Fatherhood in Wuthering Heights

In Wuthering Heights the conflict between romance and realism never resolves itself. For Catherine, this conflict exists internally: while she desires passion and freedom from her oppressive home life, she also feels compelled by the pressures of society to conform and to marry well. This internal conflict is outwardly manifested in the characters of her two loves, Heathcliff and Edgar Linton, with Heathcliff representing wildness, the outdoors, and romantic individualism, and Edgar representing domesticity and Victorian realism. Because both men represent different sides of her internal struggle, she loves each one for different reasons. Yet beneath the dichotomy of romance and realism, there is perhaps another underlying factor in her decision to marry Edgar over Heathcliff. Although Wuthering Heightsis a novel about romantic relationships, it also depicts the relationships between fathers and children. As the novel progresses, the reader witnesses Heathcliff and Edgar not only as lovers, but also as fathers. As Heathcliff and Edgar make transitions from suitor to father figure, Edgar, through his virtues, becomes the more appealing character.