Walton vs Victor

Walton is like Victor in many ways. The main way these two men are alike is with there aspirations to become ever remembered in history for greatness. Walton wanted to be a great poet, yet he only wanted to spend one year one writing his poetry, while Victor wanted to become famous for bringing a being to life. Victor's main flaw is that he believed that he would be able to achieve his goal of bringing inanimate matter to life and that the newly created being would be perfect, even though perfection is impossible because nothing is perfect. Walton has a similar aspect with his poetry, because he barely is able to write any poetry, before he finds his mind on another possibilty that will have his name remembered in history forever. When I look compare these two men the first object or notion i compare them to is the Greek god Janus, because the two faced statue which represents Janus, makes me see Walton and Victor on the statue, with Walton wanting to start the journey on greatness, and Victor is the other side of the statue resembling the person already undertaking the path to greatness and knowing its consequences.

Understanding Heathcliff

One of the most interesting characters in Wuthering Heights is Heathcliff. The scholarly journal by H.W Gallagher compares Heathcliff to Mary Shelly’s character Victor Frankenstein. If one compares Heathcliff to Frankenstein then one can have a better understanding of Heathcliff’s actions throughout the novel. Events include: Heacliff’s beating of Hareton and his hatred of Catherine because she looks like her mother. These first two events are easily explained through the history of the story. The last event which is confusing to understand is Heathcliff’s death.
I was shocked once I realized Heathcliff died from the pain brought to him by the haunting of the ghost of Catherine, and also how much he realized his daughter in law resembled the one woman he once loved. Since Heathcliff was in love with Catherine, the lost of her pushed him to an edge where few humans go, because all he wanted was to take revenge on the people that turned him into the “monster” of being “lower” class.
I believe Heathcliff died finally because he realized taking out his thoughtless revenge on Catherine and Hareton, finally made him realize, his crazed state of “evil,” will never bring back Catherine no matter how much he tries to destroy the people who destroyed him.
I believe once he realizes how much his daughter in-law resembles Catherine Heathcliff, hits a turning point when he realizes the only way he can see Catherine again is to die. The ending of Heathcliff struck me similar to the death of Catherine because he stops eating until one day he finally dies.
Heathcliff is the polar opposite to Victor Frankenstein because Frankenstein creates life, while Heathcliff tears down the worlds of people who remind him of his failure to marry Catherine. Heathcliff is ruthless in his injustice, because he takes his revenge out on his own daughter in-law; he takes it almost to the point of striking her.

Heathcliffe- A sad fellow

Wuthering Heights is filled with muti-leveled characters including the mastermind Heathcliff. The scholarly article by H.W Gallagher compares Heathcliff to Mary Shelly’s character Victor Frankenstein. The comparison of Heathcliff to Frankenstein creates a clearer understanding of the complex character created by Emily Brönte. Understanding Heathcliff requires one to comprehend his shocking actions. Two of the most beastly acts by Heathcliff are his hatred of Catherine and his malicious attacks he takes out on Hareton. Closer looks at these two acts help define the man that Heathcliff is; a man who starves himself to death. Is his act of self starvation an act of pity or to punish himself for the wrong he had done during his life?

Heathcliff’s self starvation is shocking to one but we need to look at why a man would take his own life in a painful way. The death of Catherine pushed Heathcliff to an edge where few humans go, because all he wanted was to take revenge on the people that turned him into the “monster” of being “lower” class. Heathcliff finally took his own life because his “evil minded” plans for taking out his thoughtless revenge on Catherine and Hareton made him realize, his crazed state of “evil,” will never bring back Catherine no matter how much he tries to destroy the people who destroyed him.

The realization of how much his daughter in-law resembles Catherine Heathcliff hits a turning point when Heathcliff understands the only equation which allows him to see the deceased Catherine is to become deceased himself. Heathcliff’s choice on death ironically is similar to his soul mate’s route to the afterlife, the act of starvation. Heathcliff is the polar opposite to Victor Frankenstein because Frankenstein creates life, though the “new” life is in him, while Heathcliff tears down the worlds of people who remind him of his failure to marry Catherine. Heathcliff is ruthless in his injustice, because he takes his revenge out on his own daughter in-law almost to the point of striking her.

There is one similarity between Heathcliff and Victor; they are both “monsters.” Victor’s monster was created him from his endless greed to be in the “pantheon” of the greats, while Heathcliff’s monstrous traits where created by the class stratification in England.