2.2 Researches at Home on the Similarities and Differences of Revenge in the Two Novels

Xiang Lihua (2007) made the research from the aspect of performance of revenge, the will of revenge, the tool for revenge and the choice after revenge and made comparison and contrast of the two books that only few scholars focused on this thesis.

Yang Wei (2011) chose to made comparison and contrast of the two books from the view that the revenge of Heathcliff and Edmond Dantès owned the similarities and differences. For the similarities, Yang Wei (2017) focused on the beginning of their revenge, the tool for the revenge, the way of the revenge and the social background. As for the differences, she held the belief that the revenge of the two main heroes may differ in the expression of their revenge power, the main way of their revenge and the differences of the two writers’ thinking and characters’ setting.

3. Comparison and Contrast

In this chapter, detailed and text-based information will be given in order to demonstrate a better contrast and comparison.

3.1 The Cause of Revenge, the Method of Revenge and the Plan of Revenge

3.1.1 The Cause of Revenge

There must be reasons for people to have revenge on others, so are the main heroes in the two novel, and in this two novels, the two main characters both suffer from the betrayals from person they love, the unbearable torture from mental and physical aspects, and the shock because of the reason above.

In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is a boy who is adopted by the master. And the master takes Heathcliff as a son of his own and gives him this name. At the very beginning, Heathcliff lives a relatively safe live while his brother Hindley looks down up on him.

The torture from the family except Mr. Earnshaw can be seen all across the whole novel, Mrs. Earnshaw “was ready to fling it out of doors”，“How he could fashion to bring that gipsy brat into the house” (Bronte, 2003: 46); the two children would never let Heathcliff sleep with them even if he sleeps in the room; the servants “put him on the landing of the stairs, hoping it might be gone on the morrow” (Bronte, 2003:46). Instead of using “he” to call Heathcliff, the use of “it” can be quite meaningful that barely no one but Mr. Earnshaw concerns about Heathcliff and regards him as a human rather than a tool or something else though Heathcliff‘s skin is “as dark almost as if it came from the devil”(Bronte, 2003: 45).

When the master passes away, Hindley takes the house as the new master. Hindley is the new master of Wuthering Heights and makes certain unfair rules for Heathcliff. Heathcliff’s transformed into a servant and the stop of study makes him determined to revenge on Hindley. And the marriage of Linton and Catherine makes Heathcliff a total demon for revenge.

In the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, the main hero Edmond Dantes is a sailor who is going to be the captain of the Pharaon. And he is suffering betrayals of his best friend Fernand for Edmond is going to have marriage with Mercedes who Fernand loves secretly. Suggested by Danglars, Fernand sends a fake denunciation in order to gain the love from Mercedes. As a result, Edmond is put into prison because of the fake denunciation Fernand makes.