We know bad boyfriends are very present in either our own or our friends lives, and many of us know how to deal with them when they come along. However, an amazing amount of great literature includes terrible boyfriends, and it's time we call them out for what they are.
1. Heathcliff .
I'm afraid I must admit to never having read "Wuthering Heights," but from what I gather, Heathcliff is a pretty big jerkface. Not only is he obsessive and jealous of the woman he loves for her entire life, but he also is not a good example of getting over someone when they have decided to be with someone else. He's possessive and an overall bad person, the bad boy who doesn't even have a shadow of a nice side.
2. Mr. Darcy .
3. Jay Gatsby.
Jay Gatsby seems like a true romantic; he pines after one woman for years after they break up, never falling in love with anyone else, and when he finds her years later after purposely moving near where she lives, he approaches and woos her despite societal norms and her marriage and her child with her husband. Oh, wait. Jay Gatsby literally stalks Daisy after they break up, despite the fact she has a husband and a child, and then has the gall to be upset when she chooses to stay with her husband. Jay Gatsby; might be romantic, but also over-confident and a borderline stalker.
4. Stanley Kowalski.
While a husband and not a boyfriend, Stanley is the literal worst. He's abusive to Stella, his wife, and the audience only sees what he does to her in front of other people (if you haven't read "A Streetcar Named Desire," Stanley hits his wife, Stella, in front of a group of their friends and her sister). He then goes on to rape her sister Blanche, which is, you know, bad. Stanley is the only one on this list who is considered pretty awful by everyone and not as a romantic figure. His famous "Stella!" meltdown scene shows just how immature he is, and how undeserving he is of the love he receives from her.
6. Mr. Rochester.
My personal least favorite boyfriend in the history of the world, Rochester in "Jane Eyre" is no good. He spends most of his time when he first meets Jane tricking her into thinking he's a gypsy woman, or flaunting his other love interest in front of her before letting or know, oh yeah, by the way I have an insane wife that I keep in the attic. Also, his treatment of his first wife might be kind of representative how he would treat a second wife, but Jane goes for it anyway.
7. Richard Carstone.
Richard Carstone is not as famous as the other characters in his list, but he's just as immature. Richard in "Bleak House" is young and in love with his cousin (I know, it's weird), Ada, and they are both young, naïve and in love. But then time passes and Ada's guardian won't let her marry him until he finds a solid profession, and he cannot make up his mind. He never really succeeds at anything, pulling Ada along for years before they elope. He spends his time with her trying to convince her they're gonna be rich soon, and they never are. Richard isn't a bad person exactly, but strings Ada along for way too long into a relationship and life she clearly isn't planning on being so difficult and unstable.
8. Edward Cullen.
The most modern God-awful boyfriend is the vampire that middle school girls were supposed to pine over, but his obsessive tendencies suggest that the opposite should have happened. He has no hobbies or interests outside of drinking blood and being in love with Bella. He puts her in danger all the time, and then dumps her when he knows she cares for him and doesn't try to make sure she's OK. He's way overprotective of Bella, especially with Jacob who clearly cares about her. He watches her sleep which is super creepy. Actually come to think about it, what about Edward makes him a good boyfriend, or a good/realistic image for girls to look for as a role model for a good boyfriend? Also he pushes Bella into marrying him-- what's healthy about that?
Surprise bonus, the worst literary girlfriend ever: becuase being sucky in love is not limited to any gender.
Daisy Buchanan.
I know Jay Gatsby is on this list, so they're kind of perfect for each other. But Daisy convinces Jay that she would be with him if she could, and then when she has a chance totally shuts him down. She doesn't leave because she loves her husband and child; she does it because it's easier socially to go back with her husband who comes from old money rather than Gatsby who's still rather new to the world of wealth. She also doesn't appear to ever feel very guilty about causing both Jay and Myrtle's death, which is just inhumane. Daisy has a lot of those "poor me" kind of feelings, but not a lot of "poor husband" or "poor daughter," "poor Nick" or "poor long lost love." All Daisy ever cared about was Daisy.
