MaryPrutton

Mrs.Linnerth
ENG3UI
January21,2016

ThePowerOfInfluence

Peoplearegreatlyinfluencedbythosewhoarearoundthem.InEmilyBrontesnovel,
WutheringHeights,
therearemanycontributingfactorsthatsteerthecharactersdevelopment.It
isbecauseoftheinfluencessurroundingthemthatthecharactersevolveintotheireventual
selves.Heathcliff,Catherine,HaretonandCathyarethecharactersthataremostinfluencedby
thepeoplearoundthem.

AstheendofCatherineslifedrawsnear,hercharacterhaschangedintosomeonewho
hasbecomementallyunstable.Thisisasaresultofthemanypeoplewhohavehadstrong
influencesoverher.HindleyisthepersonwhoseinfluencefirststartsdrivingCatherinemad.He
treatsherwithcrueltyanddisdainafterthedeathofherfather.AfteratimewhenHindleyhas
beenparticularlymeantoher,CatherinesaysHowlittledidIdreamthatHindleywouldever
makemecryso!..Myheadaches,tillIcannotkeepitonthepillow,andIstillcantgiveover.
(Bronte,27)AsCatherinesuffersfromHindley'smentalandemotionalabuse,shegrowstohave
lowselfesteemandashatteredconfidence.Thisleadshertohavetorturousthoughtsabout
herselfthateventually,withtheaddedinfluenceofothers,drivesherinsane.Tocontinue,when

CatherinemeetstheLintons,theyarenotpleasedwiththerecklessmannerinwhichshebehaves.
ThisfamilyistheinfluencethatchangesCatherinefromthewildchildshewantstobe,intoa
properlady.AfterthetimeshespendswiththeLintonssheisdescribedashavingmanners
muchimproved[and]selfrespect..sothat,insteadofawild,hatlesslittlesavagejumpinginthe
house,therelightedfromahandsomeblackponyaverydignifiedperson.(55)WiththeLintons
forcingCatherinetobehavelikesomeoneshewasnotusedtobeing,hertrueselfistrapped
inside.Overtheyearsasshekeepsheridentityhidden,herrecklessandwildwaysflourish,
waitingtobereleasedattheendofherlifewhensheloseshermind.Finally,Heathcliffisthe
onewhohasthestrongestinfluenceoverCatherinesincesheiseasilydrivenbyherloveforhim.
WhenCatherinediscoversHeathcliffmissingfromtheGrange,sheisheartbroken.Nellysays
that...she[Catherine]burstintouncontrollablegriefIshallneverforgetwhatasceneshe
acteditterrifiedmeIthoughtshewasgoingmad..anditprovedthecommencementof
delirium.(89)Heathcliffleavingweakensheremotionallyaswellasmentallythisismade
worsewhenhereturnsatapointwhenshecannolongerbewithhim.Herforbiddenlovefor
himdriveshercrazyandcauseshertoruinanyotherhealthyrelationshipsshecould'vehad.The
manyinfluencesconstantlysurroundingCatherineeventuallypushherintoherfinalstateof
madness.

Haretonisanothercharacterwhoseeventualintroverted,angryselfishighlyinfluenced
bytheothersaroundhim.Heistransformedintotheharshpersonthenovelportraysbecauseof
thehorriblethingsheexperiences.ThroughouthischildhoodHaretonwasabusedbyhisfather,
Hindley,andthisheavilyinfluenceshislaterlifeandactions.AsHindleycontinuouslyabuses

Hareton,Nellyaccuseshimofbeingworsethanaheathen..treatingyourownfleshandblood
inthatmanner(77)ItisthemanyyearsofhatefultreatmentHaretonendureswhichinfluences
hischaracterandleadshimtobecomeanangry,distantyoungman.Heisquicktoviolencenow
thatheisolderbecauseitisallheknewasachild.Anothercharacterwhohasahugeinfluence
overHaretonisHeathcliff.AsHaretonshrinksawayfromhisfather,Heathcliffbecomeshisonly
ally.InthenovelwhenCathyisinsultingHeathcliff,Haretonbecomesdefensive,hewouldnt
sufferawordtobeutteredtohim,inhis[Heathcliffs]disparagement...hewouldstandbyhim
andhedrathershewouldabusehimself..thenbeginonMr.Heathcliff.(304)ItisHeathcliff's
manipulativewaysthatmakeHaretonbelieveheishisonlyfriend,andthusHaretonallows
himselftobetreatedasalowlyservant.UnderHeathcliff,heisstillabusedverballyand
emotionally,whichleadshimtobecomeevenmorereservedandhebeginstobeashamedof
himself.ThetormentofhisearlylifeclearlyinfluenceHaretonsfinalcharacter.Hewouldnot
bethesameyoungmanwhoisquicktoangerifhehadbeenraisedinatenderandlovinghome.

