A Wuthering Heights Summary Detailing The Authors Aim And Message

Question

Task: Provide an inclusive wuthering heights summary and author’s projection and message?

Answer

Introduction
In the history of English literature, wuthering heights have been one of the most-read pieces of literature, though it was not well received by the public mass when it was published in the year of 1847. The novel was very poorly accepted in the initial phase and has attracted many critical reviews. Citizens of Britain have found the novel of Wuthering Heights very offensive and though the content has displayed no trace of bloodshed and sex, it has been criticized majorly for the portrayal of uncensored levels of cruelty and vulgarity. The whole effort for the literary works was not appreciated by the whole mass. Though the author, Emily Bronte's sister who was also an author with the genre of similar literary works, Charlotte has accepted a very unclear stance for the novel of Wuthering Heights Summary.

If considered the background of Charlotte, it could be observed that her life was a very eccentric and introvert one. She was two years younger than her sister in the year 1818. They were brought up by their aunt after their mother’s death. Their family was off from that of a very strict religious background, where father had worked as church rector throughout his life. Although this Christian outlook and fervor on behalf of the family were not accepted by Emily Bronte and it may be the fanatical attitude of her ant that would have been inspired to create the character of Joseph. This character possesses a very strict evangelical approach for the Christian religion. Their family lived in the Yorkshire village among the community of moors. Though she lived only in the short span of thirty years, her surroundings had offered many challenges and life experiences. It was in the year of 1848 that Emily Bronte had died.

If observed and contemplated the literary works published by the children of Bronte family, their high level of creativity, quality of interpretation, a strong reference to their life experiences could be ascertained. Bronte children had created a very creative aura of imagination in their literary works. If taken the earlier context of societies in the 19th century, women possessed a very restricted set of rights and consideration. Thus, the female's voice was given minimal significance in society. Considering this scenario Bronte's sister had published their pieces of work under pseudonyms. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne had accepted the pseudonyms of Currer Bell, Ellis Bell, And Acton Bell respectively. Since the death of Emily and Anne, their real identity remained hidden from the popular mass. Their real identity was revealed by Charlotte to the media.

Though the author had suffered a lot of negligence from the society, the novel of Wuthering Heights Summary has reserved its position as top-quality literature in the global platform. The novel is being characterized by high intellectual and sophisticated observations and creative sensitivity. The novel still sustains its significance in the literary world though it had been dissected, discussed, studied and analyzed by the scholars on the global platform multiple times. The novel majorly portrays the failed love affairs between Catherine and Heathcliff. The story remains one of the most evocative and tragic love stories.

Plot Overview
Lockwood, a man takes a house, Thrushcross Grange in the posterior period of the winter in the year if 1801. The house is situated on the premises of an isolated moor in the eastern states of England. It is while taking the house on rent that he meets Heathcliff, the dour landlord. He is a wealthy man who has made the manor of Wuthering Heights as his permanent residence. The ancient manor of Wuthering Heights is situated at a distance of 4 miles from the spot of Grange. While the climate gets worse and stormy, Lockwood earnestly demanded Nelly Dean, the housekeeper, to narrate the original history or story of Heathcliff and the residents of Wuthering Heights. She agrees to his demand and narrates all the happenings to him in a very chronicle way. While the description goes on, Lockwood proceeds with recording it in his diary. It is his documenting of the narration that constitutes the lion share of Wuthering Heights.

At the inception of the description, she recalled her juvenile period. In the manor of Wuthering Heights, she had started working as a servant while she was a young girl. At that time the manor of Wuthering Heights was owned by Earnshaw. It is in between that Mr. Earnshaw had left ti the city of Liverpool for some prerequisite requirements. He returned from the city with a boy who had no parents. His intend was to raise that orphan boy among his children. Heathcliff, the new dark-skinned boy was being hated by Earnshaw’s children Hindley and Catherine initially. Though there was strong hatred in the early days, Catherine had developed love towards Heathcliff. In a very little period, a strong inseparable bond of love developed in between them and hence spend a significant amount of time roaming around the moors. After the death of his wife, the owner of Wuthering Heights, Earnshaw started concentrating more on raising the orphan child along with his children. Though Hindley was persistent with the same attitude of cruelty towards Heathcliff. Because of his attitude, Earnshaw sends Hindley to a distant college for higher studies.

