Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Summary)

 

Wuthering Heights

by Emily Bronte

(Summary) 

The story begins in 1801 with the arrival of Mr. Lockwood as a tenant of Thrushcross Grange, a property rented from Mr. Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights. During the first days of Mr. Lockwood’s tenancy, he has occasion to make two calls on his landlord, an unsocial man who keeps a pack of vicious dogs. On his second visit Lockwood meets two other members of the strange household, a rough unkempt young man, Hareton Earnshaw, and the pretty, but moody, young widow of Heathcliff’s son. The weather had become so bad that Lockwood had to spend the night at Wuthering Heights. He was to sleep in the bedroom upstairs which was in disuse.

There was little furniture. A large case containing the bed and forming a private closet, stood against the window. He climbed in, and placing his candle on the window ledge, noticed the names Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Heathcliff, and Catherine Linton scratched on the paint. He looked through some old books, the blank pages of which had been covered with childish writing – obviously the diary of a girl called Catherine Earnshaw, written many years before. Then he fell into an uneasy sleep.

In his nightmare it seemed that he put his hand through the windowpane to break off a branch, and it was grasped by the icy fingers of Catherine herself. He dragged her wrist across the broken pane until the blood ran. Driven to frenzy by her moaning and begging to come in, he screamed aloud. Heathcliff, hearing a noise, ran into the room in a state of great agitation, muttering “at last” and cursing soundly on finding his guest in the oak closet. Lockwood declared he would stay no longer in this haunted chamber, described his nightmare, dressed as quickly as possible and went out. He set off at dawn, Heathcliff following to see him safely back to the Grange. When Nelly Dean, the housekeeper at Thrushcross Grange, brought in his supper that evening, Lockwood persuaded her to sit down and tell him what she knew of the neighbours at Wuthering Heights. She was very ready to do so, for in her younger days almost all of her time had been spent at the Heights. She told how, many years before, Mr. Earnshaw, father of the children Hindley and Catherine, returned from a visit to Liverpool, carrying a great bundle in his arms.

It turned out to be a dirty, ragged, black-haired child, whose language no one could understand. He had found the child homeless and starving in the streets of Liverpool and felt he could not leave it there. His wife and children first refused to have anything to do with this gypsy child, but after a time Cathy became very friendly with hm. They christened him Heathcliff, after a son who had died, and he soon became Mr. Earnshaw’s favourite. Hindley hated him, so from the beginning he bred bad feeling in the house.

Hindley treated the boy brutally, but Heathcliff could get what he wanted by threatening to tell Mr. Earnshaw of his ill-treatment. Mr. Earnshaw grew progressively weaker. Three years after Hindley’s departure he died quietly. Hindley Earnshaw returned and surprised the neighbours by bringing with him a wife, Frances. She was a young, rather thin creature, with eyes that sparkled like diamonds. She was easily pleased and seemed to Nelly to be rather silly. Her troublesome cough indicated a serious illness. During the three years of his absence, Hindley had altered considerably; he had grown thinner, lost his colour and spoke and dressed differently. Eventually Frances grew peevish, and Hindley grew tyrannical. Heathcliff was driven to the company of the servants, his lessons from the curate were discontinued, and he was forced to work outside as a common farm-lad.

One Sunday when Catherine and Heathcliff had been banished from the drawing room for being noisy, they made their way across the moors to the light which shone from a window at Thrushcross Grange. As they stood observing the Linton Children, Edgar and Isabella, who were crying after a fight over a pet dog, Catherine and Heathcliff were attacked by a watch dog, who bit the ankle of the girl and prevented her escape. She was taken into the house by a servant, and her wound was attended to.

On the following day, Mr. Linton paid a visit to Wuthering Heights and rebuked Hindley for his lack of control over Catherine and Heathcliff. Heathcliff was not beaten, but he was informed that his first word to Catherine on her return would result in his dismissal from the house. After staying for five weeks at Thrushcross Grange, Catherine returned to Wuthering Heights at Christmas. She appeared to Nelly to be a changed girl. She looked more lady-like, more beautiful, and gentler.

