Heights 5

Passage:

"Doubtless Catherine marked the difference between her friends , as one came in and the other went out. The contrast resembled what you seein exchanging bleak, hilly, coal country for a beautiful fertile valley; and his voice and greeting were as opposite as his aspect. He had a sweet, low manner or speaking, and pronouced his words as you do: that's less gruff than we talk here, and softer."

This passage shows how Catherine views the two people closest to her. Earlier in the chapter, Nelly informs the reader that Cathy began to "adopt a double character". This passage further supports the idea that Catherine has two opposite parts of her life that she holds seperate from one another. It is clear from this passage that she has slowly forgotten the joy once brought to her from the part of her life that was Heathcliff. It seems as though when she is with Linton (the "beautiful fertile valley"), she attempts to hide any part of her that may not fit in with him. It seems as though she can never truly let herself out when she is around him ( until a few paragraphs later when she hits him). This fact that she always leaves a part of her with Heathcliff ( her true passionate side) leads us readers to hope she will return to him.

The words " as one came in and the other went out" represent more than the character's movement throughout the room - they are showing how Cathy is replacing Heathcliff with Linton. The next few lines continue to compare the two, using words that depict Heathcliff as dark and empty - which is clearly how Cathy views him. She sees Linton as someone who will provide her with wealth and stabilty ("fertile valley") and enjoys feeling as if she can be a part of what he is. She does not think that by being with Heathcliff, she will benefit in any way or gain anything - and these feelings are shown by his being compared to a "bleak, hilly coal country". Coal, however, is something that, while it is dirty, is necessary for energy and survival - maybe this is how Bronte hints at Catherine's attachment to him.

Heights 4

Passage:

"Afterwards, they dried and combed her beautiful hair, and gave her a pair of enourmous slippers, and wheeled her to the fire; and I left her , as merry as she could be, dividing her food between the little dog and Skulker, whose nose she pinched as he hate; and kindling a spark of spirit in the vacant blue eyes of the Lintons - a dim reflection from the her own enchanting face. I saw they were full of stupid admiration; she is so immensley superior to them - to everybody on earth, is she not, Nelly?"

This passage is significant to the work as a whole because it shows Healthcliff's love for Cathy. This is the first time that his character voices his admiration for her. It shows how Cathy is so important to him - because she is the only one who treats him nicely. Even though Healthcliff is hated by Hindley and seen as a gypsy by all other characters, Cathy's love for him allows his character to see good in the world.

In this passage, Bronte uses a lot of words that relate to light when she refers to Catherine (fire, spark, kindling, reflection). The passage is being spoken by Healthcliff, which shows how he sees Catherine as the only light in his world. When his character is described now that he is alone, it is very dark, solemn and depressing. Throughout the entire novel so far, Catherine has been created a symbol of light and hope in Healthcliff's life. The use of the semicolon to connect all the sentences about Catherine together show how as he is describing the event, Heathcliff can not think about anything but Cathy - all of his thoughts of her are drawn together, just as she draws him in with her light.

Heights 3

Passage:
"she was never so happy as when we were all scolding her at once, and she defying us with her bold, saucy look, and her ready words; turning Joseph's religious curses into ridicule, baiting me, and doing just what her father hated most - showing how her pretended insolence, which he thought real, had more power over Heathcliff than his kindness: how the boy would do her bidding in anything, and his only when it suited his own inclination."

-This passage is significant because it sets up the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff. This chapter is when the reader is able to see how their relationship originated and developed, and this passage seems to capture all of that. It also is very important in characterizing both of them. We are able to see Catherine's mischevious side and Heathlcliff's soft side - which seems to come out around Catherine. This passage is also important because we know that the relationship between these two is the main issue in the novel and therefore this may represent what is to come.

-This passage has a lot of words in it that oppose each other to create juxtaposition. It sets happy against scolding, religious against ridiclue, pretended against real, and insolence against kindness. This is important to the passage because it causes the reader to become aware of these extreme opposites that seem to reflect the characters and their emotions (Previously, it was seen that Healthcliff can be both cold and compassionate). The syntax also places Catherine's wants and desires before Heathcliff's - and the use of the word "power" alludes to the power that she continues to hold over him.