Wuthering Heights study guide
by Emily Brontë · 1847 · 34 chapters · the whole book: 7 h 57 min to read
Exam set text for Pearson Edexcel A level English Literature · Named in the course description of College Board AP English Literature and Composition
Wuthering Heights follows Catherine and Heathcliff through a broken attachment, her choice to marry Edgar, and his later coercion of Cathy into marriage with his son Linton. Its main themes are destructive love, revenge, and the possibility of change, as Cathy and Hareton grow closer, Heathcliff loses his desire for revenge, and his death leaves them planning marriage.
The story in brief
Lockwood visits his hostile landlord Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights, and Nelly recalls the rescued child's arrival in the Earnshaw household. Despite his mistreatment, Heathcliff grows close to Catherine amid family conflict. Catherine chooses marriage to Edgar, however, and Heathcliff disappears after overhearing her confession. He later returns, and Isabella falls in love with him despite warnings.
Isabella escapes Heathcliff, while Hindley's debts leave Hareton dependent on him. Heathcliff plans to gain property through his son Linton, then imprisons Cathy and Nelly to force a marriage. Cathy escapes in time to reach her dying father Edgar, but Linton's death leaves her isolated and dependent on Heathcliff. Her growing closeness with Hareton accompanies Heathcliff's loss of interest in revenge. Heathcliff dies, Cathy and Hareton plan marriage, and Lockwood visits three graves. Read the 15-minute summary.
Quick answers
What is Wuthering Heights about?
Wuthering Heights follows Catherine and Heathcliff through their broken attachment after she chooses to marry Edgar. Heathcliff later tries to control Cathy through a forced marriage, while her growing bond with Hareton offers a different kind of attachment.
Who is Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights?
Heathcliff enters the Earnshaw household as a rescued child, suffers mistreatment, and grows close to Catherine. His wish to repay Hindley develops into revenge and control, including imprisoning Cathy to force her marriage to his son Linton.
Who does Catherine marry in Wuthering Heights?
Catherine chooses to marry Edgar despite her close attachment to Heathcliff. Heathcliff disappears after overhearing her confession, and Edgar's demand makes her attachment to Heathcliff incompatible with loyalty to her husband.
Who narrates Wuthering Heights?
Lockwood is Heathcliff's new tenant, whose visits introduce the hostile household and connect him with its past. Nelly, the housekeeper, recounts Heathcliff's arrival and treatment while also describing events in which she takes part.
Where is Wuthering Heights set?
The story centers on remote Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, the places around which the families' conflicts unfold. The park and Penistone Crags also appear as places reached during Cathy's explorations.
What are the main themes of Wuthering Heights?
The main themes include destructive love, revenge, and the possibility of change. Heathcliff's control brings suffering without lasting satisfaction, while Cathy's growing closeness with Hareton shows how kindness and shared learning can support affection.
How does Wuthering Heights end?
Heathcliff loses interest in revenge as Cathy and Hareton grow closer, and he later dies. Cathy and Hareton plan to marry and move, while Lockwood visits three graves.
Chapter summaries
- 1A tenant meets his hostile landlordLockwood visits a remote household, faces aggressive dogs, and decides to return despite his cold reception.
- 2A snowbound visit turns hostileA visitor misreads family relationships, fails to secure a guide, and suffers an attack by dogs.
- 3A nightmare exposes Heathcliff’s griefLockwood reads Catherine’s childhood notes, dreams of a visitor at the window, and struggles home through snow.
- 4Heathcliff enters the Earnshaw householdMrs. Dean explains family ties and recalls a rescued child's arrival, mistreatment, and growing influence.
- 5A father's decline and deathHindley leaves for college, while Catherine and Heathcliff draw close through family conflict and grief.
- 6Catherine stays with the LintonsHindley degrades Heathcliff, and a forbidden outing exposes the children's unequal treatment.
All 34 chapters
- 7Catherine returns and Heathcliff seeks revengeChristmas brings fine clothes, wounded pride, a violent quarrel, and a secret visit to a locked attic.
- 8Loss and a divided affectionFrances dies, Hindley turns reckless, and Catherine’s violent temper fails to drive Edgar away.
- 9Catherine chooses marriage and loses HeathcliffAn overheard confession leads to disappearance, fever, and a lasting separation between a nurse and her charge.
- 10Heathcliff returns and unsettles the GrangeCatherine welcomes her old companion, while Isabella falls in love despite warnings about his cruelty.
- 11A quarrel divides the householdHeathcliff courts Isabella, Edgar demands a choice, and Catherine shuts herself away.
