Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, first published in 1847 under the male pseudonym Ellis Bell. It is a Gothic tragedy set in the isolated moorlands of West Yorkshire, revolving around two estates—Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange—and the families that inhabit them: the Earnshaws and the Lintons. The story centers on the intense, destructive relationship between Heathcliff, an orphan brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw, and Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of the house. After Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Heathcliff is degraded by Catherine’s elder brother Hindley, yet he and Catherine share a profound bond. When Catherine decides to marry Edgar Linton, the refined son of Thrushcross Grange, to elevate her social status, Heathcliff flees, only to return years later wealthy and determined to exact revenge on both families. His vengeance extends across generations, manipulating the lives of the next generation—Catherine’s daughter, also named Catherine, and Hindley’s son Hareton. The novel is narrated by Mr. Lockwood, a tenant at Thrushcross Grange, and the housekeeper Nelly Dean, using a complex frame structure that unfolds the story in flashbacks. Themes of obsessive love, revenge, class conflict, and the supernatural permeate the narrative. Catherine’s ghost haunts the moors, and Heathcliff’s torment is both psychological and spectral. Brontë wrote the novel between 1845 and 1846, and it was published alongside her sister Anne’s Agnes Grey by Thomas Cautley Newby. Contemporary reviews were mixed; many critics found the work brutal, immoral, and shocking due to its raw depiction of passion and violence. However, a few recognized its genius, including poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, who called it a “fiend of a book.” Over time, Wuthering Heights has been acclaimed for its psychological depth, innovative narrative structure, and its challenge to Victorian conventions regarding gender, class, and religion. It is now considered a cornerstone of English literature, inspiring countless adaptations and scholarly analyses. Its exploration of the darker aspects of human nature, the clash between wild nature and civilized society, and the transcendent power of love—even in its most destructive form—ensures its enduring relevance.

About the Author

Emily Brontë

Emily Jane Brontë was born on 30 July 1818 in Thornton, Yorkshire, to Patrick Brontë, an Irish Anglican clergyman, and Maria Branwell. She was the fifth of six children: Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Branwell, herself, and Anne. The family moved to Haworth in 1820, where Patrick served as perpetual curate, and the children grew up in the isolated parsonage on the moors. After their mother died in 1821, the eldest daughters Maria and Elizabeth were sent to Cowan Bridge School, but both died of illness in 1825, a trauma that deeply affected the family. Emily and her siblings then educated themselves at home, devouring books and creating elaborate imaginary worlds. Emily, along with Charlotte, Branwell, and Anne, invented the kingdom of Gondal, for which she wrote many poems. She briefly worked as a teacher at Law Hill School in 1838 and later as a governess in 1839, but she became severely homesick and returned to Haworth. In 1846, the three sisters published a joint volume of poems under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell; it sold only two copies. The following year, Emily’s novel Wuthering Heights was published under the name Ellis Bell, alongside Anne’s Agnes Grey. Emily’s health was fragile; she contracted tuberculosis at her brother Branwell’s funeral in September 1848 and died on 19 December 1848, aged 30. She was buried in the family vault at St Michael and All Angels' Church in Haworth. Emily Brontë’s literary reputation was posthumously established by her sister Charlotte, who prepared a second edition of Wuthering Heights in 1850 and revealed the true identities of the Bell pseudonyms. Known for her fierce independence, introversion, and poetic intensity, Brontë is now recognized as one of the most original voices in English literature. Her only novel, with its raw passion and psychological complexity, has become a classic, and her poetry is admired for its lyrical power and exploration of nature, death, and transcendence.

StoryFlow

Heathcliff's Rise and Revenge

Traces Heathcliff's journey from a foundling on the Liverpool streets to the master of Wuthering Heights, driven by a consuming desire to repay the wrongs done to him.

Catherine Earnshaw's Tragic Choice

Follows Catherine's inner conflict between her wild love for Heathcliff and her social ambition, leading to her marriage to Edgar Linton and her early death.

Cathy Linton's Journey to Freedom

Traces young Catherine Linton's life from a sheltered, happy girl to a captive wife, and finally to a woman who finds love and independence with Hareton.

