Week lecture Wuthering Heights Close Reading
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Week 6 Lecture 5 Wuthering Heights Close Reading Summary and Analysis Chapter 13 Edgar nurses Catherine for the next two months. During this time, it is revealed that Catherine is pregnant. Edgar longs for a male heir, to prevent Heathcliff and Isabella from inheriting the Grange. Six weeks after she runs away, Isabella sends a letter to Edgar, announcing her marriage and begging forgiveness. He does not reply. After that, a distraught Isabella sends a letter to Nelly, questioning the humanity of Heathcliff. She tells Nelly that they are living at Wuthering Heights and begs for a visit. The letter goes on to tell of her experiences at Wuthering Heights. Isabella encounters Hareton, Joseph, and Hindley: All are rude and uncaring. She realizes her mistake but also knows that it is too late. She cannot even find a place to sleep that is her own. When Heathcliff returns, he tells her that Catherine is sick, that he blames Edgar, and that he plans on making her suffer in place of Edgar. Analysis Nearing death, Catherine knows the next time she goes to the moors will be her last. She does not allow Edgar to comfort either her or himself with a false sense of hope or security. Edgar nurses Catherine tenderly and attentively as best he can, but is he doing this out of love for his wife or the child she is bearing? Without an heir, Isabella would inherit Thrushcross Grange in the event of Edgar's death. Because Isabella is married to Heathcliff, that means Edgar's rival would essentially inherit Edgar's property. Edgar does not want this to happen. While Edgar is nursing Catherine, readers get a view of Heathcliff from Isabella's perspective. Her letter to Nelly narrates the events that have transpired from the time she eloped. Isabella questions if Heathcliff is really a man and suggests that he may be incarnate evil. She realizes marrying him was a mistake but also realizes she cannot atone for her error. Isabella reveals that Heathcliff blames Edgar for Catherine's suffering, and he will take this out on Isabella, too. Heathcliff may or may not be the devil, but he is making Isabella's life a living hell. Summary and Analysis Chapter 14 Edgar refuses to forgive Isabella and sends nothing with Nelly when Nelly visits Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is eager to hear news of Catherine's situation and demands that Nelly arrange a meeting between the two. Nelly refuses, but her refusal prompts Heathcliff to force Nelly to stay at Wuthering Heights, claiming he will go alone. Nelly fears what might happen if that were to occur and begrudgingly agrees to his request to carry a letter to Catherine. Analysis Of particular importance in this chapter is Heathcliff's declaration and explanation of his love for Catherine. Heathcliff tells Nelly, "For every thought she [Catherine] spends on Linton, she spends a thousand on me . . . If he [Edgar] loved with all the powers of his puny being, he couldn't love as much in eighty years as I could in a day." The passion and commitment Heathcliff reveals frightens Nelly and is partially the reason he is able to persuade her to carry a letter to Catherine. As Heathcliff discusses his relationship to both Catherine and Isabella, he appears to be true to himself: He recognizes that he is brutal and cruel. He is, however, also intelligent and manipulative, which is how he is able to con Nelly into agreeing to do his bidding. Summary and Analysis Chapter 15 Four days later, Nelly delivers the letter, while the rest of the household is at church. Catherine is close to death and cannot even hold it. Nelly tells her it is from Heathcliff, but before Nelly can call him to the room (he is lurking around the Grange), Heathcliff bursts into the room. When Catherine sees him, she claims that both Edgar and he have broken her heart. She laments dying while he is still alive and longs for them never to be parted. An emotional reunion, of sorts, takes place, and they embrace. After the embrace Heathcliff speaks harshly to Catherine, saying, "You deserve this. You have killed yourself." Distraught, Catherine sobs that "I forgive you. Forgive me!" Holding her responsible for breaking both of their hearts, Heathcliff considers her the murderer of both of them and tells her, "I forgive what you have done to me. I love my murderer — but yours! How can I?" Edgar returns from church services at this time, but as Heathcliff prepares to leave, Catherine begs him to stay. He consents. Nelly cries out; Edgar quickens his pace; Catherine collapses. As Edgar bursts into the room, Heathcliff puts Catherine's body into Edgar's arms, begging him to take care of her before he attacks Heathcliff. Nelly makes Heathcliff leave, promising to give him word about her condition in the morning. Analysis Ironically, at the start of the chapter, Lockwood