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1-Page Summary of Wuthering Heights
Overview
Wuthering Heights is told in the form of a story. The narrator, Lockwood, rents a house and learns about the history of two local families from Ellen Dean, who had been working for one family for her entire life. She tells him:
Around 1760, a man named Earnshaw went to Liverpool on business. He found a boy who looked like he was from the streets and took him home with him. The boy’s name was Heathcliff, after his dead son. All of the other members of the family were opposed to this decision except for Catherine, who became friends with Heathcliff when she realized that they were about the same age. Hindley felt as though Heathcliff had taken his place in their father’s heart because he was older than Catherine and thought that he should have been given more attention by their father. Hindley often bullied Heathcliff whenever possible, but it never seemed to bother him very much; instead it made him angry towards Hindley later on in life because he always remembered how badly Hindley treated him growing up at Wuthering Heights.
Earnshaw grew old and his health deteriorated. He became alienated from his family, especially Catherine who was mischievous in her ways. After a few years he died, but the two of them were consoled by thoughts of heaven.
Hindley returned to the Heights, now around twenty years old. Heathcliff was about twelve and Catherine was eleven. Hindley married a woman named Frances, which surprised everyone at Wuthering Heights. He used his new power as head of the household to reduce Heathcliff to servant status. However, Heathcliff and Catherine continued their intimacy despite this change in their relationship with Hindley.
One day, Catherine and Heathcliff were running around the grounds of Wuthering Heights. They ran into another house where Edgar Linton and Isabella lived with their parents. The two children didn’t like the wilder children so they called for help. When their parents saw that it was Miss Earnshaw, they took care of her and threw out Heathcliff.
Catherine stayed at the Grange for five weeks and came home wearing fancier clothes. She acted more “ladylike” which pleased Hindley but saddened Heathcliff. Catherine found herself torn between her love of Heathcliff and her friendship with Edgar Linton (the elegant one).
Frances gave birth to a son, Hareton. She died soon after of tuberculosis. Hindley fell into despair and alcoholism, and the household was in chaos. Heathcliff was harshly treated by Hindley, who hated him more and more with every passing year. Edgar Linton fell in love with Catherine when she came to live at the Grange as his cousin’s ward because he loved her wealth and genteel manners. Although Catherine loved Heathcliff much more seriously than anyone else, she married Edgar for money instead of love because she didn’t want to be poor all her life like her father had been before he’d made it big time as an industrialist. Soon after their marriage, they both caught a fever from which only one survived: Catherine did not survive; neither did Edgar’s parents who were also sick with the same disease that killed Catherine.
They lived together in peace for a while, but Heathcliff returned. He was well-mannered and educated, as well as rich. Catherine was overjoyed to see him; Edgar wasn’t so happy with his presence at Wuthering Heights. After some time, Heathcliff gained financial control of the estate by paying off Hindley’s gambling debts. The relationship between Heathcliff and the Linton household became more strained because Edgar disliked Heathcliff and disapproved of his relationship with Catherine. Finally there was a violent quarrel: Heathcliff left to avoid being thrown out by Edgar’s servants; Catherine was angry at both men; and Edgar was furious at Heathcliff for hurting Isabella (who had run away from home) on purpose just to get back at him (Edgar). So he did nothing about it when they eloped together right after their marriage ceremony.
