Edgar & Isabella Linton ¦ Character Studies ¦ Wuthering Heights Guide Ep.8

In this episode of Wuthering Heights: A Reader's Guide, we take a look at Isabella and Edgar Linton.

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[nola]

I believe we see Edgar as a passive character because we’re told the story by Lockwood from Nelly’s perspective. I doubt either of them are that interested in poor Edgar’s side of story. Especially Lockwood since he never met him and his story wasn’t as excited as Catherine’s!!

[Peaceharmony-qv]

What comes across to me about Edgar Linton the strongest is his utter spinelessness. He was a court magistrate. Could he not have used his position and exercised more of the law in protecting Isabella, Linton and Cathy his daughter? Passiveness is the word for him. The law was obviously different to what it is today, especially around women, children and domestic abuse. It was as if he did not exert himself sufficiently to see if any part of the law could have protected these characters. When he cut himself off from Isabella, it was cruel and passive aggressive like you said. If he cared about his sister, he could have bothered to find out how Heathcliff abused her physically and mentally, and set about protecting her with the law - an injunction against Heathcliff if there was such a thing then.
The same goes for Linton. He gave him up so easily because Heathcliff was the father. He must have had some idea of how cruel Heathcliff was for his own sister to runaway from him. She entrusted Linton to his guardianship and he gave him up to the wolves at Wuthering Heights! He must have known that was what he was doing. If he could find evidence of abuse surely as a magistrate he could have taken his nephew back. He resigned himself to letting Cathy marry Linton, knowing that Heathcliff was bent on disinheriting her. As for Hareton, he was next of kin as his Uncle, but he caved in not claiming guardianship as he had a stronger right over Heathcliff only because Heathcliff threaten to take Linton, which he did anyway. It showed his cowardice.

[Hi-jwoq]

Edgar is my favorite character in the book. Hes a wimp but he focuses on his daughter when he needs to. Better than many dads these days

[EmilyGloeggler]

Honestly, of all of the characters, I feel great sympathy for Edgar as well as admiration for him. In spite of his wife's infidelity and being unloving towards him, he still faithfully and unconditionally loves her, in spite of everything. However, that does not excuse his treatment towards his poor sister Isabella, who is the victim of the abusive violent Heathcliff and his passive role once his wife dies. He should have simultaneously given their daughter, Cathy freedom and protected her and he should have protected his nephews, Linton and Hareton. So in a way, yes, he is weak, but he IS a victim. If I had to have a drink with either Heathcliff or Edgar, I'd still sit with Edgar. As for Isabella, she's even weaker and ultimately, she not only is weepy, whimpy, bitter, insipid, and even murderous. She even goes as far as to wish her own husband, albeit the brute that he is, to die too! Unlike Edgar who doesn't try to hurt anyone, Isabella does and becomes vindictive and hateful. Its not a nice development for her at all. She DOES become bitter and a coward and she even takes part in torturing her husband Heathcliff by saying Catherine's death is his fault. In truth, it was Catherine's fault because she would not let Heathcliff go. Heathcliff though IS responsible for his evil actions towards his wife Isabella and for turning her into a brute, like himself. So that is Isabella's tragedy, she thinks she's bettering herself from running away but in the end, while outwardly she is peaceful, she is still embittered towards her husband and shows a lack of forgiveness, unlike her brother does towards his wife. So they are a strange contrast. Edgar forgives his wife, Isabella does not and she dies alone. Isabella also gets her revenge, and vengeful and unforgiving she is as well. What you even said in that passage makes that clear - "I'd be glad of a retaliation that wouldn't recoil on myself" in spite of her latter comments - essentially, just as with Edgar, she doesn't want to get her hands dirty. So if you read in between the lines, Isabella's tragedy is that in spite of her awareness of how wrong it is to seek revenge or to pray for it, she nonetheless succumbs to it and fails to learn to heed her own words and wisdom of her brother by not forgiving her husband. I have little sympathy for her as well and she does not embody forgiveness at all! Even on her death beds, she still demonstrates this in Chapter XVIII when she lies dying - as documented by Nelly - "..Mrs. Heathcliff lived about a dozen years after quitting her husband. Her family were of a delicate constitution: she and Edgar both lacked the ruddy health that you will generally meet in these parts. What her last illness was, I am not certain: I conjecture, they died of the same thing, a kind of fever, slow at its commencement, but incurable, and rapidly consuming life towards the close. She wrote to inform her brother of the probable conclusion of a four months’ indisposition under which she had suffered, and entreated him to come to her, if possible; for she had much to settle, and she wished to bid him adieu, and deliver Linton safely into his hands. Her hope was, that Linton might be left with him, as he had been with her: his father, she would fain convince herself, had no desire to assume the burden of his maintenance or education. My master hesitated not a moment in complying with her request: reluctant as he was to leave home at ordinary calls, he flew to answer this.." So from this we can see that she did not want her son to end up with his Dad, because, as Nelly recalled that she "would fain convince herself" so clearly there was still bad blood between her and Heathcliff. She was not forgiving in any remote way. What is surprising is that in spite of his earlier disowning of her, Edgar shows himself to make amends with his sister and, as Nelly said, " My master hesitated not a moment in complying with her request: reluctant as he was to leave home at ordinary calls, he flew to answer this.." and it is presumed that they had much to settle and they made peace with each other in the end, which is the only GOOD thing that can be said of Isabella in her final days. However, her unforgiveness towards Heathcliff is noted and that is her downfall. So in a way, both siblings never really learn anything - both die unforgiving and cruel. Just a small correction, I hope you don't mind that. ^_^

[melenatorr]

Isabella does a little more than wish Heathcliff would die: she wants him to kill himself, which is a much stronger, more vengeful desire than wishing him death: it also indicates that she understands the color of his character. Also, something that always stood out to me in the intro to the Linton children is that they have been fighting over a dog, nearly killing it in their desire to selfishly play with it without their sibling. Now the dog is injured, and both children are crying, not because they've hurt the poor animal, but because of their own self regard. Heathcliff also has a contemptuous attitude toward the poor thing.

Throughout the novel, animals under human guardianship come in for very despicable treatment. Emily and Anne Bronte were both fond of animals, and cared for them: family stories from Ellen Nussey; and existing letters often mention pets and injured animals taken in, cared for and loved (I have questions about the Keeper on the bed story, told in Mrs. Gaskell's bio of Charlotte). In "Agnes Grey", Snap the dog is a notable critter with a lively personality, and Anne uses an incident involving the treatment of a little cat as evidence of character. For Emily to utilize so much description of animal abuse in "Wuthering Heights" must been difficult for her, and also important as far as delineating personality and motives.

[rachaelmccarl]

I never understood why Edgar never told Isabella plainly from her youth about Heathcliff.

[simonaatkinson]

I think Edgar is simply following the morality of the day but Isabella is a step ahead and Young Catherine is all the way there.

[Hi-jwoq]

I honestly dont know the laws of the early 1800's england but i dont know how much power Edgar Linton had on helping his sister and nephew. I know divorce was super uncommon and it was hard to get them

[teddyknight]

Hoping your having a beautiful evening, enjoy the day 💕🌻🎉🌻💕💓❤️👍🐻❤ Happy Easter 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤😊😊😊

[dellehenry]

Incest was quite prevalent in society at that period in time 😮 I've only read the first 2 chapters in the book and now I am confused lol 😅