Cathyscharacteralsochangesdrasticallyfromthetimeofherchildhoodtothefinalstate
thenovelportraysherasduetotheinfluencesofthosesurroundingher.Firstly,asayounggirl,
Cathysfather,Edgar,smotheredherwithloveandaffection.Shewascherishedandalways
treatedwithkindness.Nellydescribestheirrelationshipasonewithoutangerhespokein..deep
tendernesstohistreasure[Cathy].(245)Thiscauseshertobenaiveaswellasunpreparedfor
whenshewouldcomefacetofacewithHeathcliff'sdevilishways.Shewascaredforandshe
washappybutthatwouldsoonchange.Secondly,whenCathyisintroducedtoHeathcliff,she
fallsunderhisdevious,influentialwaysandbecomesspitefulasaresultofthecrueltreatment

sheundergoes.Once,whenCathyangersHeathcliff,hecaughtholdofherhishandinher
hairheseemedreadytotearCatherineinpieces.(304)Itisthestarkdifferencebetweenthe
way,herlovingfatherandthedestructiveHeathcliff,treatherthatinfluencesCathytoturnfrom
thesweetyounggirlherfatherraisedhertobeintotheresentfulangrywomanseenattheendof
thenovel.Thoughshewasoncehappyandcarefree,Cathynowlivesaburdenedlife,asaresult
oftheinfluencetheothershadoverher.

Heathcliff'shatefulcharacterisrevealedthroughoutthenovel,asheisgreatlyinfluenced
bythosearoundhimandtheirbehaviourtowardshim.ItisHindleywhohasahugeinfluence
overHeathcliff,ashetortureshimandabuseshimallthroughouthisearlylife.Heathcliff
undergoesbothphysicalandverbalabuse,CatherinesaysPoorHeathcliff!Hindleycallshima
vagabond,andwontlethimsitwithus,noreatwithus[he]threatenstoturnhimoutofthe
house.(27)Thisdemeaningtreatmentiswhatfirststartstobringouttheevilandwantfor
revengewithinHeathcliff.Itisbecauseofthemanyyears,duringwhichHindleyabusedhim,
thatHeathcliffhasadeepangerandhatredthatstickswithhimuntiltheend.Edgaralsoplaysa
largeroleinthemakingofHeathcliff'sheinouscharacter.HebringsouttheworstinHeathcliff
ashegetsinthewayofhisloveforCatherine.OncewhenHeathcliffisextremelymad,he
resortstoviolenceontheone[Edgar]whomheseemedtohate,eventhenasarival.Heseizeda
torrentofhotapplesauceanddasheditagainstthespeakersfaceandneck.Asthetwomen
competeforCatherinesaffection,Edgar'spersistenceangersHeathcliff.Itistheinfluenceof
EdgarrefusingtogiveuponhislovethatcausesHeathclifftobecomeenragedasthenovel
continues.Inaddition,CatherinehasastronginfluenceoverHeathcliff'sfinalcharacterasshe

choosestomarryEdgar,whichbreakshisheart.AsHeathcliffconfessesheisheartbroken,he
saysWhydidyoubetrayyourownheartCathy?Youlovedmethenwhatrighthadyouto
leaveme...forthepoorfancyyoufeltforLinton?Ihavenotbrokenyourheartyouhave
brokenmine.(158)WhenHeathclifflearnsofCatherine'schoice,heisfuriousbecauseheloved
hersodeeplyandshedidnotwaitforhim.Thisdefinitelysetshimonthepathtohatredwithno
return.Heisstillstuckthereyearslaterashecontinuestobecrueltoeveryonearoundhim.
Clearly,theothercharactersactionsandbehavioursstronglyinfluenceHeathcliffandcausehim
tobethebittercharacterseenattheendofthenovel.

Theinfluencesoftheothercharacterssurrounding,Catherine,Hareton,Cathyand
Heathcliffgreatlyimpactthemastheyarepushedintotheirfinalstateofbeing.Eachofthese
fourcharactersundergoexperiencesandsituations,causedbythosetheyassociatewith,which
changetheoverallselves.Itiscleartoseethatthepeoplewhoonesurroundsthemselveswith
canhavethegreatestinfluencesovertheirlivesandultimatelyshapetheirfinalcharacter.

WorksCited

Bronte,Emily.
WutheringHeights
.NewYork:NewAmericanLibrary,1959.Print.