Referring to Sally Mitchell’s information, I believe that it is time to actually pair those

generalities to particular situations in “Wuthering Heights”.

Firstly, what I found similar in Mitchell’s book and also in the novel is probably obvious:
marrying for social status and stability. Of course, Catherine is the best portrayal of this category,
and therefore her marriage to Edgar Linton. I personally do not find him a bad husband in any
way, he was actually caring and devoted, and wanted to have a family with her. He loved their
daughter, Cathy, deeply, the same way he loved his wife, even when he realized that she might
love another. His heart was pure, and he had good intentions. Because he already came from a
good family, he had the financial stability Catherine was looking for in a husband. Edgar
provided her with anything she might have needed or desired, and from my point of view, even
with emotional stability, because he did not fall into his sadness as Catherine became more ill,
and stood by her side. Of course, his plan was always ruined by Heathcliff’s presence at some of
the worst times: “Your brother will be plased, the old lady and gentleman will not object, I think,
you will escape from a disorderly, comfortless home into a wealthy, respectable one, and you
love Edgar, and Edgar loves you. All seems smooth and easy – where is the obstacle?” (Brontë,
2013: 67). Making the difference between what she wanted and what she needed was a hard
thing to do, and this caused Catherine’s internal conflict, leading to so much pain and suffering.

As Sigmund Freud once said, “unexpressed emotions will never die; they are buried alive
and will come forth later in uglier ways.” Catherine and Heathcliff are the depiction of the love
story that never was – while they were younger, their relationship became the forbidden fruit,
and as the years went by, all the unsaid words between these two turned into uglier ways of
showing that they are broken, heart and soul.

So it was said by Mitchell that marriages took place between people coming from the
same class, but there were times when people from different social classes decided to get married
and become a family. In the case of Catherine and Edgar, I believe this is the best case scenario:
Catherine was obviously standing on the lower step of society’s ladder, and Edgar was closer to
the top. I am saying this because if we compare Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, the
Heights seem more rugged and wild, while Thrushcross Grange is more refined, and it gives the
impression that all the people living there are behaving properly, in an elegant way, have prestine
manners and dress to impress, so to speak. They are the ultimate goal of one’s desire. Therefore,
Wuthering Heights is more like the place where people are not so big on etiquette. This is best
portrayed in the beginning of the novel, when Catherine is bit by one of the Linton’s dogs and
Mrs. Linton is shocked when she sees how untamed Catherine is, and by the time she returns at
her home, she is unrecognizable: “Cathy stayed at Thrushcross Grange five weeks, till
Christmas. By that time her ankle was thoroughly cured, and her manners much improved.”
(Brontë, 2013: 44). Because Catherine is still a lady, no matter what her social status is, she is
treated significantly different by the Linton family. She is taken care of, and taught how to
behave properly by a lady that does not have an obligation to do so, but considers it to be
necessarily done. Heathcliff is shunned almost immediately, because they see how dirty he is,
and how much he swears, and Mrs. Linton considers him a great danger to her children, and she
does not want them near him, to not influence them badly: “A wicked boy, at all events,’
remarked the old lady, ‘and quite unfit for a decent house! Did you notice his language, Linton?
I’m shocked that my children should have heard it’.” (Brontë, 2013: 42).

Another interesting fact mentioned by Mitchell that also appears in the novel is the
existence of a chaperone. Nelly acts as Catherine’s chaperone at first, while she meets with
Edgar at Wuthering Heights, although Catherine does not like this very much and goes to
extreme lenghts to make Nelly go away, such as pinching her, slapping her and calling her
names: “I didn’t touch you, you lying creature!” (Brontë, 2013: 60). She does not even admit to
her wrong doings, and instead accuses Nelly of lying. “She stamped her foot, wavered a moment,
and then, irresistibly impelled by the naughty spirit within her, slapped me on the cheek a
stinging blow that filled both eyes with water.” (Brontë, 2013: 60). Then, years later, Nelly acts
again as chaperone, but this time for Catherine’s daughter, Cathy. The girl is not allowed to go
nowhere by herself, and for good reason I might add, because Heathcliff is always nearby, like a
shadow, lurking, trying to find the best moment to act on his revenge schemes. Even when Cathy
meets Linton on the moors, Nelly is always present, but not even her strong character cannot
protect Cathy from Heathcliff’s wickedness. A good example of this matter could be the scene
where Heathcliff lures Cathy and Nelly back to Wuthering Heights, saying that the two women
cannot leave until Cathy becomes Linton’s wife. Being Heathcliff’s son, Linton gives his father a
great leverage, because as Cathy cannot inherit Thrushcross Grange, because women could not
hold any legal possession on estates or intervene in finances, Heathcliff would easily control the
estate once Edgar had given his last breath. Linton was also obvious to live his last days on earth,
leaving Cathy bitter and hurt, at Heathcliff’s mercy.

Mitchell also said that men and women had to play a special role in society’s eyes: the
women were expected to be docile, pure and not so strong opinionated like Catherine Earnshaw
proves herself to be. Of course, depending on what social class the woman was coming from, her
duties differed: being a middle class woman meant that she devoted herself to care for her
husband and eventually, their children.

