Wuthering Heights, Chapter 25 summary

What happens

1. Mrs. Dean suggests that her listener could love Catherine, but he doubts her affection and says he must return home.
2. Catherine obeys her father, while Edgar asks Ellen about Linton’s character and fears leaving his daughter without protection.
3. Spring brings no real improvement in Edgar’s health, though Catherine mistakes his walks and bright appearance for recovery.
4. Linton writes asking to meet Catherine outside their homes, and Edgar initially delays permission because he cannot accompany her.
5. Heathcliff monitors the correspondence, while Catherine and Linton persuade Edgar to allow weekly meetings under Ellen’s supervision.
6. By June, Edgar still declines and considers marriage to his heir Catherine’s best chance of retaining her ancestral home.

In this chapter

What to notice

Edgar’s questions show how concern for his daughter complicates his longing to join his dead wife. Her protection becomes central to his decisions about Linton.

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