Social Class in Wuthering Heights

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In Emily Brontë’s novel Wuthering Heights, the theme of social classes causing conflict is very prevalent. The characters of the novel are all thoroughly influenced by social class and position, which leads to their downfall. Social position does much to define the type of person each character in the novel. Many conflicts arise because of the focus that is put on social position, and it causes many characters great misery. Heathcliff, Hareton Earnshaw, and Catherine Linton are all examples of this concept. Heathcliff is a central character in Wuthering Heights whose life has been severely impacted by both his social position and that of those around him. Because Heathcliff was found in the streets of Liverpool by elder Mr. Earnshaw, he is not legitimately a part of the Earnshaw family. Therefore, he is not viewed as a respectable member of the upper classes like the Earnshaw and Linton families, but is often viewed by many as no more than a servant and intruder into the upper class life, where it is painfully obvious that he does not belong. These low assessments of Heathcliff have caused conflict among many of the novel’s characters. For example, the enmity that exists between Heathcliff and Hindley Earnshaw can be said to stem from Heathcliff’s social position. From the start, it was pretty obvious that Heathcliff was Mr. Earnshaw’s favorite from Hindley, Catherine, and Heathcliff. Hindley often felt that Heathcliff was a “usurper of his parents’ affections and his privileges” (75) and grew very bitter towards Heathcliff for this reason. Hindley could not tolerate the fact that Heathcliff, a random and worthless child from the streets of Liverpool, won his father’s affections and was liked more than Hindley himself was. As Heathcliff was not really a member of the Earnshaw family, Hindley often viewed Heathcliff as an unwarranted addition to the household, but

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