Unfortunately, Earnshaw had died after three years if this incidence. Consequentially Hindley had acquired the ownership of Wuthering Heights as an inheriting property from his father. He is accompanied by his wife, Frances when he returns to Wuthering heights. Wasting no time, he plans to seek vengeance from Heathcliff. Heathcliff finds the new scenario very contrasting to the previous situation. He was raised as well pampered and mollycoddled through being an orphan, contrary to it he is now just labor who is coerced to toil in the farmland. Although there prevailed a hostile condition, he continued to maintain warm and cordial relations with Catherine. To irritate Edgar and Isabella Linton, pretentious neighboring children, Catherine and Heathcliff were strolling through Thrushcross Grange. It was then when Catherine was bitten by a dog and hence was compelled to spend five weeks at Grange. It was at this time when she was being influenced by Mrs. Linton by which she is transformed into a proper young lady. In this period, she develops an infatuation towards Edgar which even compromises her relation with Heathcliff making the situation more complicated.

Hindley’s wife, Frances breath her last breath after giving birth to Hareton, a boy. Shocked by his wife’s unexpected death, Hindley plunges into constant alcoholism. In his intoxicated state, he becomes more vicious and offensive towards Heathcliff. Meanwhile, Catherine decides to get engaged with Edgar Linton succumbing to her desire to gain social advancement. She had disregarded the existing strong relationship with Heathcliff. This encourages Heathcliff to flee the Wuthering heights and remain aloof for three years. He returns only after Catherine and Edgar get married to each other.

While he returns to Wuthering Heights, he just decides to avenge himself against those who have ill-treated and victimized him. Since he possesses a large amount of money when he returns, he starts lending money to alcoholic Heathcliff. The major motive behind this act was to seek revenge from him for his deeds. Heathcliff continues to lend money to Hindley, to make him more despondent and reliant. Consequentially the debt of Hindley towards Heathcliff increases, and by the time Hindley dies the ownership of the manor of Wuthering Heights went to Heathcliff. Later as an intent to capture Thrushcross Grange, Heathcliff moves on with marrying Isabella Linton. She was being later treated very cruelly by him. After few years Catherine gives birth to a beautiful daughter and gives up the ghost. By this news, Heathcliff becomes heartbroken and even reaches to a mental state where he begs Catherine's spirit to stay on earth. Meanwhile, because of her husband's cruel behavior, Isabella absconds to London and gives birth to Linton, son of Heathcliff. She abides for a while with her son in London.

Years pass by and after thirteen years, the daughter of Catherine Nelly Dean was employed as a nursemaid in the Thrushcross Grange. Though she inherits the stubborn attitude and feminine beauty of her mother her personality is much more refined by the gentle brought up by her father. Her father had brought her up aloof from the Wuthering Heights and hence she was ignorant of it. Though she happens to know about it when she was occasionally strolling throughout the premises of moors. She came across with Hareton there and mingles with him. Not so long, Isabella dies because of illness and hence her son Linton is coerced by his situations to rely on his father, Heathcliff. Heathcliff continues with the same attitude of cruelty to Linton as he has done with his wife.

After three tears of time, Catherine comes across with the owner of wuthering heights, Heathcliff in the premises of moors where she also encounters his son Linton. By the means of letters, Catherine and Linton develop a secret romance. It happens that Nelly destroy all the collected letters of Catherine because of which she was forced to creep out at night so that she could spend some quality time with her new lover. He thereby asks her to arrive at his residence to nurture his health by nursing. It gradually becomes clear that Linton is forced to do so by the strong coercion of Heathcliff. The hidden agenda of Heathcliff behind this move was to gain the legal possession of Thrushcross Grange. He had also a concealed intention to take vengeance over Edgar Linton by possessing Thrushcross Grange. He manages to entice Catherine and Nelly to Wuthering Heights when Edgar Linton turns out critically ill. Thereafter they were kept and being treated like prisoners. The conditions were altered only when Linton had married Catherine. By this marriage, both the Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights came under the control of Heathcliff. Not much later, Linton also succumbs to the unexpected death. Just keeping to the level of a common servant, Catherine is forced to stay at Wuthering Heights. At the same time, the Thrushcross Grange is being rented to Lockwood.

