Catherine's Mean Comments About Heathcliffe's Appearence Show example essay topic

This passage is crucial to the development of Heathcliffe and Catherine's relationship. It shows how their friendship is beginning to change. Both of them act differently toward eachother and this can be seen in many ways. Several literary devices make the passage more evident of this growing change such as point of view, diction, and selection of detail. Catherine was gone for a short period of five weeks, which proved to be long enough to alter the person she once was. She matured in that small amount of time which is evident through her mannerisms, dress, and hygiene.

Upon returning home she sees Heathcliffe who is still just as dirty and untamed as before. They are now in a tough spot because they are faced with the struggle of Catherine growing up and Heathcliffe staying the same. Catherine has a personal struggle because she is astounded at Heathcliffe's state and hurts his feelings almost intentionally and yet when she realizes the effect of her words she feels remorse. One way the passage makes all of this evident is through its point of view. Since Nelly tells the story in third person omniscient, she is able to give insight and opinions on the characters' behavior and feelings that the reader may not otherwise know. She tells how Catherine is transformed into a young lady and how she now values her fancy new clothes and her clean appearence.

With Nelly's comments on Catherine's thoughts we are able to see that she has greatly changed. For instance, Nelly says that Catherine is distraught when she hugs Heathcliffe and realizes it got her clothes dirty. This shows that Catherine is not as carefree and rough as she once was. She and Heathcliffe therefore have less in common and this development causes obvious tension between them. Another key element is the diction of the passage. Catherine's mean comments about Heathcliffe's appearence show that she is no longer totally enthralled with Heathcliffe and they are no longer exactly alike.

The comments also show her new personality traits of being a little more vain and reserved, not to mention more lady-like. Heathcliffe notices the change in her and is hurt and confused by her making fun of him and shows it through his words to her. He refuses to be made fun of and leaves Catherine to muse on what had just happened. Heathcliffe is content on being dirty and uncombed and sees the change in his friend as threatening and unpleasing when he tells her that he likes to be dirty and will continue to be dirty. Overall this passage is the most crucial on showing how the two are now very different. The differences show that their friendship is not the same and is ominous of the two growing apart.

The details clearly show this happening through both Catherine's and Heathcliffe's actions and even the satisfied and smug reaction of Hindley when the two have their tension. Without the details being so plainly laid out to show exactly what happened we would not be able to see exactly what was happening to the relationship and how even the smallest actions could effect it.