Wuthering Heights By Emily Bronte

  

                                                       Wuthering Heights

                           -Emily Bronte

 

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE NOVELISTS

             Emily James Bronte was an English novelist, a poet who is both known for her novel Wuthering Heights, born on 30^th of July 1818 in Market Street in the village of Thornton on the Outskirts, of Bradford, northern England. She was the younger sister of Charlotte Bronte and the fifth of the children. At seventeen, Emily began to attend the Roe Head Girls school, where Charlotte was a teacher who inspired her to write.

Emily Bronte”s Wuthering Heights was first published in London in 1847 by Thomas Causley. She died September 24, 1848, as a result of a severe cold which resulted of tuberculosis.  She was buried in the church of St. Michael and All Angels family vault in Haworth.

 

SETTING/BACKGROUND OF THE NOVEL/HOW EMILY BRONTE GOT THE NAME WUTHERING HEIGHTS.

             Emily explains the origin of the word “Wuthering” in the novel is the name of Mr. Heathchiff’s dwelling. Wuthering means windy (getting a lot of wind)  According to Emily's biographer, Winifred. Gerin “within” suggesting Wuthering is a Yorkshire word for willows.  It seems Emily was inspired by the wind in the willows.  Withering is also an old fashioned word meaning to blow with a dull roaring sound.  Heights refer to the house’s location at the top of a hill, where the weather is always terrible, dark, and windy.

             Wuthering Heights centers on passion, revenge , and the destructiveness of fierce love and it takes place in the Yorkshire moors in New England in the late 18^th century.  Emily makes use of gothic elements and setting to draw into her story and complement its ongoing themes.  The plot of the novel is divided into parts the wild farmhouse.  Wuthering Heights and the clearly kept mansion.

  Thrushcross Grange.  Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff grow up as the Heights, an old store building with a despondent interior.  The setting of the house influences both characters who are only happy when they leave the bleak and depressing Wuthering Heights spent most of their days in the moors.  The Yorkshire moor is colorful and lost in the summer and this draws the two characters to it.  The moors represent freedom and innocence.  This is where Catherine and Heathcliff fall in love, separated from society and free from any other judgment.  This 19th-century setting allows the reader to see the destructive nature of love when one loves the wrong person.

 Also the  setting of this novel helps us to further understand the conflict between the natural world and cultured humanity.  The two important settings, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are symbolic.  The former represents occupants as wild, passionate, and strong while Thrushcross Grange and its occupants are calm and refined and these two opposing forces struggle throughout the novel.

 

PLOT ACCOUNT

     Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights is told using flashback recorded in diary entries and the events are presented in chronological order, that is events occur sequentially.  This story of love and revenge begins in the late winter month of 1801 where a man named Lockwood rents a manor house known as Thrushcross Grange located in an isolated moor country of England. Then he meets his landlord, Heathcliff, a wealthy man who lives in the ancient manor of Wuthering Heights, four miles away from the Grange.  Lockwood urges his housekeeper Nelly to tell him the story of Heathcliff and the strange denizens of Wuthering Heights, Nelly consents and Lockwood writes down the recollections of her tales in his diaries.

  Nelly then remembered her childhood.  As a young girl, she works as a servant at Wuthering Heights for the owner of the minor, Mr. Earnshaw and his family.  One faithful day, Mr. Earnshaw goes to Liverpool and returns home with an orphan, a boy whom he will raise with his own children.  The boy’s name is Heathcliff. At first Earnshaw’s, children name Hindley and his young sister Catherine hates Heathcliff.

  But late on, Catherine quickly comes to love him, and the two love birds become inseparable, spending their days playing on the moors. After Mr. Earnshaw's wife’s death.  Earnshaw grows to prefer Heathcliff to his own children and this infuriates Hindley who becomes hostile and cruel towards Heathcliff.  Mr. Earnshaw sends Hindley way to college to make peace leaving Heathcliff behind.

      Mr. Earnshaw also dies three years later and Hindley inherits Wuthering Heights.  He returns with a wife, Frances, and immediately seeks revenge on Heathcliff.  Having been treated as a common laborer, forced to work in the fields.  Heathcliff continues to maintain a good relationship with Catherine. One night, they wander to Thrushcross Grange, hoping to tease Edger and Isabella Linton, the cowardly snobbish children who live there.  Right there, Catherine is bitten by a dog and she is forced to stay at the Grange to recuperate for five weeks during which time Mrs. Linton works to make her a proper young lady.  By the time Catherine returns, she has become infatuated with Edgar and her relationship with Heathcliff grows more complicated and bleak when Frances dies after giving birth to a baby boy named Hareton, Hindley resorts to alcoholism out of frustration and behaves even more cruelly and abusively towards Heathcliff.  Catherine who has been properly tutored to be a socially advanced woman become engaged to Edgar Linton, despite all her efforts to overpower and wins his love.  Heathcliff, therefore, calls Wuthering Heights a quit and stays always for three years and returns after Catherine and Edgar’s marriage.

