An issue that was brought up in our discussion was the immaturity of all the characters in Wuthering Heights. This was something that I had been wondering about as well because the characters all seem to be very immature. I hadn't really thought about some of the probable causes that were brought up in the discussion, like that they're shut off from the rest of society, so they don't really know how to act. Or that they don't have very good models for how to act mature. Or that they do it for attention, or are trying to make up for their lack of a childhood. I think all of these factors definitely have something to do with the immaturity of the characters.
Another factor that might play into their immaturity is, unfortunately, another psychology reference (I can't help but psychoanalyze this book). There are some Freudian defense mechanisms that anyone who studies the most basic psychology should have heard about. These are used to protect our minds from potential harm. The most widely known is, of course, repression. However, the one I'm thinking of is regression, where a person who has been abused reverts back to an earlier stage of development, or an earlier age. I see proof of regression in both Cathy and Linton, and in Catherine and Heathcliff.
I think now regression can be added to the list of things wrong with most of these characters.
I definitely agree with you! I think everyone regresses a lot in this book and everyone being Heathcliff, Catherine, Linton, and Cathy. I think it has a lot to do with how they dealt with being abused mentally or physically and with how their childhoods were not "normal" by any means. Hareton definitely didn't have a "normal" childhood either, but I think he dealt with it differently. He just seems like he goes with the flow and swears a lot when he is angry. He could be better but I think he is pretty good from what he lived with. I also really hate how Heathcliff, Linton, and Cathy pick on him! They think he is stupid pretty much but he isn't. Lastly I rather hated how Cathy hit him with her whip because "she thought he was going to murder her"! I mean really?! I wonder a lot what is with these people and this was one of those moments!!
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