WutheringHeights
Plot
- ockwoodpaysavisittoneighbouringWutheringHeightsownedbyHeathcliff.Theyare
L
uncivilisedtohim.Findinghimselfsnowedinhepassesthenightreadingthediaryof
CatherineEarnshaw;visitedbyCatherine’sghostwhoaskedtobeletinthroughthe
window
● InallEngland,IdonotbelievethatIcouldhavefixedonasituationsocompletely
removedfromthestirofsociety.Aperfectmisanthropist’sheaven:andMr.
HeathcliffandIaresuchasuitablepairtodividethedesolationbetweenus.
● WutheringHeightsisthenameofMr.Heathcliff’sdwelling.‘Wuthering’beinga
significantprovincialadjective,descriptiveoftheatmospherictumulttowhichits
stationisexposedinstormyweather…Happily,thearchitecthadforesighttobuild
itstrong:thenarrowwindowsaredeeplysetinthewall,andthecornersdefended
withlargejuttingstones.
● Iwaspleasedtoobservethe‘missis,’anindividualwhoseexistenceIhadnever
previouslysuspected...Shelookedatme,leaningbackinherchair,and
remainedmotionlessandmute.
- UponreturningtoThrushcrossGrangeLockwoodfallsillandasksNellywhousedto
workatWutheringHeightswhatsheknowsaboutit
● ‘Well,Mrs.Dean,itwillbeacharitabledeedtotellmesomethingofmy
neighbours:IfeelIshallnotrestifIgotobed;sobegoodenoughtositandchat
anhour.’
- MrEarnsahwreturnswithadarkskinnedorphanwhohenamesHeathcliffafterhislate
son,raisingthechildofhisownandfavouringhim,inspiringtheenvyofhisbiological
sonHindlywhobeatsHeathcliff.CatherinebefriendsHeathcliffandtheybecomeclose
- EarnshawspassawayandHindleyreturnstobethemasterofWHfromcollegewithhis
newwifeFrances.Hindleyrelegates12yearoldHCtolevelofaservant,buthe
continuedtoromethemoorswithCatherinedespitethepunishmenttheybothexpect
- HC+CcaughtspyingontheLintonfamily;whiletheythrowHCouttheyinviteCtostay
for5weeks,dressing+teachinghertobehavelikeaproperyounglady.Shebecomes
infatuatedwithEdgar
- WhenshereturnsHCworriesshewillloseinterestinhim,theybecomedistant.After
acceptingamarriageproposalforE,sheadmitstoNellythatsheloveshimmorebut
cannotmarryhimduetohisinferiorsocialstatus.HCbecomesdistraught+runsaway.
Csearchesforhimallnight
- FrancesgivesbirthtoHaretonanddiesfromTB.Hindleyfallsintoalcoholismneglecting
theupkeepofWH.HCtakescontrolofWH+manipulatesHaretontolovehimmorethan
hisfather
,- t18CmarriesEandmovesintoThrushcrossGrange.HCreturns3yearslaterhaving
A
acquiredgentlemanlymannersandeducation.HCindulgestheaffectionsofIsabellain
anattemptatrevengeonE
- TenseatmospherebetweenHC+EculminateswithHCbeingthrownoutofthegrange.
Crespondsbythrowingherselfinherroom
- HC+Ielope-abusivemarriage
- Crefusesfoodandfallsilldespitepregnancy..OnedayHCvisitsTGwhereHC+Chave
apassionatereunion,forgivingeachother fortheirbetrayals.ToavoidEHCleaves.C
diedthatverynightaftergivingbirthtoCathy.- “YouandEdgarhavebrokenmy
heart…Youhavekilledme—andthrivenonit.”
- HCcallsonCghosttohaunthim,rackedwithgrief.Hdiessoonafter→HCheadofWH.
IsabellafleestoLondongivingbirthtoLinton
- Bewithmealways—takeanyform—drivememad!Onlydonotleavemeinthis
abysswhereIcannotfindyou.”
