Chapter Eighteen
SparkNotes summary: Young Catherine grows up at Thrushcross Grange,
and by the time she is thirteen she is a beautiful, intelligent girl, but often strong-
willed and temperamental. Her father, mindful of the tormented history of the
neighboring manor, does not allow young Catherine off the grounds of
Thrushcross Grange, and she grows up without any knowledge of Wuthering
Heights, Heathcliff, or Hareton. She longs to visit the fairy caves at Penistone
Crags, but Edgar refuses her request. He receives word one day, however, that
Isabella is dying, and he hurries to London to take charge of young Linton. While
he is gone, Catherine is left in Nelly’s care, and she is able to escape the confines
of the Grange.
She travels toward Penistone Crags but stops at Wuthering Heights, where she
meets Hareton and takes an instant liking to him. She and Hareton spend a
delightful day playing near the crags. Nelly arrives in pursuit of her charge, and
tries to hurry her back to Thrushcross Grange. But Catherine refuses to go. Nelly
tells Catherine that Hareton is not the son of the master of Wuthering Heights—a
fact that makes the girl contemptuous of him—but she also reveals that he is
Catherine’s cousin. Catherine tries to deny this possibility, saying that her cousin
is in London, that her father has gone to retrieve him there. Nelly, however,
explains that a person can have more than one cousin. At last, Nelly prevails
upon her to leave, and Catherine agrees not to mention the incident to her
father, who might well terminate Nelly’s employment in rage if he knew she had
let Catherine learn of Wuthering Heights.
Key events:
Twelve years pass, Nelly describes how these years were
happy, where Cathy lives a loving and protected life
Edgar receives a letter form Isabella, informing him that she
is dying and that she wishes him to look after her son,
Linton
Edgar goes to Isabella, and Cathy takes this time to leave
Thrushcross Grange, where she ends up at Wuthering
Heights
Nelly comes to find her, and Cathy finds out Hareton is her
cousin, which upsets her
Key themes/ideas:
Death- Isabella
Prison- Cathy is kept in her home and Hareton is confined by
Heathclif
Status
, Heathclif:
He confines Hareton by not allowing him to have an
education- “He appeared to have bent his malevolence on
making him a brute: he was never taught to read or write”
Ruined Hareton’s potential- “his soul was abandoned for
perdition… Heathclif must answer for it”
Cathy:
Seems to be a pure and innocent female character- “the
most winning thing that ever brought sunshine into a
desolate house” “Her spirit was high, though not rough”
“she could be soft and mild as a dove… her anger was never
furious; her love never fierce: it was deep and tender”
Had some similarity to her mother- “A propensity to be a
saucy one”
Thrushcross Grange is like her prison- “Till she reached the
age of thirteen, she had not once been beyond the range of
the park by herself” “she was a perfect recluse” “I did not
fear her breaking bounds; because the gates were generally
locked”
Desperate to see more of the world- “how long will it be
before I can walk to the top of those hills?” “Then I can go,
too, when I am a woman.” “Now, I am old enough to go to
Penistone Crags?”
She escaped, showing a mischievous side- “she leapt her
Galloway over the hedge yonder, where it is lowest, and
galloped out of sight”
Seen as vulnerable- “beheld my stray lamb”
Brings life and laughter into Wuthering Heights- “laughing
and chattering, in the best spirits imaginable, to Hareton”
“Hareton and the woman laughed, and she joined them”
She is used to servants obeying her due to her status-
“make haste! What’s the matter? Get my horse, I say.” “How
dare he speak so to me? Mustn’t he be made to do as I ask
him?”
Childish- “I shall tell papa what you said”
SparkNotes summary: Young Catherine grows up at Thrushcross Grange,
and by the time she is thirteen she is a beautiful, intelligent girl, but often strong-
willed and temperamental. Her father, mindful of the tormented history of the
neighboring manor, does not allow young Catherine off the grounds of
Thrushcross Grange, and she grows up without any knowledge of Wuthering
Heights, Heathcliff, or Hareton. She longs to visit the fairy caves at Penistone
Crags, but Edgar refuses her request. He receives word one day, however, that
Isabella is dying, and he hurries to London to take charge of young Linton. While
he is gone, Catherine is left in Nelly’s care, and she is able to escape the confines
of the Grange.
She travels toward Penistone Crags but stops at Wuthering Heights, where she
meets Hareton and takes an instant liking to him. She and Hareton spend a
delightful day playing near the crags. Nelly arrives in pursuit of her charge, and
tries to hurry her back to Thrushcross Grange. But Catherine refuses to go. Nelly
tells Catherine that Hareton is not the son of the master of Wuthering Heights—a
fact that makes the girl contemptuous of him—but she also reveals that he is
Catherine’s cousin. Catherine tries to deny this possibility, saying that her cousin
is in London, that her father has gone to retrieve him there. Nelly, however,
explains that a person can have more than one cousin. At last, Nelly prevails
upon her to leave, and Catherine agrees not to mention the incident to her
father, who might well terminate Nelly’s employment in rage if he knew she had
let Catherine learn of Wuthering Heights.
Key events:
Twelve years pass, Nelly describes how these years were
happy, where Cathy lives a loving and protected life
Edgar receives a letter form Isabella, informing him that she
is dying and that she wishes him to look after her son,
Linton
Edgar goes to Isabella, and Cathy takes this time to leave
Thrushcross Grange, where she ends up at Wuthering
Heights
Nelly comes to find her, and Cathy finds out Hareton is her
cousin, which upsets her
Key themes/ideas:
Death- Isabella
Prison- Cathy is kept in her home and Hareton is confined by
Heathclif
Status
, Heathclif:
He confines Hareton by not allowing him to have an
education- “He appeared to have bent his malevolence on
making him a brute: he was never taught to read or write”
Ruined Hareton’s potential- “his soul was abandoned for
perdition… Heathclif must answer for it”
Cathy:
Seems to be a pure and innocent female character- “the
most winning thing that ever brought sunshine into a
desolate house” “Her spirit was high, though not rough”
“she could be soft and mild as a dove… her anger was never
furious; her love never fierce: it was deep and tender”
Had some similarity to her mother- “A propensity to be a
saucy one”
Thrushcross Grange is like her prison- “Till she reached the
age of thirteen, she had not once been beyond the range of
the park by herself” “she was a perfect recluse” “I did not
fear her breaking bounds; because the gates were generally
locked”
Desperate to see more of the world- “how long will it be
before I can walk to the top of those hills?” “Then I can go,
too, when I am a woman.” “Now, I am old enough to go to
Penistone Crags?”
She escaped, showing a mischievous side- “she leapt her
Galloway over the hedge yonder, where it is lowest, and
galloped out of sight”
Seen as vulnerable- “beheld my stray lamb”
Brings life and laughter into Wuthering Heights- “laughing
and chattering, in the best spirits imaginable, to Hareton”
“Hareton and the woman laughed, and she joined them”
She is used to servants obeying her due to her status-
“make haste! What’s the matter? Get my horse, I say.” “How
dare he speak so to me? Mustn’t he be made to do as I ask
him?”
Childish- “I shall tell papa what you said”
