Hareton Earnshaw

"By the fire stood a ruffianly child, strong in limb and dirty in garb, with a look of Catherine in his eyes and about his mouth."

- Chapter 13

Hareton Earnshaw is a major character in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. He is the son of Hindley Earnshaw and Frances Earnshaw, the nephew of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff (also his father-figure), and the cousin of Cathy Linton and Linton Heathcliff.

Born into nobility at Wuthering Heights, Hareton was meant to be a proper gentleman, but ended up being an uneducated servant of Heathcliff but redeems himself with his relationship with Cathy Linton.

Description
Hareton Earnshaw was born into a family filled with hatred and abuse. His mother died soon after he is born, and his father becomes a drunkard and hardly interacts with him. He was raised by the family's servant Nelly Dean, the only person who could keep him safe from Hindley's violent acts of rage, mainly his abuse towards Heathcliff. When Hareton grows up, he becomes involved in Heathcliff's vengeful acts. As he enters adulthood, Hareton is a constant reminder to Heathcliff of the hatred his own father had done to him.

Having lived most of his life impoverished and uneducated, Hareton would find himself isolated from the outside world and later on, he wanted to be more civilized by trying to read, and would be usually mocked for wanting to fit in. After he plans to wed his cousin and move to Thrushcross Grange, he is about to leave behind his troubled past and be more active in a noble society.

Like his cousins Linton Heathcliff and Cathy Linton, Hareton had grown up without a mother. Although Nelly was devoted towards him since birth, he grew up without his mother's proper care and that the one person he views as his real parent is his master Heathcliff.

Early Years
Hareton was born at Wuthering Heights in Yorkshire, England in June 1778. His mother, Frances Earnshaw, dies of consumption from childbirth a week after his birth, and his father Hindley Earnshaw begins drinking heavily and being more abusive to the servants. Hareton was looked after by Nelly Dean, the main servant of the Heights.

When he was still an infant, Hareton had been closer to Nelly and followed her when she was trying to console his aunt Catherine Earnshaw. He was sitting on the floor when Catherine throws a fit. He starts crying and she shakes him while angry. The boy is taken into the kitchen by Nelly and placed in a cupboard when his drunk father comes home. He is grabbed by Hindley and while he goes up the stairs, Hareton slipped out of his arms and fell over the bannister, but Heathcliff arrived just in time to save him. He was being looked after by Nelly as Catherine makes her confession to her about her marriage proposal to Edgar Linton and her romance with Heathcliff.

When he was 3 years old, Hareton was left in the care of his father and servant Joseph as Nelly moves to Thrushcross Grange with newlyweds Edgar and Catherine.

Hareton and Heathcliff
Sometime later, Hareton is taught by Heathcliff to turn on his father, such as naughty behaviour and vulgar words. Heathcliff also dismisses the curate tutoring the boy and was left uneducated without knowing how to read or write.

He spots Nelly approaching him when she arrived at the Heights to talk to his father. He does not recognize her and he throws rocks at her and curses her. He tells her it was Heathcliff who made him turn violent and is protected from "Devil Daddy", a name he refers to his father. Nelly flees when Heathcliff appears. After his new father-figure brings his new wife Isabella Linton back to the Heights, Hareton, along with Hindley and servant Joseph treat her cruelly.

Following his father's death from being swindled 6 months later, the now orphaned Hareton was taken in by Heathcliff under his care. He was not allowed to leave the Heights and ends up growing up as a poor but devoted servant to his new master after Heathcliff claims ownership of his home.

Life as a servant
13 years later, Hareton, now 18 years old, was walking on the moors with his dogs when he spots his cousin Cathy on her pony. The dogs get intertwined with Cathy's dog. She becomes interested in him, not knowing he is related to her, and they spend the day together. The teenagers were at the Heights when Nelly finds Cathy there. After she finds out Hareton isn't the owner's son, Cathy assumes he is a servant, and he gets mad and curses her, while the girl is told he is her cousin. Shortly afterwards, Heathcliff's son and Hareton's cousin Linton is brought to the Heights and into his father's custody.

3 more years pass. Hareton and Heathcliff were on the moors when they see Cathy bird-hunting. The three of them converse, with Cathy asking if Hareton is Heathcliff's son, and says he isn't. She is brought back to the Heights to meet her cousin who she hasn't seen in a couple of years. Hareton takes her to show her around the house, but when they go outside, he is teased by her for his illiteracy.

Around winter, Hareton stops Cathy when she comes over to see Linton. He tells her he can read his name carved above the front door, but can't read the numbers "1500", and she laughs at him. Enraged, Hareton interrupts her visit when he barges in and throws Linton onto the floor. He drags him into the kitchen where he beats him until Linton coughs up blood and faints. Hareton then carries his unconscious cousin upstairs, but feeling bad afterwards, he tries to apologize to Cathy as she prepares to leave. She refuses to talk with him and he is hit by her whip as she rides away.

As Cathy and Nelly are held hostage by Heathcliff for the girl to marry her cousin, Hareton guards Nelly's room where she is confined for 5 days. After she marries, Cathy struggles to look after Linton who is close to death. Hareton and the others refuse to help her for fear of their master.