The elaborate description of past ends when Nelly had mentioned everything up to the present. In the present situation, Lockwood returns to London by denouncing the tenancy of Thrushcross Grange. He returns to the Thrushcross Grange after six months and enquires whether are other occurrences or events in her story. Since Heathcliff had restricted the education of Hareton post the death of Hindley he turned out quite much illiterate. This ignorant condition of Hareton was quite often ridiculed by Catherine. Though a feeling of love and empathy develops in between Hareton and Catherine because of their high proximity in Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff develops a high delusional mental state where he starts speaking with elder Catherine's host since his memories about her start to haunt him. He continues to live a delusional life where every single frivolous reminds him of her. It was when he was strolling through the premises of moors death confiscated him. Thereafter the possession of Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights were transferred to both Catherine and Hareton. Suspecting their new favorable conditions, They decided to get married on the eve of New Year. Lockwood decides to visit the tombs of Heathcliff and Catherine after her description was over.

Chronology
It was by referring to the memoirs written down in each section of the diary. Thus, the whole description possesses chronological characteristics. It was after the Narration of Nelly that thee Lockwood's account of events takes place. Though the description relies on the outlook and grievances of Nelly. Emely Bronte had juxtaposed all the events very systematically and in a very chronological manner. She had given many hints and tipoffs in the content regarding the chronology of the events.

• 1500 – It was in this year that the name of Hareton Earnshaw was carved on the embalmed stone over the front gate of Wuthering Heights. It signifies the acknowledgment of completing the construction work of the house.
• 1758 – Precisely on this year Nelly was born.
• 1761 – It was around this year that Catherine and Heathcliff were born.
• 1767 – The orphanage boy Heathcliff was brought to Wuthering Height when Earnshaw returned from London.
• 1774 – Hindley was deported or sent to a distant college Earnshaw since he was nurturing a very malicious attitude and behavior towards Heathcliff.
• 1777 – It was in this year that Earnshaw had deceased. The possession rights of Wuthering Heights were transferred over to them after his death. The incidence of Catherine visiting the Thrushcross Grange also happened around the auspicious instant of Christmas in this year.
• 1778 – It was in the June month of this year when Frances gave birth to Hareton and thereby left the world. The sudden and unexpected shock had made Hindley plunge in the depth of alcoholism.
• 1780 – Catherine instead of her feelings with Heathcliff decides to get married to Edgar Linton for social acknowledgment. Being hurt by her move, Heathcliff leaves the mansion of Wuthering Heights.
• 1783 – It was in this year exactly that both Edgar and Catherine got married to each other and if specifically spoken, Heathcliff had returned to Wuthering Heights in the ninth month of the year.
• 1784 – While this year marks its inception Isabella had eloped with Heathcliff. It is in the same year that Catherine suffers from brain fever. While giving birth to her daughter young Catherine she succumbed to the brain fever and died.
• 1785 – Because of the abusive nature of Heathcliff towards her wife, Isabella flees the mansion of Wuthering Heights and seek abode in London. It was there where she gave birth to her son Linton. In the later phase of this year, Hindley unexpectedly dies and thus making the Heathcliff the sole owner of Wuthering Heights.
• 1797 – Young Catherine accidentally came across the Wuthering Heights while she was strolling through the premises of moors. It is around this period that Linton had arrived from London after his mother’s death.
• 1800 – Linton and Catherine realize that they love each other in the winter section of this year.
• 1801 – By the end year, Heathcliff had planned to coerce young Catherine to marry Linton so that the possession of Thrushcross Grange could be acquired. By unexpected means, Linton had done and thus the legal possession of Thrushcross Grange was transferred formally to Heathcliff. In the same year, the property was assigned as leave for Lockwood. It was then when he had asked Nelly Dean to narrate Wuthering Height's summary.
• 1802 – After a while in the spring phase of the year Lockwood seeks for the updated narration of Wuthering Heights summary. A new love had generated between Hareton and Catherine. The disastrous event Heathcliff also happened in the same year. The whole concluding section of the Wuthering Heights Summary was recorded from Nelly in the September month of the year.