Knowledge Graph

Storylines

1801, early in the story

Lockwood visits Wuthering Heights

Mr. Lockwood, a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange, calls on his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff, at Wuthering Heights. He is met with a surly reception, a pack of aggressive dogs, and a glimpse of the household's grim atmosphere. This visit establishes the inhospitable nature of the Heights and introduces the key characters of Heathcliff, Joseph, and the mysterious young woman Lockwood later learns is Catherine Heathcliff.

1801, the day after his first visit

Lockwood's second visit and snowstorm

Lockwood returns to Wuthering Heights during a snowstorm and is reluctantly allowed inside. He meets the household's inhabitants: the sullen young woman he assumes is Mrs. Heathcliff, the rough Hareton Earnshaw, and the cantankerous Joseph. A tense, silent tea reveals the deep animosities within the family, and Lockwood is forced to stay the night due to the worsening weather.

1801, the night of his second visit

Lockwood's nightmare in the oak-panelled bed

Lockwood is given a chamber with an oak-panelled bed, where he discovers the names 'Catherine Earnshaw', 'Catherine Heathcliff', and 'Catherine Linton' scratched into the paint. He reads Catherine Earnshaw's diary, which details her childhood with Heathcliff and the tyranny of her brother Hindley. That night, he has a nightmare in which the ghost of Catherine Linton begs to be let in through the window, causing him to scream and alert Heathcliff.

1801, immediately after Lockwood's nightmare

Heathcliff's anguished reaction to the ghost

Heathcliff, roused by Lockwood's scream, enters the room and is deeply disturbed. After Lockwood leaves, Heathcliff opens the window and desperately calls out for Catherine's ghost to come in, revealing his enduring, obsessive grief for the lost Catherine Earnshaw. Lockwood witnesses this display of raw emotion, which deepens the mystery of Heathcliff's past.

1801, the morning after the snowstorm

Lockwood returns to Thrushcross Grange

Lockwood escapes Wuthering Heights at dawn, guided partway by Heathcliff. He arrives back at Thrushcross Grange exhausted and ill, having lost his way in the deep snow. His encounter with the strange household and his disturbing night have left him both curious and shaken, prompting him to ask his housekeeper, Nelly Dean, for the history of Heathcliff and his family.

1801, shortly after Lockwood's return

Nelly Dean begins her story

Lockwood, bedridden with a cold, persuades Nelly Dean to tell him the story of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights. Nelly, who has lived in the area for eighteen years, agrees and begins her narrative, starting with the arrival of a mysterious orphan child at Wuthering Heights many years ago.

1771, late summer

Mr. Earnshaw brings Heathcliff home

Mr. Earnshaw returns from a trip to Liverpool with a dirty, ragged, dark-haired orphan he found starving in the streets. He presents the child, who is christened Heathcliff, to his family. Mrs. Earnshaw is furious, Hindley is resentful, and young Catherine is initially hostile, but the child soon becomes Mr. Earnshaw's favorite, causing deep divisions in the household.

1771-1773, after Heathcliff's arrival

Hindley's persecution of Heathcliff

Hindley Earnshaw, feeling displaced by his father's affection for Heathcliff, begins to cruelly persecute the boy. He beats him, calls him a vagabond, and tries to separate him from Catherine. Heathcliff endures the abuse with a sullen, patient stoicism that only enrages Hindley further and deepens Mr. Earnshaw's attachment to him.

1771-1773, during their early years

Catherine and Heathcliff's childhood bond

Despite Hindley's cruelty, Catherine and Heathcliff become inseparable companions. They spend their days running wild on the moors, rebelling against the strictures of Joseph's religious teachings and Hindley's authority. Their bond is one of absolute sympathy and shared defiance, forming the foundation of their lifelong connection.

1773, October

Mr. Earnshaw's death

Mr. Earnshaw dies peacefully in his chair by the fire, with Catherine and Heathcliff at his feet. His death marks a turning point, as Hindley, now master of Wuthering Heights, returns for the funeral with a wife, Frances. Hindley immediately begins to degrade Heathcliff, reducing him to the status of a servant and forbidding him from associating with Catherine.

