Wuthering Heights scene-by-scene summary

‭Wuthering‬‭Heights‬‭scene-by-scene‬
‭Notes:‬
‭-‬ ‭Spark‬‭Notes‬
‭-‬ ‭Cliff‬‭Notes‬
‭-‬ ‭Lit‬‭Charts‬
‭-‬ ‭Course‬‭Hero‬


‭Analysis‬‭metric:‬
‭➢‬ ‭Plot‬‭lines‬
‭➢‬ ‭Setting‬
‭➢‬ ‭Characters‬
‭➢‬ ‭Symbols‬
‭➢‬ ‭Narrative‬‭voice‬
‭➢‬ ‭Women‬‭in‬‭society‬
‭➢‬ ‭Context‬


‭Chapter‬‭breakdowns:‬

‭Volume‬‭1‬

‭Chapter‬‭1‬
‭➢‬ ‭Plot‬‭lines‬
‭-‬ ‭Writing‬‭in‬‭his‬‭diary‬‭in‬‭1801,‬‭Lockwood‬‭describes‬‭his‬‭first‬‭days‬‭as‬‭a‬‭tenant‬‭at‬
‭Thrushcross‬‭Grange,‬‭an‬‭isolated‬‭manor‬‭in‬‭thinly‬‭populated‬‭Yorkshire.‬‭Shortly‬
‭after‬‭arriving‬‭at‬‭the‬‭Grange,‬‭he‬‭pays‬‭a‬‭visit‬‭to‬‭his‬‭landlord,‬‭Mr.‬‭Heathcliff,‬‭a‬‭surly,‬
‭dark‬‭man‬‭living‬‭in‬‭a‬‭manor‬‭called‬‭Wuthering‬‭Heights‬
‭-‬ ‭During‬‭the‬‭visit,‬‭Heathcliff‬‭seems‬‭not‬‭to‬‭trust‬‭Lockwood,‬‭and‬‭leaves‬‭him‬‭alone‬‭in‬
‭a‬‭room‬‭with‬‭a‬‭group‬‭of‬‭snarling‬‭dogs‬
‭-‬ ‭Lockwood,‬‭an‬‭unwelcome‬‭guest,‬‭soon‬‭meets‬‭Joseph,‬‭a‬‭servant,‬‭and‬‭a‬‭pack‬‭of‬
‭dogs‬‭that‬‭have‬‭overrun‬‭the‬‭farmhouse‬
‭-‬ ‭When‬‭Heathcliff‬‭returns,‬‭Lockwood‬‭is‬‭angry,‬‭but‬‭eventually‬‭warms‬‭toward‬‭his‬
‭taciturn‬‭host,‬‭and—though‬‭he‬‭hardly‬‭feels‬‭that‬‭he‬‭has‬‭been‬‭welcomed‬‭at‬
‭Wuthering‬‭Heights‬‭(“evidently‬‭wished‬‭no‬‭repetition‬‭of‬‭my‬‭intrusion”—he‬
‭volunteers‬‭to‬‭visit‬‭again‬‭the‬‭next‬‭day‬
‭-‬ ‭Because‬‭the‬‭opening‬‭chapter‬‭raises‬‭more‬‭questions‬‭than‬‭it‬‭answers,‬‭it‬‭serves‬‭as‬
‭a‬‭hook‬‭to‬‭capture‬‭the‬‭attention‬‭of‬‭readers‬‭and‬‭encourage‬‭them‬‭to‬‭continue‬
‭reading‬
‭➢‬ ‭Setting‬
‭-‬ ‭Wuthering‬‭heights‬‭has‬‭a‬‭gothic‬‭description:‬