 

  Heathcliff returns immediately with the mindset to seek revenge on all who have done wrong to him.  This time, fortune has smiled on him and he has amassed vast and mysterious wealth.  He deviously lends money to drunken Hindley in order to plunge him into more debts and becomes bankrupt.  Hindley then dies and Heathcliff inherits the manor.  He also assumes himself to be in line to inherit Thrushcross Grange by marrying Isabella Linton, whom he treats very cruelty.  Catherine becomes ill, gives birth to a daughter, and dies.  Heathcliff begs her spirit to remain on earth. He shortly flees to London and gives birth to Heathcliff’s son, named Linton after her family.  She keeps the boy with her.

  Thirteen years elapses during which Nelly Dean serves as Catherine’s daughter nursemaid at Thrushcross Grange. Young Catherine looks quite beautiful and headstrong like her mother but behaves likes her father intense of gentleness.  Young Catherine grows up at the Grange with no knowledge of the existence of Wuthering Heights.  One day while wandering through the moors, she discovers the manor meets Harleton and pleads with him soon afterward, Isabella dies and Linton comes to live with Heathcliff and he maltreats the boy with more cruelty than he treated the boy’s mother.

         Three years have passed, Catherine meets Heathcliff on the moors and goes straight to visit. Wuthering Heights to meet Linton. Both young Catherine and Linton begin a secret affair carried out strictly through letters.  When Nelly destroys Catherine’s collection of letters, the girl begins to sneak out secretly at night to spend time with her young lover.  Linton, who has asked her to come back and nurse him back to health.  It however becomes apparent that Linton is wooing Catherine only because Heathcliff is forcing him to. 

Heathcliff sincerely hopes that if Cathrine eventually marries Linton, his legal claim upon Thrushcross Grange and his revenge upon Edgar Linton, will be achieved.  One day, as Edgar Linton becomes ill and close to the point of death, Heathcliff lures Nelly and Catherine back to wuthering Heights and holds them hostage as prisoners until Catherine gets married to Linton.  After the marriage, Edgar dies and his death is subsequently followed by the death of the sickly Linton.  Heathcliff who now occupies and controls Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange forces, Catherine to live at Wuthering Heights and makes her a common servant, while he rents Thrushcross Grange to Lockwood.

      Nelly ends her story as she reaches the present. Lockwood who is marveled ends his tenancy at Thrushcross Grange and return to London. Months later, he pays a visit to Nelly and learns further development in the story.  Although Catherine originally mocked Hareton’s Ignorance and illiteracy (as an act of retribution, Heathcliff ended Hareton’s education after Hindley died), Catherine grows to love Hareton as they live together at wuthering Heights, Heathcliff becomes more and more occupied and obsessed with the memory of the elder Catherine, to the point that he begins speaking to her ghost.  Everything he sees reminds him of her. Shortly after a night spent walking on the moors, Heathcliff dies, Hareton and young Catherine inherit Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange and they make plan to marry on the next new Year’s Day.  As soon as Lockwood is done listening to the story, he goes to visit the grave of Catherine and Heathcliff. 

 

 

EVENTS AND INCIDENCE IN THE NOVEL

 

 

CHAPTER 1:     LOCKWOOD DISCOVERS WHY HEATHCLIFF HAS LIVED ALL ALONE SEPARATED FROM SOCIETY.

 

            The chapter introduces the reader to the circumstances surrounding Heathcliff’s life.  It is 1801, and the narrator, Mr. Lockwood relates how he has just returned from a visit to his new landlord, Mr.  Heathcliff.  Lockwood, who describes himself as a misanthropist, that is one, who hates mankind, is renting Thrushcross Grange in an attempt to get away from society following a failure at love. Lockwood describes Heathcliff as a gentleman with friendliness who treats his visitors with a minimum of friendliness, and wuthering Heights, the farm where Heathcliff's lives is just as foreign and unfriendly and it means stormy and windy in the local dialect.  As Lockwood enters to see Heathcliff, dangerous-looking dogs threaten to attack.  When he calls for help Heathcliff accuses Lockwood of trying to steal something.  Despite Heathcliff’s rudeness and accusation.

 

Lockwood still finds himself drawn to Heathcliff.  He describes him as intelligent, proud, and morose, while his servants, Joseph, and a cook sees him as a hostile person.  Heathcliff gives Lockwood some wine and invites him to come again. Although Lockwood suspects foul play in this invitation, he decides he will return because he is just too impressed by the landlord “I shall go notwithstanding. It’s astonishing how sociable I feel compared with him”  (5) Lockwood submits.

 

CHAPTER 2:  LOCKWOOD PAYS HEATHCLIFF ANOTHER VISIT.