- EraisesCentirelywithinTGdeprivingherofcontactwithWHuntilshestumbleduponit
onedayexploringtheMoors.Horrifiedthatsheisrelatedtoheruncivilisedcousin
Hareton,Cathyflees.Nellywarnshernottoreturn
- WhenLintonis12Idies→E+HCcompeteoverwherehewillberaised,HCwinstaking
himtoWHwherehegrowsupisolated-sickly,pamperedchild.On16thbirthdayCstrays
ontoHCproperty-heinvitesherandNellytospendtimewithLinton.EforbidsCfrom
returningbutHCencouragestheromance-beginwritingloveletters,whichNellyputsan
endto
- Efallsill+CdefieshimbyreturningtoWH.Lintongrowsillaswell.CrealisesLisonly
pursuingherathisfather’surgingsinceHChopesshewillinheritTG.HCforcesCto
remainatWHuntilshemarriesL.Consenting,sheescapesjustintimetoseeEbefore
hedies.HCforcesCtoliveatWHasaglorifiedservant,caringforLuntilLeventually
dies
- CdetestsHaretonwhoisnowinlovewithher,sheteacheshimtoread,gradually
returningthefeeling
- Becomingincreasinglyderanged,HCrevealstoNellyheisstillinlovewithC,havingdug
uphergraveinaderangedattempttogazeuponhercorpse.WithCathyatWH,HCrents
TGtoLockwood,bringingusuptothepresent.TiringofthegloomyMoorsLWmoves
away
- LWencountersNellywhilepassingthroughthearea8monthslater.SheexplainsthatHC
grewsoobsessedwithC’sghostthathestoppedeating+sleeping,onedayshefound
himdeadwithabizarresmileonherface
- HCisburiedwithC;reportsthattheywalkontheMoorstogether
- Hareton+CmakeplanstomarryintheNewYear,andmoveintoTG- theyhaveregained
theirestates
- ItfollowsthelifeofHeathcliff,amysteriousgypsy-likeperson,fromchildhood(about
sevenyearsold)tohisdeathinhislatethirties.Heathcliffrisesinhisadoptedfamilyand
, t henisreducedtothestatusofaservant,runningawaywhentheyoungwomanheloves
decidestomarryanother.Hereturnslater,richandeducated,andsetsaboutgaininghis
revengeonthetwofamiliesthathebelievedruinedhislife
- Itrecountsintheretrospectivenarrativeofanonlooker,whichinturnincludesshorter
narratives,theimpactofthewaifHeathcliffonthetwofamiliesofEarnshawandLinton
inaremoteYorkshiredistrictattheendofthe18thcentury.Embitteredbyabuseandby
themarriageofCathyEarnshaw—whoshareshisstormynatureandwhomheloves—to
thegentleandprosperousEdgarLinton,Heathcliffplansarevengeonbothfamilies,
extendingintothesecondgeneration.Cathy’sdeathinchildbirthfailstosethimfree
fromhislove-haterelationshipwithher,andtheobsessivehauntingpersistsuntilhis
death;themarriageofthesurvivingheirsofEarnshawandLintonrestorespeace
Earlyreception
- utheringHeights,whenpublishedinDecember1847,didnotfarewell;criticswere
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hostile,callingittoosavage,tooanimal-like,andclumsyinconstruction.Onlylaterdid
itcometobeconsideredoneofthefinestnovelsintheEnglishlanguage
- WutheringHeights'sviolenceandpassionledtheVictorianpublicandmanyearly
reviewerstothinkthatithadbeenwrittenbyaman.AccordingtoJulietGardiner,"the
vividsexualpassionandpowerofitslanguageandimageryimpressed,bewilderedand
appalledreviewers."LiterarycriticThomasJoudreyfurthercontextualisesthisreaction:
"ExpectinginthewakeofCharlotteBrontë'sJaneEyretobesweptupinanearnest
Bildungsroman,theywereinsteadshockedandconfoundedbyataleofunchecked
primalpassions,repletewithsavagecrueltyandoutrightbarbarism."Eventhoughthe
novelreceivedmixedreviewswhenitfirstcameout,andwasoftencondemnedforits
portrayalofamoralpassion,thebooksubsequentlybecameanEnglishliteraryclassic.
