Essay on The Presentation of Childhood in Wuthering Heights

The presentation of childhood is a theme that runs through two generations with the novel beginning to reveal the childhood of Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw, and with the arrival of the young Liverpudlian orphan, Heathcliff. In chapter four, Brontà « presents Heathcliff’s bulling and abuse at the hands of Hindley as he grows increasingly jealous of Heathcliff for Mr. Earnshaw, his father, has favoured Heathcliff over his own son, â€Å"my arm, which is black to the shoulder† the pejorative modifier ‘black’ portrays dark and gothic associations but also shows the extent of the abuse that Heathcliff as a child suffered from his adopted brother. It is this abuse in childhood that shapes Heathcliff’s attitudes towards Hindley and his sadistic†¦show more content†¦Earnshaw became his adoptive father. â€Å"A dirty ragged black-haired child† the triplication of pre-modifying adjectives carry pejorative connotations as Heathcliff had been living on the streets of Liverpool therefore as he had been a homeless beggar, Nelly and the Linton’s believed that he was not fit for decent, well respect homes such as Wuthering Heights or Thrushcross Grange. The vocative â€Å"gypsy brat† (Ch.4) also carries pejorative connotations as young Heathcliff is condemned by religious folk and because he seemed to have no parents or a stable home, he was considered a ‘bastard’ child and a devil that â€Å"bred bad feeling in the house† Hindley personified jealousy and cruelty as a child towards Heathcliff for he felt the gypsy was â€Å"a usurper of his parents affections and his privileges† so to carry out his revenge, he physically abused Heathcliff â€Å"I shall tell your father of the three thrashing you’ve given me this week† Heathcliff does not retaliate to his abuser, however, but bribes his adoptive brother or he would â€Å"speak of these blows† threatening Hindley that he would â€Å"get them again with interest’† from Mr. Earnshaw, should he hear that the boy who is now his favourite, it would seem, was being violently bullied. The modal auxiliary verb ‘shall’ portrays a certainty that Heathcliff will stay to his word should his threats be ignored and the inter-dentals ‘three thrashings’ emphasiseShow MoreRelatedWuthering Heights by Emily Bronte877 Words   |  4 PagesThe novel, Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Brà ¶nte, follows t he stories of Catherine and Heathcliff Earnshaw. Both lived in Wuthering Heights, until Catherine went away to Thrushcross Grange and came back a changed person. The settings of Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights, throughout the novel help to display the emotions of the story, and shape the image of the people who live within them. The setting helps to describe aspects of the novel in greater depth. One of the first scenes ofRead MoreEmily Brontes Wuthering Heights783 Words   |  4 Pagespublished Wuthering Heights in 1847. 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