Hareton and Cathy
Following Linton's death shortly after being married, Cathy isolates herself and blames everyone, including Hareton, for not supporting her during her husband's final hours. He tells her he tried to help her; even if he is on Heathcliff's side.

Sometime later, Mr. Lockwood, a gentleman from London, stays as a tenant at the Grange. He arrives at the Heights one snowy day and Hareton lets him in and brings him into the sitting room. Lockwood mistakenly thought he is the son of Heathcliff. Hareton and the others are rude towards their guest, and as the tenant prepares to leave after dinner, Hareton and Heathcliff look on gleefully as Lockwood is pinned down by the dogs before Lockwood had no choice but to spend the night at the Heights.

About 4 weeks later, Hareton unlocks the gate for Lockwood to enter and is in the parlour with Cathy. Lockwood gives her a note from Nelly and Hareton takes it from her and puts it in his waistcoat. As she starts to cry, Hareton gives it back to her. Cathy couldn't find any books or paper to write back, since Heathcliff confiscated all of her books but Hareton had been trying to read them himself. He is mocked for the way he tries to read them aloud by Cathy, and he returns with the books and places them on her lap, saying he would not read them again, but she doesn't want them back. Ashamed, Hareton tosses them into the fireplace.

Later that day, Heathcliff saw how much Hareton resembles a lot like his late aunt Catherine and makes him painful to look at him. Following Lockwood's departure, Hareton and Cathy continue to clash against each other. But 2 weeks later, he accidentally shoots himself while working and is looked after by Cathy. They start arguing less and conversing more, with Hareton admitting he had been too snobbish while he was with Heathcliff. Before long, he learns how to read from her and they later fall in love.

The next day, the couple plant a tree in the garden but remove Joseph's plants. Cathy and Heathcliff argue, with Hareton taking his cousin's side. Heathcliff is about to hit her, but releases her when he sees that she also resembles her late mother. As Hareton and Cathy are seen together, Heathcliff decides he no longer wants revenge on them.

After Heathcliff's death shortly afterwards, only Hareton mourned his late master as he embraced the corpse and kissed him. Following Heathcliff's interment in the moors, Hareton becomes more redeemable as he reads more while tutored by Cathy. They eventually arrange plans to be married on New Year's Day and move to the Grange, putting an end to the cycle of revenge and restoring peace to both houses.

Personality/Appearance
Hareton is a young man who is charming and good-looking, as well as being devoted to those who had strictly raised him in their care. As a young child, he was taught by Heathcliff to turn against everyone he hated, such as his own father. His initial naïve nature was ruined by him being cruel and malicious to others, including his own father. In addition to him being used as a tool of revenge against his family line, Hareton is also mistreated by Heathcliff, as he was shaped into a similar person like his master. He was originally rude to anyone who he could easily see as opposers, such as the tenant Mr. Lockwood, who did not make him welcome and even looked on happily while the guest was nearly attacked by dogs.

Since his birth, Hareton was meant to inherit Wuthering Heights and be part of nobility. But after his education was cut off, he becomes isolated inside his home as he lacks the knowledge of how to read or even be a proper man. He couldn’t read his name above the front door but later in the novel, he attempts to be more civilized by trying to read and be part of society just like how he was meant to. Even if Heathcliff is abusive to him, Hareton stayed loyal and obedient to him. He followed his orders and even works hard as an impoverished servant. He can also be ill-tempered and aggressive, mostly when he is provoked for his illiteracy. One time, when Cathy mocks him for unable to read numbers, he gets angry and takes his rage out on his weak, helpless cousin Linton.

Despite his rough, aggressive nature, he has a kind, compassionate attitude. Having been unloved throughout most of his life, he is willing to make his mark in his life by seeking redemption. Even if he loses his temper, he regrets the way he behaved and is wanting to be forgiven, including the time he tried to apologize to Cathy after he bullied Linton. At other times, he can be emotional when he experiences a tragedy, since he was the only one who wept over Heathcliff’s body after his master’s unexpected death. But the more he becomes closer to Cathy, the more loving and friendly he gets. As the couple fall in love, so did his chances of him learning how to read and be the gentleman he was meant to be, as well as standing up to his cruel master. After he will marry Cathy and live with her at Thrushcross Grange, he is grateful to have someone who is more understanding and help him leave his miserable past behind him.

Hareton is usually described as a gruff-looking young man with a scruffy beard, filthy hands and wearing shabby, dirty clothes that symbolize his illiterate poverty.

Relationships
Heathcliff- Hareton’s master and father-figure. He was raised by him following his father’s death and taught to be rude and vulgar to anyone Heathcliff opposed, including the Linton’s of Thrushcross Grange. He is madd into an uneducated servant and mistreated by Heathcliff, yet he still managed to be on his side. Deep down, Hareton has an uncanny resemblance to his aunt Catherine, and later on, Heathcliff cannot bear to look at him since he is a reminder that he could never have his true love.

Cathy Linton- Hareton’s cousin. He is about 6-7 years older than her and he first meets her on the moors. They originally had arguments and fights, usually if he is teased for being illiterate or his position as a poor stableboy. After he gets injured, she looks after him and they eventually make up. He learns how to read from her and their bond becomes more affectionate. With their romance and future marriage, they will bring peace back to both of their family homes.