- 12Catherine falls ill as Isabella fleesNelly discovers the danger behind a fast, while Edgar faces another shock in his household.
- 13Isabella finds no refugeCatherine slowly regains strength, while a distressed bride describes hostility and fear in her new household.
- 14Heathcliff forces a secret agreementEllen visits Isabella, witnesses her husband's cruelty, and agrees to carry a message to Catherine.
- 15A desperate reunion ends in collapseNelly admits Heathcliff while Edgar attends church, and Catherine refuses to let her visitor leave.
- 16Birth, death, and divided griefA daughter arrives as her mother dies, while Edgar and Heathcliff mourn in sharply different ways.
- 17Escape, death, and Heathcliff’s controlIsabella flees her husband, while Hindley’s debts leave Hareton dependent on his father’s enemy.
- 18Cathy discovers an unwelcome cousinDuring Edgar’s absence, his daughter escapes the park and meets Hareton, then promises Ellen to keep quiet.
- 19A cousin arrives under threatCatherine welcomes a fragile playmate, but Joseph brings a demand from his father.
- 20Linton meets his unwilling fatherNelly brings a frightened boy to the Heights, where promises of care conceal plans for property.
- 21Cathy renews a forbidden friendshipA moorland outing leads to a reunion, a marriage scheme, and secret letters that Ellen discovers.
- 22Heathcliff turns fear into a visitCathy worries about her father, then hears that her cousin needs her help to survive.
- 23Catherine renews her bond with LintonA difficult visit brings quarrels, guilt, and affection, while Ellen’s illness leaves evenings unwatched.
- 24Catherine confesses her secret visitsEllen discovers nightly journeys, hears about quarrels and illness, and tells Catherine’s father.
- 25Edgar permits supervised meetingsLetters and Catherine’s appeals soften her father’s refusal, while Heathcliff controls his sick son’s requests.
- 26A troubled meeting on the heathCatherine finds her cousin weak and frightened, and his fear of his father overshadows their visit.
- 27Heathcliff traps Catherine into marriageA frightened cousin draws two visitors into captivity while Edgar’s health rapidly fails.
- 28Catherine escapes to her dying fatherNelly gains her freedom, rescue efforts fail, and a secret departure brings a final reunion.
- 29Heathcliff takes Catherine from the GrangeA forced departure follows a confession about a grave and eighteen years of restless longing.
- 30Catherine faces loss and isolationLinton dies without medical help, while household resentment leaves his widow dependent on Heathcliff.
- 31Cruel mockery ends in burning booksLockwood delivers Ellen’s letter, witnesses a bitter quarrel, and announces his departure.
- 32A return reveals a new friendshipLockwood finds changed companions at the Heights, and Nelly explains how hostility gives way to affection.
- 33Heathcliff loses his desire for revengeCatherine and Hareton grow closer, while their resemblance to the past unsettles the master.
- 34Heathcliff dies amid strange visionsNelly recounts a disturbing death, Hareton grieves, and Lockwood visits three quiet graves.
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months freeCharacters
Heathcliff
Heathcliff enters the Earnshaw household as a rescued child who suffers mistreatment, but later uses imprisonment to force Cathy's marriage to Linton. His loss of interest in revenge as Cathy and Hareton grow closer suggests that domination no longer satisfies him.
Key chapters: 4, 27, 33
Catherine
Catherine grows close to Heathcliff amid family conflict, but chooses marriage to Edgar, a decision followed by Heathcliff's disappearance.
Key chapters: 5, 9, 16
Cathy
Cathy, Catherine's daughter, suffers imprisonment when Heathcliff forces her toward marriage with Linton. Her later plans to marry and move with Hareton suggest a future shaped by a chosen attachment rather than coercion.
Key chapters: 27, 34
Nelly
Nelly is the housekeeper who recounts Heathcliff's arrival and treatment, but she also acts within the events she describes. She admits him for a secret reunion with Catherine and later discovers his body before telling Lockwood about his death.
Key chapters: 15, 34
Edgar
Later, his concern turns toward protecting his daughter Cathy's fortune, and he dies after she returns.
Key chapters: 9, 11, 28
Hareton
Hareton becomes dependent on Heathcliff because of Hindley's debts, yet continues to defend Heathcliff's reputation while protecting and studying with Cathy. His grief at Heathcliff's death sits beside his plans to marry Cathy, showing his divided attachments.
Key chapters: 17, 33, 34
Isabella
Isabella falls in love with Heathcliff despite warnings about his cruelty, then describes fear and misery after marrying him. Her escape shows a movement away from an attachment that offers no refuge.
