Summary of Wuthering Heights
Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1847) is a dark, passionate tale of love, revenge, and the destructive power of obsession, set against the wild Yorkshire moors. The novel follows the intertwined lives of two families—the Earnshaws of Wuthering Heights and the Lintons of Thrushcross Grange—through the eyes of Mr. Lockwood, a tenant at Thrushcross Grange, and Nelly Dean, the housekeeper who narrates the tragic history of the estate.
The story begins with Mr. Lockwood visiting his landlord, Heathcliff, at the remote Wuthering Heights. There, he encounters a hostile household, including the widowed Catherine Linton (Heathcliff’s daughter-in-law) and Hareton Earnshaw, an uneducated young man. Lockwood’s curiosity leads Nelly Dean to recount the past.
Years earlier, Mr. Earnshaw, the owner of Wuthering Heights, brought home an orphaned gypsy boy named Heathcliff. While Earnshaw’s son, Hindley, resents the boy, his daughter Catherine forms an intense bond with Heathcliff. Their childhood friendship blossoms into a deep, almost primal love. However, after Mr. Earnshaw’s death, Hindley degrades Heathcliff into a servant, fueling his bitterness.
When Catherine is injured at Thrushcross Grange, she stays with the refined Linton family and becomes infatuated with their wealth and status. She eventually marries Edgar Linton, though she confesses to Nelly that her soul belongs to Heathcliff. Overhearing only part of this confession, Heathcliff flees, heartbroken.
Years later, Heathcliff returns as a wealthy, vengeful man. He manipulates Hindley (now a drunkard) into gambling away Wuthering Heights, and he marries Edgar’s sister, Isabella, solely to torment the Lintons. Catherine, torn between her love for Heathcliff and her loyalty to Edgar, falls ill and dies after giving birth to a daughter, Cathy.
Heathcliff’s revenge continues as he abuses Hindley’s son, Hareton, and forces Cathy to marry his own dying son, Linton, to seize Thrushcross Grange. By the time Lockwood arrives, Heathcliff has achieved his revenge but remains haunted by Catherine’s ghost. In the end, Heathcliff’s obsession consumes him, and he dies, finally reunited with Catherine in death.
The novel concludes with Hareton and Cathy (the younger generation) overcoming the cycle of hatred and finding love, offering a glimmer of hope.
Themes and Legacy
Wuthering Heights explores themes of destructive love, social class, and the supernatural. Heathcliff and Catherine’s love transcends morality, becoming a force of nature. Brontë’s gothic masterpiece challenges Victorian ideals, presenting raw emotion and psychological complexity.
Though initially controversial, the novel is now celebrated for its bold narrative structure and unforgettable characters, cementing its place as a classic of English literature.