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Essay / Wuthering Heights: The Power to Transform - 1438
Everyone goes through a time where they wish they were a different person. Many people believe that they can never change who they are. However, transformations occur every day. Emily Brontë proves this in her novel Wuthering Heights. Throughout the plot, many characters have changed, whether in their appearance, social status, or personality. Brontë also proves that non-human things can change, in the manner of Wuthering Heights. The idea that people and objects can transform is demonstrated throughout the novel through numerous examples. The novel's protagonist, Heathcliff, has been shown to have undergone the greatest transformation. At the beginning of the novel, Heathcliff is an orphan brought home to live with a wealthy family. He is described as “a dirty, ragged, black-haired child; tall enough to both walk and talk…yet when he stood he only looked around and repeated over and over gibberish that no one could understand” (Bronte page 36). Although Mr. Earnshaw tried to make Heathcliff an equal part of the family, Heathcliff never really fits in. Heathcliff belongs to a completely different social class than the rest of his “family”. This led to the hatred Hindley felt towards Heathcliff. Hindley deprives Heathcliff of his education, forces him to work as a servant in Wuthering Heights, and frequently beats him. Through all of this, Heathcliff never complains. He receives his punishment in silence, while planning his revenge. After his escape, Heathcliff is barely recognizable. Nelly said: “…I was more amazed than ever to see Heathcliff’s transformation. He had become a tall, athletic and well-formed man…” (Bronte page 85). Although it is unclear how, it seems... middle of paper ... heights are starting to change. The roughness and violence of the estate begins to fade after the deaths of Heathcliff and Hindley. Katherine and Hareton take the initiative to plant more flowers in the garden. They speak to their servants with respect and help make the place warmer. It's almost as if Wuthering Heights had lit up. Wuthering Heights underwent its own transformation throughout the novel. Wuthering Heights is a good novel to show that everyone and everything has the ability to change. Almost every character's appearance or personality has been changed in some way. Sometimes this metamorphosis is positive, and sometimes not. Some people can voluntarily change who they are or how they act, while others have difficulty doing so. Novels that express this idea really appeal to the reader because they are relevant and reflect real life..