 

             Lockwood visits Wuthering Heights when he became dissatisfied with the household activities done at Grange.  This time the weather is cold and ground frozen.  He yells at the servant,  Joseph to open the door.  He meets a young girl in the kitchen and he assumes the lady to be Mrs, Heathcliff.  He tries to engage her in a conversation, but she is consistently inhospitable and this embarrasses Lockwood.  The lady refuses to make him tea unless Heathcliff orders her to do so.  The young man presents too, behaves rudely as he seems to suspect Lockwood making advances at the girl. 

When Heathcliff enters and demands tea “savagely” and Lockwood is rudely corrected for mistaking the young girl for Heathcliff’s wife.  The girl in question is Heathcliff’s daughter-in-law whose husband is dead.  The young man is Hareton Earnshaw.  Lockwood requests a guide so he can return home safely, but he’s refused.  He is left stranded and ignored by all and when he tries to take a lantern, Joseph accuses him of stealing it, and he sets dogs on him.  Hareton and Heathcliff laugh at his humiliation.  Then the cook Zillah takes him in and allows him to pass a night.

 

CHAPTER 3:  LOCKWOOD DREAMS ABOUT MYSTERIOUS HAPPENINGS

 

  Zillah leads Lockwood to a chamber in which Heathcliff was not allowed anyone in.  Lockwood discovers a bed hidden behind panels and decides to pass the night there, where he sees three names- Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Heathcliff, and Catherine Linton and some books, and finds a caricature of Joseph and many diary-type entries.  The entries reveal that Catherine is friendly with Heathcliff and her brother Hindley treats Heathcliff poorly.  Lockwood then falls asleep and dreams of two dreams. Firstly, the dream is about a religious fanatical preacher leading a violent mob, and the second the dream is that he wanted to open the window to get rid of the branch but when he did, a little, ice-cold hand (25) grabbed his arm, and a voice sobbed “let me in asked who it was, a voice asked “Lockwood shacked the broken glass of the window so that blood-soaked the sheets, as he refused to allow the creature in, even if it has been lost for twenty years, as it claims.  He relates the dreams to Heathcliff who is even unaware of Lockwood's home in the snow.

 

 

 

CHAPTER 4: LOCKWOOD CHARGES ELLEN DEAN TO TELL HIM MORE ABOUT HEATHCLIFF

 

             In this chapter, the narrator turns to the past to relate the story of Heathcliff and Catherine’s childhood.  Firstly, Lockwood becomes bored and a bit weak after his adventures, so he asks his housekeeper, Ellen Dean, to tell him more about Heathcliff and the old families of the area.  She says Heathcliff is very rich and a miser, and he has no family since his son is dead.  The girl living at Wuthering Heights was the daughter of Ellen’s former employers, the Lintons, and her name is Catherine.  She is the daughter of the late Mrs. Catherine Linton and Heathcliff’s wife was Linton’s sister. 

The narrative switches to the voice of Ellen who says she grew up at Wuthering Heights, where her mother worked as a wet nurse.  Mr.  Earnshaw brought Heathcliff on his way from his trip from Liverpool, a child found starving on the streets, but not entirely welcomed by Mrs. Earnshaw.  Ellen and Hindley, Heathcliff and Catherine became very close and he became Earnshaw’s favorite friend.  Hindley grew jealous and felt that his place was taken and his father now loves Heathcliff more than him.

 

 

CHAPTER 5:  LOVE BETWEEN CATHERINE AND HEATHCLIFF GROW STRONGER

 

The bond between Catherine and Heathcliff grows stronger as Mr. Earnshaw grows weaker.  As Mr. Earnshaw’s health begins to fail, he becomes less tolerant of complaints about Heathcliff.  He then sends Hindley away to college as a result.  As Mr. Earnshaw moves closer to death, Joseph begins to have greater influence over his master, particularly as regards religion.

 Finally, Earnshaw dies one evening when Cathy is resting her head against his knee and Heathcliff is Iying on the floor with his head on her lap. When she goes to kiss her father goodnight, she discovers that he is dead and they shed tears profusely.  But that night Ellen, saw that they had managed to comfort each other with better thoughts.

 

CHAPTER 6:  HEATHCLIFF’S BLISSFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH CATHERINE IS THREATEN NY UNFORTUNATE INCIDENCE

 

            Hindley returns home unexpectedly and he brings his wife, new manners, rules, and informed the servants that they would have to live in inferior quarters.  Hindley then begins to treat Heathcliff like a servant, a farm boy.  Heathcliff is not bothered because Cathy has learned to play with her.  His plan is to run to the moor.  One day both ran off after being punished and Heathcliff returned at night.  He and Cathy ran to the Grange to witness how people lived, they saw the Little children,  Edgar and Isabella in a beautiful room, crying after an argument over who could hold the pet dog Heathcliff and Cathy felt amused and laughed.  They were frightened as they tried to escape, a bulldog bit Cathy’s leg and refused to go.  She asked Heathcliff to leave.  Initially, Mr. and Mrs. Linton mistook them for thieves and brought them inside.  When the Lintons discovered the mistake they sent Heathcliff away and took Cathy in to nurse her back to health and they forbid him from talking to Cathy.