The Lintons were to come to celebrate the holiday on the following day. While Joseph retired to his room to pray, Nelly made preparations for the next day in the kitchen. Catherine was shown the gifts for the Lintons, which Hindley had bought for her to give; and Heathcliff remained in the stable, grooming a pony and feeding the animals. Nelly’s invitation to join her in the kitchen was rejected by Heathcliff.

At the death of Frances, the child Hareton fell wholly into the hands of Nelly Dean. Hindley grew desperate. “He neither wept nor prayed ; he cursed and defined: execrated God and man, and gave himself up to reckless dissipation.” His evil conduct caused the departure of all the servants except Nelly and Joseph. The former remained to care for the child; the latter, to “hector over tenants and labourers.”

Hindley’s treatment of Heathcliff was “enough to make a fiend of a saint,” and it seemed that the lad was possessed of something diabolical. He became more savagely sullen and fierce, and delighted to see Hindley’s self-degradation. Catherine who received an occasional call from Edgar Linton, was “queen of her country-side” at fifteen, a haughty, headstrong creature. Her affection for Heathcliff continued.

Catherine had kept up her acquaintance with the Lintons and won the affection of the parents and children since she did not show the rough side of her nature in their company. She could not decide whether or not she should marry Edgar. Nelly told her that she would marry for all the wrong reasons if she loved Heathcliff as she said she did. Maintaining that in spite of her love for Heathcliff she could not bear the degradation of marrying him and becoming a beggar, Catherine revealed her decision to marry Edgar. Unknown to her, the conversation was overheard by Heathcliff, who silently slipped from the room.

Edgar married Catherine. All seemed to run smoothly for some time. Catherine seemed almost over-fond of Edgar and treated Isabella with affection; the Lintons were very attentive to her comfort, yielding to the new bride’s wishes on all occasions. Edgar was particularly concerned that the servants should not cross his wife and ascribed her moods of depression and gloom to her recent illness.

After an absence of three years, Heathcliff put in an appearance at Thrushcross Grange one evening in September. He had grown to become a tall, athletic, well-formed man; his bearing was upright, and his face appeared intelligent and older, bearing no signs of his former degradation. His ferocity was more subdued, and his manner was dignified.

At first Heathcliff used the liberty of visiting Thrushcross Grange cautiously, and Catherine judiciously moderated her expressions of pleasure in receiving him. Edgar’s uneasiness concerning her experienced a lull, partly because he had perceived that his sister, Isabella, was showing a “sudden and irresistible attraction toward the tolerated guest.” This upset him, for a number of reasons ; he had no desire for his sister to marry a nameless man; he knew that his property, in default of male heirs, would pass into Heathcliff’s hands; and he believed that the character of Heathcliff had not essentially changed.

One day Nelly decided to go to the Heights. Hareton was at the gate and did not recognize his nurse. He threw a stone at her and cursed, and behaved like a young savage. From his remarks she gathered that Heathcliff encouraged his bad behaviour, especially towards his father. When Heathcliff next called at the Grange, Nelly and Cathy happened to look out of the kitchen window and saw him trying to make love to Isabella. When he came in, Cathy remonstrated with him and he turned on her angrily, accusing her of treating him insufferably. She was torturing him and he would torture others. Edgar soon arrived and a quarrel ensued between them. Heathcliff escaped. Catherine was disturbed on witnessing all this and fell ill. For two months she lay ill with fever of brain, during which Edgar nursed her tenderly. During this time Isabella ran away with Heathcliff and married him. Six weeks after her departure Isabella wrote to Edgar for reconciliation. Edgar did not reply. Then she wrote to Nelly. Nelly went to the wuthering Heights that afternoon and found the house untidy and Isabella in very bad state of affairs. Heathcliff was very sad to hear of Catherine’s illness. He gave a letter to Nelly for Catherine.

Cathy’s appearance was greatly altered and there was some unearthly beauty in the change. Her gaze seemed fixed beyond the things of this world. She seemed not to understand when Nelly gave her the letter, but at the mention of Heathcliff’s name she gave a start and there was a troubled gleam of recollection. Heathcliff, without waiting to be summoned, entered and took her in his arms, kissing her with passion and agony, for he could see there was no chance of her recovery. Each accused the other of torture and both were violently overcome with emotion. They seemed broken-hearted.

