"I love my murderer-but yours? How can I?"

I am confused with the statement that Heathcliff makes to Cathy when he says "I love my murderer-but yours? How can I?" Does he mean that her murderer is Cathy and he loves her though he hates her or that he is her murderer and loves her and hates himself? I've been stuck on this for awhile now. Please help!!

Basically what Heathcliff is saying is that while he can forgive Catherine for hurting him, he can't forgive her for hurting herself. At least, that's what I always imagined it to mean.

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Originally Posted by Heath

Basically what Heathcliff is saying is that while he can forgive Catherine for hurting him, he can't forgive her for hurting herself. At least, that's what I always imagined it to mean.

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Yeap.

It means that he loves Cathy - his murderer - but how can he love himself? Who has sent Cathy to her grave by driving her to insanity. So, he hates himself, but he will always love Cathy, even though she is killing him.

This is just one of the many ambiguities that Bronte drops into the novel with no definite answer, so it really is up to the reader to decide whether the statement means to say that Catherine's murderer is Catherine herself or Heathcliff. Just like the ghost and the window at the start of the novel (when Lockwood is forced to spend the night at WH) the text provides enough evidence for strong arguments either way, but no real conclusive answer. Bronte has confounded many literary experts with the subtleties in her narrative, and by 'missing out' key facts such as this. The result is that at the end of the day, Wuthering Heights involves a lot of participation from the reader, and it is really whatever the reader makes of it rather than a clear conclusive message from the author.

In my opinion, the underlying meaning behind this statement is that Heathcliff cares more for Cathy, gives her more importance, than he does himself. He can forgive her for anything, however atrocious, but anyone who hurts her, or tries to hurt her, he can never forgive. It shows the very extreme of love where for him, Cathy is almost sacred, can do no wrong, and must have no wrong done against her. (A bit creepy but also romantic)

Reason and logic compel me to believe that Heathcliff can forgive Cathy (his murderer) but cannot forgive himself (Cathy's murderer), as my above hypothesis of how he can always forgive Cathy would otherwise not stand true. However, reason and logic have very little, if anything, to do with this book so I guess my guess is as good as the next person's.

This is A quote from one of my favorite scenes in WH. I completely agree that it means Heathcliff can forgive Cathy for hurting him, but can not forgive her for hurting herself.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Heath

Basically what Heathcliff is saying is that while he can forgive Catherine for hurting him, he can't forgive her for hurting herself. At least, that's what I always imagined it to mean.

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Same.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ugudka

This is just one of the many ambiguities that Bronte drops into the novel with no definite answer, so it really is up to the reader to decide whether the statement means to say that Catherine's murderer is Catherine herself or Heathcliff. Just like the ghost and the window at the start of the novel (when Lockwood is forced to spend the night at WH) the text provides enough evidence for strong arguments either way, but no real conclusive answer. Bronte has confounded many literary experts with the subtleties in her narrative, and by 'missing out' key facts such as this. The result is that at the end of the day, Wuthering Heights involves a lot of participation from the reader, and it is really whatever the reader makes of it rather than a clear conclusive message from the author.

In my opinion, the underlying meaning behind this statement is that Heathcliff cares more for Cathy, gives her more importance, than he does himself. He can forgive her for anything, however atrocious, but anyone who hurts her, or tries to hurt her, he can never forgive. It shows the very extreme of love where for him, Cathy is almost sacred, can do no wrong, and must have no wrong done against her. (A bit creepy but also romantic)

Reason and logic compel me to believe that Heathcliff can forgive Cathy (his murderer) but cannot forgive himself (Cathy's murderer), as my above hypothesis of how he can always forgive Cathy would otherwise not stand true. However, reason and logic have very little, if anything, to do with this book so I guess my guess is as good as the next person's.

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Sorry but I don't agree with this analysis. Because, prior to that conversation, Heathcliff clearly declares that Cathy killed herself. And, in fact, although both Heathcliff and Catherine are both madly in love, they despise eachother. Remember what Catherine told Isabella about Heathcliff. Firstly, I thought that she was talking out of pure jealousy. But later, I realized that she said all by heart and that's how she sees Heathcliff. At the other hand, Heathcliff is angry with Cathy because she hid her love from him and made him suffer. He later says that he forgave her for the things she did to him. But we still understand that he never forgave her completely because of the things she did to herself. He hates Cathy's daughter. Not only because of her father, but because he sees Cathy's hated side in her.
Remember the scene where Heathcliff slapped the daughter Cathy. I personally think that, if Edgar died before Cathy and Heathcliff somehow managed to marry her, he wouldn't refrain such slaps from the mother Cathy's cheeks as well.