Wuthering Heights, Chapter 16 summary
Chapter 16 of 34 · 8 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 16, Catherine Linton gives birth to a premature daughter and dies without recognizing anyone, leaving Edgar exhausted by grief and Heathcliff demanding that she haunt him. Mrs. Dean allows Heathcliff a private farewell, joins two locks of hair in Catherine’s locket, and describes her burial near the moor.
What happens
- Catherine’s daughter is born around midnight, and Catherine dies two hours afterward without recovering awareness.
- Mrs. Dean watches Edgar beside Catherine’s body and reflects on death, peace, and the uncertainty of Catherine’s afterlife.
- Outside, Heathcliff asks about Catherine’s death, begs her to haunt him, and strikes his head against a tree.
- Mrs. Dean opens a window so Heathcliff can visit the body while Edgar rests.
- Heathcliff replaces the light hair in Catherine’s locket with his own, and Mrs. Dean combines both locks.
- Mr. Earnshaw misses the funeral, Isabella receives no invitation, and Catherine is buried beside the moor rather than among family tombs.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Heathcliff prefers even torment to separation from Catherine. His plea directly opposes Mrs. Dean’s hope that Catherine rests peacefully.
Quick check
What does Mrs. Dean do with the hair from Catherine’s locket?
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