Key chapters: 10, 13, 17
Linton
Linton is Heathcliff's frightened son, whose arrival becomes part of his father's plans to gain property. His fear overshadows his meeting with Cathy, and his death without medical help leaves her a widow.
Key chapters: 20, 26, 30
Lockwood
Lockwood is Heathcliff's new tenant, whose mistaken expectations introduce the household's hostility. His reading of Catherine's notes, dream at the window, and later hearing of Nelly's account connect his visits to the household's past.
Key chapters: 1, 3, 34
Themes
Revenge and control
Heathcliff's wish to repay Hindley develops into control over Cathy, whom he imprisons to force a marriage to Linton. His eventual inability to enjoy destruction suggests that revenge can organize a life without providing lasting satisfaction.
Where it shows: chapters 7, 27, 33
Grief and longing
Heathcliff responds to Catherine's death by begging her to remain with him in any form, rather than accepting separation. His account of eighteen years of restless longing shows grief becoming an enduring attachment that offers no peace.
Where it shows: chapters 16, 29
Divided loyalty
Edgar's demand makes Catherine's attachment to Heathcliff incompatible with loyalty to him, turning affection into an enforced choice. Hareton's protection of Cathy alongside his defense of Heathcliff suggests that competing loyalties do not always disappear when relationships begin to change.
Where it shows: chapters 11, 33
Learning and kindness
The quarrel ending in burned books links learning with humiliation rather than help, while Lockwood witnesses the damage of cruel mockery. Hareton's later study with Cathy suggests that education can instead become a shared activity that supports affection.
Where it shows: chapters 31, 33
Symbols
Books
Burned books show learning caught in resentment and humiliation. Hareton's later study with Cathy suggests a different possibility, learning as a means of closeness.
Chapters 31, 33
The window
It works as a boundary through which the household's past seems to press into the present.
Chapter 3
Letters
Isabella's letter carries private suffering beyond her hostile household. The secret letters connected with Cathy and Linton suggest that written messages also sustain attachments outside supervision.
Chapters 13, 21
Famous lines explained
Heathcliff, Chapter 6. Heathcliff speaks after the forbidden outing exposes the difference between Catherine's treatment and his own. His comparison shows how unequal treatment divides their shared experience.
Catherine, Chapter 9. Catherine speaks while discussing her decision to marry Edgar. Her declaration of likeness to Heathcliff shows the depth of the attachment that her marriage choice does not erase.
Heathcliff, Chapter 16. Heathcliff speaks in grief after Catherine's death, asking for continued presence rather than peace. The plea shows an attachment that resists even the separation of death.
Heathcliff, Chapter 27. Heathcliff speaks to Cathy during her captivity, making release conditional on marriage to Linton. The threat shows how completely coercion replaces consent in his marriage scheme.
Catherine, Chapter 32. Cathy speaks to Hareton as their hostility begins to give way to affection. Her request for forgiveness shows change beginning through acknowledgment rather than further humiliation.
Setting
The story centers on remote Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange, where Heathcliff returns after Catherine's marriage choice and his disappearance. The park and Penistone Crags mark the reach of Cathy's explorations, while Heathcliff's account of eighteen years of longing gives the setting a sense of accumulated time.
Questions for discussion
- How does Catherine's choice of Edgar complicate her claim of deep likeness to Heathcliff?
- How far does Heathcliff's early mistreatment help explain, without excusing, his later cruelty?
- How should we judge Nelly's decision to admit Heathcliff for the secret reunion?
- What does Hareton's defense of Heathcliff reveal about the relationship between loyalty and judgment?
- Does the ending offer renewal, unresolved grief, or both?
Essay topics
- Coercion. Analyze how Heathcliff's property plans turn marriage into an instrument of control.
- Two attachments. Compare the divided attachment between Catherine and Heathcliff with the growing closeness between Cathy and Hareton.
- Grief. Explore how Heathcliff's grief blurs the distinction between devotion and suffering.
- Learning. Examine how the contrast between humiliation and shared study makes learning part of the movement toward affection.
Quick quiz
Question 1 of 10Score 0
Who stops the dogs’ attack on Lockwood?
Why does Hindley surrender his colt to Heathcliff?
How does Catherine enter the attic where Heathcliff is locked?
Why does Heathcliff break the kitchen door lock?
What does Ellen agree to do for Heathcliff?
Why does Catherine promise not to tell Edgar about her visit?
How does Cathy secretly exchange letters with Linton?
What does Catherine’s father permit after stopping her visits?
How does Catherine get out of Wuthering Heights?
What does Hareton do with the books after Catherine mocks his reading?
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
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