[打卡]阅读打卡第38天 (Jan 07, 2022) - Wuthering Heights

Progress: 181

Reflections:

This man, Heathcliff, is downright diabolical. The more I pushed through the pages, the more I grew aware of his fiendish character.

With the death of Catherine, there went the last person that stood between him and his avarice. Hindley Earnshaw, encouraged in the game of gambling, mortgaged every inch of his land to Heathcliff. After drinking himself to death (of which the process was hastened by Heathcliff), Wuthering Heights became “rightfully” Heathcliff’s property. Heathcliff even planned 16 years ahead of time, to set up Catherine generation #2 to fall in love with her cousin Linton (his son), so Heathcliff would become the rightful successor to Thrushcross Grange (after his son’s death).

Heathcliff stated that he hated his son for his being, as Linton bore resemblance to his mother, (which brings back unwanted memories), but he would go such length as to engage a tutor, and “preserve the superior and the gentleman in him, above his associates”, so that Catherine #2 would love Linton, and his schemes would pull off.

I attribute Heathcliff’s darkness to his upbringing. Heathcliff was an orphan, after the death of his foster father old Mr Earnshaw, he had scarcely any adult to turn to for guidance. Growing up being seriously mistreated by Hindley, his character grew ever crooked.

Although Heathcliff hated Hindley and Mr Linton with a passion, he had so far “not conducted in anyway which the law would not allow”, as he had put it. I wonder if that was a trace reflection of his inner softness? I wonder if my impression of Heathcliff would flip after I reach the last page.

Hope to finish this novel by mid next week, as it had dragged on long enough.

Goal for tomorrow: 50 pages