Chapter Nine
SparkNotes summary: Nelly is in the midst of hiding Hareton from
Hindley when Hindley bolts in and seizes the boy. Stumbling drunkenly, he
accidentally drops Hareton over the banister. Heathcliff is there to catch
him at the bottom of the stairs.
Later that evening, Catherine seeks out Nelly in the kitchen and confides
to her that Edgar has asked her to marry him, and that she has accepted.
Unnoticed by the two women, Heathcliff listens to their conversation.
Heathcliff hears Catherine tell Nelly that she cannot marry him because
Hindley has cast him down so low; to marry him now would be to degrade
herself. Heathcliff withdraws in a rage of shame, humiliation, and despair,
and thus is not present to hear Catherine say that she loves him more
deeply than anything else in the world. She says that she and Heathcliff
are such kindred spirits that they are essentially the same person.
Nonetheless, she insists, she must marry Edgar Linton instead.
That night, Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights. Catherine
spends the night outdoors in the rain, sobbing and searching for
Heathcliff. She catches a fever, and soon she nears death. The Lintons
take her to Thrushcross Grange to recuperate, and Catherine recovers.
However, both Mr. and Mrs. Linton become infected and soon die. Three
years later, Catherine and Edgar marry. Nelly transfers to Thrushcross
Grange to serve Catherine, leaving Hareton in the care of his drunken
father and Joseph, the only servant now remaining at Wuthering Heights.
Key events:
Hindley threatens Nelly with a carving knife and is cruel to
Hareton while trying to force affection- he drops him over a
balcony where Heathcliff saves him
Catherine and Nelly speak about Edgar’s proposal and her
choice between him and Heathcliff
Heathcliff overhears Catherine say marrying him will
degrade her and disappears, causing Catherine to stay in
the rain to look for him
Catherine becomes ill and must stay at Thrushcross Grange,
where Mr and Mrs Linton consequently die and Nelly is
forced to leave Hareton and follow Catherine there
Key themes/ideas:
Violence
Choice- between Edgar and Heathcliff
Love
, Heathcliff:
He seems to have a natural instinct to save people-
“Heathcliff arrived underneath just at the critical moment;
by a natural impulse”
His hatred and wish for revenge against Hindley makes him
murderous- “the intensest anguish at having made himself
the instrument of thwarting his own revenge. Had it been
dark, I dare say he would have tried to remedy the mistake
by smashing Hareton’s skull on the steps”
He disappears- “Heathcliff had never been heard of since”
Catherine:
When she approaches Nelly, she appears conflicted- “The
expression of her face seemed disturbed and anxious” “a
drop or two trickle from Catherine’s cheek”
She shows superficial, shallow and selfish reasons for loving
Edgar- “because he is handsome, and pleasant to be with…
And because he is young and cheerful… And because he
loves me… And he shall be rich”
She attempts to lie about her feelings, but remains
superficial- “I love the ground under his feet, and the air
over his head, and everything he touches, and every word
he says. I love all his looks, and all his actions, and him
entirely… turning her face to the fire”
She decides to marry Edgar for the convenience- “there are
several other handsome, rich young men in the world… If
there be any, they are out of my way”
Despite her true feelings, she will marry for status- “It
would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now… whatever our
souls are made of, his and mine are the same”
She chooses Linton externally, by deciding to marry him, but
seem to choose Heathcliff internally- “Every Linton on the
face of the earth might melt into nothing, before I could
consent to forsake Heathcliff”
Her supposed love for Edgar is natural, due to social
expectations but is not true and will be the death of her,
whereas she needs Heathcliff as they are one and the same-
“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
