Wuthering Heights Summary and Complete Study Guide

**Heathcliff**: Possibly literature's most complex villain-protagonist. An orphan from Liverpool brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw. After Earnshaw dies, Hindley degrades him to servant status. Catherine's declaration that marrying him would degrade her breaks him completely. His three-year absence transforms him from abused servant to wealthy gentleman (we never learn how—possibly crime). His revenge is systematic: marry Isabella to hurt Edgar, acquire both properties through legal manipulation, force marriages to control inheritance. But revenge doesn't satisfy him. He's driven by Catherine's ghost, and his final starvation-death suggests he chooses to join her rather than continue living in hate. Is he sympathetic? Yes and no—childhood abuse explains but doesn't excuse decades of cruelty. **Catherine Earnshaw**: Wild, selfish, passionate. Her famous line "I am Heathcliff" suggests their souls are the same, but her actions contradict this—she marries Edgar for comfort while claiming her spiritual bond is with Heathcliff. Her madness comes from trying to have both men, both worlds (civilized Grange, wild Heights). Her declaration "I've no more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven" while planning to marry him anyway shows the internal contradiction that destroys her. She dies young, but her ghost haunts the entire second half. Modern readers debate: is she a victim of limited female choices, or is she selfish and cruel? Probably both. **Edgar Linton**: Represents civilization, culture, and gentility—everything Heathcliff isn't. He truly loves Catherine and treats her well, but he bores her. He's kind but weak—he can't protect his wife from Heathcliff's psychological torment, can't stop his daughter being forced into marriage. The Lintons represent refined society that's too delicate to withstand raw passion and cruelty. Heathcliff destroys them without breaking a sweat. **Second Generation**: Young Catherine, Linton, and Hareton replay their parents' relationships but with a better outcome. Young Catherine is spirited like her mother but kinder. Hareton was degraded by Heathcliff like Heathcliff was by Hindley, but he's not broken. Catherine teaches him to read, breaking the cycle of abuse with education and compassion. Their love represents hope that the next generation can choose differently.

**Is It Romance or Horror?**: People call it romantic because the love is intense. But read closely: Heathcliff and Catherine are toxic. She drives him to revenge by marrying someone else. He retaliates by destroying everyone. Their "love" kills Catherine, Isabella, Edgar, Hindley, his own son Linton, and nearly destroys the younger generation. Emily Brontë isn't celebrating this; she's showing obsession disguised as love. The moors are beautiful but harsh—perfect setting for a relationship that's passionate but destructive.