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Summary Wuthering Heights- Chapter 17 Revision Notes
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A detailed summary of the chapters in Wuthering Heights, including key quotes for each character and the development of key themes and ideas.
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Chapter ThirteenSparkNotes summary: Not long after the funeral, Isabella arrives at
Thrushcross Grange, out of breath and laughing hysterically. She has come at a
time when she knows Edgar will be asleep, to ask Nelly for help. Isabella reports
that the conflict between Hindley and Heathcliff has become violent. Hindley, she
says, tried to stay sober for Catherine’s funeral, but could not bear to go.
Instead, he began drinking heavily that morning. While Heathcliff kept a vigil
over Catherine’s grave, Hindley locked him out of the house and told Isabella
that he planned to shoot him. Isabella warned Heathcliff about Hindley’s plan,
and when Hindley aimed his knife-gun out the window at Heathcliff, the latter
grabbed it and fired it back at its owner’s wrist, wounding Hindley. Heathcliff
forced his way in the window, then beat Hindley severely. The next morning,
Isabella reminded Hindley what Heathcliff had done to him the previous night.
Hindley grew enraged, and the men began fighting again. Isabella fled to
Thrushcross Grange, seeking a permanent refuge from Wuthering Heights.
Soon after her visit to Nelly, Isabella leaves for London, where she gives
birth to Heathcliff’s son, Linton. Isabella corresponds with Nelly throughout
the following twelve years. Heathcliff learns of his wife’s whereabouts, and
of his son’s existence, but he doesn’t pursue either of them. Isabella dies
when Linton is twelve years old. Six months after Catherine’s death,
Hindley dies. Nelly returns to Wuthering Heights to see to the funeral
arrangements, and to bring young Hareton back to Thrushcross Grange.
She is shocked to learn that Hindley died deeply in debt, and that
Heathcliff, who had lent Hindley large amounts of money to supply his
gambling addiction, now owns Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff does not
allow Hareton to return to Thrushcross Grange with Nelly, saying that he
plans to raise him on his own. He also intimates that he plans to recover
his son Linton at some point in the future. And so, Nelly tells Lockwood,
Hareton, who should have lived as the finest gentleman in the area, is
reduced to working for his keep at Wuthering Heights. A common,
uneducated servant, he remains friendless and without hope.
Key events:
Isabella escapes Wuthering Heights following a violent
incident between Heathcliff and Hindley
Hindley dies, where his money is left to Heathcliff
Isabella gives birth to Linton but it is told she dies when he
is 12
Key themes/ideas:
Escape
Violence
, Revenge
Death
Life
Heathcliff:
His evil nature is unavoidable- “Even if he had doted on me,
the devilish nature would have revealed its existence
somehow”
He destroys her purity- “People feel with their hearts, Ellen:
and since he has destroyed mine, I have not power to feel
for him”
He isolates himself due to grief- “he has not eaten a meal
with us for nearly a week. He has just come home at dawn,
and gone upstairs to his chamber; locking himself in”
He shows violence and strength- “The ruffian kicked and
trampled on him, and dashed his head repeatedly against
the flags, holding me with one hand” “he shook me till my
teeth rattled”
He saves Hindley, bitterly- “he tore off the sleeve of
Earnshaw’s coat, and bound up the wound with brutal
roughness; spitting and cursing”
He is weakened by his sadness- “His forehead, that I once
thought so manly, and that I now think so diabolical, was
shaded with a heavy cloud; his basilisk eyes were nearly
quenched by sleeplessness” “his lips devoid of their
ferocious sneer, and sealed in an expression of unspeakable
sadness”
He is blamed for Catherine’s death- “everyone knows your
sister would have been living now, had it not been for Mr
Heathcliff”
He is threatening- “Get up, wretched idiot, before I stamp
you to death” “he snatched a dinner knife from the table
and flung it at my head”
He wants to exert power- “But I’ll have it… when I want it.
They may reckon on that!”
He allows Hindley to have a funeral as at the time death due
to alcohol would have been classed as a suicide with the
money going to the Crown, so he allowed it to get the
money- “I might stay and order the arrangements for a
funeral, if I chose” “that fool’s body should be buried at the
crossroads, without ceremony of any kind”
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