More of a son to Heathcliff than Linton, Hareton exhibits a sense of nobility by remaining loyal to the only father he ever really knew. Although he loses his inheritance, he does not bear a grudge toward Heathcliff. For most of the text, he serves as a reminder to Heathcliff of what his father, Hindley, had done. But toward the end of the novel, Hareton begins to remind Heathcliff of Catherine. Hareton even stands up to Heathcliff on Cathy’s behalf.
Because he has never experienced love himself, readers do not know for sure of Hareton’s capacity for it; however, his pairing with Cathy at the end of Wuthering Heights seems to suggest what Heathcliff may have been like under different circumstances.