Character List
Heathcliff: He was being introduced in the wuthering heights by Mr. Earnshaw as an orphan boy when he returned from London. Though the daughter of Earnshaw Catherine had displayed hatred towards Heathcliff in the initial time, they have generated a strong love bond between them. It was when Earnshaw had died because of natural causes that his son Hindley had continued with a highly abusive nature towards Heathcliff. He was merely treated as labor and just treated as a mere servant. Adding to his suffering, Catherine had decided to marry Edgar Linton to avail of social prominence among the populace. She had purely avoided her relation with Heathcliff while making this decision. The negative and abusive experience possessed by Heathcliff had coerced him to seek for imminent revenge. His revenge was not limited to Hindley but also his previous love Catherine and her subsequent offspring. These incidences had also transformed him into a very cruel, fierce and powerful person. By utilizing his own acquired wealth, power and zeal for revenge he had determined to bring Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange under his possession. The Thrushcross Grange was an estate possessed by one of his enemy Edgar Linton.

Catherine
Unlike Heathcliff, Catherine was the actual daughter of Earnshaw and was well pampered by her parents. She had developed a strong love relation with the orphan boy Heathcliff who was brought from Liverpool by Earnshaw. Their love gets so passionate that they believe that though they have two separate bodies they have a single soul. Though she had also a strong craving for social advancement among locals, and to pursue it she advances to marry Edgar Linton by totally avoiding the feelings of Heathcliff. If considered the character of Catherine, she was much more of an arrogant and spoiled personality though a very beautiful and free-spirited girl. Throughout her life, she had mental altercations between her strong love for Heathcliff and her strong longing and desire for Social aspiration. Whether taken the case of Edgar Linton or Heathcliff, she had brought suffering and deprivation for the person whoever had loved her.

Edgar Linton
He was brought up very well by his parents, though he turned out to be a brat. Because of his parents' overprotective nature, he gradually transformed to be a cowardly and tender man. Catherine, who later marries hi, describes Edgar Linton as a very handsome, rich and amiable person to live with. Though it should be noted that while altercation with his strong counterpart Heathcliff, his noble behavior accompanied by gentlemanly behavior and civilized manners have drawn him back. Heathcliff consequentially had gained much more dominance and control over the daughter, sister, and wife of Edgar Linton conclusively.

Nelly Dean
Being named formally as Ellen Dean, Nelly Dean turns out to be the sole reporter of all the happenings in the novel of Wuthering Heights Summary. I contemplated her character and personality, she could be perceived to be a very smart, sensible, and a sympathetic lady. She was also brought up around the contemporary period of Catherine and Hindley Earnshaw. She has a very good narrative skill and is the sole narrator of the wuthering height summary. While narrating the story it could be observed that she possessed a great level of sympathy towards each characteristic in the wuthering heights summary.

Lockwood
The whole narration provided by Nelly Dean was arranged and recorded systematically by Lockwood. If roughly mentioned Lockwood just acts as an intermediary between Nelly and the audience of the novel. Lockwood is very inattentive to his surroundings and is often observed to interacting with his neighbors in Wuthering Heights in a very clumsy way. The original abode and background of Lockwood belong to a very civilized and conservative area of London. Thus he gets mesmerized and confused when he is exposed to the bizarre culture followed by the people in the surroundings of Wuthering Heights Summary. If taken into consideration the personality of Lockwood, he could be perceived to be a very arrogant and hopeless person. He has always been limited his thoughts to the boundaries he has molded by the form of civilization he has followed till his childhood. It could also be observed n the novel of Wuthering Heights Summary that his naïve nature and negligence towards the incidences of Wuthering Heights Summary have brought lack in clarity for description. The misinterpretation of some events could also be taken as a shred of evidence for the negligence and lack of perception of the Lockwood.

