Wuthering Heights is one of the most popular novels in English Literature. Emily Bronte's unique picturesque style creates the images in this novel to be vivid and very powerful. These vivid images help illustrate and make each character easier to comprehend. One of main themes of Wuthering Heights is revenge, which is portrayed through the life of Heathcliff, who was brought to Wuthering Heights as a mere child by Mr. Earnshaw. Emily Bronte develops the theme of revenge through Heathcliff as a child who was abused, as an adult who became abusive, and how this affected him before his death.
While Heathcliff grew up at Wuthering Heights, he endured severe abuse from his master's son, Hindley, who was jealous because his father favored Heathcliff over him. Hindley's abusive treatment continued even after the death of Mr. Earnshaw. Heathcliff believed it was worth all the pain just to see the face of Catherine, Hindley's sister, whom he had started to fall in love with. However, Catherine deceives him and marries Edgar Linton, leaving Heathcliff devastated. Heathcliff vows that he will seek revenge against the Linton's, and Earnshaw's for all the pain they had caused him. .
As Heathcliff motions to put his plan of revenge into action, he becomes a very brutal and hardhearted demon. In order to act on his plan of revenge, he marries Isabella, who is the lone sister of Edgar Linton. He maliciously abuses Hareton, Hindley's son, the very same way he was abused as a child. In fact, all of Heathcliff's actions revolve around the single idea of revenge; and his utmost goal was to take everything Edgar Linton and Hindley Earnshaw have and to make their lives as miserable as possible. He even took advantage of the drunken Hindley by winning Wuthering Heights in a gambling bet. .
However, Heathcliff in the end couldn't execute his plan of revenge completely on Hareton and Cathy, for they reminded him of Catherine and himself at that very same age.