EmilyBrontëneverknewtheextentoffamesheachievedwithheronlynovel,asshedied
ayearafteritspublication,aged30.
Characters
- Heathcliff:Catherine’sloveandanti-heroofthestory
- Heisadark-skinnedgypsyinaspect,indressandmannersagentleman
- GuestsaresoexceedinglyrareinthishousethatIandmydogs,Iamwillingto
own,hardlyknowhowtoreceivethem.
- dirty,ragged,black-hairedchild
- ,patientchild;hardened,perhaps,toill-treatment:hewouldstandHindley'sblows
withoutwinkingorsheddingatear
, - athyandherbrotherharassedmeterribly[duringtheirillnesswiththemeasles]:
C
hewasasuncomplainingasalamb;thoughhardness,notgentleness,madehim
givelittletrouble.
- Iwonderedoftenwhatmymastersawtoadmiresomuchinthesullenboy;who
never,tomyrecollection,repaidhisindulgencebyanysignofgratitude
- Effectsofhavingtoworkinstables;lostthebenefitofhisearlyeducation:
continualhardwork,begunsoonandconcludedlate,hadextinguishedany
curiosityheoncepossessedinpursuitofknowledge,andanyloveforbooksor
learning.Hischildhood'ssenseofsuperiority,instilledintohimbythefavoursof
oldMr.Earnshaw,wasfadedaway…Thenpersonalappearancesympathised
withmentaldeterioration:heacquiredaslouchinggaitandignoblelook
- ‘WhenwouldyoucatchmewishingtohavewhatCatherinewanted?...I’dnot
exchange,forathousandlives,myconditionhere,forEdgarLinton’sat
ThrushcrossGrange—notifImighthavetheprivilegeofflingingJosephoffthe
highestgable,andpaintingthehouse-frontwithHindley’sblood!’.
- I wishIhadlighthairandafairskin,andwasdressedandbehavedaswell,and
hadachanceofbeingasrichashewillbe!
- Hehadgrownatall,athletic,well-formedman;besidewhommymasterseemed
quiteslenderandyouth-like…Hiscountenancewasmucholderinexpressionand
decisionoffeaturethanMr.Linton’s;itlookedintelligent,andretainednomarks
offormerdegradation.
- CatherinewarningIsabellaofHC;TellherwhatHeathcliffis:anunreclaimed
creature,withoutrefinement,withoutcultivation;anaridwildernessoffurzeand
whinstone–He’snotaroughdiamond---apearl-containingoysterofarustic:he’s
afierce,pitiless,wolfishman...andhe’dcrushyoulikeasparrow’segg.’
- sufferings!AndIprayoneprayer—Irepeatittillmytonguestiffens—Catherine
Earnshaw,mayyounotrestaslongasIamliving;yousaidIkilledyou—hauntme,
then!–newsofC’sdeath-darkandselfishmotives
- Hindley’sdeathtoHareton;Now,mybonnylad,youaremine!Andwe’llseeifone
treewon’tgrowascrookedasanother,withthesamewindtotwistit!’-menacein
hisjocularity
- EnteringTGafterLinton’sdeath;Hemadenoceremonyofknockingor
announcinghisname:hewasmaster,andavailedhimselfofthemaster’s
privilegetowalkstraightin,withoutsayingaword-contrast
- HCatdeath:I’vedonenoinjustice,andIrepentnothing.I’mtoohappy;andyet
I’mnothappyenough.Mysoul’sblisskillsmybody,butdoesnotsatisfyitself.’–
hedoesn't’feelsatisfieddespitesucceedinginhisrevenge+hedoesnotbelieve
hedidanythingwrong
- CatherineEarnshaw:Heathcliff'sloveandheroineofthestoryalthoughshediespartof
thewaythroughthebook.Hercharacter,bothaliveanddead,hauntsHeathcliff.Sheis
free-spiritedandbeautiful,butcanalsobespiteful,arrogantandchildish.Growingup