Things that would’ve happened to Catherine if she had Heathcliff’s fortune

Things that would’ve happened to Catherine if she had Heathcliff’s fortune: a hypothetical study based on the novel Wuthering Heights embracing the feminist ideas 

Gender discrimination has its presence in the most part of our history. It exists in literary works of different times also. Though the Victorian age was named after Queen Victoria who was known for her courage and leadership, it is also the age of men’s complete domination over women. This noticeable irony is also reflected in Catherine’s life, who was a free spirit before transforming to a so-called Victorian Woman. It makes readers of Emily Brontë’s novel “Wuthering Heights” fascinated about- what would happen to her if she had the fortune of a man if considering Heathcliff’s fate, who was also a victim of social discrimination and injustice at the beginning of his life. Would that change Catherine’s life as a woman? To bring out the answer through some hypothetical understanding of this issue, this paper will embrace the feminist perspective and will consider the condition of women in the novel to reason the possible outcomes.

In the novel, two important transformations occurred. From a wild impetuous and arrogant girl, Catherine becomes the accomplished Victorian woman by marrying wealthier Edgar instead of her poor soul-mate Heathcliff. And, Heathcliff’s amazing transformation happened within the period of only three years. Discovering his beloved’s (Catherine) sudden transformation he was aggrieved and disappeared. Then he became a man of wealth, social status, and power.

Now, let’s consider Catherine as the adopted orphan and Heathcliff and Hindley are biological brothers.

First of all, it is important to think that Mr. Earnshaw probably would not have adopted Catherine as his daughter because he belongs to a society where women were not valued as human beings. He had a wife and two sons- Hindley and Heathcliff. So, adding another adult servant would seem more realistic than adopting a daughter.

Even if he had adopted Catherine it would not be a matter of certainty that she would have had treated as a family member (which did not happen to Heathcliff, in the main story) when women of Victorian age were actually servants, the only difference is that some were appreciated as “The Angel in the House” and the women belong to lower-class were called maids and servants.

Like the main story, Mrs. Earnshaw might not like Catherine (H) as well. She (C) would become victimized by her jealousy (which did not happen to Heathcliff in the main story). Seeing Catherin and Heathcliff in a suspicious relationship both mother and son (Hindley) might have become agitated. And, later this might’ve resulted in Hindley’s sexual assault of hers. As women of that time did not have a voice, those dishonouring experiences might remain unknown.

In a male-dominated society where a woman does not have a voice and freedom of choice, her value only as a property might have caused rivalries between the two brothers. And, that will change the whole setting of the novel. Edgar and his family would not think of her as his wife considering her social status. For this social awareness, Heathcliff’s feelings for Catherin would get shattered by meeting Isabella, a beautiful showpiece of that era.

Realizing his (H) switch of plans, she (C) would likely to feel hopeless and think about committing suicide as an act of escaping from her tormenting life. There would have few other possibilities too. She might become the mistress of his (H). But, for that, she would have to stay somewhere else, alone, which seems quite impossible. So, she might have tried to fall for Hindley at the end. But why would he accept her?

If she left Heathcliff out of bravery, then things would go worst. Women of that time did not have outside work opportunities unless it was prostitution. She didn’t have the education, professional training of any kinds or any innate creativity. She did not have “money and privacy’ as Virginia Woolf suggested in her famous book “A Room of One’s Own” which are crucial prerequisites of freedom. So, she might have faced the kind of experience that imaginary ‘Judith Shakespeare’ faced in her life and end up committing suicide.

The sense of existential crisis might drive her to marry a man from a lower-class, he could be a male-servant. There is another chance, she might turn to a nun and live in a church. Because, for this novel, and for that time: “Fortune favored the brave, only when it’s a brave man”.

To conclude, it is clear to understand that the stereotypical idea of ‘Gender’ and its discrimination-powered-domination towards women would certainly work as the main catalyst of ‘Catherine’s failure to becoming as successful as Heathcliff. Catherine won’t be able to achieve freedom, power, wealth and social status. So, by studying the image of male-dominated Victorian society, we can say that ‘No’ is the obvious answer to this hypothetical question.

Work cited

Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One’s Own. Ed. Judith Baxter. Cambridge. Cambridge UP. 1998