“Heathcliff is best seen as a product of circumstance” how far do you agree with this?

Heathcliff, it could be argued, epitomises a gothic protagonist with his seek for revenge, focal role and cruel behaviour. He embodies the gothic concept of “otherness” as his mysterious entry into the Earnshaws lives and unknown origin creates a sense of awe surrounding this elusive character. Traditional Victorian readers may see him as a shockingly callous character that strays from the Christian morality upheld in Victorian society; perhaps he is seen as solely an innate villain. However, modern audiences may sympathise with Heathcliff, recognising the influence of his surroundings and circumstance, empathising with the psychological effect of his ill-treatment. Despite dissimilar interpretations, Heathcliff is undoubtedly a creation or product, shaped by his experience, emotions and position within both the novel and symbolically within the class structure of society. Wuthering Heights, therefore, explores the perpetual debate of nature versus nurture, whether Heathcliff is a product of circumstance or intrinsically an evil villain.

As a child, in the beginning of Nelly’s story, Heathcliff experiences an array of ill-treatment from “pinches” to “blows” due to his otherness. He is an outcast not only from the culture of the middle class Earnshaws and Lintons, but in society. He lacks status and is subject to racial prejudice “dark-skinned, gypsy” placing him under a metaphorical glass ceiling, he cannot gain acceptance from his adoptive family nor can he marry Catherine for lack of status, suggesting his behaviour and want for revenge is borne from status frustration and a product of his oppressive circumstance. In a sense he can be likened to a Victorian woman, with no property, status or title, inferior in this miniature society of the moors. A Victorian reader may see this as a rightful position for a darker skinned, working class boy, due to the hierarchical nature of Victorian society. Yet, a modern reader may be shocked by the racial remarks and ill-treatment of Heathcliff, understanding his challenging place within this hierarchy and sympathise with his pursuit of revenge against those who oppressed him and caused his experiences of childhood to be negative. A product of circumstance suggests a element of powerlessness and Heathcliff has been, from his childhood, a product of circumstance as his very entrance into the Earnshaws was due to a lack of control over his future, had he not been abandoned and adopted by Mr Earnshaw, he never would have built up this resentment for those at Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange and been so driven to overcome his lower status by owning both residences. The environmental or circumstantial influences, it could be argued, have contributed to Heathcliffs hostile character and cruel behaviour; he has been shaped by his experience.

Whilst some readers, predominantly modern, may have a more sympathetic view of Heathcliff, it is difficult to neglect the continual negative portrayal of him from his fellow characters. Bronte’s use of narrators creates an image of Heathcliff as an evil, inhuman monster of a man, whether it is from Nelly, Isabella or even Catherine who says he is an “unreclaimed creature”. The only view we see of Heathcliff is from others, there is no objective portrayal of his behaviour and no insight from himself, perhaps suggesting Heathcliffs monstrous depiction is in relation to his middle class, tranquil surroundings, it is difficult to see him as anything other than wild when he is in relation to the conventional inhabitants of Thrushcross Grange. Therefore, perhaps readers perception of Heathcliff is coloured by the narrators in the novel, suggesting he is perhaps not intrinsically evil but monstrous in their perception due to his stark contrast to their culture and lives, as a gothic concept anything different to the norm is viewed as a threat. However, his callous treatment of Isabella and emotionless exterior “he would stand Hidley’s blows without winking or shedding a tear” suggests an unsettling element of evil as he lacks human emotion suggesting that there is a natural “lurking ferocity” to Heathcliff, like that of a monster. His behaviour has perhaps come from himself without the influence of his circumstance , his unsettling evilness perhaps characterised by his lack of emotion or reaction to pain. However, it could be argued Heathcliff is able to express and feel the most humanly emotion – love. Heathcliff loves Catherine and despite the gothic aspects of the novel and his pursuit for revenge, Wuthering Heights can be argued as an epic romantic tale of two lovers. Heathcliff is dehumanised throughout the novel, for example the use of the pronoun “it” when telling of his first night at the Earnshaws “they entirely refused to have it in bed with them” suggests he is seen entirely as a creature rather than a human, yet his ability to love Catherine and yearn for her suggests he is not a monster but rather human and more importantly, a victim of other people’s perception. Whilst Heathcliffs behaviour, at times, can be depicted as cruel and evil, it is perhaps the reliability of this portrayal that is in question rather than justification for his actions.

Heathcliffs contrast to the Lintons and Catherine could be shown through the structure of Bronte’s novel, the narrative gap of three years between Chapter nine and ten is a transitional period for Heathcliff. He returns looking like a gentleman “tall, athletic, well-formed man” suggesting his ability to change, suggesting he is perhaps not a product of circumstance as he can transform despite his childhood experiences. Not only does this narrative gap suggest Heathcliffs transition, it adds to the sense of mystery that surrounds him as readers are never told how this transformation occurred. In transforming, Heathcliff has separated himself from his childhood character and created a new identity for himself, this identity is still of “otherness” to the Lintons but perhaps this is a beneficial element for Heathcliff. In the three years, the Lintons have not changed they have remained stagnant in their luxurious home whereas Heathcliff has gained social mobility suggesting being out of the hierarchy of society and a set class allows him to climb to higher status, as the novel progresses so does Heathcliffs status as he gains properties and wealth. Being from an unknown origin and retaining his “otherness” allows him to be free of the rigid structure of society and change his circumstance for himself, with Heathcliffs transformed return readers see Heathcliff gain power and be the puppeteer of his own circumstance rather than a product of his environment.

“Product of circumstance” suggests Heathcliffs behaviour is due to his nurture and his treatment by his adoptive family rather than a personality trait however Bronte’s associates nature through natural imagery and somewhat pathetic fallacy with Heathcliff giving the sense his wildness may be more than just circumstance. This is most evident when Heathcliff runs away during tempestuous weather, it could be argued this storm mirrors Heathcliffs anguish over Cathy condemns him to not be worthy of marriage due to his status. Like the elemental force of the storm that leaves Cathy drenched and lead to her illness, Heathcliff too has the capabilities to make her sick; he is an overpowering force, like nature, that can be destructive. Bronte draws on the hardest forms of nature to characterise Heathcliff “an arid wilderness of furze or whinstone” which reflects his wild nature and severe behaviour as the hostile, thorny “furze” and hard rock of “whinstone” suggests Heathcliffs cruelty and destructive capabilities are naturally a part of him. Bronte’s use of associations with nature could symbolically suggest Heathcliffs acts of menace are innately in his personality rather than a reaction or a product of circumstance.

Heathcliff is a mysterious and complex character who is subjected to a childhood of neglect and bullying, his early years of punishment for being a social outcast, are perhaps the foundations for his vengeful character that evolves as the novel progresses. He may be viewed as a manifestation of the effects of class strain, abuse and unachievable love, suggesting Heathcliff as a character is perhaps symbolic of the struggle faced by those inferior in a rigid society. Although his behaviour may have been a product of circumstance perhaps there is no justification for his constant harsh acts and cruelty towards a multitude of characters in the novel and inability to forgive, this could suggest despite his unfortunate circumstance he ultimately chooses to behave this way exhibiting elements of evil, perhaps he is a product of his own spitefulness triggered by his forbidding circumstance.