[WH] - Symbols only work if I get the reference

 Before you start reading this set of blogs, I should probably warn you that the majority of them talk about how certain elements of the story lead up to the climax of the story (so I think) at Catherine's death.

"It was not the thorn bending to the honeysuckle, but the honeysuckles embracing the thorn" (pg 80).

As "the best romance novel of all time" (such a lie) I had to do one sappy love story blog post.  No matter how much it makes me want to throw up, this metaphor to true love gives my heart some warm fuzzy feeling when you see it between Cathy and Heathcliff's love.  Unfortunately, this is not a warm and fuzzy blog so if you want a happy story then you probably should not read this post, but if your name is Mr. Costello and you are compelled to read my blog in entirety I assure you that this will not be one of my more simple posts.

A thorn is obviously a symbol of an obstacle to love, but a honeysuckle cannot be easily defined.  It would be easy to say that it is the beauty of the love, but it would be deeper and more symbolic to portray the honeysuckle as if it were a weaker power.  The thorn is the overbearing presence that it would make sense for the honeysuckle to run from.

As foil characters, I believe Edgar and Heathcliff's relationship can be best described by the above metaphor.  When Heathcliff was adopted, he was abused by Edgar because he did not bend to the honeysuckle, but rather allowed Edgar to consume and trap him, figuratively that is.  This negative relationship inevitably lead Catherine to marry Edgar which led her to becoming the thorn and Edgar and Heathcliff fighting over becoming her honeysuckle, very masculine if I do say so myself.