Does Plight
Favor Destruction or Perfection?
I am sure most people have heard the cliché, “No Pain. No
Gain.” The belief that people will prosper overall after faced with difficult
situations was, and still is, widely accepted by society. But this statement doesn't apply to Wuthering Heights. In fact, Emily Bronte is somewhat conflicting this
belief in Wuthering Heights.
Up until the very end of the book, various characters of Wuthering
Heights, by Emily Bronte, have regularly exhibited abuse and great suffering. From
Heathcliff’s arrival into Wuthering Heights up to his departure halfway through
the book, Heathcliff has dealt with considerable mistreatment. Once he returns,
he inflicts abuse onto the characters around him. This grief and mishandling plays
a major role in the book as it develops or shapes the characters. Why do you
think this nature of behavior is lavished in the novel? Was this a possible
meaning Emily Bronte was trying to convey to her readers? Does pain just create
greater pain and generate vengeance or distress?
Personally, I believe that challenging situations instigate a
person’s growth. A great example of this is when NFL player, Adrian Peterson,
had a breakout season after suffering a critical ACL tear two years ago. He was
named MVP of the 2012 season - the same year of his return - and nearly broke the
total rush yards in a single season record.
But, I may be biased toward this belief as it is “the danger
of a single story.” This may be Bronte’s purpose; to force the readers into viewing
her view of the world. Bronte is giving the other side of the story, the story
in which athletes don’t recover from injuries or plight. This was evident last
year during the Manti Te’o girlfriend hoax. After discovering that his
girlfriend’s apparent existence and death was completely imaginary, Manti Te’o’s
football performance disintegrated. The very infamous BCS championship against
Alabama highlighted this break down as he was “not his normally productive self”
during Alabama’s sweeping win. His draft pick also suffered enormously as he
dropped into the second round. Although it may be too early, he has not made a
significant difference to the San Diego Chargers, either. Will Te’o bounce back
to become the superior athlete he once was in College or will he continue to
break down just as the characters in Wuthering Heights have?
By: Viresh
I think that one key difference between Bronte's analysis of the characters' trials and mishaps and the mantra "No pain, no gain," is that Bronte's characters aren't suffering in an attempt to better themselves, they are doing it due to the flaws both within themselves and within others. I do think that Bronte takes a much more negative viewpoint on the matter.
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