Wuthering Heights Summary Volume 1

Wuthering heights summary

Volume 1 chapter 1 :
• It is the year 1801. While staying in Yorkshire, Mr Lockwood pays his landlord Heathcliff , a somewhat unwelcome visit in order to introduce himself.
• We are introduced to Lockwood, Heathcliff , heathcliff's servant Joseph and a female servant.
• The property Wuthering Heights is described.

Volume 1 Chapter 2:
• Lockwood repeats his visit to the Heights and meets Hareton and Cathy Heathcliff.
• Lockwood mistakes a heap of dead rabbits for a cushion full of cats, revealing him as an unreliable observer who sees only what he expects to see.
• He also antagonises Hareton by trying to guess at the family relationships and in the end Heathcliff is obliged to explain that both his wife and his son are dead and that Cathy is his daughter in law.
• because of a blizzard , Lockwood is forced to spend the night as a guest at the heights.

Volume 1 Chapter 3:
• zillah , the housekeeper at Wuthering Heights , shows Lockwood to a room at the top of the house which she confides , is both secret and forbidden.
• The room is covered with the name " Catherine " in different forms; Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Linton and Catherine Heathcliff.
• Lockwood has two dreams the second of which he encounters the ghost of Catherine.
• Lockwood cries out to Catherine's ghost, waking Heathcliff and causing him great distress.
• Lockwood unknown to Heathcliff sees him cry out to the ghost of Catherine.
• The next morning Heathcliff guides Lockwood back to the Grange , to which he returns disorientated and 'feeble as a kitten'.

Volume 1 Chapter 4:
• While recovering from his trip to the Heights, Lockwood engages his housekeeper Nelly Dean , to tell him a story of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights.
• We learn that Cathy Heathcliff is the last of the Lintons, just as Hareton is the last of the Earnshaws.
• Nelly hints that Heathcliff cheated Hareton out of his rightful inheritance.
• Nelly Dean takes over the narration at this point and we learn something of Heathcliff's history : how he was rescued from a port in Liverpool by Mr Earnshaw, his growing friendship with Catherine and his feud with her brother Hindley.
• Two years later Mrs Earnshaw dies and the children all fall sick with the measles. This endears Heathcliff to Nelly Dean , as he is least complaining, unlike Hindley and Catherine.
• The chapter closes with the incident of the two colts. Heathcliff takes the best and when his falls lame , takes Hindley's.

Volume 1 Chapter 5
• Nelly Dean recounts how the family relationships develop in divise ways as Mr Earnshaw's health fails.
• Hindley continues to bully Heathcliff and humiliate him. Hindley is eventually sent away to college on the advice of a curate who is offering the family private tuition. Mr Earnshaw agrees reluctantly as he does not believe that Hindley will benefit from college.
• We are given our first sustained description of Catherine.
• Mr Earnshaw dies quietly one October evening. Both Catherine and Heathcliff are utterly distraught and comfort each other.

Volume 1 chapter 6
• Following the death of his father, Hindley returns as the master of the Heights, with a wife , Frances, who is described as poor, ill and silly.
• As the new master , Hindley finds vent for all his old hatred of Heathcliff. He denies him an education , insists that he should labour outdoors and makes him live with the servants.
• Despite Hindley's endeavours , Heathcliff and Catherine remain inseparable and wild.
• We have our first introduction to Edgar and Isabella Linton, who live in the neighbouring house, Thrushcross Grange.
• Catherine is hurt on one of her escapades with Heathcliff, and is obliged to remain at Thrushcross Grange until she is considered well enough to return to the heights.

Volume 1 Chapter 7:
• Catherine returns from her five week stay at Thrushcross Grange and transformed into a lady.
• Heathcliff has been systematically debased by Hindley during this time.
• The Linton children have been invited to Wuthering Heights the next day in order to thank them for nursing Catherine.
• Heathcliff begs Nelly to make him decent, but Hindley and Edgar Linton both try to humiliate Heathcliff , who retaliates violently.
• Heathcliff is dismissed and Catherine , apparently unfeelingly , continues to have tea with her new friends.
• Eventually she creeps away from the tea party to be with Heathcliff , and Heathcliff plots his revenge on Hindley.
• The end of the chapter reminds us that this is a story being related to Lockwood by Nelly Dean.

