Wuthering Heights Chapter Summaries

• Lockwood visiting Yorkshire pays his landlord, Heathcliff, a somewhat unwelcomed visit in order to introduce himself

• Introduction to Lockwood, Heathcliff, Joseph (servant) and Zilah (servant)

• Description of Wuthering Heights pg 4-5

• Lockwood gets attacked by dogs pg 6-7

• Lockwood repeats his visit to Wuthering Heights and meets Catherine Heathcliff and Hareton pg 9-12 (descriptions)

• Lockwood is forced to stay the night due to bad weather

• Lockwood sleeps in the forbidden library

• Has two dreams:

1) Religious dream pg 23-24

2) Dream about Catherine Linton as a child pg 24-25

• Introduction to Nelly Dean (servant)

• Nelly takes over narration from Lockwood        (Important!) pg 35

• Reader learns about Heathcliff's history and the family relationships which currently prevail

• Nelly recounts how the family's relationships develope as Mr Earnshaw is dying

• First sustained description of Catherine Linton as a child

• Hindley returns to Wuthering Heights with his new wife, Frances

• Hindley makes Heathcliff's life misery, however, him and Cathy remain inseperable

• Introduction to the Lintons and Thrushcross Grange

• Heathcliff and Cathy venture out to the neighbouring house. Cathy is attacked by the Lintons' dog, she has to remain there till she's well enough to return pg 49

• Catherine returns from her 5 week stay at Thrushcross Grange transformed into a lady

• During this time Heathcliff is excessively abused by Hindley

• The end of the chapter reminds the reader that Nelly is telling the story to Lockwood (Important! - structure of the novel) pg 63

• Hindley's son, Hareton, is born

• Frances dies of consumption and Hindley declines further into recklessness

• Relationship between Catherine and Edgar is developed and tension between Edgar and Heathcliff is intensified

• Catherine choses Edgar over Heathcliff

• Heathcliff disappears

• Catherine falls ill - goes to recuperate at Thrushcross Grange

• 3 years pass - Edgar becomes master of Thrushcross Grange and marries Catherine

• Nelly leaves Hareton reluctantly to join Catherine's household

• Catherine now married to Edgar lives in luxury and peace with Edgar's sister Isabella at Thrushcross Grange

• Heathcliff returns transformed

• Heathcliff goes to stay with Hindley at Wuthering Heights

• Isabella develops an infatuation for Heathcliff, he does not feel the same, however uses it to his advantage to place revenge upon Edgar and higher his status

• Nelly returns to Wuthering Heights and is appalled to see it has deteriorated and also appalled to see how Hareton has developed

• Heathcliff calls at Thrushcross Grange and make overtures to Isabella (displeasing to Edgar and Catherine)

• Fierce arguments between Catherine, Edgar and Heathcliff break out

• Catherine becomes dreadfully ill

• Isabella leaves secretly to marry Heathcliff

• Edgar disowns Isabella

• Catherine is diagnosed with brain-fever

• Edgar nurses her devotedly

• Letters from Isabella to Edgar and Nelly suggests that she regrets marrying Heathcliff pg 136-144

• Heathcliff and Isabella now live at Wuthering Heights, Isabella doesn't have an ally, she begs Nelly to call 

• Nelly goes to see Isabella

• Heathcliff is determined to see Catherine, Nelly reluctantly acts as intermediary 

• Time switches to the present - The doctor calls on Lockwood, Lockwood reflects that he must be cautious of falling in love with Catherine Heathcliff (Cathy 2) for fear that she may resemble the first

• Lockwood resumes the narrative only to impersonate that of Nelly Dean
• The narrative recommences with Heathcliff's visit to Catherine which upon discovery by Edgar cause Catherine to faint and fall into further illness

• Catherine's daughter, Cathy Linton, is born (2 months premature)
• Catherine dies in childbirth
• Heathcliff knows before Nelly tells him
• The funeral is held one week later

• Hindley dies not long after Catherine
• Isabella moves to the soutn of England, where a few months later, Linton is born
• Heathcliff now lives with Hareton at Wuthering Heights, he hears of his son's birth through gossip

• 12 years pass
• Isabella writes to Edgar informing him she is dieing, he takes Linton to live with him at Thrushcross Grange
• Whilst Edgar is away Cathy meets Hareton at Wuthering Heights

• Isabella dies, Edgar returns with Linton
• As soon as they arrive Heathcliff demands Linton's presence at Wuthering Heights
• Edgar is forced to deliver the boy the next day

• Nelly takes Linton to Wuthering Heights where Heathcliff professes his disappointment in the child

• Cathy is at first disappointed at Linton's disappearance (to Wuthering Heights) However, soon accepts it

• On her 16th birthday she meets Heathcliff and goes to Wuthering Heights where she sees Linton again and learns of her various relationships

• She confronts father (Edgar) of her new found knowledge

• She learns of Heathcliff's plan for revenge and agrees not to visit the Heights again, however, finds a way to correspond with Linton

• Edgar becomes ill

• Heathcliff encounters Cathy and informs her that Linton is dying of a broken heart owing to her abrupt termination of their correspondence

• Cathy sets out to see Linton

• Cathy and Nelly visit Wuthering Heights

• Quarrel about the nature of marriage

• Linton persuades Cathy to return the following day

• Nelly falls ill

• Cathy able to visit Linton unimpaired by any restrictive supervision

• 3 weeks later Nelly gets better - Cathy frustrated at this

• Nelly discovers Cathy's deception

• Discussion of ideal heaven between Linton and Cathy

• Hareton attempts to read again - he is mocked

• Nelly tells Edgar abot Cathy's visits, which are promptly stopped

• Edgar realises his death is imminent

• He arranges correspondence with Linton reassuring himself of Cathy's future

• Cathy and Linton meet on the moors

• Linton's health is failing - Cathy conceals this from her father

• Cathy and Nelly meet Linton on the moors

• Linto acts as a decoy to get Nelly and Cathy back to the Heights

• Heathcliff revels that he only cares about Linton outliving Edgar

• Cathy and Nelly are kept prisoner at the Heights

• Five days later - Nelly allowed to return to the Grange

• Edgar barely alive

• She informs Edgar of Heathcliff's plan

• He changes his will

• Lawyer arrives too late

• Cathy arrives on time to witness his dying moments

• Heathcliff demands that Cathy returns to the Heights - wants to put a tennant in the Grange

• Heathcliff wants to be burried next to Catherine

• He informs Nelly about how she has haunted him

• Returns with Cathy leaving Nelly at the Grange

• Linton dies

• Cathy refuses friendship from Hareton and Zillah

• Narrative returns to Lockwood/present day (Important!)

• Lockwood takes note to Cathy from Nelly

• Tells Heathcliff he has come to terminate his tennancy

• 1802 - Lockwood happens to be in the area again - visits the Grange

• He visits the Heights where a picture of domestic bliss greets him

• Nelly glad to see him - Tells him Heathcliff is dead

• Cathy and Hareton begin to negotiate their relationship under the wath of Joseph and Heathcliff

• Heathcliffs no longer wants revenge now that it is within his reach

• Heathcliff wants to die to be reunited with Catherine - feels as if he won't anytime soon

• Heathcliff is obsessed with dying

• He finally dies threatening Nelly if she does not bury him next to Catherine he will haunt her forever