Wuthering Heights: Question 4

This question was particularly hard. There is not really a set in stone hero in this novel. The closest thing to it, in my opinion, would have to be Mrs. Dean, the maid. She is there throughout the entire novel guiding both Catherine's to right and away from wrong. She might have failed quite tremendously at times but the effort was always there. Mrs. Dean has the personality traits of kindness, caring, and obedience. She had a good moral compass and could generally tell right from wrong, even if her mistresses could not. She usually did what she was told, unless it would put her mistresses in danger. Mrs. Dean accomplishes, in the end, returning to Wuthering Heights with a happy Catherine, who ends up happily with Hareton. A bit anti-climactic, I know. She does eventually evade Heathcliff, by him dying, but evading him no less. Some think Heathcliff the hero of Wuthering Heights, but I perceived him more of the villain. He seemed to be the center of all conflict in the novel. People were constantly trying to fix the problems he was causing. He did have a screwed up childhood, but he seemed to be making more trouble than he had right to. A lot of abstract ideas can be associated with Mrs. Dean. One especially is kindness. She seemed to always be consoling somebody throughout the novel and to be kindly guiding them in the right direction. For instance, when she is held captive by Heathcliff towards the end, her first thought is not that she has barely had any food for 5 days, but of her mistress and her whereabouts and her master. She does not rush to the cupboard, but to her masters bedside. Another idea is courage. Mrs. Dean is put in a lot of sticky situations and perseveres through them all courageously.