Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton's marriage

Catherine Earnshaw's marriage to Edgar Linton is the central, catastrophic choice of the novel, a decision born of social ambition and a fatal miscalculation of her own heart. She accepts Edgar's proposal believing she can use his wealth and position to elevate Heathcliff, while maintaining her profound, elemental bond with him. This union, however, shatters the possibility of peace for everyone involved, setting in motion a chain of revenge, misery, and death that spans two generations.

Identity and Background

Catherine Earnshaw, the daughter of Mr. Earnshaw, grew up as a wild, spirited child on the moors, her soul inextricably linked to Heathcliff, the foundling her father brought home. Her brother Hindley's tyranny after their father's death only deepened her alliance with Heathcliff. A five-week stay at Thrushcross Grange after being bitten by the Lintons' bulldog exposed her to a world of refinement and elegance, transforming her from a "wild, hatless little savage" into a young lady who could appreciate the comforts and status of the Linton household. This exposure planted the seeds of ambition that would later conflict with her deepest affections.

The Decision to Marry

Catherine accepts Edgar Linton's proposal after a tumultuous day marked by a violent quarrel with Heathcliff and a physical altercation with Nelly Dean. When Nelly presses her for her reasons, Catherine's answers reveal a troubling mix of superficiality and self-deception. She loves Edgar because he is "handsome, and pleasant to be with," "young and cheerful," and because he loves her and will be rich, allowing her to be "the greatest woman of the neighbourhood." Yet, even as she enumerates these reasons, she confesses to Nelly that she is convinced she is wrong, striking her forehead and breast and declaring, "in my soul and in my heart, I'm convinced I'm wrong!" Her most famous explanation reveals the true nature of her conflict: she loves Heathcliff not for his appearance, but because he is "more myself than I am." She declares, "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same; and Linton's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire." Her stated motive for marrying Edgar is to use his money to "aid Heathcliff to rise, and place him out of my brother's power," a plan Nelly immediately dismisses as naive. Catherine's internal division is absolute: her love for Linton is "like the foliage in the woods," subject to change, while her love for Heathcliff "resembles the eternal rocks beneath."

The Marriage and Its Immediate Aftermath

Catherine marries Edgar Linton three years after his father's death, moving to Thrushcross Grange. Nelly Dean is persuaded to leave Wuthering Heights and accompany her, a parting that separates her from the young Hareton, whom she had been teaching. For the first six months, the marriage appears happy. Edgar is deeply in love and attentive, and Catherine, for her part, behaves "infinitely better" than Nelly expected, showing affection to both her husband and his sister, Isabella. Nelly observes that Edgar has a "deep-rooted fear of ruffling her humour" and that they seem to be "in possession of deep and growing happiness." This period of peace, however, is an illusion. The marriage is built on a foundation of Catherine's suppressed, essential self, and it shatters the moment Heathcliff returns, having transformed himself into a wealthy and gentlemanly figure.

Consequences and Thematic Significance

Heathcliff's return immediately destabilizes the marriage. Edgar's jealousy and resentment are reignited, while Catherine's joy at seeing her old friend is so intense it borders on the frantic. The marriage becomes a battleground for Edgar's pride and Catherine's unbreakable connection to Heathcliff. Catherine's own assessment of her choice proves tragically accurate. She tells Nelly that marrying Edgar was like choosing heaven, but finding it was not her home. Her subsequent illness and death are a direct result of the emotional conflict between her husband and her soulmate. The marriage also has devastating consequences for the next generation. It produces Catherine Linton, who is later manipulated and forced into a marriage with the sickly Linton Heathcliff, and it provides Heathcliff with the legal means to gain control of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. The union of Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton is thus not a romantic resolution but a tragic error, a testament to the destructive power of denying one's true nature for the sake of social convention and ambition.