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Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - Barron's Booknotes
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By the time the newlyweds return to live at Wuthering Heights,
Cathy is sufficiently recovered to recognize Heathcliff when he
sneaks into her room one day. Each accuses the other of
betraying their love. That night Cathy dies in premature
childbirth. When Heathcliff learns of her death, he beats his
head against a tree and begs her ghost to haunt him.
Meanwhile, Isabella's love for Heathcliff has turned to hate.
The day after Cathy's funeral, Isabella flees to Thrushcross
Grange to confide her troubles in Ellen. Hindley, driven mad
by the knowledge that he gambled away his property to
Heathcliff, had tried to kill him the night before. In the ensuing
struggle, Heathcliff had seriously injured Hindley. Isabella
escapes to the south of England, and six months later Hindley
dies.
Twelve years pass. Hareton, Hindley's son, grows up at
Wuthering Heights with Heathcliff, who raises him to be proud
of his ignorance and bad temper. Cathy and Edgar's daughter,
also named Catherine, grows up at Thrushcross Grange, where
Edgar gives her the love he once lavished on his wife. Cathy's
told nothing about Wuthering Heights or Heathcliff.
Edgar hears that his sister Isabella is dying, and goes south to
see her and the son, Linton, she bore not long after leaving
Heathcliff. Edgar brings Linton home to Thrushcross Grange
after Isabella dies, but the next day Heathcliff claims his son.
Cathy doesn't see Linton again until three years later, when she
meets Heathcliff for the first time.
Heathcliff takes Cathy to Wuthering Heights, where she is
briefly reunited with Linton. Heathcliff tells Ellen that he
intends the two to marry. Despite Edgar's ban on
communication between the two households, Cathy secretly
exchanges love letters with Linton until Ellen finds out and
puts a stop to it. The next time Cathy runs into Heathcliff, he
tells her that Linton is dying of love for her, but when she goes
to see him, they fight. Heathcliff has turned Linton's natural
peevishness into maliciousness. Cathy continues secretly to see
the boy, however.
Edgar is dying, and fears for Cathy's future. Since he has no
male heir, the property will pass to Linton, his sister's son. The
only way Cathy can stay at Thrushcross Grange is to marry
Linton. Shortly after Edgar dies, Linton also succumbs, and
Heathcliff claims Thrushcross Grange in his late wife's name.
The major portion of Ellen Dean's story ends here. Lockwood
leaves Yorkshire for a while. A year passes. Then Lockwood
returns, and Ellen tells him what has happened in the interim.
When Hareton, Hindley's son, and Cathy fell in love, a strange
change came over Heathcliff. He lost interest in his revenge,
yearning only to be again with his Cathy, and finally died.
As the story ends, Hareton and the younger Cathy are to be
married.
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