Summary
A classic work of Gothic literature by Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights brings together themes of love and obsession, jealousy and revenge, social class conflicts, and the supernatural. Set in the Yorkshire moors, the story employs multiple perspectives, including that of housekeeper Nelly Dean, to tell the tragic love story of Catherine and Heathcliff as well as the enmity between the Earnshaw and Linton families. This approach provides insight into the behavior and emotions of the novel’s unforgettable, complex characters.
Plot
Wuthering Heights follows the intertwined fates of the Earnshaw and Linton families. The story begins in 1801 with Mr. Lockwood, a newcomer to Thrushcross Grange, who rents from his enigmatic landlord, Heathcliff. An unsettling night at the neighboring estate, Wuthering Heights, piques Lockwood's curiosity. He learns about Heathcliff's past from housekeeper Ellen (Nelly) Dean.
Nelly's account begins with Heathcliff as a boy, an orphan encountered by Mr. Earnshaw during one of his business trips and brought home to Wuthering Heights. While Mr. Earnshaw's son, Hindley, despises Heathcliff at first sight, his younger daughter, Catherine, admires him. Soon, Heathcliff and Catherine become devoted friends. After the death of Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley demotes Heathcliff, a young adult, to servitude. Heathcliff's affection for Catherine and resentment towards Hindley both grow. After an unexpected accident, Catherine marries Edgar Linton, the heir to Thrushcross Grange, for security and social status. Her betrayal devastates Heathcliff and drives him to leave Wuthering Heights to make his own fortune.
Years later, Heathcliff returns, wealthy and seeking revenge. His presence creates chaos, affecting Edgar and Catherine, Edgar's sister Isabella, and Hindley, who has become a drunkard. Shortly after, Catherine dies after giving birth to a daughter, Cathy Linton. Heathcliff’s quest for vengeance impacts the next generation. He marries Isabella and manipulates their son, Linton, to gain control of both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange.
Amidst this conflict, Cathy Linton and Hareton Earnshaw, Hindley's son, resist the inherited animosity. Their growing bond challenges Heathcliff's control, indicating a move from revenge to reconciliation. As Heathcliff grapples with visions of Catherine, his soulmate, Cathy and Hareton's relationship suggests potential for peace at Wuthering Heights.
Themes
Love and passion
Wuthering Heights depicts love as a powerful and often destructive force. The relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw defies societal norms and leads to turmoil. Catherine's statement, "I am Heathcliff,” indicates a bond that extends beyond traditional romance.
Social class
Social class significantly influences interactions and outcomes in Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff's lack of social standing creates conflict and drives much of the narrative. His quest for revenge against higher-status individuals, such as the Lintons, underscores the rigid social hierarchies of the time. These structures shape interactions and affect personal relationships, as seen in Catherine's decision to marry the socially superior Edgar Linton, despite her connection with Heathcliff.
Revenge
Revenge is a central theme in Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff's pursuit of vengeance against those who wronged him demonstrates the destructive nature of unchecked malice. His actions towards Hindley Earnshaw, the Linton family, and young Hareton perpetuate a cycle of retribution, reflecting ongoing conflicts of love and resentment.
Nature versus civilization
Emily Brontë explores the contrast between nature and civilization through the settings of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Heathcliff is linked to the untamed moors and embodies raw instincts, while the Lintons symbolize societal order. This contrast examines the tension between primal impulses and social norms.
The supernatural
Supernatural elements play an integral role in Wuthering Heights. Notably, Catherine’s ghost, which torments Heathcliff, reinforces the novel’s theme of enduring love and Gothic mood as well as highlights how the past haunts the present.
Setting
Emily Brontë uses the Yorkshire moors and the architectural elements of the estate to reflect the central themes of Wuthering Heights. The moors mirror the intense emotions that drive the story. This means that the raw landscape represents the love and hatred influencing the characters. The moors serve both as a sanctuary and a perilous realm where societal norms blur. These are the spaces where Catherine and Heathcliff's bond is both nurtured and threatened. This underscores the novel’s exploration of unchecked passion and social defiance.
The design of Wuthering Heights, the estate itself, features Gothic architectural elements. This creates an atmosphere of entrapment and isolation. Mr. Lockwood describes "grotesque carvings" and "narrow windows… deeply set in the wall," which enhances the property's foreboding aura. This architectural motif reflects a physical and emotional stronghold, representing the characters' struggles with their era's harsh realities. Together, the moors and the estate function as metaphors. They represent the chaotic forces driving human nature and the constraints imposed by society.