1773, shortly after Mr. Earnshaw's death

Hindley's return with Frances

Hindley returns to Wuthering Heights for his father's funeral, bringing his new wife, Frances. He immediately asserts his authority, banishing Joseph and Nelly to the back kitchen and treating Heathcliff with open contempt. Frances, initially kind to Catherine, soon tires of her and, influenced by Hindley, encourages his hatred of Heathcliff.

1773, a Sunday evening

Catherine bitten by Skulker

Catherine and Heathcliff run to Thrushcross Grange to spy on the Linton children, Edgar and Isabella. They are discovered, and as they flee, the Lintons' bulldog, Skulker, bites Catherine's ankle. She is taken into the Grange, where the Lintons care for her, while Heathcliff is sent away as a 'wicked boy.' This event introduces Catherine to the civilized world of the Lintons and begins her separation from Heathcliff.

1773, five weeks after the dog bite

Catherine's stay at Thrushcross Grange

Catherine remains at Thrushcross Grange for five weeks to recover from her ankle injury. During this time, she is transformed by the Lintons' influence: she learns their manners, adopts their dress, and becomes a 'very dignified person.' When she returns to Wuthering Heights, she is a lady, and the contrast between her new refinement and Heathcliff's wildness creates a painful rift between them.

1773, Christmas Eve

Heathcliff's humiliation at Catherine's return

Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights, beautifully dressed and refined. Heathcliff, dirty and neglected, hides in shame. When Catherine tries to embrace him, she laughs at his appearance, deeply wounding his pride. He vows to get revenge on Hindley, who has degraded him, and the incident solidifies his determination to rise above his circumstances.

1773, Christmas Day

Heathcliff throws applesauce at Edgar

During a Christmas visit from the Lintons, Edgar Linton makes a remark about Heathcliff's long hair. Enraged, Heathcliff throws a tureen of hot applesauce at Edgar's face. Hindley punishes him by locking him in the garret, but Catherine secretly visits him, and they are reconciled. The incident deepens the enmity between Heathcliff and the Lintons.

1778, June

Frances's death after childbirth

Frances Earnshaw dies shortly after giving birth to a son, Hareton. Her death devastates Hindley, who descends into a life of reckless dissipation, drinking and gambling. He becomes a tyrannical and abusive master, neglecting his son and treating Heathcliff with even greater cruelty. The household at Wuthering Heights falls into a state of chaos and degradation.

1778, shortly after Frances's death

Catherine's engagement to Edgar

Edgar Linton proposes to Catherine, and she accepts. In a confession to Nelly, Catherine reveals her love for Heathcliff but acknowledges that marrying him would degrade her. She believes that by marrying Edgar, she can help Heathcliff rise in the world. Heathcliff overhears her say it would 'degrade' her to marry him and, heartbroken, leaves Wuthering Heights before she can finish her explanation.

1778, the night of the thunderstorm

Heathcliff's departure

After overhearing Catherine's conversation with Nelly, Heathcliff runs away into the night during a violent thunderstorm. Catherine, distraught, waits for him all night in the rain, falling ill with a fever. Heathcliff is not seen or heard from for three years, and Catherine's illness nearly kills her.

1778, after Heathcliff's departure

Catherine's brain fever

Catherine falls dangerously ill with a brain fever after Heathcliff's disappearance. She is nursed back to health by the Lintons, but her recovery is slow. The illness leaves her changed: she becomes more haughty and passionate. Her parents-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Linton, both catch the fever and die, leaving Edgar as the master of Thrushcross Grange.

1780, three years after Heathcliff's departure

Catherine's marriage to Edgar

Catherine marries Edgar Linton and moves to Thrushcross Grange. Nelly Dean accompanies her, leaving Hareton behind at Wuthering Heights. The marriage appears happy at first, with Edgar doting on Catherine, but her wild spirit is subdued by the constraints of her new life. The union sets the stage for the conflict that will erupt upon Heathcliff's return.