 

 

CHAPTER 7:  CATHERINE IS SEPARATED FROM HEATHCLIFF

 

 This chapter marks the end of Cathy and Heathcliff’s time of happiness and perfect understanding.  Cathy has moved into a different sphere.  When the two of them ran wild together.  She is under a lot of pleasure to become a lady and she is good enough to enjoy the admiration and approval she gets from Edgar, Hindley, and his wife.  Cathy desires to remain in two worlds the moors with Heathcliff and the parlor with Edgar is a central force for the novel and it actually results in tragedy.

 Heathcliff is invited for the Lintons dinner by Hindley with the condition that Linton children should not encounter Heathcliff and Nelly asks him to look presentable.  Hindley then noted it and banishes Heathcliff to the kitchen.  Catherine blames Edgar for getting Heathcliff into trouble.

 

CHAPTER 8: FRANCES GIVES BIRTH TO HARETON AND DIES

 

 Frances gives birth to Hareton, but dies shortly because she had been suffering from constipation. Nelly is expected to take complete control of the newborn.  Hindley is attacked sorrowfully over the death of his wife and becomes tyrannical forcing all the servants, but Nelly and Joseph away.  He then begins to treat Heathcliff with more cruelty and Heathcliff delights on Hindley’s downfall. Catherine begins to adopt a double character, behaving one way with Heathcliff and another way with the Lintons.  Heathcliff begins to note how much time Cathy spends on Edgar.  When Cathy dresses up to visit Edgar, Heathcliff turns her down but she insists ongoing.

Catherine reveals her true character buy pinching Ellen.  When she cries out, Cathy denies having pinched her, slapped her as well.  Brought closer by the quarrel, the two confess themselves lovers, Ellen goes home drunk.

 

CHAPTER 9: CATHERINE MARRIES EDGAR

 

     Hindley comes home raving drunk and he accidentally drops Hareton over the banister, but luckily, Heathcliff is present and catches the baby.  Later in the kitchen, Catherine speaks to Ellen Catherine then reveals to Ellen that Edgar has asked her to marry him, thinking they are alone, and that she has accepted.  Asked why she wants to marry Edgar and Catherine say that she did that for a variety of reasons: “He will be rich, and I shall like to be the greatest woman in the neighborhood, and I shall be proud of such a husband”.  And Catherine also explains to Ellen that she cannot marry Heathcliff because Hindley has degraded him so much, how every, she expresses her love for Heathcliff,  “I shall have thought of it.  It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff, now, so he shall never know how I love him; (81)

 Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights that night and disappears for three years.  Catherine goes out that night looking for him but could not find him and she becomes sick immediately and Linton allows her to recover at the Grange, but both Mr. and Mrs. Linton takes the fever and dies.

 Three years after her parents’ death, Edgar marries Catherine.  They convince Ellen to leave Wuthering Heights and move to Thrushcross Grange.  When Ellen refuses to go, both Edgar and Hindley force her out.

 

CHAPTER 10:  ISABELLA FALLS IN LOVE WITH HEATHCLIFF

 

            One In September afternoon, Heathcliff appears.  It is approximately six months after Catherine and Edgar married, Ellen refuses to tell Cathrine who the visitors is, but she does tell Edgar, who suggests that Catherine visit the kitchen and she insists on entertaining in the parlor.  Catherine is excited over Heathcliff’s return but not the reception they expected, but she is pleased to receive it.  Their words and actions reveal that Catherine and Heathcliff love each other.  Heathcliff surprises everyone by stating that he is staying at Wuthering Heights.

 Catherine and Isabella often visits the Heights, and Heathcliff visits the Grange.  During this visit, Isabella becomes infatuated with Heathcliff, he is not interested in the young lady, but he is interested in the fact that she is her brother’s heir.  Catherine warns her that Heathcliff is a bad person Isabella telling Heathcliff in her presence that Isabella loves him Isabella feels humiliated and manages to escape.  While Heathcliff is alone with Catherine.  Heathcliff expresses his desire to marry Isabella for her money and to spite and make Edgar angry.  This action of his demonstrates and reveals Heathcliff’s act of greed and it also foreshadows the extent he will go to take revenge on Edgar.

 

 

 

CHAPTER 11: CATHERINE AND EDGAR DISAGREE OF OVER ISABELLA AND HEATHCLIFF RELATIONSHIP

 

             Ellen visits Wuthering Heights to see how Hindley and Heraton are doing, she sees little Heraton outside, but she didn’t recognize her as his former nurse.  So he throws a rock at her and a curse-action he learned from, Heathcliff.  The next time Heathcliff visits Thrushcross Grange.  Ellen sees when Heathcliff kisses Isabella in the courtyard.  She then reveals it to Catherine.  Heathcliff defends his action that he has the right to do as he pleases since Catherine is now married to someone else. “You are welcome to torture me to death for your amusement only allow me to amuse me as little in some style” (112) Heathcliff bellows.  This makes Heathcliff reveal that he knows Catherine has done something wrong to him and he needs revenge.