Volume 1 Chapter 8:
• In June 1778 , Hindley's son Hareton is born.
• Frances Earnshaw dies of consumption and Hindley declines even further into recklessness. Nelly Dean returns to Wuthering Heights to act as nursemaid to the baby.
• The relationship between Catherine and Edgar is developed, and the tension between Edgar and Heathcliff is intensified. Catherine feels torn between Edgar and Heathcliff.
• Catherine displays violent behaviour, pinching and slapping Nelly and boxing Edgar's ears.

Volume 1 Chapter 9:
• Heathcliff and Hindley's relationship deteriorates even further. Hindley is abusive and violent to everyone, he threatens Nelly with a carving knife and shows no affection for his infant son.
• Catherine makes her choice between Edgar and Heathcliff and chooses Edgar. There is a long discussion on the nature of love between Catherine and Nelly Dean. Catherine makes it clear that she has chosen to marry Edgar for his looks, his wealth and his position. She says it would " degrade" her to marry Heathcliff , at which Heathcliff , who has been listening unknown to Catherine , leaves.
• Catherine is distraught and goes to search for him on the moors, as a consequence of which she catches a fever and goes once more to recuperate at the Grange.
• Three years later , when Edgar is master of the Grange , he marries Catherine. Heathcliff is absent all this time.
• Nelly reluctantly leaves Hareton and goes with Catherine to live at the Grange.

Volume 1 Chapter 10 :
• Catherine Earnshaw is now married to Edgar Linton and lives in relative luxury and peace, indulged by Edgar and his sister Isabella.
• Heathcliff returns to the area, to Catherine's immense joy. Nelly remarks upon the transformation of Heathcliff into a tall , well built , intelligent man.
• Heathcliff reveals that he is staying with Hindley Earnshaw at the Heights, which causes Nelly to be suspicious.
• Isabella develops an intense infatuation for Heathcliff , which he does not return. Nevertheless , he sees that he might use her feelings for him as a way to revenge himself upon Edgar.

Volume 1 Chapter 11:
• Nelly returns on a whim to the Heights and is appalled to see how it has deteriorated.
• Hareton , previously her charge and joy, though still barely more than five years old , curses at her.
• Heathcliff calls at the Grange and makes overtures to Isabella, displeasing both Catherine and Edgar.
• Fierce arguments between Catherine, Edgar and Heathcliff induce Catherine to retire to her bed.

Volume 1 Chapter 12:
• Catherine is genuinely I'll , having starved herself and worked herself into a fervour of ill health.
• Edgar is kept ignorant of Catherine's condition and spends his time reading. When he finally visits her room he finds her hallucinating and feverish and blames Nelly for her deterioration.
• Nelly discovers Isabella's favourite dog hanging from a tree , nearly dead.
• Nelly summons the doctor to attend Catherine, and the doctor informs her that Isabella and Heathcliff have been having secret nightly trysts and intend to elope.
• Isabella leaves Thrushcross Grange secretly to marry Heathcliff.
• On discovering her disappearance , Edgar disowns Isabella.

Volume 1 chapter 13:
• Catherine is diagnosed as having brain fever and us nursed devotedly by Edgar , under whose care she slowly begins to improve.
• For two months Isabella and Heathcliff remain absent.
• Six weeks after their departure, Isabella writes a letter to Edgar which ends with a secret pencilled note begging for reconciliation. He ignores her request.
• She then rights to Nelly, and Nelly now reads this to Lockwood.
• It says that Isabella and Heathcliff are back at Wuthering Heights as Hindley is intent on winning back from Healthcliff all the money he has lost to him through gambling.
• In her letter , Isabella perceives herself to be both friendless and abused in her relationship with Heathcliff.
• Isabella describes how Hindley showed her a gun with which he intended to kill Heathcliff , and her reaction to this weapon is one of covetousness rather than horror.
• The letter details Heathcliff's reaction on hearing Catherine's illness for which he blames Edgar, promising that Isabella shall be her proxy in suffering.
• The letter and the chapter end with and entreaty from Isabella to Nelly Dean to call on her at Wuthering Heights.

Volume 1 Chapter 14:
• Nelly goes to see Isabella as requested and informs Edgar of Isabella's predicament, but Edgar refuses to have anything to do with her.
• Heathcliff determines to see Catherine whether permission is granted or not, and Nelly reluctantly agrees to act as intermediary.
• Time switches to the present. The doctor calls on Lockwood and Lockwood reflects that he must be cautious of falling in love with the present Catherine for fear that she should resemble the first.