claims Nelly to be "a very fair narrator," yet he has proven himself to be a bad judge of character, so his words should not be all that reassuring for the discerning reader. Reliability aside, Nelly continues the narrative. What Catherine says and does not say reveals telling and compelling information about her character. She tells Heathcliff, "You and Edgar have broken my heart," placing the blame at their feet. But while she is being open and honest with Heathcliff, not once does she say she regrets marrying Edgar. Her comments about not being at peace and about Heathcliff's happiness when she is buried foreshadows her ghost walking the world for eighteen years, haunting Heathcliff. After rambling for a while, Catherine begs forgiveness, but Heathcliff cannot or will not give it. Perhaps this lack of forgiveness is what haunts him: The memory that he did not fully forgive her on her deathbed may be the worst of all the terrible things he has done in his life. Catherine herself alludes to this possibility when she says, "if you nurse anger, that will be worse to remember than my harsh words!" Perhaps only in her last moments of life does Catherine come to a true understanding of love. At the end of the chapter, when Catherine collapses into Heathcliff's arms and Nelly thinks Catherine has died, Nelly remarks "Far better that she should be dead, than lingering a burden and a misery-maker to all about her." These cold and callous comments reveal the truth about Nelly and her feelings, just as Heathcliff giving Catherine's body to Edgar, placing Catherine's needs ahead of his own, reveal the truth about the depths of his love. For Nelly, Catherine's death will be a blessing, a lessening of a burden; for Heathcliff, Catherine's death is the beginning of his own personal hell. Summary and Analysis Chapter 16 At midnight that night, Catherine's daughter Cathy is born two months prematurely; two hours later, Catherine dies. In the morning, Nelly seeks Heathcliff to tell him the news, but he is already aware of the situation. He is angered that Catherine did not mention his name in her dying moments and is despondent over losing her. He simultaneously curses her spirit while lamenting his loss. Edgar watches over Catherine's body by day; Heathcliff watches over it by night. Heathcliff replaces a lock of Edgar's hair from the trinket around Catherine's neck with some of his own. Nelly finds the strands of Edgar's hair and ends up intertwining both his and Heathcliff's with hers. To everyone's surprise, Catherine is buried in the churchyard, by a low wall, just feet from the moors. Analysis Edgar suffers two losses in this chapter — the death of his wife and the birth of a non-heir. Because Cathy is not a male, she legally is not Edgar's heir, and complicated laws end up leaving Thrushcross Grange to Isabella, and then to her son. This is not to suggest that Edgar does not love Cathy; he adores her, and she is his world. He just hates the fact that his rival may end up with his property. With the shock of Catherine's death, Heathcliff implores her to haunt him: "I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" He is clearly devastated by the death of his one true love, and although Heathcliff has done dastardly deeds throughout the text, most readers tend to sympathize with him and the loss he is feeling. Edgar is devastated too, but by burying Catherine near her beloved moors, Edgar demonstrates both the depth of his love for his wife as well as insight into understanding her character. He wants Catherine to be happy and at peace, and this is one final gesture he can give to show his love. Summary and Analysis Chapter 17 Quite unexpectedly, Isabella arrives at the Grange in a state of physical disarray. She knows better than to think Edgar will allow her to stay, so she is not seeking refuge, just assistance. She tells Nelly that Hindley stayed sober to attend his sister's funeral, but lost his courage and started drinking the morning of the service. When Heathcliff returns to Wuthering Heights from keeping vigil at Catherine's grave, Hindley locks him out of the house and tells Isabella that he is going to kill Heathcliff. Isabella tells Heathcliff of Hindley's intentions but does not allow him entrance to the house. Heathcliff bursts into the house through a window and ends up beating Hindley. The next morning Isabella accuses Heathcliff of being responsible for everyone's misery and tells Hindley how Heathcliff beat him. Heathcliff and Hindley begin fighting again as Isabella makes her escape. After telling her story to Nelly, she leaves for London. She ends up giving birth to a son, Linton. Edgar and she begin corresponding, though he withdraws from society. Thirteen years later, Isabella dies. Hindley dies six months after Catherine's death, and Nelly returns to Wuthering Heights to check on both funeral arrangements and