’s husband, is the opposite of Heathcliff—gentle, civilized, and kind. He
loves Catherine deeply and represents the politeness and luxury of Thrushcross Grange.
However, his rivalry with Heathcliff over Catherine and later his daughter brings him into
conflict with darker forces.
4. Isabella Linton
Edgar’s younger sister, Isabella, falls in love with Heathcliff and marries him despite his
lack of affection for her. She quickly realizes that Heathcliff only uses her as part of his revenge.
2
She escapes from his abuse but remains emotionally scarred. Their son, Linton Heathcliff, is
raised by her until she dies.
5. Hindley Earnshaw
Hindley, Catherine’s brother, hates Heathcliff from the moment their father brings him
into their home. After his father’s death, Hindley degrades Heathcliff, pushing Heathcliff’s
desire for revenge. Hindley’s life twists into alcoholism and ruin after the death of his wife,
Frances.
6. Nelly Dean (Ellen Dean)
Nelly is the housekeeper and the primary narrator of the novel. She serves both
Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange over the years, playing a significant role in the lives
of both the Earnshaw and Linton families. Her storytelling shapes the reader’s understanding of
the events and characters.
7. Hareton Earnshaw
Hareton, Hindley's son, is raised by Heathcliff as an act of revenge on Hindley. Heathcliff
deliberately keeps him uneducated and treated like a servant. Despite this, Hareton grows up
with a strong sense of loyalty and ultimately forms a redemptive relationship with Cathy Linton,
the younger Catherine.
8. Cathy Linton
Cathy, the daughter of Edgar Linton and Catherine Earnshaw, inherits her mother’s spirit
and strong will. Her life becomes intertwined with Heathcliff’s plans for revenge when she is
forced to marry Linton Heathcliff. However, she eventually finds love with Hareton, offering the
possibility of redemption in the next generation.
9. Linton Heathcliff
The weak and sickly son of Heathcliff and Isabella, Linton is used by Heathcliff to gain
control over Thrushcross Grange. His marriage to Cathy is part of Heathcliff’s schemes, though
Linton himself is selfish and frail or weak.
3
10. Joseph
A long-time servant at Wuthering Heights, Joseph is deeply religious and fanatically
devoted to his own strict version of Christianity. His harsh, judgmental nature makes him a grim
presence in the household.
11. Mr. Lockwood
Lockwood is the secondary narrator who rents Thrushcross Grange and becomes
interested by the strange events surrounding Wuthering Heights. His curiosity drives him to learn
the history of the two houses from Nelly.
Each character in Wuthering Heights plays a role in the complex web of relationships,
love, revenge, and class struggles that define the novel. Their intense emotional conflicts drive
the story forward, and their fates are deeply linked to one another.
