The plot in six lines
Mr Earnshaw brings the foundling Heathcliff home, where Catherine becomes his closest friend and Hindley resents his place in their father's love.
After Mr Earnshaw dies, Hindley takes control of Wuthering Heights and makes Heathcliff a laborer, while Catherine becomes drawn to the comfort of Thrushcross Grange.
Catherine accepts Edgar Linton, but Heathcliff overhears her saying that marrying him would degrade her and leaves before hearing her declaration of their deeper bond.
Catherine marries Edgar, and Heathcliff later returns with unexplained wealth, determined both to see her again and to punish those who wronged him.
Heathcliff gains power over both families and mistreats Isabella and Hareton, but his revenge brings no peace, while the younger Catherine and Hareton eventually grow close.
Heathcliff dies and is buried beside Catherine, the younger Catherine and Hareton plan to marry on New Year's Day and move to the Grange, and Lockwood visits the three graves before leaving.
Themes
Love and identity: Catherine treats her bond with Heathcliff as part of her identity, yet her desire for status pulls her toward Edgar.
Class and belonging: Heathcliff's treatment as an outsider shows how social rank shapes intimacy, resentment, and the desire for power.
Inherited cruelty: Hindley's cruelty returns in Heathcliff's treatment of Hareton, while the younger generation offers a possibility of breaking the pattern.
Revenge: Heathcliff gains property and power over those connected to his suffering, but these victories do not bring him peace.
Uncertain narration: Lockwood's mistaken judgments and Nelly Dean's involvement in events make readers weigh each narrator's account rather than accept it without question.
Characters
- HeathcliffA dark foundling raised at Wuthering Heights, fiercely devoted to Catherine and bitter about the rank and respect he is denied.
- Catherine EarnshawWild and proud daughter of the house, torn between her bond with Heathcliff and her wish for comfort and status.
- Nelly DeanThe housekeeper who tells most of the story, watching both families closely and sometimes shaping events by what she does or withholds.
- Mr LockwoodA city gentleman who rents Thrushcross Grange, meets Heathcliff and asks Nelly to explain the strange household.
- Edgar LintonGentle, refined master of Thrushcross Grange, who loves Catherine and hopes to give her a calm, comfortable life.
- Hindley EarnshawCatherine's older brother, who resents Heathcliff from childhood and takes control of Wuthering Heights after their father dies.
For the AP English Literature exam, May 2027
- The AP English Literature and Composition exam is on Wednesday 5 May 2027, in the first session of the day.
- The College Board sets no reading list for AP English Literature and Composition. Wuthering Heights is one of the works it prints with its sample Question 3, the literary argument, where you choose the work yourself.
- Section 1 is 55 multiple-choice questions in 1 hour, 45 percent of the score. Section 2 is three free-response questions in 2 hours, 55 percent.
A two-week plan
- Day oneRead the 15-minute summary of Wuthering Heights from start to finish, then tell the story back to yourself in five sentences.
- Day twoA stranger arrives at a hostile house: Notice how Lockwood's mistaken guesses about family relationships establish the limits of his understanding. A foundling changes the Earnshaw family: Watch how Nelly presents Heathcliff as both a mistreated child and someone capable of calculation.
- Day threeHindley takes power and Heathcliff is degraded: Trace how Hindley's use of power turns personal resentment into a pattern of inherited cruelty. Catherine is drawn toward the Grange: Notice how Catherine's changed clothing and manners make social distance visible to Heathcliff.
- Day fourI am Heathcliff, and a choice is made: Mark the gap between what Heathcliff overhears and what Catherine means about their bond.
- Day fiveHeathcliff comes back rich and bent on revenge: Watch how Heathcliff's new social polish contrasts with his treatment of Isabella and Hareton.
- Day sixLove, class and revenge drive every choice: Follow the distinction between gaining power over others and finding peace through revenge.
- Day sevenTwo houses and the moors tell the story: Notice how houses, windows, and doors turn belonging and exclusion into visible patterns.
- Day eightNested narrators shape how we judge: Question how Nelly's judgments and interventions shape the story that Lockwood records.
- Day nineThe cast: Heathcliff, Catherine Earnshaw, Nelly Dean, Mr Lockwood and Edgar Linton. Write one line on what each of them wants.
- Day tenThemes: Love and identity; Class and belonging; Inherited cruelty; Revenge; Uncertain narration. Pick one moment in the story for each.
- Day elevenForm: study how the story is told: the narrator, the order of events and the settings.
- Day twelvePractice: plan and write an open-question essay on this work, with a clear claim and evidence from the story.
- Day thirteenPractice: try the same work with a second prompt about a character, a setting or a conflict.
- Day fourteenRecap: reread your notes and the summary, say the plot out loud once, then rest.
From the College Board's AP Central exam page and its course and exam description (effective fall 2024), read on 23 October 2026.
Questions
What is Wuthering Heights about?
Wuthering Heights follows Heathcliff and the Earnshaw and Linton families as love, social divisions, and revenge shape their lives across two generations. Its layered storytelling also asks readers to consider how personal judgments affect the telling of events.
Who are the main characters in Wuthering Heights?
The central characters are Heathcliff, Catherine Earnshaw, and Edgar Linton, whose conflicting attachments connect the two households. Nelly Dean and Mr Lockwood tell the story, while Hindley Earnshaw, Isabella Linton, Hareton Earnshaw, and the younger Catherine shape its family conflicts.
What are the main themes of Wuthering Heights?
The main themes are love and identity, class, revenge, inherited cruelty, and belonging. The contrast between the houses and the narrators' limited perspectives develops these concerns, while the younger generation suggests that destructive patterns can change.
Is Wuthering Heights on the AP English Literature reading list?
The College Board sets no reading list. Wuthering Heights is one of the works it prints with its sample Question 3, the literary argument, in its course and exam description (effective fall 2024). On the exam you choose the work yourself.
When is the AP English Literature exam in 2027?
The AP English Literature and Composition exam is on Wednesday 5 May 2027, in the first session of the day.