 Edgar then confronts both Catherine and Heathcliff, Catherine pushes her husband to a fight between him and Heathcliff, and he leaves immediately and he cannot fight the men without a weapon.  Edgar charges Catherine chooses between himself and Heathcliff.  She refuses to answer and she locks herself in her room for two days without food.  Edgar informs Isabella that her relationship with Heathcliff will create enmity between them (himself and Heathcliff).

 

CHAPTER 12:  CATHERINE AND HER IMPENDING DEATH

 

     After three days of staving herself, Catherine agrees to eat.  She is worried that she is dying and Edgar has not come to her to beg for forgiveness.  Catherine becomes mentally imbalanced as she talks about her childhood with Heathcliff and also speaks about her impending death.  She claims to see Wuthering Heights from the window.  She also speaks of being worried but not at rest until she is with Heathcliff.  When Edgar finds Catherine in such a weak condition, he blames Ellen for not informing him sooner.  She in turn goes to seek medical attention.  Isabella then runs away with Heathcliff that night.  The doctor arrives and predicts that Catherine will not survive this illness.  When Edgar hears of his sister’s actions.  She says she is now a sister in name only.  “Trouble me no more about her Hereafter, she is only my sister in the name; not because I disown her but she has disowned me” (97).

 

CHAPTER 13:  ISABELLA PLEADS FOR FORGIVENESS

 

             Edgar nurse Catherine back to health for the next two months.  During this period, it is revealed that Catherine is pregnant.  Edgar longs for a male heir, to prevent Heathcliff and Isabella from inheriting the Grange.  Six weeks after she runs away, Isabella sends a letter to Edgar announcing her marriage and pleading for forgiveness, but Edgar refuses to reply.  She later sends a letter to Ellen asking whether Heathcliff is actually crazy and recounting her experiences.  She finds Wuthering Heights dirty and unwelcoming.  She realizes marrying him was a mistake, but also realizes she cannot atone for her error, Isabella reveals that Heathcliff blames Edgar for Catherine’s suffering, and he will take this out on Isabella, Heathcliff may or may not be the devil, but he is making Isabella’s life a living hell.

 

CHAPTER 14: ELLENS DELIVERS A LETTER TO HEATHCLIFF

 

             Edgar refuses to forgive Isabella and Ellen then visits Wuthering Heights.  Heathcliff is eager to hear news about Catherine situation and he charges Ellen to arrange a meeting between the two, but Ellen refuses to do it and her refusal prompts Heathcliff to force Ellen to remain at Wuthering Heights, claiming that he will go alone.  The fear of what will happen to her made Ellen agree to his request to deliver a letter to Catherine.

 

 

 

CHAPTER 15: CATHERINE’S HEALTH WORSENS

 

 Ellen delivers the letter four days’s later, while the rest of the household is at church.  Meanwhile, Catherine is close to death and cannot even hold it, let alone reading it and Heathcliff rushes in uninvited.  When Catherine sees Heathcliff, she claims that Edgar and Heathcliff are responsible for her heartbreak.  She laments dying while he is still alive and she longs for them never to love each other.  This is a moment of emotional reunion, as they embrace each other, Heathcliff reprimands her for her action “You deserve this.  You have to kill yourself”

 Edgar returns from church service, but as soon as Heathcliff prepares to leave, Catherine pleads with him to stay.  He agrees to remain with her.  Catherine then collapses before Edgar.  Heathcliff puts Catherine’s body into Edgar’s arms and begs him to take care of her before he attacks Heathcliff.

 

CHAPTER 16: EDGAR LOSES HIS WIFE

            Edgar suffers two losses in this chapter-the death of his wife and the birth of a non-heir.  This occurs at midnight when Catherine’s daughter, Cathy is born prematurely.  Catherine dies two hours later.  Upon Learning of Catherine’s death, Heathcliff is enraged because Catherine did not mention his name even in her dying moments and he immediately curses her spirit.  With the shock of Catherine’s death, Heathcliff implores her to haunt him “And I pray one prayer I respect it till my tongue stiffens.

Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as am living, you said I killed you – haunt me then, the murdered do haunt their murderers… I cannot live without my life, I cannot live without my soul.” (122) Heathcliff sounds devastated by the death of his one true love, Edgar is depressed about her death too.

 

CHAPTER 17: HEATHCLIFF AND HINDLEY CLASH

 

  Isabella arrives at Grange unexpectedly, and she knows better than Edgar will not allow her to stay, she is not seeking refuge, but just assistance.  Hindley who stays to attend her sister’s funeral but takes to drinking when Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights from  keeping vigil at Catherine’s Grave, Hindley locks him out of the house and inform Isabella that he is going to kill Heathcliff, Isabella tells of  Heathcliff of Hindley’s intention but does not allow his entry into the house.

