Wuthering Heights: How do significant events negatively impact a character to alter their lives permanently?

 

In Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Catherine and Heathcliff both experienced significant events that negatively altered their lives permanently. 

Catherine, as a child, wandered away to Thrushcross Grange with Heathcliff where she was attacked by dogs and was immobile for a matter of weeks. Catherine, being attacked by dogs, was the most critical point in the novel. This event changed the remainder of her life. While she was away at Thrushcross Grange she transformed from an educated girl to a well-mannered, intelligent young lady. Her status changed as well as her outlook on her own life. Thinking it was in her best interest she decided that Edgar Linton was better equipped to be her husband. She wanted a successful future, but that ended up backfiring on her. She lived a life of false happiness and in the end she went mentally crazy and the drama of the conflicting loves became too much. Although, there is no way to know for sure the outcome of Heathcliff and Catherine's life if Catherine would have chosen Heathcliff over Edgar, Catherine's decision caused her own tragic downfall.

Heathcliff had a seemingly dead end life until Mr. Earnshaw took him under his wing and brought him up as his own son. In the beginning, this event was foreseen to only have positive effects on Heathcliff because he went from being a homeless gypsy to being raised as a wealthy son. When he was brought to Wuthering Heights he met Catherine Earnshaw, quickly, they both fell in love. Heathcliff’s life was permanently changed because his love was so strong for Catherine that Heathcliff felt forced to take revenge on everyone who kept her from him. Heathcliff forever lived in bitterness and hate because of his earning love for Catherine.  

            In Wuthering Heights significant events negatively impacted the characters because of their emotions. The characters in Wuthering Heights were controlled by their emotions and they made decisions based on their emotions which only lead to a downfall. Heathcliff's thirst for revenge was fueled by his unbreakable love for Catherine and the earning his heart had for her. And Catherine was negatively impacted because her emotions were split between Heathcliff and Edgar which lead to a huge conflict. Even though Catherine made a very logical decision to marry Edgar she had chose to keep in contact with Heathcliff which created a separation between Edgar and Catherine.