Wuthering Heights, Chapter 33 summary

What happens

1. Catherine persuades Hareton to remove fruit bushes for a flower bed, and Joseph demands to leave when he discovers the damage.
2. Catherine accuses Heathcliff of taking their property; he grabs her hair but suddenly releases her after studying her face.
3. Hareton refuses to hear criticism of Heathcliff, and Catherine accepts his loyalty and stops speaking against the master around him.
4. Catherine teaches Hareton, whose growing confidence and understanding delight Ellen Dean.
5. Their resemblance to Catherine Earnshaw unsettles Heathcliff, who privately admits that destroying his enemies’ representatives no longer gives him pleasure.
6. Heathcliff describes overwhelming memories and a consuming wish, while denying illness or any expectation of death.

In this chapter

What to notice

Heathcliff distinguishes his loss of interest from forgiveness. His power remains, but the motive driving his cruelty weakens.

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