It was expected of Catherine to become a mother, have excellent manners, but to not
ocuppy herself with work around the house – that was the job of the many people employed at
the Grange. This is also a sign that the family she married into had enough money to afford such
a luxury. Other women were not as lucky as Catherine was. For example, her daughter was
forced to marry Linton and eventually became a slave to Heathcliff’s obvious power he held over
her.

Women were not the only ones who had it hard. Men were also expected to hold a certain
status. They were expected to be smart, to be financially stable, but to not be a bore – to know
what to discuss, when to discuss, to dress properly, in fine clothes, and to care for their
appearance as well. This is the definition of a gentleman, given by Mitchell. As I see things,
Heathcliff tried so hard to become one. As it is known, he starts from scratch – no name, no past,
seemingly no bright future ahead of him; the boy was a mystery.

So how does one become a gentleman in a short few years? Brontë never goes into detail
about Heathcliff’s decision to run away after he heard Catherine say that she cannot marry him
because he has nothing to offer. His broken heart is never fully mended, but this is the point in
which he realizes that he has to make a name for himself. How he actually made the fortune he
came back with is a complete mistery to us, readers. It is certain that he evolved – the once
bullied boy with dark skin, dark eyes and dark hair who used to swear a lot, came back as a man
dressed in nice clothing, with a more acceptable vocabulary. Of course, the swearing never
actually left from his personality, but it was clear that the man knew how to choose his words:
“But Nelly, if I knocked him down twenty times, that wouldn’t make him less handsome or me
more so. I wish I had light hair and a fair skin, and was dressed and behaved as well, and had a
chance of being as rich as he will be!” (Brontë, 2013: 48). I noticed here just how inferior he felt,
but also how aware he was of his surroundings. Because he came from the streets, where Mr.
Earnshaw found him, he probably had no one to teach him good manners or how to take care of
his appearance. He most likely just focused on how to survive on his own. I really liked Nelly’s
reply to his obvious internal struggle: “A good heart will help you to a bonny face, my lad,”
(Brontë, 2013: 48). She tried to make him understand that it is more important to have a beautiful
soul than to have a beautiful face.

Another proof of society’s hypocrisy is the racial distinction that keeps Heathcliff away
from the others. His unusual dark skin and features make him a pariah, an undesirable member of
society, avoided at all costs. He is called a lot of times, by different characters, a gypsy: “Take
my colt, gypsy, then!” (Brontë, 2013, 34). This is better exemplified in the beginning, after
Heathcliff is brought from Liverpool, while him and the Earnshaw siblings were still children.
Hindley held a special hatred towards Heathcliff: “Off, dog! cried Hindley, threatening him with
an iron weight used for weighing potatoes and hay.” / “Throw it, […] , and then I’ll tell how you
boasted that you would turn me out of doors as soon as he died, and see wether he will not turn
you out directly.” (Brontë, 2013: 32).

Catherine was the only character in the entire novel that was able to see beyond the color
of his skin, and his possible origins, until the very end: “She was too fond of Heathcliff. The
greatest punishment we could invent for her was to keep her separate from him, yet she got
chided more than any of us on his account.” (Brontë, 2013: 35).

I firmly believe that Emily Brontë has managed perfectly to disclose the society of her
time, and while doing that, she showed just how objectionable people really were. The novel
brings light upon the social class snobbery. Despite Heathcliff’s love for Catherine, their
relationship faces a lot of obstacles, because individuals from different social classes were not
supposed to marry. Marriage and morality and not really hand in hand, because the characters
choose to marry based on social and financial considerations, not on genuine love. Expectations
often triumph over personal happiness, and these choices serve as a reflection of how people
become hypocrites because they fear judgement and being a social outcast. The novel also
presents double standards, in terms of morality and behavior. While some characters are open
about their passions and desire, others are bound by protocol. This greatly highlights the
snobbism, because some behaviors are condemned while others are tolerated. Societal norms can
lead to the marginalization of individuals who do not conform to the established norms.

Besides, I noticed a few more types of hypocritical situations – for instance, in terms of
religion. My best example here is Joseph, because even if he seems to be an insignificant
character, Brontë saw him as an opportunity to criticize the people who use religion as an excuse
to judge and mistreat others. The pursuit of wealth is an important aspect of the novel, and
through that, the author is able to show just how greedy some can become when wealth is at
stake, and how greed can be more prioritized than genuine human connections. It is also evident
that women were treated differently. Limitations were put on women during this time in history,
and it was believed that they were not able to be independent and have a bright future ahead. The
story also explores the contrast between natural instincts and civilized actions. This contrast is
best shown between the two estates, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The people
coming from Wuthering Heights are usually more liberated and at odds with the constraints of
civilized society, while the ones associated with Thrushcross Grange are people of high class and
high morals.

Through these various elements, Brontë uses “Wuthering Heights” as an instrument to

critique society and its expectations. The novel challenges readers, as it also challenged me, to
question the moral values portrayed in the story and also to reflect on how blindly some people
attach themselves to what seems to be expected of them, forgetting their true wishes and desires.