Comparing Heathcliff And Edmond

Similar Paths Of Revenge, Opposite Outcomes

Hello!!!

This is Joyie and welcome back to my little bookish corner of the internet where I talk all things books!

Have you been reading anything this week? I’m still reading The Count Of Monte Cristo, and King Lear.

Today I’m going to talk about something that has been on my mind for a while, a comparison between Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights and Edmond from The Count Of Monte Cristo.

Both books depict their main characters—Heathcliff and Edmond—seeking revenge on the people who wronged them. The biggest difference between the two is obviously their opposite endings. And since I love both, I decided to do a comparison.

Spoiler alert!!!

For this, let me start with the inciting incidents that send them down their paths of revenge. For Heathcliff, it’s Cathy’s rejection of him, which, while hurtful, isn’t wrong. But for Edmond, it’s his imprisonment, which is flat out wrong, it’s unjust.

Heathcliff wants revenge because he was hurt. Edmond wants revenge because he was wronged.

But we need to go further, to take a look at their lives before said inciting incidents.

Heathcliff grows up as an orphaned non-white child in a racist, classist, white neighbourhood. He is othered and dehumanised and abused. The only person who sees him as a human is Cathy, with whom he develops a very unhealthy, trauma-bonded, co-dependent relationship. Therefore, when Cathy rejects him, to him that’s pretty much the end of the world. But even before that rejection, his experience with people in general was always horrible, it was just easier to tolerate with Cathy by his side. Also, he’s only sixteen when Cathy chooses Edgar over him—that’s still a child. He never really gets the chance to grow up into a well-adjusted adult before life knocks him down with a blow.

Edmond on the other hand, probably grows up well. At least we know he has a loving father, he is also liked and respected at work, and of course he has Mercédès. But they were only together for about two years, so probably a normal healthy teenage romance. Edmond’s experience with other people isn’t exactly bad, it’s mostly good. Prior to his imprisonment, he has a pretty decent life. Also, he’s nineteen at the time of his imprisonment, which is still very young, but at least going by technicality, we could say he’s an adult by that time. Life at least allows him to grow up into a well-adjusted adult before hitting him with the tragedy.

Now, the rejection and imprisonment take everything from them—everything they were and everything they thought they will ever be—and hurl them into a darkness with no escape. So, they both grasp at those very turning points to define themselves from then onwards. But the difference is, Heathcliff arrives at that point as a child, Edmond as an adult. And then, Edmond has the opportunity to grow further, thanks to Abbé Faria’s teachings.

Then, while they’re on their paths of revenge, life gives them both another chance, in the form of Isabella and Haydée. Interestingly, both Isabella and Haydée come to their lives as potential tools to fulfill their revenge. But the difference is, Heathcliff, single-minded, never moves past that, he drives Isabella away with extreme abuse, then dies obsessing over Cathy eighteen years after her death. Edmond moves past his initial motivation and sees the chance for something new with Haydée, and he takes that chance, while wishing the best for Mercédès.

I sometimes feel like Emily read The Count Of Monte Cristo and went, ‘Okay, but what if he didn’t stop though?’—and wrote Wuthering Heights. I love both these stories and how despite their exact opposite directions, both ultimately reinforce the same message.

What about you? Have you read Wuthering Heights or The Count Of Monte Cristo? Do you find Heathcliff and Edmond comparable? I'd love to know!!!

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That’s it for today, I'll be back in your inbox next week.

Until then,

Joyie 🌻