Quick facts
Wuthering Heights is Emily Brontë's only novel, originally published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.
Initially receiving mixed reviews for its intense emotional themes, Wuthering Heights is now widely recognized as one of the great works of English literature.
The novel was initially considered vulgar by Victorian reviewers for its realistic portrayals of both domestic violence and sexual passion.
The Yorkshire moors setting contributes significantly to the novel's atmospheric quality, reflecting character emotions and conflicts.
Wuthering Heights explores psychological complexity and themes of class struggle, social mobility, and revenge layered over generations.
The intense and destructive relationship between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff is central to the novel.
Heathcliff is presented as an orphan with ambiguous origins, contributing to the novel’s themes of social status and identity.
The novel's narrative structure, alternating between multiple narrators, was innovative and added depth to storytelling.
Supernatural elements, such as Catherine's ghost, underscore the novel’s Gothic mood.
Wuthering Heights has inspired numerous adaptations, including films, operas, musicals, and a ballet.
Kate Bush's famous song “Wuthering Heights” was inspired by the novel, described from Catherine's perspective.
Emily Brontë died just a year after the publication of Wuthering Heights, not living to witness its eventual critical acclaim and commercial success.
Key characters
Heathcliff: A foundling taken in by Mr. Earnshaw, the head of the Wuthering Heights estate. Heathcliff’s devotion to Catherine Earnshaw and his quest for revenge shape the story's direction. He reflects the traits of a Byronic hero through actions driven by vengeance and love.
Catherine Earnshaw: Engaged in emotional conflict, Catherine grapples with her attachment to Heathcliff and her ambition for social status through marriage to Edgar Linton. Her statement, “I am Heathcliff,” indicates their deep connection. Her decisions trigger the novel's tragic events.
Edgar Linton: The head of the Thrushcross Grange estate and Catherine’s husband. A symbol of societal norms, Edgar contrasts with Heathcliff's intensity. He represents the refined world Catherine seeks, but her bond with Heathcliff overshadows Edgar’s genuine affection.
Isabella Linton: Edgar’s sister and Heathcliff’s wife. Infatuated by his charisma, Isabella marries Heathcliff under false pretenses of love. Her troubled marriage highlights Heathcliff's capacity for cruelty and obsession with vengeance.
Hindley Earnshaw: Catherine’s brother. From boyhood, Hindley views Heathcliff as a rival. After his wife’s death, his decline into despair and alcoholism weakens the family, allowing Heathcliff to gain power.
Ellen "Nelly" Dean: The longtime housekeeper of Wuthering Heights. As the novel’s main narrator, Nelly provides a detailed account of the Earnshaw and Linton families. Her insider status offers valuable insights but at times reflects her own biases.
Hareton Earnshaw: Hindley’s son, orphaned as a boy. Unaware of his lineage, Hareton is kept in the dark by Heathcliff as a form of revenge on Hindley. His developing relationship with Cathy Linton suggests reconciliation amidst conflict.
Film adaptations
Wuthering Heights has inspired several film adaptations with distinct interpretations of Emily Brontë's narrative. The 1939 adaptation, directed by William Wyler and featuring Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier, focuses on the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff. It omits the second generation of the Earnshaws and Lintons, simplifying the story. The 1992 version by Peter Kosminsky, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, uses the Yorkshire moors as a backdrop to enhance emotional depth. Andrea Arnold's 2011 adaptation introduces a racial identity element by casting a Black actor as Heathcliff. These adaptations reflect the novel’s enduring cultural significance and its flexibility in cinematic representation. The latest incarnation is a Gothic psychological drama, starring Academy Award winner Margot Robbie and Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi, slated for theatrical release in February 2026.
About the author
Emily Brontë (1818-1848) is an English novelist and poet, and, along with Charlotte and Anne, one of three acclaimed literary sisters. The death of her mother at a young age led Emily and her siblings to immerse themselves in storytelling. She received limited formal education, studying briefly at the Clergy Daughters’ School and the Pension Héger in Brussels, but developed her interests mostly at home, an isolated moorland rectory in Haworth. The Yorkshire moors influenced her work, particularly the setting and mood of her only novel, Wuthering Heights. Published in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell, the tragic story of Catherine and Heathcliff defied contemporary norms with its frank depiction of passion and cruelty, leading many to assume it was written by a man. Early critics were hostile, calling the novel savage and worse. Today, Wuthering Heights is considered one of the greatest novels in the English language. Emily Brontë died at the age of 30, one year after her novel’s publication, believing her work was a failure.
