Plot Review of "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte

The novel commences with Lockwood, a wealthy dweller of Heathcliff’s. Grounded during a snowstorm at Wuthering Heights, Lockwood is attacked and later encountered by a ghost called Catherine. The next day, Heathcliff escorts Lockwood back to Thrushcross Grange. Riled up with curiosity, he implores Nelly Dean to expose him to Wuthering Heights’ and its inhabitants’ concealed history. Nelly Dean’s narration is a catalyst to revealing the main plot line. Recalling the past, we meet Mr. Earnshaw, the original owner of Wuthering heights, father to Hindley and Catherine Earnshaw. Mr. Earnshaw spontaneously decides to walk to Liverpool. This is when the reader is introduced to Heathcliff, an orphan, adopted and favored by Mr. Earnshaw over his own son. As the story progresses, Catherine and Heathcliff become inseparable, but Hindley loathes Heathcliff. Right after Mr. Earnshaw’s passes away, Hindley inherits Wuthering Heights and forces Heathcliff to work in the fields as a way to exact his revenge on Heathcliff.

One day Catherine and Heathcliff go to the Thrushcross Grange residence to spy on Edgar Linton and Catherine is bit by one of their dogs. When Catherine and Heathcliff are caught, Catherine is eagerly welcomed and nursed to health, but Heathcliff is shunned and refused permission to spend the night at Thrushcross Grange. This is where Catherine is first introduced to the upper social class and wealth. Slowly and gradually, Catherine and Edgar start to spend more time together and “fall in love”. Catherine realizes to climb up the social class she must marry Edgar, upon hearing this Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights, swears his revenge and disappears for three years. During Heathcliff’s absence, Catherine marries Edgar, even though their union only exists for social class and wealth purposes. Their relationship had already started to wither and Heathcliff’s arrival strained it further. Heathcliff winds up living with Catherine’s brother, Hindley, in Wuthering Heights and elopes with Isabella Linton to inherit her brother, Edgar’s, property. Soon after Heathcliff’s marriage, Catherine gives birth to Edgar’s daughter, Cathy, and dies. Heathcliff vows revenge and ignores the effects of his selfish motives. He wants everything Edgar loves. He desires to gain control of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.

In order to exact his revenge, Heathcliff must wait 17 years. Uses his son and forces Cathy to marry him. By this time he has control of the Heights and with Edgar’s death, he has control of the Grange. Through all of this, though, the ghost of Catherine haunts Heathcliff. Tempting him to reunite with her in the afterlife.At the end of the novel, his desires are fulfilled and Hareton and Cathy are going to be united in marriage.