Acute Emotion

Everyone seemed to completely abhor the novel Wuthering Heights. I, on the other hand, grew to enjoy it very much. People complain of the characters being unbearable and unlikeable. In this argument I both agreed and disagreed. None of the characters are overall likable creatures. Catherine Earnshaw is petty, selfish, rude, disrespectful, and has a blatant disregard for those who care for her. Edgar Linton is, in plain and simple terms, a wuss. He is childish, selfish, spoiled, and a crybaby. Heathcliff is practically evil. He tries to kill a small dog, he ruins the life of his true love's daughter, and is mean to the one person that he cannot live without. Although I cannot dispute their likability, I can make a valid argument for their good qualities. At times I could see beyond the exaggerated awfulness, and see human elements peeking through.
Edgar Linton, although whiny and fussy and annoying, is still a relatively good-natured person. He treats his daughter like a princess, and is very full of sweet and gentle love. Love comes in many different forms, and his is a gentle form. He tries his best to take care of those he loves, and this makes me see him in a better light.
When Catherine is speaking with Nelly on why she cannot marry Heathcliff, I finally saw her care for someone that wasn't herself. She tells her that Heathcliff and she have the same soul, and that they are one, even though she will not marry him. Even this, however is because she says that if she marries Edgar, then she can help Heathcliff gain a respectable status so she may marry him. Although she is considering the use of a loveless marriage, regardless, she is thinking of Heathcliff and his future, which bodily is not herself. She actually reminds me of my good friend. She is very rude, and says things that make even myself cringe occasionally. However, she is a very good friend, and tries to take care of those she loves, even when she is making fun of us and causing us a bit of anguish.
Heathcliff has a good feature as well: although it is essentially his downfall, he loves, deeply and passionately. He is tortured by love, and although the majority of my feelings towards him are pity for the various heartbreaking occasions within his life, there are two or three occasions that I feel that I understand him, which makes me feel a connection to him. When reunited with Catherine, and telling her that he cannot believe the pain and agony that she has put him through and forgives her regardless because he loves her so, I understand the pain that he went through and the want to just go back to the one you love, no matter the cost. When Heathcliff was crying out that Catherine's soul may not rest in peace, but instead walk the Earth forever by his side until he died, I found the sentiment to be beautiful and dear. I saw true love, not revenge. I saw a man tormented by the fact that he let his true love slip away from him. I saw a man that was broken. Everyone understands what it feels like to be broken. I can only imagine the pain he was going through when Catherine died. I saw a man who refused to have his love leave him. Is this healthy? Definitely not. Is this our first instinct? I believe so. He is human. This is his human trait. We want something, therefore we want it forever and ever, even when it is gone, we want it to still be there. We want our dead relatives to always be with us. We want our old friends to always be with us. We want our passed pets to stay with us. We may have healthier ways of dealing with this desire and the pain of the loss, but I understand him, and that makes me respect him.
So although none of the characters are likable, I still have found a way to somehow come around and care deeply about them all. Or perhaps I'm simply crazy.