The Character of Hareton in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Essay

The Character of Hareton in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte Wuthering Heights, written by Emile Bronte, is on of the most famous Victorian novels in English literature. This novel was the only novel written by her. The novel has the social and moral values in England in the nineteenth century as the recurring theme. The adjective ‘wuthering’ is used in some parts of rural England to describe stormy weather. Wuthering Heights is a farmhouse on top of a small hillock, which is open to all the elements of wind and weather and hence is synonymous with passion and violence. The other house nearby, Thrushcross Grange contrasts sharply with Wuthering Heights. The two groups of people residing here, the Earnshaws in the former and the Lintons in the latter, are also people with opposing tendencies. Into this world comes a man alien to both extremes, Heathcliff who is adopted by the Earnshaws. The whole story revolves around these characters. Hareton Earnshaw, son of Frances and Hindley Earnshaw has a small but important part in the novel. Belonging to the second generation of characters, he personifies the passionate nature of the Earnshaws and yet is warm and gentle. Hareton is of a warm and, considering his situation, a very genial disposition. He owns his own share of the wild passions that are so common to the Earnshaws, but is forced into a life of subjugation. He is quite intelligent, but is made to lead a life of an ignorant by Heathcliff, who after Hindley’s death denied him any further education. Hareton as a child is wild and unruly, having a mouthful of foul words. Hareton as young man is still very rough, though subdued ... ...riendship with Cathy grows into a strong and mutual love culminating in a marriage. His love for Cathy is also, like him, pure and innocent. He transforms, from a shabbily clad ignoramus to a respectably dressed gentleman. We do not see any of the common Victorian hypocrisy in his nature. His good character and genial temperament makes him one of the best characters in the novel. Hareton’s presence cannot be felt throughout the novel, but he effectually completes the story. He can be compared to a rough, unpolished diamond whose shine was not so well perceivable until another genial soul unearthed it from the mines of ignorance. He is a shining example of the fact that no matter where the circumstances of one’s life leads to, they will, sooner or later fall upon the track of life on which they are supposed to be.