Life would be strangely different if no one went beyond the state of childhood: if one possessed the physical qualities of an adult, but the faculties of a minor only. The environment would certainly be harsher and more difficult. Survival would be based on primal instincts and indomitable passions. This is exactly the environment created by Emily Brontë in her novel Wuthering Heights. An entire generation, namely Catherine, Heathcliff, Edgar and Isabella, remains frozen in time, without evolution, throughout their adult lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essayThe most obvious case of this childishness is that of Catherine Earnshaw-Linton. Married to Edgar, she is beautiful and wild. Unfortunately, her childish behavior leads her to a life strewn with sorrow. As a child, Catherine was pushed aside by her father because he found her too loud and turbulent. In fact, he only told her he loved her when she was quiet. Therefore, to feel loved, she needed to hide her true identity. This was further compounded by her unfortunate visit to Thrushcross Grange, where she was "civilized" by the Lintons. After staying there, it dawned on Catherine that she had to hide behind chic clothes and good manners. These ornaments prohibited her from developing her own personality and therefore kept her childish. As an adult, she manifests her childish behavior in her actions towards others. She has no concept of reality. For Catherine, the fantastic also seems possible. This quality becomes evident in his relationships with Heathcliff and Edgar. At one point, the two vied for his attentions, and Heathcliff, of large build and stature, threatened the gentle Edgar. Instead of encouraging Edgar's escape, she prepared to take advantage of the impending brutality by locking her only escape route. According to Nelly Dean, the event went like this: “Cathy, your lamb threatens like a bull. » [Heathcliff] said: "He might crack his skull on my knuckles." .. My master glanced towards the passage and motioned for me to go and get the men. He had no intention of risking a personal encounter, but Mrs. Linton, suspecting something, followed him; she pulled me back, slammed the door and locked it. (118) She had no idea how dangerous the situation was or how serious the consequences would be. She only sees it as a game for her pleasure, like a child would. For Catherine, the lives of others are a spectacle that she can manipulate and enjoy. Along the same lines, Catherine can't stand being ignored. She insists on being the center of attention, again like a child. Unfortunately, the method she chooses to attract Edgar's attention proves fatal. She feigns illness to provoke Edgar's guilt. She tells Nelly to "...tell Edgar...that I might be seriously ill. I wish it turned out to be true...I want to scare him." (120). When Edgar doesn't respond, she remains so adamant that she becomes ill, which ends up being her undoing. His stubbornness is another sign of his immaturity, as well as his inability to see the consequences of his actions. In her child's mind, death is just a myth that cannot affect a young woman like her. Heathcliff, the sullen foundling, is similar to Catherine in that he, too, lacks an adult sense of worth. His misconceptions about life and death are taken to extremes due to his moody and passionate nature. He has difficulty discerning the differences between life and death. For him, death issimply what follows life. Therefore, he is harsh, as shown in a conversation with Catherine. He says of meeting Isabella: "The first thing she saw me do... was hang up her little dog." (155). In other words, while he is talking with Isabella, he is holding on to his dog. He feels no guilt for what he has done, just like a mischievous boy who tortures animals for fun would. In either case, these actions may seem sadistic, but they are actually learning experiences for both Heathcliff and the child. Unlike Heathcliff, however, the child will feel remorse when the frog or fish dies. Heathcliff feels nothing. Because he is locked into his childhood ways, he cannot grow or develop as an adult. Essentially, the lesson presented is useless to Heathcliff because he is incapable of understanding the true relationship between life and death. As with the dog, all of Heathcliff's actions are wild. He is unpredictable; he lives by relying on his animal instincts. Since he has not developed any sense of right and wrong, he does not fear the consequences of his actions. Despite this flaw, he manages to fall in love with Catherine, the only other person who really resembles him. She, in turn, betrays his love by virtue of her need to be what is expected of her. It almost drives him crazy with jealousy. However, later, when she dies, his childish, intact, even obsessive, love for her also makes him wish for death. When Nelly came to tell him of Catherine's death, “he hit his head against the knotted trunk; and, looking up, he howled, not like a man, but like a wild beast being driven to death with knives and spears. » (171). When he loses her, his own life lacks meaning, just like a child who loses his mother or sister. Since he has not developed as an adult, Heathcliff cannot cope with death or loss. Edgar, despite being raised a completely different type of child, is emotionally underdeveloped like Catherine and Heathcliff. The well-bred and educated young man also has illusions about the morals of the world. He has been protected all his life, physically and mentally guarded within the reliable walls of Thrushcross Grange. In his youth, he was spoiled and was the object of his parents' adoration, alongside his sister Isabelle. He retains his childhood naivety; he judges only on appearances. Catherine pretends to love him because that's what she thinks is expected of her. He falls into the trap of her ruse because he trusts, as a child would. When he realizes that Catherine really loves Heathcliff, he denies it to himself; he is incapable of understanding any sort of change in his mental world. In fact, he attributes his behavior to Heathcliff's influence. He said: “Until now I have been lenient with you, sir... and Catherine, wishing to maintain your acquaintance, I foolishly acquiesced. Your presence is like a moral poison that could contaminate the most virtuous. (118). This denial comes in part from his sheltered life. He has never been exposed to humanity, so although he acts sophisticated, he really has no concept of what exists outside of his limited environment. His undying trust prevents him from having reason to doubt anyone's integrity, including Catherine's. Isabella, like Edgar, is completely unaware of the nature of others, comparable to a child. She trusts Heathcliff, completely ignoring his wild qualities. Upon meeting Heathcliff, "The first words I [Heathcliff] uttered were a wish to have all beings belonging to her hanged except one: perhaps she took.