In Wuthering Heights, author Emily Bronte cleverly uses the literary technique of foils to highlight the various features of her characters' personalities. Throughout the novel, the minor character of Edgar Linton acts as a foil to the protagonist, Heathcliff. The two men's contrasting appearances, dissimilar behavior towards family members, and their distinct love for Catherine help to better understand Bronte's concerns about the nature of love.
Bronte uses the physical appearances of Edgar and Heathcliff to represent their contrasting souls. Edgar Linton is depicted as a handsome man with "great blue eyes and even forehead" (58), "a sweet, low manner of speaking" (70), and a "soft-feature face [forming] a sweet picture the figure almost too graceful" (135). From the colorful description of his looks, Edgar does indeed represent a pleasant picture; he is painted to be a soft and gentle man, giving the impression that he is an exceptionally good soul worthy of love. In contrast, Heathcliff is described by Lockwood in the first chapter of the novel as a "dark-skinned gypsy (5) with "obsidian black hair" and black eyes" [that] withdraw suspiciously under his brows (3). Mrs. Dean later depicts Healthcliff as "wild, " "rough as a saw-edge and hard as a whinstone" (35). The use of the word obsidian, a volcanic rock, well represents Heathcliff because he is hot headed and explosive in his words and behavior. .
Similarly, the comparison to a "saw-edge " and a rock further portrays Heathcliff as raggedy, hard, and cold. This contrasting appearance makes readers perceive Heathcliff to be the dark or evil soul in the novel. By demonstrating the striking differences in Edgar and Heathcliff's physical attributes, Bronte begins to foreshadow their personalities. .
Heathcliff and Edgar's behavior towards other characters in the novel is also diverse and draws parallels with their physical demeanor.
