Life would be strangely different if no person matured beyond the state of childhood: if one possessed the physical qualities of an adult, but the faculties of only a youth. The environment would certainly be harsher and more difficult. Survival would be based on primal instincts and wild passions. This is the exact environment created by Emily Brontë in her novel Wuthering Heights. An entire generation, namely Catherine, Heathcliff, Edgar, and Isabella, remains fixed in time, unevolved, throughout their adult lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The clearest case of this infantilism is seen in Catherine Earnshaw-Linton. Married to Edgar, she is beautiful and wild. Unfortunately, her childish behaviors lead to a life plagued by pain. As a child, Catherine was cast aside by her father because he thought she was too loud and boisterous. In fact he told her that he only loved her when she was calm. As a result, to feel loved, she needed to hide her true self. This was further compounded by her ill-fated visit to Thrushcross Grange, where she was 'civilised' by the Lintons. After staying there, it seemed to Catherine that she had to hide behind elegant clothes and good manners. These ornaments prevented her from developing her own personality, and therefore kept her infantile. As an adult, she shows her childish behavior in her actions towards others. He has no concept of reality. For Catherine, the fantastic seems equally possible. This quality becomes evident in his relationships with Heathcliff and Edgar. At one point, the two were arguing over his attentions and Heathcliff, of large build and stature, threatened the meek Edgar. Instead of aiding Edgar's escape, he prepared to revel in the impending brutality by blocking his only escape route. According to Nelly Dean, the event went like this: "'Cathy, this lamb of yours threatens like a bull.' [Heathcliff] said: "There is danger of cracking your skull against my knuckles." My master looked towards the corridor and signaled me to fetch the men. He had no intention of risking a personal encounter, but Mrs Linton, suspecting something, followed me and when I attempted to call them; she pulled me back, slammed the door and locked it." (118)He had no idea of ​​the danger of the situation, nor the severity of the consequences. He just sees it as a game for his entertainment, just like a child would. For Catherine, other people's lives are a spectacle she can manipulate and enjoy. Along the same lines, Catherine can't stand being ignored. She insists on being the center of attention, once again like a child. Unfortunately, the method she chooses to get Edgar's attention proves fatal. He fakes an illness in order to make Edgar feel guilty. She tells Nelly to "... tell Edgar... that I'm in danger of getting very ill. I wish it were true... I want to scare him." (120). When Edgar doesn't respond, he remains so adamant that he actually becomes ill, ultimately proving to be his undoing. His stubbornness is another sign of his immaturity, as well as his inability to see the consequences of his actions. In her childish mind, death is just a myth that cannot possibly influence a young woman like her. Heathcliff, the brooding foundling, is similar to Catherine in that he also lacks an adult sense of worth. His misconceptions about life and death are taken to the extreme level due to his dark and passionate nature. He has difficulty discerning the difference between life and death. For him, death is simply what follows life. As a result, he is harsh, as shown in a conversation with Catherine. It says about ameeting Isabella: "The first thing she saw me do... was hang up her little dog." (155). In other words, while talking to Isabella, he hangs his dog. He doesn't feel guilty about what he did, just like a mischievous boy who tortures animals for fun would. In both cases, these actions might appear sadistic, but in reality they are learning experiences for both Heathcliff and the child. Unlike Heathcliff, however, the child will feel remorse when the frog or fish dies. Heathcliff hears nothing. Because he is stuck in his childhood habits, he cannot grow or develop as an adult. In essence, the lesson presented is wasted on Heathcliff as he is unable to understand the true relationship between life and death. As with the dog, all of Heathcliff's actions are wild. It is unpredictable; he lives relying on his animal instincts. Because he has not developed a 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 he truly likes. She, in turn, betrays his love by virtue of her need to be what is expected of her. This almost drives him crazy with jealousy. However, later, when she dies, his childish, pristine and even obsessive love for her makes him long for death too. When Nelly came to tell him that Catherine was dead, "he dashed his head against the gnarled trunk, and, looking up, howled, not like a man, but like a wild beast being prodded to death with knives and spears." (171). When he loses her, his life loses meaning, just like a child who has lost his mother or sister. Since he has not grown into an adult, Heathcliff cannot face death or loss. Edgar, although raised as an entirely different child, is as emotionally underdeveloped as both Catherine and Heathcliff. The cultured and cultured young man also has illusions about the ways of the world. He has been protected his entire life, kept both physically and mentally within the trustworthy walls of Thrushcross Grange. As a young man he was spoiled and the object of his parents' adoration, along with his sister Isabella. He retains his childish naivety; judges based solely on appearances. Catherine pretends to love him because that is what she believes is expected of her. He falls for her ploy because he trusts, like a child would. When he realizes that Catherine truly loves Heathcliff, he denies it to himself; he is unable to understand any kind of change in his mental world. In fact, he blames his behaviors on Heathcliff's influence. He says, "I have hitherto been tolerant of you, sir... and Catherine, desiring to continue your acquaintance, I have foolishly consented. Your presence is like a moral poison which might contaminate the most virtuous." (118). This denial stems in part from his sheltered life. He has never been exposed to humanity, so although he acts in a sophisticated manner, he really has no concept of what exists outside of his limited environment. His undying trust prevents him from having reason to doubt a person's integrity, including Catherine's. Isabella, just like Edgar, is completely unaware of the nature of others, comparable to a child. She puts her trust in Heathcliff, completely ignoring his wild qualities. In a meeting with Heathcliff, "The first words I [Heathcliff] spoke were the desire to have the hanging of all beings belonging to her except one: perhaps she has taken that exception for herself." (154). Instead, she creates the image of a misunderstood, but wildly passionate and romantic man, who she expects will love her ineffably. Just like Edgar, she insists on seeing only the best in those around her.