In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte describes Heathcliff as a greedy, selfish, and a cruel man. "Rough as a saw-edge, and hard as whinstone!" (39). Whatever he does he do it only for himself. Mr. Earnshaw brought Heathcliff from Liverpool as a gift for his children, "[Y]ou must e"en take it as a gift of God, though it's as dark almost as if it came from the devil"(40). Mrs. Earnshaw was very angry, and she and the children wanted him to get rid of it. This is how he enters Wuthering Heights and joined his new family. After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Heathcliff was treated as a servant. As he grown up he wants to take revenge from Mr. Earnshaw's family. Therefore, he used his own son to take revenge. Also, he used innocent Catherine.
Heathcliff's motive was to take revenge and Linton was a key for his revenge. Linton was raised as a coward. While he was dying, he was so terrified of his father as he says to Catherine, "I cannot bear it! Catherine, Catherine, I"m a traitor too, and I dare not tell you! But leave me and I shall be killed! Dear Catherine, my life is in your hands: [ ] and he"ll let me die with you!" (254).
Heathcliff like young Catherine just because of her wealth. Catherine cannot see her father who was dying. Heathcliff forced his son to call her from his father's deathbed. Catherine was mad, but she cannot do anything about it, " "Why won't you be candid?" cried Catherine, swallowing her greeting. "Why cannot you say at once, you don't want me? It is strange, Linton, [ ] that you have brought me here on purpose, apparently, to distress us both, and for no reason besides!" " (253). .
Heathcliff gained everything, but at the end it was useless for him, "I have lost faculty of enjoying their destruction, and I am too idle to destroy for nothing" (295). He loses all interest in his passive son, and Linton dies.