Hareton. Nelly finds out that Hindley was deep in debt and that Heathcliff held the mortgage. Heathcliff refuses to allow Hareton to go with Nelly, threatening to take possession of Linton. Analysis In contrast to the previous chapter, all sympathy that readers gained for Heathcliff is lost when Heathcliff beats Hindley. During the beating, Hindley is the victim of his own past sins and Heathcliff's displaced anger and aggression about Catherine's death. Soon after Catherine's death, Hindley dies too. The details are not exactly revealed, but Heathcliff claims Hindley "spent the night in drinking himself to death deliberately." Suicide is more probable than murder because Heathcliff had the chance to kill Hindley before but never did so. Heathcliff has rough intentions with both Linton and Hareton. He refers to his own son as "it," not even affording Linton the level of respect of a person. And Heathcliff essentially steals Wuthering Heights from Hareton. Hareton is the rightful landowner, although the land is in debt. What Hareton should have inherited from his father is a mountain of debt with Heathcliff serving as the mortgagee. What happens, though, is Heathcliff assuming control of the property because he owns the mortgage. This chapter marks the end of the first generation and the first half ofWuthering Heights. At this point in time, Heathcliff and Hareton are at Wuthering Heights, and Edgar and Cathy are at Thrushcross Grange. The second half of the novel in many ways mirrors the first, with Heathcliff longing for revenge, and willing to destroy anyone who is in his way. Summary and Analysis Chapter 18 Young Cathy, sporting features of both parents, grows up at the Grange, unaware of Wuthering Heights and the people who live there. For 13 years Edgar never allows her to leave the grounds by herself. Being an inquisitive girl, when she hears of the Fairy cave at Penistone Craggs, she begs her father to take her there, but the road passes by Wuthering Heights, and he is not willing to travel there. During the time of Cathy's fixation with the Fairy cave, Isabella writes to Edgar, informing him of her impending death. She asks him to come to her and take Linton to the Grange, in an attempt to keep him from Heathcliff. Edgar goes to her, leaving Nelly in charge of Cathy. Nelly entertains Cathy by indulging in imaginative adventures about the grounds, but one morning, Cathy does not return. Seeking her out, Nelly discovers that Cathy's pony leaped the hedges this morning, heading in the general direction of Penistone Craggs. Nelly ends up finding Cathy at Wuthering Heights. Cathy was riding toward the cave when Hareton's dogs and hers ended up getting intertwined. Hareton and Cathy spend the day together, enjoying themselves immensely — until Nelly arrives. Nelly insists on getting Cathy home immediately, but she is too interested in Hareton. Her interest vanishes, though, as soon as she finds out that Hareton is not the son of the master of Wuthering Heights. She immediately assumes he is a servant, and this enrages Hareton. A servant reveals that Hareton is Cathy's cousin; Cathy, in turn, reveals that her father is off to London to fetch her cousin. Both bits of news upset Nelly. She and Cathy decide not to tell Edgar of Cathy's visit because neither wants Nelly to lose her position at the Grange. Analysis Nelly starts the second half of her narrative focusing on her own self-preservation. She uses guilt to get Cathy to agree to keep the visit to Wuthering Heights a secret rather than to admit to Edgar what had happened. Although Nelly was not entirely at fault for Cathy's excursion, she finds it easier to pretend the entire incident did not exist because it is easier to avoid the truth than deal with any recriminations. When Cathy is visiting Wuthering Heights, readers first receive a glimpse of Hareton's pride; he is reminiscent of young Heathcliff. In fact, many things are reminiscent of the earlier generation: The day Hareton and Cathy spend together at Penistone Craggs parallels the fun-filled adventures Heathcliff and Catherine had on the moors, and Cathy's rejection of Hareton's lack of an education mirrors her mother's rejection of Heathcliff's societal standing. Summary and Analysis Chapter 19 Linton arrives from London, a "pale, delicate, effeminate boy" who greatly resembles Edgar. He is too weak and sick to play with Cathy and has to lie on a couch instead of sitting with the family during tea. Cathy treats him as should would a new pet. Edgar confides in Nelly that he hopes having a playmate his own age will help, if Heathcliff allows Linton to live at the Grange. Edgar's fears are realized when Joseph arrives that evening, demanding to take Linton to Wuthering Heights. Refusing to awaken Linton, Edgar promises Joseph that Linton will be delivered to Heathcliff in the morning. Analysis Although Cathy is excited about the imminent