Very Short Summary
Yorkshire moors, England, early 19th century. Mr. Earnshaw brought home a dark-skinned orphan boy whom he named Heathcliff. The boy formed a deep bond with Earnshaw's daughter Catherine, while his son Hindley grew to hate him.
After Mr. Earnshaw's death, Hindley degraded Heathcliff to a servant. Despite this, Catherine and Heathcliff remained inseparable until she met the wealthy Linton family. Catherine chose to marry Edgar Linton for social status, though her heart belonged to Heathcliff.
Heartbroken, Heathcliff disappeared for three years, returning wealthy and seeking revenge. He married Edgar's sister Isabella and gradually acquired ownership of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Catherine, devastated by the conflict between Heathcliff and Edgar, fell ill during pregnancy.
Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!
Catherine died after giving birth to young Cathy, and Heathcliff's vengeance intensified. He forced Cathy to marry his sickly son Linton, ensuring his control over both properties. After Linton's death, Cathy gradually formed a bond with Hareton, Hindley's son, whom Heathcliff had deliberately kept uneducated. Tormented by Catherine's ghost, Heathcliff eventually died, allowing Cathy and Hareton to find happiness together.
Detailed Summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Lockwood's Arrival at Wuthering Heights
In 1801, a wealthy young man named Lockwood arrived at Thrushcross Grange in Yorkshire as a tenant. During his first visit to his landlord at the nearby estate of Wuthering Heights, he encountered a strange and unwelcoming household.
His landlord, Heathcliff, was a dark and brooding man who showed little hospitality. Despite the cold reception, Lockwood made a second visit during a snowstorm and was forced to stay the night when the weather turned severe.
During his stay, Lockwood experienced a terrifying nightmare in which the ghost of Catherine Earnshaw appeared at his window, begging to be let in. His screams brought Heathcliff, who rushed to the window in desperate anguish, calling out to Catherine. Disturbed by these events, Lockwood became curious about the history of Wuthering Heights and its inhabitants. Upon returning to Thrushcross Grange, he asked his housekeeper, Nelly Dean, to tell him the story of the house and its residents.
Heathcliff's Mysterious Origins and Early Years
Nelly began her tale thirty years earlier, when Mr. Earnshaw, the owner of Wuthering Heights, brought home a dark-skinned orphan boy from Liverpool. He named the boy Heathcliff and raised him alongside his own children, Hindley and Catherine. While Catherine quickly formed a close bond with Heathcliff, Hindley deeply resented the newcomer and the attention he received from their father.
After Mr. Earnshaw's death, Hindley returned from college with his new wife, Frances, and became master of Wuthering Heights. He immediately relegated Heathcliff to the status of a servant, forcing him to work in the fields. Despite this degradation, Heathcliff and Catherine maintained their intense relationship, spending much of their time together on the moors.
Catherine and Heathcliff's Passionate Bond
One night, Catherine and Heathcliff ventured to Thrushcross Grange to spy on the Linton family. When they were discovered, Catherine was injured by a dog and taken in by the Lintons, while Heathcliff was sent away. After five weeks in their company, Catherine returned to Wuthering Heights transformed into a proper young lady.
Catherine began spending more time with Edgar Linton, though she maintained her deep connection with Heathcliff. When Edgar proposed marriage, Catherine confided in Nelly about her dilemma. Unbeknownst to her, Heathcliff overheard part of their conversation.
He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and Edgar's is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.
After hearing Catherine say it would degrade her to marry him, Heathcliff fled Wuthering Heights. He disappeared for three years, during which time Catherine married Edgar Linton and moved to Thrushcross Grange. When Heathcliff returned, he had transformed into a wealthy and polished gentleman, though his wild nature remained unchanged.
Catherine's Marriage and Tragic Death
Heathcliff's return disrupted Catherine's marriage to Edgar. To spite Edgar and gain control of Thrushcross Grange, Heathcliff courted and married Edgar's sister, Isabella. However, his true motivation was revenge, and he treated Isabella cruelly.
I have not broken your heart - you have broken it; and in breaking it, you have broken mine... So much the worse for me that I am strong. Do I want to live? What kind of living will it be when you - oh, God!
The emotional strain of Heathcliff's return and subsequent marriage to Isabella caused Catherine to fall ill. In her delirium, she longed for her childhood days with Heathcliff. During a passionate final meeting between the lovers, Catherine died shortly after giving birth to her daughter, also named Catherine. Heathcliff was devastated by her death, cursing her spirit to haunt him.
If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger.
Heathcliff's Revenge on the Next Generation
Isabella eventually escaped Heathcliff's abuse and gave birth to their son, Linton. Meanwhile, Hindley's wife Frances died after giving birth to their son, Hareton. Hindley descended into alcoholism and gambling, allowing Heathcliff to gain control of Wuthering Heights through loans. After Hindley's death, Heathcliff raised Hareton as an uneducated servant, just as Hindley had once treated him.
Young Cathy's Forced Marriage to Linton
Years passed, and Catherine's daughter, young Cathy, grew up at Thrushcross Grange, sheltered by her father Edgar. When she was thirteen, she encountered her cousin Hareton while exploring near Wuthering Heights, though her father had forbidden her to go there.
Heathcliff, continuing his revenge, brought his sickly son Linton to Wuthering Heights and forced a friendship between him and young Cathy. As Edgar's health declined, Heathcliff manipulated events to ensure Cathy and Linton would marry, thereby securing his claim to Thrushcross Grange. He imprisoned Cathy at Wuthering Heights until she agreed to marry Linton, who soon died, leaving everything to his father.
The little souls were comforting each other with better thoughts than I could have hit on: no parson in the world ever pictured heaven so beautifully as they did, in their innocent talk.
Redemption Through Young Cathy and Hareton
After Linton's death, young Cathy remained at Wuthering Heights, initially treating Hareton with contempt due to his lack of education. However, as time passed, she began to soften towards him and offered to teach him to read. Despite Heathcliff's attempts to prevent their friendship, Cathy and Hareton grew closer, their relationship mirroring the childhood bond between Heathcliff and the elder Catherine.
Heathcliff, meanwhile, became increasingly obsessed with Catherine's ghost, claiming she haunted him. He stopped eating and wandered the moors at night, seemingly pursuing some vision. His behavior grew more erratic, and he expressed a strange joy mixed with agony.
I'm too happy; and yet I'm not happy enough. My soul's bliss kills my body, but does not satisfy itself... Last night I was on the threshold of hell. Today, I am within sight of my heaven.
Finally, Heathcliff died, having starved himself while pursuing his visions of Catherine. He was buried next to Catherine, as he had wished. After his death, locals claimed to see their ghosts walking together on the moors. Meanwhile, young Cathy and Hareton planned their marriage and move to Thrushcross Grange, bringing hope for a happier future. Their love offered redemption for the tragic romance of their predecessors, as they prepared to marry on New Year's Day.