--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My great miseries in this world have been…" description: "\"“My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning; my great thought in living is himself..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/emily-bronte-574_life_my-great-miseries-in-this-world-have-bee_1928641.png" --- # My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's… ![“My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning; my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and, if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the Universe would turn…” quote by Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/emily-bronte-574_life_my-great-miseries-in-this-world-have-bee_1928641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/emily-bronte-574_life_my-great-miseries-in-this-world-have-bee_1928641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc8/emily-bronte-574_life_my-great-miseries-in-this-world-have-bee_1928641.png) > ““My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning; my great thought in living is himself. If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and, if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the Universe would turn into a mighty stranger. I should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees - my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath - a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff \[...\]”” [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker's identity is intertwined with Heathcliff; his fate defines her existence, while other loves feel fleeting. **In simple terms:** Heathcliff is her essential, immutable love; other loves are temporary. Key Takeaway Recognize which relationships shape your core self. Themes love identity obsession loneliness Mood melancholic introspective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - marriage - family dynamics - personal introspection - literary analysis Key Concepts existentialism romantic idealism Questions to Reflect On - What relationships define your sense of self? - How do temporary loves contrast with enduring ones? A Different Perspective If Heathcliff were gone, she would feel alienated from the world. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Heathcliff Miseries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heathcliff-miseries-1404796/) [Heathcliff Resembles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heathcliff-resembles-773770/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Love Heathcliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-heathcliff-773769/) [Love Linton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love-linton-773771/) [World Heathcliff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-heathcliff-1404797/) ## Related quotes > [My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will changeit,I'mwellaware, aswinterchangesthetrees. My Love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneatha…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-love-for-linton-is-like-the-foliage-in-the-woods-time-will/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-love-for-linton-is-like-the-foliage-in-the-woods-time-will-change-4/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees –…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-love-for-linton-is-like-the-foliage-in-the-woods-time-will-change/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees.  My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-love-for-linton-is-like-the-foliage-in-the-woods-time-will-change-3/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-love-for-linton-is-like-the-foliage-in-the-woods-time-will-change-2/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning... If all else perished, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-great-miseries-in-this-world-have-been-heathcliff-s-miseries-and-i/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-love-for-heathcliff-resembles-the-eternal-rocks-beneath-a-source/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“I cannot express it; but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is or should be an existence of yours beyond you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/i-cannot-express-it-but-surely-you-and-everybody-have-a-notion-that/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“Time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees — my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath — a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/time-will-change-it-i-m-well-aware-as-winter-changes-the-trees-my/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He’s always, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-love-for-heathcliff-resembles-the-eternal-rocks-beneath-a-source-2/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He’s always, always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-love-for-heathcliff-resembles-the-eternal-rocks-beneath-a-source-3/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“My great miseries in this world have been Heathcliff's miseries, and I watched and felt each from the beginning: my great thought in living…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/my-great-miseries-in-this-world-have-been-heathcliff-s-miseries-and-i-3/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“I cannot express it; but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is or should be an existence of yours beyond you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/i-cannot-express-it-but-surely-you-and-everybody-have-a-notion-that-3/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [“If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/if-all-else-perished-and-he-remained-i-should-still-continue-to-be-4/) [Emily Brontë](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [I absolutely adored Wuthering Heights and fell in love with Heathcliff as most girls do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-forster/i-absolutely-adored-wuthering-heights-and-fell-in-love-with/) [Margaret Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-forster/) ## More by Emily Bronte > [Honest people don't hide their deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/honest-people-don-t-hide-their-deeds/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [He is more myself than I am. 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If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and, if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the Universe would turn into a mighty stranger. I should not seem a part of it. My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I'm well aware, as winter changes the trees - my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath - a source of little visible delight, but necessary. 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