, ‭●‬ I‭solation:‬‭“completely‬‭removed‬‭from‬‭the‬‭stir‬‭of‬‭society”,‬‭“perfect‬
‭misanthropist's‬‭heaven”,‬‭“cattle‬‭are‬‭the‬‭only‬‭hedge‬‭cutters”,‬‭“guests‬‭are‬‭so‬
‭exceedingly‬‭rare‬‭that‬‭I‬‭hardly‬‭know‬‭how‬‭to‬‭receive‬‭them”‬
‭●‬ ‭The‬‭"few‬‭stunted‬‭firs"‬‭and‬‭"range‬‭of‬‭gaunt‬‭thorns"‬‭around‬‭the‬‭house‬
‭suggest‬‭it‬‭is‬‭not‬‭an‬‭easy‬‭place‬‭for‬‭living‬‭things‬‭to‬‭grow‬‭or‬‭survive‬
‭●‬ ‭Stormy‬‭weather:‬‭excessive‬‭storms‬‭and‬‭wind‬‭"slant"‬‭the‬‭trees,‬‭which‬‭will‬
‭come‬‭to‬‭represent‬‭the‬‭characters‬‭of‬‭privilege‬‭as‬‭they‬‭are‬‭emotionally‬
‭battered‬‭and‬‭twisted‬‭by‬‭violence,‬‭“pure,‬‭bracing‬‭ventilation”‬
‭●‬ ‭Unwelcoming‬‭environment:‬‭“you‬‭might‬‭as‬‭well‬‭leave‬‭a‬‭stranger‬‭with‬‭a‬
‭brood‬‭of‬‭tigers”‬‭(LW)‬‭-‬‭“the‬‭dogs‬‭do‬‭right‬‭to‬‭be‬‭vigilant”‬‭(HC)‬
‭●‬ ‭Nonetheless,‬‭the‬‭house‬‭has‬‭been‬‭built‬‭to‬‭withstand‬‭whatever‬‭wild‬‭weather‬
‭it‬‭encounters.‬‭The‬‭ability‬‭or‬‭inability‬‭to‬‭withstand‬‭dangerous,‬‭passionate‬
‭emotions‬‭and‬‭situations‬‭is‬‭a‬‭central‬‭issue‬‭throughout‬‭the‬‭novel.‬
‭-‬ ‭Mr.‬‭Lockwood‬‭sees‬‭the‬‭date‬‭"1500"‬‭and‬‭the‬‭name‬‭"Hareton‬‭Earnshaw”‬‭-‬
‭establishes‬‭ownership‬‭of‬‭property‬‭as‬‭a‬‭key‬‭theme‬‭from‬‭the‬‭beginning‬
‭-‬ ‭Note‬‭how‬‭we‬‭can‬‭see‬‭the‬‭inhabitants‬‭of‬‭the‬‭houses‬‭as‬‭an‬‭embodiment‬‭of‬‭the‬
‭houses‬‭themselves‬
➢
‭ ‬ ‭Characters‬
‭-‬ ‭Lockwood‬
‭●‬ ‭He‬‭gives‬‭only‬‭a‬‭brief‬‭insight‬‭into‬‭his‬‭character‬‭in‬‭the‬‭chapter,‬‭explaining‬
‭that‬‭he‬‭was‬‭once‬‭infatuated‬‭with‬‭a‬‭woman‬‭only‬‭to‬‭lose‬‭interest‬‭when‬‭she‬
‭returned‬‭his‬‭affection‬
‭●‬ ‭Mr.‬‭Lockwood‬‭imagines‬‭a‬‭sympathy‬‭of‬‭emotion‬‭between‬‭himself‬‭and‬
‭Heathcliff,‬‭but‬‭his‬‭shallow‬‭flirtation‬‭will‬‭stand‬‭in‬‭stark‬‭contrast‬‭to‬
‭Heathcliff's‬‭deep‬‭love‬
‭-‬ ‭Heathcliff‬
‭●‬ ‭Guarded:‬‭“closed‬‭teeth”,‬‭“gate‬‭over‬‭which‬‭he‬‭leant”‬‭(refusing‬‭to‬‭open‬‭it‬‭for‬
‭lockwood),‬‭“growled”‬
‭●‬ ‭“Dark-skinned‬‭gypsy‬‭in‬‭aspect,‬‭in‬‭dress‬‭and‬‭manners‬‭a‬‭gentlemen”‬
‭●‬ ‭“Underbred‬‭pride”‬
‭-‬ ‭Joseph‬
‭●‬ ‭Servant‬‭at‬‭WH‬
‭●‬ ‭Religious:‬‭“the‬‭lord‬‭help‬‭us”‬
‭●‬ ‭Bitter:‬‭“sour”,‬‭“vinegar-faced”‬
‭➢‬ ‭Symbols‬
‭-‬ ‭When‬‭Mr.‬‭Lockwood‬‭attempts‬‭to‬‭pet‬‭a‬‭dog‬‭and‬‭its‬‭puppies‬‭in‬‭the‬‭kitchen,‬
‭assuming‬‭that‬‭they,‬‭like‬‭most‬‭domestic‬‭dogs,‬‭are‬‭tame‬‭pets,‬‭he‬‭quickly‬‭learns‬
‭that‬‭his‬‭conventional‬‭expectations‬‭will‬‭not‬‭help‬‭him‬‭to‬‭understand‬‭the‬‭inhabitants‬
‭of‬‭Wuthering‬‭Heights‬
‭-‬ ‭“huge‬‭,‬‭liver-coloured”‬‭=‬‭not‬‭an‬‭appealing‬‭description‬
‭➢‬ ‭Narrative‬‭voice‬
‭-‬ ‭Mr‬‭Lockwood‬‭can‬‭be‬‭viewed‬‭as‬‭an‬‭unreliable‬‭narrator:‬

