Compare And Contrast Foils In Wuthering Heights

It is a common occurrence in novels for a leading character to be given a “foil” character. This character is one who is not necessarily a main character, but still important, and provides contrast to a/the main character in a way that heightens and highlights that character 's characteristics, in the way that we can say that day defines night and vice versa. In Emily Bronte 's Wuthering Heights, this contrast between characters clearly takes place between the book 's central character, Heathcliff, and his eventual brother-in-law and competition for love, Edgar. This “foiling” is almost exact, with only one shared characteristic between the two and the rest of themselves being polar opposites. These opposites heighten the definition of Heathcliff 's character, showing him moreso for who he is by giving the reader a comparison, highlighting as well the general themes of the work involving revenge, love, and class. The leading of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff, is obsessed with his revenge over his childhood struggles with his adopted brother Hindley. This obsession is obvious when he gains power in his …show more content…
The juxtaposing characters will bring out a novel 's themes much more so than if the polar relationship of the two did not exist. Emily Bronte 's Wuthering Heights brings out its central themes using the idea of foil characters. The contrast between Heathcliff and Edgar brings out the novel 's central ideas of the severity of revenge, the drive of love and the absurdity that may come with, and the dominance of class above all other factors. Though these themes would still be present without Edgar 's exact opposite standing in life in comparison to Heathcliff, the polarness of the two is what supports thee themes so