1783, September

Heathcliff's return

Heathcliff returns to the neighborhood, now a wealthy and educated man. He visits Thrushcross Grange and is reunited with Catherine, who is overjoyed. Edgar is wary and jealous, but Catherine insists on maintaining her friendship with Heathcliff. Heathcliff takes up residence at Wuthering Heights, having ingratiated himself with the now-dissipated Hindley.

1783, shortly after Heathcliff's return

Isabella's infatuation with Heathcliff

Isabella Linton, Edgar's sister, becomes infatuated with Heathcliff, despite Catherine's warnings about his cruel nature. Heathcliff, seeing an opportunity for revenge against Edgar, encourages her attachment. Catherine, realizing Heathcliff's intentions, tries to warn Isabella, but the young woman is blind to his true character.

1783, after a quarrel

Edgar banishes Heathcliff

A violent quarrel erupts between Heathcliff and Edgar, during which Edgar strikes Heathcliff. Catherine, enraged, locks herself in her room and refuses to eat. Edgar, asserting his authority, banishes Heathcliff from Thrushcross Grange. This confrontation marks the beginning of the end of Catherine's and Edgar's marital happiness.

1783, after the quarrel with Edgar

Catherine's mad fit and illness

Catherine, distraught over the conflict between Edgar and Heathcliff, locks herself in her room and begins a hunger strike. She becomes delirious, hallucinating about her childhood at Wuthering Heights. Her physical and mental state deteriorates rapidly, and she is diagnosed with a brain fever, which threatens her life.

1783, during Catherine's illness

Isabella's elopement with Heathcliff

While Catherine is ill, Isabella Linton elopes with Heathcliff. They marry and he takes her to Wuthering Heights, where she is subjected to a life of misery and abuse. Edgar, upon learning of the elopement, disowns his sister, declaring her dead to him. The elopement is a key part of Heathcliff's revenge against the Linton family.

1783, shortly before her death

Catherine's final meeting with Heathcliff

Nelly arranges a secret meeting between Catherine and Heathcliff. They have a passionate and agonizing reunion, blaming each other for her impending death. Heathcliff confesses that he cannot live without her, and Catherine declares that she is Heathcliff. The meeting is both a declaration of their undying love and a final, devastating farewell.

1783, the night after the meeting

Catherine's death

Catherine gives birth to a daughter, also named Catherine, and dies two hours later, never regaining consciousness. Her death devastates Edgar and leaves Heathcliff in a state of wild, inconsolable grief. He begs her ghost to haunt him, a plea that will define the rest of his life.

1783, the night after her burial

Heathcliff's vigil at Catherine's grave

Heathcliff spends the night at Catherine's grave, digging up the earth in a desperate attempt to be with her. He is stopped by a supernatural feeling that her spirit is with him, not in the grave, but on the earth. This experience gives him a strange, tortured peace and a conviction that her ghost will haunt him.

1783, shortly after Catherine's death

Isabella's escape from Wuthering Heights

Isabella, unable to endure Heathcliff's cruelty any longer, escapes from Wuthering Heights during a violent confrontation between Heathcliff and Hindley. She flees to Thrushcross Grange, bruised and bleeding, and then leaves the area permanently, settling in the south of England. She later gives birth to a son, Linton Heathcliff.

1784, six months after Catherine's death

Hindley's death

Hindley Earnshaw dies, leaving Wuthering Heights heavily mortgaged to Heathcliff. Heathcliff becomes the master of the Heights and takes custody of Hareton, whom he raises as an uneducated, brutalized servant. This completes Heathcliff's first stage of revenge: he has usurped the Earnshaw family's property and degraded their heir.

1797, twelve years after Catherine's death

Linton arrives at Thrushcross Grange

Isabella Linton dies, and her son, Linton Heathcliff, is sent to live with his uncle, Edgar Linton, at Thrushcross Grange. Linton is a pale, sickly, and peevish boy. His cousin, young Catherine (Cathy), is delighted to have a playmate, but her joy is short-lived.

1797, the day after his arrival

Linton taken to Wuthering Heights

Heathcliff demands that his son, Linton, be sent to live with him at Wuthering Heights. Edgar, unable to refuse, reluctantly agrees. Linton is taken to the Heights, where he is subjected to his father's contempt and the rough company of Hareton and Joseph. The separation from Cathy is a source of great sorrow for both children.

