“Nelly, I’m Heathcliff! » Catherine Earnshaw makes this bold statement in Wuthering Heights (Brontë 75). Catherine claims identity traits that belong to another being, which is physically impossible for her to achieve. Why does Emily Brontë create such love between Heathcliff and Catherine that they pretend to be the same entity, and what do we mean by Heathcliff and Catherine pretending to be each other? Many analyzes address this question precisely, but the answer lies in a psychological approach. In his article, Graeme Tytler mocks those who think that Catherine's statement is "a manifestation of perfect love and asserts that it is instead "part of a specific psychological pattern" (Tytler). Through Catherine and Heathcliff's childhoods as unloved outcasts, Brontë demonstrates that their development as adults is hindered, creating a void in their personalities that they fill with alter egos. Catherine and Heathcliff grow up in environments of neglect and abandonment, which causes them to develop gaps in their personalities. Mr. Earnshaw brings Heathcliff to Wuthering Heights, and he says "but you must still take him as a gift from God, even though it is as dark almost as if he came from the devil" (Brontë 34). Here Heathcliff is the victim of racial profiling, which is detrimental to development because it has the effect of degrading an individual's self-esteem. Heathcliff's savior describes him as a spawn of the "devil." This, combined with the reaction of the other tenants of Wuthering Heights, makes Heathcliff an outcast. They repeatedly call her “that” and Catherine even “[spits] on that stupid little thing,” as Nelly recalls (35). This unwelcoming behavior is a rejection of Heathcliff. Brontë is created...... middle of paper ......with each other. He points out that through these judgments, Brontë illustrates that identity can never truly be determined. I will use Tytler's alter ego theory to demonstrate that the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff continues into adulthood because of their desire to live through each other. This alter ego theory sparked controversy that Catherine and Heathcliff used each other to fill a void created as a result of their neglected childhoods. Tytler proves many points about Catherine and Heathcliff's dynamic but fails to see that Catherine had love for Heathcliff. He claimed that Catherine was more self-centered and demanding, implying that she only wanted to use Heathcliff to prolong their childhood relationship. I believe that Catherine truly loved Heathcliff and related to him in a way that bonded them for life..