Novels often use the emotion of hate to create tension and distress in the plot. Wuthering Heights uses Heathcliffs disdain for the other characters to add conflict to the story. Wuthering Heights examines the source of Heathcliffs hate as well as its effects on the other characters throughout the story. Heathcliffs relationships with other characters also suggests the universal theme that breeds hatred. Hindley plants the seeds of hate into Heathcliff by treating him cruelly as a child to begin with. This past happening creates the mutual scornful attitude between Heathcliff and Hindley, which spreads into the rest of the characters in the novel. Heathcliff becomes a vortex of hate which grows to encompass Edgar and Isabella. However, Catherine and Hareton seem immune to Heathcliffs hatred because Heathcliff is not trying to accomplish revenge against him. Edgar and Isabella plant hatred within Heathcliff from the start. As a child Heathcliff was treated like an outcast by the Lintons. Heathcliff was treated like a heathen so frequently in his childhood that he himself began to believe that he was a heathen. Heathcliff was searching for acceptance from the Lintons but, in turn, he only found hate. The hate he discovered would ultimately culminate in destructive revenge against the Lintons. This establishes the concept of reproductive hate in Wuthering Heights.Heathcliffs lodgings in the stable added to his grave childhood. Heathcliffs uncouth surroundings as a youth seemed to manifest itself in his character as he grew older. This led to his rugged appearance which caused other characters to treat him as a common house servant. Catherine even ignores Heathcliff in public because he is viewed as a savage brute. Heathcliff did improve his appearance after his three year absence from the moors; however, Heathcliffs salvage appearance as a child became his vengeful demeanor as an adult. This shows that children who ...