Presently Edgar returned. Heathcliff would have risen, but Cathy refused to let him go, clinging to him and crying. “It is the last time. I shall die”. Edgar was furious at finding them together, but Cathy collapsed completely and it was some time before they were able to restore her. She sighed and moaned and knew nobody. Heathcliff told Nelly that he would keep watch from the garden.

At about twelve o’clock on the evening when the events of the preceding chapter took place, Catherine gave birth to “a puny, seven month’s child” – Catherine Linton, the girl whom Lockwood had seen at the Heights. Two hours later the mother was dead, not having regained sufficient consciousness to miss Heathcliff or to know Edgar. The latter’s distraction at her bereavement was great, especially since he was left without an heir. Nelly abused old Linton who secured his estate “to his own daughter, insisted to his son’s”.

One evening as Nelly sat rocking the baby, Isabella burst into the room breathless, bleeding, and wet with the snow. She asked Nelly to have a few bits of clothing fetched for her from her wardrobe and to order the carriage to take her on to Gimmerton. She had escaped from the Heights and “that incarnate goblin”, Heathcliff. She dared not delay her flight for fear he might follow her and cause trouble at the Grange.

Isabella departed never to return. She took up residence somewhere south of London, and a regular correspondence was begun between her and Edgar once things became more settled. A few months after her escape, she bore a male child, Linton, “an ailing, peevish creature”. Heathcliff eventually succeeded in discovering the place of Isabella’s residence and learned of the existence of the child. He did not molest them, however, said that he would take the child when the time arrived. He did so some thirteen years after the death of Catherine, when the child Linton was twelve years old. Before her death, Isabella wrote to her brother of the fever which was consuming her life and begged him to come to her. She wished to bid him farewell and deliver the boy, Linton, safely into his hands. Bidding Nelly to be particularly vigilant with Catherine during his absence, Edgar departed. He was absent for three weeks.

The day of Edgar Linton’s return to Thrushcross Grange was announced by a letter edged with black. Isabella was dead, and Edgar was returning with his youthful nephew.

Catherine was almost wild with excitement; her father was returning after an absence of three weeks and with him he was bringing her “real cousin.” When the carriage arrived, the young boy was asleep, wearied by the long journey. He was a pale, delicate, effeminate boy and bore a remarkable resemblance to Edgar. There was, however, a sickly peevishness in his aspect that Edgar never had.

Edgar ordered Nelly to take Linton to his father at Wuthering Heights on the following morning. She was to say nothing of the boy’s whereabouts to Cathy, lest she should be anxious to visit the Heights. Accordingly, the next morning Nelly roused the reluctant Linton from his bed and told him that he was going to spend some time with his father. He was puzzled, for Isabella had never mentioned the name of Heathcliff to the child. But eventually they were on their way.

Time wore on, and Cathy reached the age of sixteen on March 20. Since her birthdays were also anniversaries of Catherine’s death, Edgar was accustomed to spending the day alone in the library and walking to the churchyard in the evening, remaining often until midnight. On this particular day he had given Cathy permission to go with Nelly for a ramble on the edge of the moor, provided they returned within the hour.

In spite of Edgar’s care, Cathy paid a visit to Wuthering Heights, learned that Hareton was her cousin, discovered that Linton was staying there, and was told that Heathcliff was her uncle and that he and her father were not on good terms. A devilish plan formed in the mind of Heathcliff; he would arrange a marriage between his ailing son, Linton, and his enemy’s daughter, Cathy, thereby gaining possession of Thrushcross Grange and control over the girl after the death of her father, Edgar.

Edgar Linton fell ill. During his illness Heathcliff arranged meetings at Wuthering Heights between Cathy and his son. Linton. By means of treachery, Heathcliff lured Cathy, who had been forbidden by her father to visit Wuthering Heights, into the house keeping her there as a prisoner for five days, and refusing to allow her to go to the bedside of her dying father unless she agreed to marry Linton, who was also at the point of death. Finally, the marriage was performed, and Cathy managed to get to her father before his death, but too late for him to alter his will to prevent his property from falling into the hands of his enemy through Linton and Cathy.

Edgar died blissfully, kissing his daughter’s cheek and saying, “I am going to her; and you, darling child, shall come to us!” Cathy sat at his bedside until noon, apparently incapable of shedding any more tears.

