Tuesday, August 27, 2013

In Chapter 16, how do Edgar and Heathcliff react differently to news of Catherine's death?

After Catherine death the condition of Edgar and
Heathcliiff is described by Nelly,because it is Nelly who has given to Lockwood an
account of the circumstances in which Catherine died.She then goes on to give him an
account of the subsequent developments. She says that Edgar's grief over Catherine's
death was intense, and that it would be very painful to her (Nelly) to describe his
grief.The after-effects of Catherine's death on Edgar showed that the sorrow had sunk
very deep in Edgar's heart. Edgar had sat throughout the night by the dead body of his
wife,with his head laid on the pillow,and his eyes closed. His young and handsome face
had seemed to be almost as death-like as that of the dead Catherine was. There had been
the same fixity and immobility on his features as there was on the dead Catherine's
features. The only difference between them at  that time his hush and stillness were a
result of anguish and exhaustion, while Catherine's stillness and silence were a
consequence of the perfect peace which death had brought with
it.


On the other hand when Nelly had gone out of the house
to inform Heathcliff, who had been waiting outside,about Catherine's death. Heathcliff
had already come to know of the death. He had been leaning against a tree ,with his hat
off, and his hair drenched in the dew which had accumulated on the branches of the tree
and had been falling on him drop by drop . He had been standing in that position for
quite a long time. Heathcliff asked to Nelly, if Catherine had died like a saint. He
wanted a true account of the event. It was evident to Nelly that he had been holding a
silent combat with his inward agony, and that he did not need any of her sympathy. He
was trembling to his very finger-ends. Nelly felt that this man, though very strong
minded, had a heart and nerves similar to every other man's. She told him that Catherine
had died quietly as a lamb and that she had heaved a sigh and , stretching herself had
sunk to sleep. On The describing about the death of Catherine before Heathcliff she
expressed her wish that Catherine should wake up as gently in the other world as she had
died in this world, Heathcliff become almost violent and says,
" May she wake in torment !"
He said with frightful vehemence.
Stamping his foot on the ground , and groaning in a sudden fit of anger,he said that
Catherine had been a liar to the very end of her life.She was certainly not in heaven.
He had one prayer to offer; and his prayer was : Catherine
Earnshaw , may you not rest as long as I am living !"
He then
went on to say that if he had killed her as she had alleged, she should haunt him as a
ghost.His grief, he went on to say , was inexpressible.Then he declared that he could
not live without Catherine who had been his lif and his
soul.


Saying these words , Heathcliff dashed his head
against the trunk of the tree against which he had been leaning. He then lifted his eyes
and howled,not like the man, but like the several splashes of blood on the tree trunk ;
and she also saw that Heathcliff's hand were stained with blood. Most probably he had
been anxiously waiting for some news of Catherine who yet lay in her bed , dangerously
ill.

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