Young Catherine
It is quite often that you could misinterpret her to the character of her mother Catherine because of high resemblance in their names. She was born as a daughter for both Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton. Her mother was named Catherine Earnshaw when she started her initial phase of life which was transformed into Catherine Linton after her marriage. With the same name, her daughter starts her life though she was known among the people as young Catherine. Later in her life, she ends up marrying Hareton and thus accepts the name of Catherine Earnshaw. It could be noted that both the mother and daughter not only share the same name but also display the same level of Stubbornness and arrogance. Though because of the soft and good brought up by her father, Young Catherine displays a more noble form of behavior with her inhabitants as compared to her mother. The tenderness created in the mind through the process of Young Catherine was majorly due to the influence of her father and could be perceived as a more gentle and empathetic character when compared to her mother.

Hareton Earnshaw
In this novel, Hareton Earnshaw was born to be the nephew of Catherine. He was born to Frances Earnshaw and Hindley's son. The custodian right of Hareton was transferred to Heathcliff after the demise of Hindley. Hareton was continuously manipulated by Heathcliff to avenge the cruelty he had suffered from behalf of Hindley. If looked at the personality of Hareton Earnshaw, he could be perceived as an illiterate worker in the farmland since he was raised very cruelly and irresponsibly by Heathcliff. This activity was an act of revenge towards Hindley for all of the cruelty he has done towards Heathcliff earlier. Because of these advancements and incidence, Hareton grew out to be a very stubborn and illiterate person. It is quite frequent in the novel that he gets quickly tempered from his surroundings. He gets very easily insulted and affected by anyone’s comment though he has a longing to improve his temperament and manners. In the concluding part of the Wuthering Heights summary, Hareton happens to tie the knot to young Catherine.

Linton Heathcliff
Born as a son to Heathcliff, Linton was born as an only son of Isabella. If taken into consideration the character of Linton, he could be perceived as a very demanding, weeping, weak-minded and persistently sick person. At an early age, he was being raised by his mother in London. He was kept aloof from his father till the age of 13 years. It was only after his mother’s death that he has met his father Heathcliff. Even though Linton was his son, Heathcliff despised him as he did Isabella. It was by the coercion of Heathcliff that Linton had commenced marriage to young Catherine. This was planned by Heathcliff to get control over Thrushcross Grange legally and authentically. The plan had become a great success since young Catherine’s father Edgar Linton had died much soon after her marriage.

Hindley Earnshaw
He plays a major negative character in wuthering heights summary and is born as the son of both Earnshaw and brother of Catherine. It is Hindley who opposes the entry o Heathcliff into Wuthering heights when he was brought from the liver pool as an orphan by Me. Earnshaw. The legal right of Wuthering Heights came to Hindley after father’s death and thereafter he oppressed and tortured Heathcliff to a very cruel level. He was forced to leave his higher education and thus was coerced to work as a mere worker in the farmland of Wuthering Heights. Though his level of dominance retained only till his wife was alive. When his wife France succumbed to death in a very unexpected manner after giving birth to a son, Hareton, Hindley suffered from the great emotional shock which plunged him into extreme alcoholism.

Isabella Linton
She is the only sister of Edgar Linton, who eventually h=gets married with Heathcliff after having a love affair. The character Heathcliff is being perceived by Isabella as a very romantic and romantic personality. She compares him with some protagonist in a novel. Though it turned out that her imagination had led her to a great disaster and thereby she had ruined all her life. Contrary to the feelings of Isabella towards him, Heathcliff despised her and merely used her as a tool for succession. She was just used by him to gain revenge from the Linton and his succession.

Mr. Earnshaw
He was the father of both Hindley and Catherine. He adopted Heathcliff from the Liver pool and had brought to Wuthering Heights to grow as one of his children. Although it is the Heathcliff who he prefers the most rather than Hindley, he provides the legal rights of wuthering heights to Hindley after his death.

Mrs. Earnshaw
She is mother to bit the siblings, Hindley and Catherine. Like Hindley, she also possessed great hatred towards Heathcliff and never trusted him throughout his life. She was very distressed by the entry Heathcliff to their house. She had given up the ghost shortly after his arrival.

Joseph
He has personality possessing a very fanatic attitude towards religion. He one of the senior working servants in the mansion of Wuthering Heights. Justifying his strange behavior he often displays, stubbornness, unkind behavior, strong-minded and speaks with heavy Yorkshire dialect.