1800, when Cathy is sixteen

Cathy and Linton's secret correspondence

Cathy, now a young woman, accidentally meets Linton on the moors and begins a secret correspondence with him. She sends him books and letters, and he responds with love letters that are increasingly manipulative, influenced by his father. Nelly discovers the letters and forces Cathy to burn them, but the emotional connection has been made.

1800-1801, winter

Edgar's illness and decline

Edgar Linton's health begins to fail after a bad cold settles on his lungs. He becomes increasingly weak and confined to his room. Cathy, devoted to her father, spends most of her time nursing him, but his decline is steady. His impending death makes him anxious about Cathy's future.

1801, summer

Heathcliff's scheme to trap Cathy

Heathcliff, knowing Edgar is dying, devises a plan to force Cathy to marry Linton. He uses Linton's failing health as a lure, convincing Cathy to visit the Heights. When she and Nelly arrive, Heathcliff locks them in the house and refuses to let them leave until Cathy agrees to marry Linton.

1801, the morning after her imprisonment

Cathy's forced marriage to Linton

Cathy is forced to marry Linton Heathcliff in a mock ceremony at Wuthering Heights. She is then imprisoned in the house for five days, while Nelly is locked in a separate room. The marriage is a legal trap designed to ensure that Heathcliff inherits Thrushcross Grange upon Edgar's and Linton's deaths.

1801, five days after her imprisonment

Cathy's escape from Wuthering Heights

Cathy manages to escape from Wuthering Heights with the help of a terrified Linton, who gives her the key. She returns to Thrushcross Grange just in time to see her father alive. Edgar, overjoyed to see her, dies peacefully in her arms, believing she is safe.

1801, the day of Cathy's return

Edgar Linton's death

Edgar Linton dies, content in the belief that his daughter is safe. His death leaves Cathy at the mercy of Heathcliff, who immediately asserts his authority. The lawyer, Green, is in Heathcliff's pay, and Edgar's will is altered to leave everything to Linton, effectively giving Heathcliff control of Thrushcross Grange.

1801, after Edgar's death

Cathy's life as a widow at Wuthering Heights

Cathy is taken to Wuthering Heights as a widow after Linton's death. She is treated as a servant by Heathcliff and is isolated and miserable. She has no money and no friends, and her only companions are the brutish Hareton and the hostile Joseph. Her spirit is nearly broken.

1801, shortly after the marriage

Linton Heathcliff's death

Linton Heathcliff dies, leaving Cathy a widow. His death is a relief to her, as it ends her forced marriage, but it also leaves her completely dependent on Heathcliff. With Linton's death, Heathcliff becomes the master of Thrushcross Grange, completing his revenge on both the Earnshaw and Linton families.

1801-1802, after Linton's death

Hareton and Cathy's reconciliation

Over time, Cathy and Hareton begin to overcome their mutual hostility. Cathy, seeing Hareton's desire to learn, starts to teach him to read. Their relationship slowly blossoms into friendship and then love, as they find common ground in their shared suffering and their growing affection for each other.

1802, spring

Heathcliff's strange change

Heathcliff undergoes a profound internal change. He loses interest in his revenge and in the world around him. He becomes obsessed with the memory of Catherine, seeing her face in everything. He stops eating and sleeping, and his behavior becomes increasingly erratic, as he feels her presence drawing near.

1802, April

Heathcliff's death

Heathcliff dies in his sleep in the oak-panelled bed, a look of wild joy on his face. He has starved himself for days, driven by his desire to join Catherine. His death is mysterious and unsettling, and the local people believe his ghost walks the moors with Catherine's. He is buried beside her, as he always wished.

1802, September

Lockwood's final visit to the Heights

Lockwood returns to the area a year later and visits Wuthering Heights. He finds Hareton and Cathy happily in love, planning their wedding. Nelly Dean is now living at the Heights. Lockwood learns of Heathcliff's death and visits the graves of Catherine, Edgar, and Heathcliff, reflecting on the peace that has finally come to the troubled families.