arrival of her "real" cousin (she does not want to consider Hareton a relative of hers), she is extremely disappointed in Linton. Cathy and the readers' first impressions are both similar and accurate. Linton's condition will not improve, especially living at Wuthering Heights. As the second-generation characters develop in the second half ofWuthering Heights, readers should note significant similarities and differences between parents and their children. Most noticeably, although Linton's physical condition is nothing like Heathcliff's, he clearly reflects his father's tyrannical personality. Cathy, in turn, seems to possess the wildness of her mother, but her personality is tempered a bit, reflecting the nature of her father. Hareton's features favor his Aunt Catherine, but due to Heathcliff's upbringing, his personality is that of a young Heathcliff. Summary and Analysis Chapter 20 The next morning, Nelly takes Linton to Wuthering Heights. In order to get him to go to a father that he does not know, Nelly makes all sorts of assurances that she knows are not true. When they arrive, Heathcliff refers to his son as "property" and, speaking directly to Linton, refers to the boy's mother as a "wicked slut." Although Heathcliff readily admits he does not love his son, he relishes the opportunity to gain access of the Grange through him. Nelly leaves as Linton cries out, "Don't leave me! I'll not stay here!" Analysis Nelly lies quite easily to Linton and is probably somewhat relieved that she will not have to deal with him. Undoubtedly, raising Linton would be worse than raising Catherine was. As Heathcliff refers to his son as "property," readers may slightly sympathize with Linton's predicament. Heathcliff clearly has no tolerance for his weak offspring, and the fact that Linton's looks favor his Uncle Edgar make Heathcliff hate him even more. The only use Heathcliff has for the "whey-faced whining wretch" is implementing his revenge against Edgar. Summary and Analysis Chapter 21 Three years later, with the memory of Linton erased from her mind, Cathy and Nelly are both bird hunting and exploring on the moors. Cathy moves more quickly than Nelly does, and before Nelly can stop them, Cathy is speaking with Heathcliff. While speaking with Heathcliff, Cathy notices Hareton and remarks that she has met him before. Heathcliff cannot respond to that, but he does mention that she has met his son before and encourages Cathy and Nelly to visit his house. Nelly knows that this is not a good idea but is unable to convince Cathy not to go because Cathy is eager to determine who Heathcliff's son is. Heathcliff mentions to Nelly his desire to have the cousins fall in love and get married. When Cathy and Linton do meet, they do not recognize each other at first. Although Linton is now taller than Cathy is, he is still quite sickly. Unwilling to show Cathy around the farmhouse at first, Linton stays inside while Hareton leaves to show his cousin Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff sends Linton after his cousins, and as he leaves, Nelly hears Cathy mock Hareton's inability to read. The next day, Cathy reveals everything about her visit to her father. Edgar tries to explain to Cathy why he kept her from her cousins and her uncle, but she does not understand his reasoning. Edgar also commands his daughter not to have any contact with Linton. This upsets Cathy greatly, and she begins to have a secret, letter-writing relationship with Linton. Nelly discovers what Cathy has been doing and destroys Linton's letters to Cathy, but Nelly does not tell Edgar. Analysis Heathcliff reveals his plan to Nelly and the readers, along with his rationale that he is doing this, only as a safeguard against legal disputes. It is interesting that he still considers Nelly a confidant. Often, in the past, she took his side, and he clearly still thinks he can manipulate her. He is correct in his assumptions, for as he convinces Cathy to seek out his son, Nelly's chief concern is that Edgar will find out of the visit, and she laments "and I shall have the blame." After Heathcliff reveals his plan and Nelly counters that Cathy would be Edgar's heir, Heathcliff's response foreshadows the fact that Edgar's lawyer is now on Heathcliff's payroll, for Heathcliff knows that "there is no clause in the will to secure it so." The only way he could know what Edgar's will stated is by being privy to it. And there is no way that Edgar would have allowed Heathcliff to know the contents of his will; therefore, Edgar's lawyer must have shown Heathcliff, or at least shared the contents. When Nelly and Cathy arrive at Wuthering Heights, Linton has grown but is still as disagreeable as ever. He joins Cathy in making fun of Hareton's lack of a formal education and whines about not being able to travel the four miles to Thrushcross Grange. Logically, he argues, he is too sick to