Frances Earnshaw
As mentioned in the earlier section of this Wuthering Heights Summary, she is the wife of Hindley. From the aspect of her personality and behavior, she is a foolishly interacting person. She also had very rude behavior with Heathcliff. Although she dies later very early after giving birth to her son Hareton.

Mr. Linton
He acquired the ownership of Thrushcross grange at a very early age and is the father of both Edgar and Isabella. He has established himself as one of the prominent members of the nobility. He provides his children with very good manners and proper education.

Mrs. Linton
Unlike her husband, she is a very arrogant lady and hates Heathcliff from even his childhood. She even tries to keep her children out of his company. Catherine is even taught to act in a noble way even from her childhood. It was Mrs. Linton who had infused the zeal for social ambitions in Catherine.

Zillah
He is the servant and the housekeeper of the mansion in Wuthering Heights when the story is being narrated in the later years.

Analysis of Major Characteristics
Heathcliff: It is around the character of Heathcliff that the novel of Wuthering Heights revolves around. Even in the beginning paragraph of the novel, the writer provides the reader with a vivid elaboration of Heathcliff. The novel of Wuthering Heights Summary starts with providing the physical characteristics of Heathcliff. Thereafter the narration of Nelly goes on with providing the social position and characteristics of Lockwood family. The whole novel goes on with his planning and plotting and the whole ends in itself with the death of Heathcliff. It was to contemplate the thought process and interest towards the character of Heathcliff that the readers have shown immense interest in the novel of Wuthering Height Summary. Whatever the efforts made by the readers, the character of Heathcliff had not been understood or justified by the readers or scholars. The expectations of the readers were always being defied by the character of Heathcliff. He changes over his mask over time and mocks the reader for his credulity. Sometimes the reader even makes the effort to justify that all the cruelty and ill manners portrayed by him are just because of unattended love from Catherine. His behaviors and gestures were all suited to those of a tragic romantic hero. Though most of the romantic heroes show cruelty in the initial phase, their enmity would fade away. This cliché trend was broken by the Wuthering Heights Summary novel. Heathcliff had maintained the same level of cruelty throughout the novel and thus just defied the existing trend in the romantic pieces of literature. He keeps on taking revenge with Edgar, Hindley, Catherine, and many more which doesn’t quench his thirst for vengeance. In most of the occasions, Heathcliff often reflects that his attitude towards her wife Isabella is quite sadistic. He started to find solace in inflicting and hurting her. He utterly cherished her reliance and helplessness. It was being argued by the majority of scholars, writers, and reviewers that the author of Wuthering Heights Summary, Emily Bronte is doing the same deed of Heathcliff towards wife as that to the readers. The approach and intent of the writer are quite sadistic. Every reader is coerced to perceive Heathcliff as a good Samaritan even after his sadistic and cruel behavior.

Maybe it is because of the poor and pitiable background of him that the reader is expecting much more from Heathcliff. It was majorly because of this character that strong criticism has been attracted to the author. Normal people have at the same time adored and feared the theme mentioned in it.

Catherine
Before succumbing to her death, Catherine has been the topic of the altercation among major characteristics. Although she had a very short life, it was very eventful and challenging. Her body happened to be buried in kirkyard rather than burying along with the bodies of Earnshaw’s or Linton’s. She was being buried along with Heathcliff and Edgar side by side. Being influenced by her mother she was strongly moved and lured towards gaining social dominance and ambitions. This was her sole inspiration and motive to commence marriage with Edgar. She was also very unpredictable and anything which violated or defied the social conventions. The major proof of that was her intimate love affair with Heathcliff. The major foil of this character in the wuthering heights summary was Isabella Linton who was Heathcliff's wife. Both of them had, in fact, following a parallel path throughout the narration.

Edgar
As similar to the relation between Isabell and Catherine, Edgar and Heathcliff followed the same level relation. Whereas Heathcliff has been born as an orphanage Edgar was born with a silver spoon in a noble family. As influenced by his family background, he followed a very polite and civilized way of life. His qualities and position in society were some of the major factors which have attracted Catherine towards her. Though his noble attitude and good manners have turn out to be a very futile and frivolous factor in his life.