Wuthering Heights: Question 2

The main conflict of Wuthering Heights is that Catherine and Heathcliff love each other but due to the vast difference in their social classes cannot be together. The cause of this conflict was probably Hindley, Catherine and Heathcliff's older brother. After Mr. Earnshaw dies, Hindley takes over Wuthering Heights and treats Heathcliff like a servant. This prevents him from ever reaching Catherine's level in social class. The gains of this conflict are that Catherine ends up marrying Edgar Linton, who could provide for her much more aptly than Heathcliff could have. Heathcliff, despite his great love for Catherine, simply did not have the means to properly support her in the fashion she was used too. Edgar on the other hand is loaded. He's got the money, the fancy manor, and he loves her. One of the loses of this conflict is that Heathcliff developes this drive to become the master of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange after he hears Catherine say, "It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now;" This drive is pretty much what fuels the book after Catherine Earnshaw Linton dies. In order to gain both manors, Heathcliff goes to many extremes. Such as he slowly puts Hindley into so much debt from gambling that he must mortgage Wuthering Heights. In doing so, makes Heathcliff the new master. One manor down, one to go. Next, he locks up Catherine Linton and Nelly in Wuthering Heights in order to marry Catherine and, his son, Linton before Linton can die.

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York: Random House, 1943. Print.