travel; therefore, Cathy must visit him. Once again, Nelly's priorities seem to be skewed. Instead of telling Edgar about Cathy's letter writing, she takes it upon herself to burn them all, only threatening to tell Edgar. Nelly keeps Cathy's secret the same way that Cathy kept Nelly's secret (in Chapter 18); thus acting as Cathy's friend. Nelly will not always keep Cathy's secrets, as readers soon find out. Summary and Analysis Chapter 22 During the winter, Cathy has little time to think of Linton because she is nursing her father, whom she thinks is dying. While walking one day, Cathy's hat blows over the garden wall. Nelly helps Cathy over the wall to fetch it, but Cathy cannot scale the other side by herself. While Nelly searches for a key to open the gate, Heathcliff appears. He chides Cathy for writing letters to Linton for a few months and then suddenly stopping. He claims that she is playing games with Linton's affection and that he is now dying of a broken heart. Heathcliff tells Cathy that he will be away for a week and encourages her to visit her cousin. Cathy feels extremely guilty about what Heathcliff has told her, so she and Nelly take off for Wuthering Heights the next morning. Analysis Again, Nelly is convinced to do something that she should probably not do — escorting Cathy to Wuthering Heights. Nonetheless, Cathy is determined to prove her loyalty to her sick cousin, and is eager to dote on him. Nelly's own devotion to Cathy illustrates the difference between Catherine and her daughter. Because of Catherine's selfishness and willfulness, Nelly had no trouble contradicting Catherine and making her life miserable, but with Cathy, Nelly's actions are different. Nelly is truly fond of Cathy and therefore has very little difficulty rationalizing a way to agree to Cathy's requests. Summary and Analysis Chapter 23 Nelly and Cathy travel in the rain all the way to Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is indeed not home, and Linton is more pathetic than ever. He complains about the servants and whines to Cathy, first for not visiting, and then for writing instead of visiting. He also mentions the idea of marriage. Linton's talk of love vexes Cathy, and she pushes his chair, sending him into a coughing fit. He uses this to claim that she injured him and worsened his condition; he guilts her into thinking she can nurse him back to health. Because Nelly catches a cold due to spending the day traveling in wet weather, Cathy spends her days nursing both Nelly and her father, but, unbeknownst to Nelly and Edgar, she spends her nights riding across the moors to visit Linton. Analysis For many critics, Nelly's sickness is a contrived plot point that is entirely too convenient to be believable; however, most critics concede that sickness was possible if not plausible. Therefore, it does not detract greatly from the narrative and does aid the advancement of Heathcliff's plan for revenge. Instrumental in Heathcliff's plan is for Cathy to marry Linton, and in order for that to happen, he needs her to care for him. When Cathy discusses her attraction to Linton, her words echo her mother: "he'll soon do as I direct him with some slight coaxing." Cathy, like her mother, enjoys the notion of having control over a man. Summary and Analysis Chapter 24 After Nelly recovers, she notices that Cathy is agitated in the evening. Cathy pretends to retire early, but when Nelly cannot find her anywhere in the house, she waits in Cathy's room for her to return. Cathy attempts a feeble lie at first but soon admits the truth. On one of her visits, Hareton stops her and tells her that he can read the name above the door; however, Cathy asks if he knows the numbers, and when he concedes he does not, she again makes fun of him. This enrages Hareton, and during her visit with Linton, Hareton storms into the room and forces Linton upstairs. Later Hareton attempts to apologize to Cathy, but she refuses to listen to him. Cathy visits three days later, but Linton blames her for the previous trouble, so she leaves. When she returns two days later, she tells Linton this is her last visit, but this news causes him trouble, and he apologizes for his behavior. Nelly listens to Cathy's tale, and then immediately tells Edgar everything. He forbids Cathy to continue visiting Linton but says he will write and invite Linton to visit the Grange. Analysis In this chapter Cathy serves as the primary narrator, telling Nelly (who in turn tells Lockwood) about her evening visits to Wuthering Heights. Many readers question Cathy's devotion to Linton, for he does not seem particularly agreeable. Again, Cathy ridicules Hareton, but this time her words lead to an injury for Linton. Unbelievably, this is an incident that Linton holds Cathy accountable for. In doing so, he is remaining true to his self-centered, annoying character. Nelly, however, abruptly changes her character. For the