 Heathcliff rushes in through the window and ends up beating Hindley. The next morning Isabella accuses Heathcliff of being responsible for everyone’s misery and discloses to Hindley how Heathcliff beats her Heathcliff and Hindley fights again as Isabella makes her escape.  She leaves for London after telling Ellen her story.  She ends up giving birth to a son, named Linton.  Isabella dies thirteen years later, Hindley also dies six months after Catherine’s death and Ellen returns to wuthering heights to check on both funeral arrangements and Hareton. Ellen finds out that Hindley is deep in debt, Heathcliff refuses to allow Hareton go with Ellen. This chapter marks the end of the first generation and the first half of wuthering heights.

 

CHAPTER 18: HARETON AND YOUNG CATHY MEET

 

 Ellen begins the second half of her narrative, focusing on her own cell preservation.  She uses guilt to get young Cathy to agree to keep the visit to Wuthering Heights a secret rather than admit to Edgar what had happened.

 Young Cathy, that is, Catherine’s daughter is thirteen and Edgar never allows her to leave the house by herself.  Being an inquisitive girl, when she hears of the fairy cave at Penistone Cragys, she begs her father to take her there.  When Ellen is left to be in charge of Cathy, Ellen entertains her with imaginative adventures, but one morning, Cathy goes out and never returns.  Ellen ends up finding Cathy at Wuthering Heights, Hareton and Cathy spend the day together. Ellen insists on getting Cathy home immediately but she seems to be interested in Hareton.  Her interest vanishes as soon as she discovers that Hareton is not the son of the master of Wuthering Heights.  She immediately assumes that he is a servant and this anger Hareton.  A servant later reveals that he is Cathy’s cousin.

 

CHAPTER 19: CATHY IS EXCITED ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF HER REAL COUSIN LINTON

 

 Linton arrives from London, and he is looking very pale and delicate. He is too weak and sick to play with Cathy.  He had to live on a couch instead of sitting with the family during tea.

            Joseph comes to demand the child on Heathcliff’s behalf.  Linton, after all is Heathcliff’s son, Edgar insists on keeping Linton at the Grange but could not legally claim him, so he could only postpone it to the next morning.

 

CHAPTER 20:  ELLEN TAKES LINTON TO HIS FATHER

 

 The next morning, Ellen takes Linton to Wuthering Heights in order to show him to his father.  When they arrive.  Heathcliff refers to his son as “property” and speaks directly to Linton, refers to the mother as a “wicked slut”.  Although Heathcliff admits he does not love his son, he relishes the opportunity to gain access to the Grange through him.  Heathcliff has no clear tolerance for his weak offspring and the fact the Linton’s look favor his uncle, Edgar makes Heathcliff hate him even more.

 

CHAPTER 21: HEATHCLIFF ENCOURAGES CATHY AND LINTON’S RELATIONSHIP

 

             Cathy is said to have missed her cousin when she wakes up that morning, but time will soon make her forget him, Linton grows up to be a selfish boy and is fond of complaining about his health.  Cathy and Ellen stroll out on the moors, onto Heathcliff’s land.  He invites then to Wuthering Heights.  He intends Cathy and Linton to get married so that he will be sure of inheriting the Grange.  Cathy is glad to see her cousin.  Things are somewhat taken aback by his behavior. Linton mocks Hareton’s lack of education in the presence of Cathy.

            Later, Cathy reveals her visit to her cousin and why he has not allowed the cousin to see each other.  Heathcliff has already informed her that Edgar is still angry at him because he thought Heathcliff to be too poor to marry Isabella.  Edgar had earlier told her about Heathcliff's wickedness and forbids her from returning to Wuthering Heights, Cathy becomes very happy.  And Cathy and Linton go into secrecy as they begin writing love letters.  Ellen threatens to tell her father if Cathy continues to write to Linton.

 

CHAPTER 22:  HEATHCLIFF ACCUSES CATHY OF  PLAYING GAMES WITH LINTON

 

             Cathy now has little time to think of Linton because she is nursing her father, whom she thinks is dying.  While working one day, Cathy’s hat blows over the garden wall, Cathy cannot scale the other side herself.  While Ellen is searching for the key to open the gate, Heathcliff appears, He chides Cathy for writing a letter to Linton for a few months and then suddenly stops. He also claims that she is playing games with Linton’s affection and she is now dying with a broken heart. Heathcliff informs Cathy that he will be away for a week and encourages her to visit her cousin. Cathy feels extremely guilty about what Heathcliff has told her, so she and Ellen take off to Wuthering Heights the next morning.

