The fictional society that Emily Bronte describes in the novel Wuthering Heights revolves around social positions and sadly Heathcliff is just a pawn in the whole scheme. Throughout the book Heathcliff is deemed as inferior and treated as a servant although he was adopted by Mr. Earnshaw. The cold indifference of society has its effects Heathcliff greatly because he is hardened which makes him have a thirst for revenge against all he thinks did him wrong.
Heathcliff at a very tender age, has been hardened by the society that is because as a child he was abandoned, and as he grew older the same treatment awaited him. Nelly tells that as a child Heathcliff was “hardened, perhaps to ill-treatment; he would stand Hindley’s blows without winking or shedding a tear, and my pinches moved him only to draw in a breath and open his eyes” this image of the characters in a touching scene because it provides us the notion that Heathcliff is a nice child and yielding and can withstand anything. However, this image is soon shattered when we soon learn that behind every bruise there was a motive, which is to get what he wants. Heathcliff’s true nature is presented when he threatens Hindley by telling him they need to trade horses because his has gone lame, and therefore threatens to expose the bruises if he refuses the offer. This gives us the visual hardness that he has and not by appearance merely but by his revenge that he sets on the people.
The standards of the fictional society that Emily Bronte has created revolved mainly on the social positions which may have hardened Heathcliff. That is because even though Heathcliff was adopted by Mr. Earnshaw he is still considered of a lower class, mostly because of his appearance. This is made clear when the Lintons decisively throw him out because they believe that he looks “exactly like the son of the fortune-teller that stole my tame pheasant.”(53)The idea of social status is vital in the society because in order to maintain a respected position one must act according to their status. This is made clearly when Catherine tells that if she marries Heathcliff “it would degrade me” and instead she chooses wealth, which is Edgar Linton instead of a servant, Heathcliff.
After being treated as nothing, because of the standards set Heathcliff decisively hardens even more and is captivated by the revenge on the Lintons and Earnshaws. The society Bronte has created has ultimately hardened Heathcliff and not being a yielding mind plot his revenge on the society. His response is revenge and he does this by marrying Isabelle Linton and making life a living hell to his own son, Linton, Haerton and Cathy Linton.
The story Wuthering Heights is a sad one, because Heathcliff was treated bad and in returned the learned those same tricks and manners and implemented them. Although he has his revenge at the end he loses his Catherine and awaits death. The society plays and important role in the characters because it shapes their morals and the attitude they have.