first time, she does the responsible, adult thing and tells Edgar almost everything about Cathy and Linton's developing relationship. What she does not tell him, however, is the extent of Linton's illness, and this ends up providing Edgar a false sense of security that his daughter might eventually marry and keep her family home. Summary and Analysis Chapter 25 Breaking from her narrative, Nelly tells Lockwood that these events transpired a little over a year ago. Lockwood is so enraptured with the story that he begs her to continue. Cathy obeys her father's wishes. Nelly tells Edgar that Linton is of frail health, and Edgar admits that he fears for Cathy's happiness. He even concedes that if marrying Linton would make Cathy happy, he would be in favor of it, even though it means Heathcliff would get what he wants. Although Linton never visits the Grange, after much pleading, Edgar allows Cathy to visit with Linton on the moors. Analysis This short chapter is important for two significant reasons. First, it establishes the time frame, the previous winter, which is relatively close to Lockwood's arrival, and second, it establishes Edgar's mindset shortly before his death. Because the current events just occurred the previous winter, the characters who Lockwood encounters at Wuthering Heights may still be closely affected by the events that have transpired. Recall that at Lockwood's visit to Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff had just recently lost his son and Cathy, her husband, and the way they reacted to the loss was indicative about their natures. Edgar, now and up to the time of his death, remains misguided. He only wants Cathy's happiness, but happiness is something he was unable to provide for her mother, and it is something that he is unable to provide for their daughter. Summary and Analysis Chapter 26 At the time of the first scheduled meeting on the moors, Linton is not at the agreed-upon spot; rather, he is quite close to Wuthering Heights. Both Nelly and Cathy are concerned about Linton's health, but he insists that he is getting stronger. During their entire visit he is squeamish and scared and is constantly looking back towards his house. When it is time to leave, Cathy assures Linton that she promises to meet him again next Thursday. On the way home Cathy and Nelly discuss Linton's health and decide to wait until the next visit to determine the extent of his deterioration. Analysis Cathy has mixed emotions about meeting her cousin and senses that Heathcliff is the one pushing for them to meet. Readers, who already know of Heathcliff's plans, realize that Cathy has a reason to be cautious. Linton is clearly dying, yet his father is still using him as a means of revenge. Nelly's inability to reveal anything to Edgar foreshadows the forthcoming abduction. Summary and Analysis Chapter 27 During the week that follows, Edgar's health continues to deteriorate, so it is grudgingly that Cathy rides to meet Linton. During the visit, Heathcliff arrives and demands to know if Edgar is truly dying. Heathcliff is worried that Linton might die before Edgar does. Heathcliff asks Cathy to walk her cousin back to Wuthering Heights. Although she meekly reminds Heathcliff that she is forbidden from visiting the farmhouse, Cathy disobeys her father's instructions. Linton's cries of anguish and Heathcliff's rage, which is directed toward Linton, however, convince both Cathy and Nelly to accompany them. After they're inside, Heathcliff imprisons Cathy and Nelly; he will not release her until after she and Linton are married. Overnight, Heathcliff locks Cathy in a bedroom. In the morning he frees Cathy from the room, but Nelly is held prisoner for five days, only seeing Hareton, who serves as her jailer. Analysis Linton is extremely pathetic and obviously terrified of Heathcliff; however, the manner in which he speaks to Cathy after she is lured to Wuthering Heights mitigates any sympathy readers may be feeling for him. After Cathy is locked inside, Linton reveals to her Heathcliff's plans, and a sense of inescapable doom exists. This kidnapping, the first time Heathcliff does something entirely outside the limits of the law, is an act of desperation on his behalf; Linton needs to marry Cathy before Edgar's death, and Edgar needs to die before Linton does in order for Heathcliff to solidify his claim on Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff's actions clearly illustrate the philosophy that "the ends justify the means." In doing so, readers tend to root for Cathy to be able to somehow thwart Heathcliff's growing power. Nelly does not witness the wedding, but Cathy and Linton do indeed get married. Summary and Analysis Chapter 28 Zillah enters the bedroom on the fifth morning of Nelly's imprisonment, telling her that the village gossip has both Cathy and Nelly being lost in the marshes. Nelly finds Linton, who tells her