 

CHAPTER 23: LINTON BLAMES CATHY FOR NOT VISITING

 

     Ellen and Cathy travel in the rain to Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff on the other hand is not at home.  Linton blames Cathy for not visiting and then for not writing instead of visiting.  He also mentions the idea of marriage. Part of Heathcliff's plan is for Cathy to marry Linton, and in order for that to happen, he needs her to take of him.  When Cathy discusses her attraction to Linton, her words echo her mother,  “He’ll soon do as I directed him with some slight coaxing”.  Cathy like her mother enjoys the notion of having control over a man.

             When Cathy and Ellen are on their way home, Ellen expresses her disapproval of Linton and says he would die young.  Ellen has caught a fever and is confined to her room.  Cathy spends all her time taking care of her and Edgar.

 

 

CHAPTER 24: CATHY SNEAKS AWAY TO WUTHERING HEIGHTS

             A suspicious Ellen finds out that Cathy has been sneaking away to the Wuthering Heights during her illness, Ellen forces the truth out of her, and Cathy briefly takes over the narrative.  Here’s Cathy’s story: she goes to the Heights every night when Ellen is sick.  One day, she runs into Hareton, who tries to impress her with the fact that he can now read his own name above the door. She mocks him when she insists that he does not know numbers. Hareton bursts in and throws screaming Linton into the kitchen.  Linton later blames Cathy for the Scene, but they make up.  Cathy ends her narration.  Ellen discloses to Edgar about Cathy’s visit to the Heights again she is forbidden to go to the Heights.

 

CHAPTER 25: HEATHCLIFF IS WORRIED BECAUSE HIS PLANS ARE THREATENED

 

            Ellen interrupts her narrative to inform Lockwood that her story has now taken them up to the previous winter.  She and Lockwood then discuss the possibilities of Cathy falling in love with him.  When she resumes her narrative.  Edgar presses her to reveal information about his nephew, Linton.  He wants to know if he is nearly as bad as his father.  He confesses that he is ready to die and that he would be alright with Cathy marrying Linton.

              Linton sends a letter to Edgar begging to see Cathy.  It is so well written that Ellen suspects it was Heathcliff that actually wrote it.  When Edgar eventually agrees to let Cathy see Linton, it becomes clear that he is actually dying and longing for Cathy to live at Wuthering Heights, the home of her ancestors.  Edgar must marry Linton, that way he’ll get the Grange when his sickly son dies.

 

CHAPTER 26:  HEATHCLIFF USES HIS DYING SON AS A MEANS FOR REVENGE

 

             Edgar allows Cathy to meet with Linton as long as they stay on Grange property, Ellen and Cathy end up going past the property line and encounter Linton looking worse than ever.  He’s feeble, pale, and unable to share in their conversation. Linton is worried about what Heathcliff thinks of his behavior towards Cathy.  Linton falls asleep and Cathy is now eager to head back to Grange.  They zoom off just as Heathcliff arrives.

 

CHAPTER 27:  HEATHCLIFF IMPRISONS CATHY AND ELLEN

 

  Edgar’s health continues to deteriorate during the weeks that follow, so Cathy decides to meet Linton.  During the visit, Heathcliff arrives and demands to know whether Edgar is actually dying because Heathcliff is worried that Linton might die before Edgar does, Heathcliff asks Cathy to walk her cousin back to Wuthering Heights, but Ellen insists that Cathy is forbidden from visiting the farmhouse. Cathy later disobeys her father’s instruction.  While in the Heights, Heathcliff imprisons Cathy and Ellen and his plan is to keep them in there until she and Linton are married.  Overnight, Heathcliff locks Cathy in the bedroom.  In the morning, he frees Cathy from the room, but Ellen is held prisoner for five days, using Hareton as her jailer. Ellen does not witness the wedding but Cathy and Linton, indeed get married.

 

CHAPTER 28: EDGAR AND CATHY ARE REUNITED

 

             Zillah enters the bedroom on the fifth day of Ellen’s  imprisonment and Linton informs Ellen that Cathy is being held prisoner and cannot be released.  Unable to get Cathy free and unwilling to face Heathcliff, Ellen returns to the Grange.  She assures Edgar that Cathy is safe and will be home soon.  She sends servants to bring her home, but return empty-handed. Edgar sends for Mr. Green, a lawyer to change his will.  Cathy then escapes with the help of Linton.

             Edgar and Cathy are reunited and Edgar dies shortly, thinking his daughter is happily married.  Mr. Green arrives immediately, takes charge of the Grange, dismissing all the servants except Ellen.  He attempts to bury Edgar in the chapel, but Ellen knows that Edgar will clearly state that he is to be buried next to his wife. Cathy is permitted to stay at the Grange until after her father’s funeral.

 

CHAPTER 29:  CATHY DECLARES HER LOVE FOR LINTON EVEN IN DEATH

             Heathcliff arrives to escort Cathy home and be informed Cathy that he punished Linton for his role in Cathy’s escape. He then refuses to allow Cathy to live at the Grange because he wants her to work for her upkeep, especially after Linton dies.  Legally, both Linton and Heathcliff have greater claims to the Grange.  Thus, Cathy has no choice but to obey the directive of her father-in-law.

