Consequence of Strangers Explored in Essay

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There can be no surprise when the "shame and pride threw a double gloom over his countenance" (52). He is so taken aback by Catherine and what she says that he must be commanded to shake her hand. When Earnshaw tells him to shake her hand in a way this is "permitted" (52), it becomes more than Heathcliff can bear. While Catherine claims she did not mean to laugh at Heathcliff, the damage is done. She does not realize the extent of her damage and continues to do even more damage by telling Heathcliff he is "sulky" (52) and looks "odd" (52) and things would not be so bad for him if he would just brush his hair and wash his face. This scene only lasts a few moments but it is critical in that it drives much of the plot after this point. It drives Heathcliff to do what he does but more than anything else, it establishes a division in Catherine that she will never be able to overcome.

The Stranger Heathcliff encounters at this point are not a stranger that will go away. Catherine's transformation is one that will last a lifetime and this is Heatchliff's greatest fear as he runs away. Catherine inability to figure out why her remarks would hurt him so reinforces the presence of a Stranger.

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However, the cut works both ways. Catherine is divided and from this point forward, she will always have difficulty being loyal to the two worlds from which she came. The world of silk frocks and polished shoes draw Catherine in. This world entices her and wins her over but she never gives herself completely to it. Her affection for Heathcliff is too strong to allow her to forget what they shared and she spends a great deal of her life dealing with and repressing these feelings. Catherine did not see her new and improved self as a Stranger because all she wanted to experience was a better station in life. The Stranger not only changed Catherine and Heathcliff, she changed their story and their fate as well.

Bronte demonstrates how a single encounter can change lives forever. Heathcliff meets the Stranger and while he saw his former Catherine lurking behind those eyes, the girl he loved and the girl who returned his love was gone. This destruction was not something Catherine set out to do; unfortunately, it was an unintended consequence of Catherine becoming a refined lady. While it made her happy on a certain level, it altered any kind of life the two of them could have. Heathcliff, a savage already, could never share a life with the Stranger formerly.....

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