Greed, the Opposite of Compassion
Greed is shown as the opposite of compassion in both A Christmas Carol and Wuthering Heights. Ebenezer Scrooge and Jacob Marley are characters in A Christmas Carol that showcase the harm of greedy living without compassion. The rest of the characters, such as the Cratchits or Fred, contrast the miserly moneylenders. Heathcliff and Hindley Earnshaw are characters in Wuthering Heights who cause so much pain to others and themselves due to their obsession of ownership and revenge. Cathy serves as foil characters, showing how loyalty and compassion can lead to a happier existence. Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol has two main types of characters: the compassionate and the greedy. Ebenezer Scrooge has a lot of contrast between the people who are willing to feel pity towards him (his ex-fiancé, his nephew, his clerk) and those who coldly dismiss him as he does them (fellow business people, his servants, the pawn shop owner). The entire supernatural ordeal that Scrooge goes through is meant to show him the error of his greedy ways and teach him the importance of compassion.
Scrooge starts in the story with a personality so cold, it freezes his features. His dispassionate nature forbids any kindness, whether it be giving it, like towards his clerk, or receiving it, such as his nephew’s invitation. Yet, Scrooge’s compassion almost suddenly appears when he sees his past (27). It is not like he never knew such things growing up; he was taught through his books and by Fezziwig. His greed drowned out Scrooge’s compassion and made him the bitter man that he was. By only caring about business, Scrooge loses track of the people who cared about him (28) which leads to his lonely, miserable life.
Dickens begins off Scrooge’s supernatural encounter with a visit from his long-dead business partner, Jacob Marley. As he spent his life on this earth obsessing over money and mistreating the poor to fill his pocket, Marley is condemned to walk the earth for eternity never to find rest or peace (14). He begs Scrooge to learn the error of his ways, to change before it is too late. His suffering serves as a warning against a life obsessed with money and one without compassion.
A Christmas Carol is filled with characters that showcase why a compassionate life is more important than one obsessed with money. The Cratchit family is the main point for this argument. Despite the state of their clothes, feast, or even health, their happiness is due to their love for each other (42). Another example, one that is on the other end of the wealth spectrum, is Scrooge’s old teacher, Fezziwig. Despite being a moneylender like Scrooge, Fezziwig was a kind hearted man who was able to share so much happiness to whoever, no matter their social class (25).
Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights shares a story of how the greed of two men caused so much turmoil for multiple generations. Hindley’s and Heathcliff’s greed force these men to become monsters in the eyes of their own families.
Hindley Earnshaw is shown from the very beginning as a cruel, jealous person. His treatment of Heathcliff stems from sheer jealousy of the love Heathcliff receives from Mr. Earnshaw (41). After Mr. Earnshaw dies, Hindley seeks to degrade Heathcliff by turning into a manual laborer and depriving him of access to an education. Later, Hindley concocts a social-climbing scheme to unite the Earnshaws and the Lintons by marrying Catherine off to Edgar. And yet, despite all of his scheming against Heathcliff and greed for a higher status, Hindely falls into a pitiful state. Regardless of his college education, huge inheritance, and loving family, Hindley dies miserable and penniless.
Heathcliff, at first, appears to be a quiet outsider, one who endured Hindley’s transgressions without any vindication (40). However, his determination to gain control of both Wuthering Heights and the Grange is driven by his greed to become master in spite of being so much an outsider. Heathcliff’s actions lead him to become a vicious, abusive man who is hated by everyone. In his quest for utmost control, he terrorizes his family, desecrates the grave of his beloved, and falls into a maddened state.
The story of Wuthering Heights is a depressing one that shows no signs of happiness until character, Cathy, arrives at the Grange. Catherine Linton is a kinder, gentler version of her mother (189), thanks in part to her relationship with Edgar, an extremely dedicated father. Though she can be peevish and snobbish, Catherine's generosity and kindness toward Hareton, not to mention her love of Linton Heathcliff, demonstrate a kind of compassion and selflessness that her mother never had. This compassion leads to the only happy ending in the entire story.
Both A Christmas Carol and Wuthering Heights show characters miserable due to their greed. Characters, such as Scrooge and Heathcliff, are shown as physically hindered and emotionally damaged because of their desires. It is only through compassion, shown by the Cratchits or Cathy, does happiness ever appear in these stories.