that Cathy is being held prisoner and cannot be released. Unable to get Cathy free and unwilling to face Heathcliff, Nelly returns to the Grange. She assures Edgar that Cathy is safe and will be home soon. She also dispatches servants to Wuthering Heights to bring Cathy home. The servants return empty-handed. Edgar sends for Mr. Green, a lawyer, to change his will. Nelly thinks she hears him arrive, but it is Cathy. With Linton's help, she has escaped. Edgar and Cathy are reunited, and Edgar dies content, thinking his daughter is happily married. Later that evening, Mr. Green arrives and immediately takes charge of the Grange, dismissing all the servants except Nelly. He attempts to have Edgar buried in the chapel, but Nelly knows that Edgar's will clearly states that he is to be buried next to his wife. Cathy is permitted to stay at the Grange until after her father's burial. Analysis Nelly once again favors a lie instead of the truth, but this is probably advantageous for all involved, for nothing can be gained at this time by telling the truth to Edgar. Although Linton's words to Nelly echo his father's in regards to how he should treat his wife, Linton, in his own weakling way, finally stands up to his father when he enables Cathy to escape. And Mr. Green symbolizes the extent of Heathcliff's interference, using money and influence to bend the laws, encouraging a lawyer to sacrifice one client for another. Heathcliff's retention of Nelly as housekeeper at Thrushcross Grange is his way of being practical, as well as rewarding her for showing what he considers to be loyalty. Summary and Analysis Chapter 29 Heathcliff arrives to escort Cathy home, informing her that he punished Linton for his role in Cathy's escape. He refuses to allow Cathy to live at the Grange because he wants her to work for her keep, especially after Linton dies. Legally, both Linton and Heathcliff have greater claims to the Grange; thus, Cathy has no choice but to obey the directive of her father-in-law. Cathy speaks out against Heathcliff, stating her love for Linton and that Heathcliff is alone in the world. As she is packing her things, Heathcliff confides in Nelly that he believes in ghosts, particularly the ghost of Catherine. Ever since her burial 18 years ago, he has been feeling her presence and seeing her. As he leaves, Heathcliff instructs Nelly not to visit Wuthering Heights, for she is not welcome. Analysis The fullest extent of Heathcliff's cruelty, what he does to Linton, is not shown on the page; rather, readers are able to leave it to their own imagination. Nonetheless, he makes it painfully clear that Linton will never cross him again. Although he punishes his son, Heathcliff is not entirely without feelings. The loss of Catherine has tormented him, and oddly enough, after all Heathcliff has done to other characters, many readers again tend to sympathize with him for what he has endured. Brontë evokes this sympathy through Heathcliff's explanation that he has been disturbed nightly for 18 years, yearning to be reunited with Catherine yet having her just out of reach. Heathcliff's longing to be one with Catherine for eternity is the mark of a romantic, of a man truly in love and truly tormented by the loss of his love. Yet, true to his nature, he ends the chapter being as heartless as ever, informing Nelly that she is not to visit Wuthering Heights, effectively leaving Cathy alone in her new home. Summary and Analysis Chapter 30 This chapter is the end of Nelly's narrative: Zillah now serves as Nelly's source of information about Cathy. Following Heathcliff's orders, Zillah refused to help Cathy when she first came to Wuthering Heights; Hareton was not able to do anything for her, either. Until the day Linton dies, Cathy tends to him herself. After his death, Cathy is not willing to let Zillah or Hareton be nice to her. At the end of the chapter, Lockwood, who is recuperated, informs Nelly that Heathcliff may look for another tenant for the Grange. Analysis The end of Nelly's primary narrative brings the story full circle to Chapter 1, when Lockwood first visited the Heights. Because of the cold reception she received after her father's death (per Heathcliff's instructions), Cathy is not friendly with either Zillah or Hareton; however, an attraction between Cathy and Hareton obviously exists: He offers her food and a seat by the fire, and she allows him to help her retrieve books that are out of reach. Neither one wants to admit having even a passing interest in the other, but both remember their friendly first meeting. Heathcliff wants to prevent any friendship from developing between Hareton and Cathy because Hindley destroyed the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff. Because he is miserable, he tries to ensure that no one else is happy. tải về 31.33 Kb. Chia sẻ với bạn bè của bạn:
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