The Two Novels Wuthering Heights English Literature Essay

How characters are developed is one of the most of import elements maintain readers interested the narrative till the terminal. Complex alterations of Heathcliff and Dorian – two chief characters in Wuthering Heights and The Picture of Dorian Gray are illustration for this. They are circular and dynamic characters. This essay will concentrate on how these two character alteration and motive lead them to it.

First, in Wuthering Heights ‘ novel, Heathcliff is noticed with large alterations of both visual aspect and character after his love is betrayed by Catherine. At the beginning of the novel, Heathcliff who is brought to Wuthering Highs by Mr. Earnshaw is described as a dark and dirty abandoned infant – “ dark about as if it [ come ] from the Satan ” ( Bronte 31 ) , “ dirty, ragged ” ( 31 ) . Evenly, he is stigmatized and characterized as “ gipsy terror ” ( 31 ) in the Earnshaw family. Considering personality, Heathcliff is known as a many-faced character. He is a patient and tough kid. “ He would stand Hindley ‘s blows without winking or casting a tear ” ( 32 ) . In add-on, his starvation and houseless childhood led to the character of nature, broad and hardened in Heathcliff. This is displayed when “ Heathcliff [ is ] perilously ill ” ( 32 ) , unlike the others, “ he [ is ] every bit uncomplaining as a lamb ” ( 33 ) . He is besides ardent and proud when necessitating “ [ Hindley ] must interchange Equus caballuss with [ him ] : [ he ] do n’t wish [ his Equus caballus ] ” . In the undermentioned old ages, Heathcliff falls in love with Catherine ; Mr. Earnshaw dies. He is treated as a retainer and suffered Hindley ‘s maltreatment. The fires of Heathcliff ‘s retaliation starts when he is treated oppressive by Hindley, and flames up when he overhears the conversation between Catherine and Nelly. Because of her societal aspirations, Catherine claims thatA ” It would degrade [ her ] to get married Heathcliff now ” ( 68 ) . Catherine ‘s treachery to Heathcliff ‘s love “ led him to run off and prosecute his brainsick retribution ” ( mhgaray.wordpress.com ) . This item is seen the turning point of Heathcliff ‘s life, which makes him changes all but his ageless love for Catherine. Three old ages pass, Heathcliff reappears as a powerful blue blood. He is no longer a hapless kid. He becomes a scoundrel driven by retaliation with the frontage of a gentleman: “ a tall, athletic, grammatical manaˆ¦his mode was even dignified: rather divested of raggedness ” ( 81 ) . In these chapters, Heathcliff is known as a pitiless and violent devil. As in a missive to Nelly, Isabella wonders “ Is Mr. Heathcliff a adult male? If so, is he mad? And if non, is he a Satan? “ ( 116 ) , and one time once more Isabella reminds readers of his cruel characteristics: “ a tiger or a deadly snake could non bestir panic in [ her ] equal to that which he wakens ” ( 123 ) . Simultaneously, coming back with power and wealth, he plans for retaliation. He acquires a luck, the estate of Edgar Linton, kills Hindley and specially, after Catherine ‘s decease, he takes retaliation on his following coevals. His force is besides displayed when he hangs Isabella Linton ‘s Canis familiaris, “ [ seizes ] , and thrust [ Isabella ] from the room and returned mut-tering -‘I have no commiseration! I have no commiseration! The more the worms writhe, the more I yearn to oppress out their visceras! ” ( 129 ) . Finally, “ the motive of retaliation had faded off because of the altering individuality and the decease of enemies ” ( docin.com ) . The novel ‘s decision by Heathcliff ‘s decease and the unit of immature Catherine and Hareton is seen an appropriate stoping, it contributes to decide of past problems.

Second, Dorian ‘s character in The Picture of Dorian Gray ‘s fresh attracts readers by his important alterations after Sybil ‘s decease. In the gap chapters, readers know Dorian Gray as an ideal original – a immature and beautiful adult male. “ He was surely wondrous fine-looking, with his finely-curved vermilion lips, his blunt bluish eyes, his chip gold hair ” ( Wilde 17 ) . Sing personality, he seems sort. “ One felt that he had kept himself unsoiled from the universe ” ( 17 ) . Besides, Dorian is guiltless and pure. He does non self- consciousness of his beauty until listening Henry ‘s alone position and looking at Basil ‘s fantastic image of his portrayal. This is displayed when “ he saw [ the picture ] aˆ¦his cheeks flushed for a minute with pleasance ” ( 24 ) . Simultaneously, this is besides the minute Dorian realizes that “ he would go awful, horrid, and coarse ” while the picture will stay everlastingly immature ( 25 ) . Therefore, he “ wishes that the portrayal could age in his position ” ( sparknotes.com ) , and is willing to give his psyche for beauty.A The item Dorian breaks Sybil ‘s bosom reveals his shallowness and egoism. He merely loves art and ignores Sybil ‘s emotion and idea. Therefore, when she “ [ is ] a complete failure ” on the phase ( 72 ) , he decides to divide up her. The turning point of Dorian ‘s life when marks the first alteration in Dorian ‘s portrayal is Sybil ‘s decease. After interrupting his battle with Sibyl, he returns place, and discovers that “ [ The image ] [ is ] surely unusual ” with “ a touch of inhuman treatment in the oral cavity ” ( 78 ) . He remembers, “ he had uttered a huffy want that he himself might stay immature, and the portrayal grow old ” ( 78 ) . This scares him because “ the face on the canvas bear the load of his pas-sions and his wickednesss ” ( 78 ) . From that, Dorian confirms his alterations that “ [ he has new passions, new ideas, new thoughts. [ He is ] differentaˆ¦ [ he is ] changed ” ( 94 ) . After Dorian “ decides to see Sibyl ‘s decease as the accomplishment of an artistic ideal instead than a gratuitous calamity for which he is responsible ” ( sparknotes.com ) , “ he falls deeper and deeper into corruptness ” ( English literature couse book 22 ) . He realizes “ ” his abhorrence of [ the image ] was intensified ” ( 102 ) . His moral debasement becomes extreme when he murders Basil. He see “ the face of his portrayal leering in the sunshine ” , and “ what [ is ] that nauseating ruddy dew that gleamed, wet and glisten-ing, on one of the custodies, as though the canvas had sweated blood? ” ( 147 ) . The fresh concludes with Dorian ‘s determination, which destroys the image – the lone grounds left proves his wickedness to hide it everlastingly.

In decision, Heathcliff and Dorian are the two most of import characters of the two above novels.

Word Count: 990 words

Word cited

1. Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

2. Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Highs. Pennsylvania State University, 2003.

3. English Literature Couse Book. College of Foreign Languages and International Studies.

4. SparkNotes Editors. ( 2002 ) . The Picture of Dorian Gray. Retrieved

November 16th, 2012, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.sparknotes.com/lit/doriangray/canalysis.html

5. A Brief Analysis of Heathcliff ‘s Fictional characters in Wuthering Heights. Retrieved November 16th, 2012, from hypertext transfer protocol: //www.docin.com/p-88773714.html

6. Wuthering Highs -Emily Bronte ( 1st portion ) . Retrieved November 16th, 2012, from hypertext transfer protocol: //mhgaray.wordpress.com/author/mhgaray/page/39/