When I was in high school, I read Wuthering Heights for the first time. I struggled to interest myself in the plot, and my mother would time me and make read for 45 minute increments. It just took me the longest time to get into it. Over time, though, it was Heathcliff's character that made me so interested in the plot. I don't know what I envisioned in my head, but I always thought about what his outward appearence may have been. To me, he was very "Phantom of the Opera"-esque. Mysterious, wore a dark black cloak, etc. He was forlorn, but for some deep good reason.
After I read the book, we watched the movie in class, and they portrayed Heathcliff as animal-like, and I didn't like it. He was like a circus freak... dark, in a bad way.
Now, during my second time reading the book, I imagine Heathcliff as the dark and handsome Johnny Depp type. I am more sympathetic toward him than I was the first time. I can understand his character on a deeper level. I think about the number of times that others hurt him and humiliated him. I put myself into his shoes. How would I act and feel after being put down time after time. He's like an abandoned and abused animal who finds himself in a welcoming home, only to be skiddish and sharp-mannered around his new owners who cannot completely understand his actions.
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