Wuthering Heights (novel)/Characters

Anguished Declaration of Love: Her famous "I am Heathcliff!" speech to Nellie Dean. Too bad Heathcliff leaves before he can hear it.
Brain Fever
Death by Despair
Death by Childbirth
Hysterical Woman: Driven to this towards the middle of the novel, going as far as searching for Heathcliff across the moors during a storm this causes her to catch a fever and die
The Lost Lenore
Love Makes You Crazy
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Her desire to have her cake and eat it (marrying Edgar for money and status while keeping Heathcliff on the side) ultimately leads to her own death and Heathcliff's descent into madness and need for revenge.
The Ophelia
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: In contrast with the blonde and delicate Lintons, the Earnshaws are described as being dark haired and robust.
Spoiled Brat ^[1]
Star-Crossed Lovers: With Heathcliff.
Genki Girl, at least until the residents of Thrushcross Grange get hold of her.
Unnecessary Makeover: See above. Chickification ensues.

Catherine's older brother and after his father's death, the owner of Wuthering Heights.

The Alcoholic
Aloof Older Brother: He and Catherine are not particularly close.
Asshole Victim: If you subscribe to the theory that Hindley is murdered by Heathcliff.
Dramatic Irony Heathcliff's later treatment of his son Hareton mirrors the way Hindley himself treats Heathcliff when his father dies and he inherits the estate.
Dropped a Bridge on Him: Hindley's death occurs off-page but is assumed to be a result of his drunkenness. Only Heathcliff is said to be with him when he dies and it is implied that he gambles away ownership of Wuthering Heights to the latter during this period.
Drowning My Sorrows: After his wife's death in childbirth. Its also strongly implied that Heathcliff encourages this.
Hoist by His Own Petard: For some readers, the manner of his death.
Inadequate Inheritor
Jerkass: His treatment of Heathcliff is largely what shapes the latter into the cruel and bitter person of the second half of the novel.
Sibling Rivalry: Hindley hates Heathcliff because his father preferred Heathcliff to him.

First-Person Peripheral Narrator: Mr. Lockwood acts as the narrator for the first part of the book, even though he is not the main character.
Genre Savvy
Naive Newcomer (combined with an early Horrible Judge of Character- he thinks Heathcliff is a "fine gentleman" at first!)
Refusal of the Call
Screw This, I'm Outta Here!

Generation Xerox

Break the Haughty
Broken Bird
Daddy's Girl
Dead Guy, Junior
Defrosting Ice Queen
Hair of Gold
Kissing Cousins: With both Linton and later Hareton.
Secret Legacy Some critics have suggested that she may actually have been Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw-Linton's daughter and not Edgar's, due to the ambiguous scene at Catherine I's deathbed. Heathcliff and Catherine are locked in an embrace so tight that Nellie thinks the latter may have stopped breathing; some critics have thought this to be a code for sexual occurrence. Of course this theory doesn't take into account Catherine II inheriting Edgar's blond hair...
Spoiled Brat: prior to Break the Haughty above.
Strong Family Resemblance Nellie notes how much she looks like her mother, save for being blonde, and how she has the same stubborn nature as Catherine. Despite this her upbringing by Nellie and Edgar seems to temper her wilder impulses.

Foil: For Linton Heathcliff and to a lesser extent Heathcliff himself.
Made a Slave
Never Learned to Read: Until Cathy starts to teach him, leading to the two bonding and Heathcliff eventually losing the will to continue his vendetta
Parental Abandonment: Is largely left to his own devices by Hindley Earnshaw after his mother dies.
Stockholm Syndrome

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