            Cathy speaks out against Heathcliff, declaring her love for Linton and that Heathcliff is now alone in the world.  “Linton is all I have to love in the world, and though you have done what you could do to make him hateful to me and me to him and you cannot make us hate each other” (208). Cathy confesses her love for Linton.  As she is packing her things.  Heathcliff confides in her that he believes in ghosts, particularly the ghost of Catherine. Ever since her burial 18years ago, he has been feeling her presence and seeing her.  Heathcliff instructs Ellen not to visit wuthering heights because she is not welcome.

 

CHAPTER 30: ZILLAH COMPLETES THE NARRATIVE

 

             This chapter marks the end of Ellen’s source of information about Cathy following Heathcliff’s  order, Zillah refused to help Cathy when she first came to Wuthering Heights, Hareton was unable to do anything for her either until the day, Linton dies.  After his death, Cathy is not willing to let Zillah or Hareton be nice to her.  At the end of this chapter, Lockwood, who has recuperated informs Ellen that Heathcliff may look for another tenant for the Grange, Heathcliff wants to put an end to the friendship between Hareton and Cathy because Hindley destroyed the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff.

 

CHAPTER 31:  LOCKWOOD VISITS WUTHERING HEIGHT AGAIN

                                                                      

             This chapter provides foreshadowing for the end of the novel.  Lockwood takes a trip to Wuthering Heights and delivers a note from Ellen to Cathy.  Hareton take the note at first but noticing Cathy’s tears, she returns it to her.  She in turn treats him coolly and makes fun of his attempt at reading.  Embarrassed, Hareton flings his book into the fire.

             This is something Heathcliff did not foresee and seem to disturb him.  In addition to his memories of his lost love, Heathcliff must also deal with Hareton’s resemblance to his aunt Catherine.  These memories worry Heathcliff greatly.

 

CHAPTER 32: ELLEM BECOMES CATHY’S COMPANION

 

              Lockwood goes to Wuthering Heights to see Heathcliff and inform him that he’s moving to London and does not want to stay at the Grange anymore.  Two weeks after Lockwood’s departure. Ellen is summoned to Wuthering Heights to be Cathy’s companion because Zillah has left.  While Ellen is still there, Cathy admits to her that she was wrong to have made fun of Hareton when Hareton now avoids Cathy, and Heathcliff withdraws from everyone.  Hareton now avoids Cathy, and Heathcliff withdraws from everyone. 

Hareton accidentally shoots himself and is forced to remain indoors to recover.  Before then, he and Cathy quarrel, but they finally makeup and agree to get along.  To show her goodwill, Cathy gives Hareton a book promising to teach him how to read and never to mock him again.  Ellen says that the two young people have gradually grown to love and trust each other and that the day they are married will be her happiest day.

 

CHAPTER 33: HEATHCLIFF DROPS HIS M IDEA ABOUT REVENGE

 

             During breakfast after Cathy gives Hareton the book, she and Heathcliff become embroiled in an argument over her inheritance and relationship with Hareton.  Heathcliff seizes her and nearly strikes her, but looking into her face, he suddenly lets her go, having seen something in her eyes that reminds him of her mother.  In fact, he has confided in Ellen that he no longer has the desire to carry out his desired revenge on young Catherine and Hareton.  “I don’t care for striking; I can’t take the trouble to raise my hand” (235) Cathy and Hareton’s friendship has also made Heathcliff forget his desire for revenge.

 

CHAPTER 34:  HEATHCLIFF IS FOUND DEAD

 

             In the next few days, Heathcliff has stopped eating, he continues to seek solutions and only eats once a day.  One night, a few days later, he leaves and stays out all night.  When he returns in the morning, he rejects all food.  He then reveals to Ellen that last night he stood on the Threshold of hell, but now he has reached sight of heaven.  He also insists that he should be left alone – he wants to have Wuthering Heights to himself.  He seems to see apparition before and communicate with it, but Ellen sees nothing of such.

Heathcliff’s behavior becomes increasingly strange and insists that Ellen should remember his burial wishes.  Ellen encourages him to see a doctor, but Heathcliff refuses to subscribe to the idea.  He also advises him to send for a minister and he scoffs at her.

            The following night, Ellen finds Heathcliff's dead body, Hareton is the only one to mourn Heathcliff.  He is buried according to his wishes. Wuthering Heights ends on a universal note, with love conquering hate. As Heathcliff anticipates a union in the afterlife, young Catherine and Hareton look forward to a shared life, their love for each other seems not only for secure happiness for the future but to redeem for the manors of Wuthering Heights, while Catherine and Hareton together as a unit represent the resolution of past troubles.  They seem to manifest all of the best qualities of their parents and merge the various collective aspect of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange into a stronger whole.