At dinner time the lawyer appeared, having stopped off at the Heights first to get his instructions. He had sold himself to Heathcliff. All the servants, save Nelly, were given notice of their dismissal. If the lawyer had had his way, Edgar would have been buried in the chapel with his family, instead of beside his wife. But there were instructions in the will, and Nelly protested. The funeral was hurried over, but Nelly and Cathy (now Mrs. Linton Heathcliff) were permitted to remain at the Grange until Edgar’s body had left it.

On the evening after the funeral, Nelly and Cathy sat together in the library at Thrushcross Grange. They agreed that the best destiny which could await Cathy would be permission to live on there during Linton’s lifetime with Nelly as housekeeper. Their conversation was interrupted by the announcement by a servant that Heathcliff had arrived. Although she has paid a visit to the Heights, Nelly continues she has not seen Cathy since her departure from Thrushcross Grange. She has, however, learned something of the events at the Heights from Zillah, whom she has met in the village occasionally. According to Zillah, Cathy was cold and aloof on her arrival at the house. She shut herself up in Linton’s

chamber and remained there for the night. The following morning, she asked Heathcliff to send for a doctor to attend to Linton. He was dying, she said. Heathcliff refused, and for some time after, Catherine kept to herself, caring for Linton as best as she could.

One evening Catherine came to Zillah’s chamber declaring that Linton was dying. By the time the housekeeper had called the master the son was dead. “He’s safe, and I’m free,” Cathy said; “you have left me so long to struggle against death alone, that I feel and see only death”.

As time went by Cathy was forced to have the company of the inhabitants of the house, although she had “no lover or liker” master of the Heights, the more venomous she grew. It seemed that the only hope for Cathy lay in another marriage and her escape from the house.

On a claim and frosty day Lockwood makes his way to the Heights. Heathcliff is not at home and is not expected to return before dinner time. Lockwood decides to wait for him. As he speaks to Hareton he notices that he is a handsome “rustic”, who apparently makes the least of his advantages. Cathy, he finds to be beautiful, but not an angel. She seems to be more sulky and less spirited than on his earlier visit.

Lockwood informs Heathcliff of the reason for his visit, and after some sarcasm Heathcliff invites his guest to remain for dinner. Cathy is ordered to take her meal in the kitchen with Joseph. Lockwood makes a cheerless meal with the grim Heathcliff and the silent Hareton and departs early. As he rides back to the Grange he reflects: “What a realization of something more romantic than a fairy tale it would have been for Mrs. Linton Heathcliff, had she and I struck up an attachment, as her good nurse desired and migrated together into the stirring atmosphere of the town.”

The following autumn Lockwood happens to be in the neighbourhood of Wuthering Heights. On an impulse he decides to visit the place again and spend the night at Thrushcross Grange. On his arrival at the Grange, he discovers a new housekeeper; Ellen Dean is again serving as housekeeper at Wuthering Heights. Making his way to the house, he discovers that Cathy and Hareton are now in possession. From his former servant he learns the details of Heathcliff’s strange death three months before. It seems that he had deliberately starved himself to death, haunted by the ghost of Catherine, and longing to be united with her in death.

Freed from their oppressor, Cathy and Hareton have become friends. The girl is teaching the ignorant boy to read and improve his manners, and the chances of their affection developing into love and ending in marriage seem bright. After his conversation with Ellen Dean, Lockwood departs, returning to the Grange by way of the church. There he sees three headstones side by side: that of Catherine in the middle, half-hidden by vegetation; that of her husband, Edgar, partly covered with moss; and that of her beloved and tormented Heathcliff still new and bare. In the surrounding countryside a legend is prevalent that the ghosts of Cathy and Heathcliff roam the moors. Travelers and shepherds claim to have seen the spirits of Catherine and Heathcliff wandering the moors. But as Lockwood lingers by the graves, watching the moths fluttering among the heath and harebells and listening to the sound of the wind through the grass he wonders “how anyone could ever imagine unquiet slumbers for the sleepers in that quiet earth.” Thus, the narrative is both opened and closed by Lockwood. We learn that after marriage Cathy and Hareton are to move to Thrushcross Grange and Nelly also with them. Old Joseph is to remain as caretaker at the Heights.