, ‭●‬ L ‭ ockwood's‬‭perceptions‬‭are‬‭simultaneously‬‭significant‬‭for‬‭the‬‭reader‬
‭while‬‭being‬‭wholly‬‭inaccurate‬‭for‬‭himself‬‭as‬‭a‬‭character.‬‭For‬‭example,‬‭he‬
‭mentions‬‭twice‬‭that‬‭Heathcliff‬‭does‬‭not‬‭extend‬‭a‬‭hand‬‭to‬‭him,‬‭yet‬
‭Lockwood‬‭still‬‭considers‬‭Heathcliff‬‭a‬‭gentleman‬‭and‬‭a‬‭“capital‬‭fellow”‬
‭●‬ ‭At‬‭the‬‭close‬‭of‬‭the‬‭chapter,‬‭Lockwood‬‭recognizes‬‭that‬‭Heathcliff‬‭has‬‭no‬
‭desire‬‭to‬‭see‬‭him‬‭again,‬‭yet‬‭he‬‭plans‬‭to‬‭visit‬‭again‬‭nonetheless‬
➢
‭ ‬ ‭Women‬‭in‬‭society‬
‭➢‬ ‭Context‬
‭●‬ ‭In‬‭the‬‭Victorian‬‭era,‬‭property‬‭=‬‭power.‬‭Establishes‬‭heathcliff‬‭at‬‭the‬‭time‬‭as‬‭a‬
‭member‬‭of‬‭the‬‭property‬‭owning‬‭class‬



‭Chapter‬‭2‬
‭➢‬ ‭Plot‬‭lines‬
‭-‬ ‭On‬‭a‬‭chilly‬‭afternoon‬‭not‬‭long‬‭after‬‭his‬‭first‬‭visit,‬‭Lockwood‬‭makes‬‭the‬‭four-mile‬
‭walk‬‭to‬‭Wuthering‬‭Heights,‬‭arriving‬‭just‬‭as‬‭a‬‭light‬‭snow‬‭begins‬‭to‬‭fall.‬‭He‬‭knocks,‬
‭but‬‭no‬‭one‬‭lets‬‭him‬‭in,‬‭and‬‭Joseph,‬‭an‬‭old‬‭servant‬‭who‬‭speaks‬‭with‬‭a‬‭thick‬
‭Yorkshire‬‭accent,‬‭calls‬‭out‬‭from‬‭the‬‭barn‬‭that‬‭Heathcliff‬‭is‬‭not‬‭in‬‭the‬‭house.‬
‭-‬ ‭Eventually‬‭a‬‭rough-looking‬‭young‬‭man‬‭comes‬‭to‬‭let‬‭him‬‭in,‬‭and‬‭Lockwood‬‭goes‬
‭into‬‭a‬‭sitting‬‭room‬‭where‬‭he‬‭finds‬‭a‬‭beautiful‬‭girl‬‭seated‬‭beside‬‭a‬‭fire.‬‭Lockwood‬
‭assumes‬‭she‬‭is‬‭Heathcliff’s‬‭wife.‬‭He‬‭tries‬‭to‬‭make‬‭conversation,‬‭but‬‭she‬
‭responds‬‭rudely‬
‭-‬ ‭Lockwood‬‭then‬‭assumes‬‭that‬‭the‬‭young‬‭man‬‭who‬‭let‬‭him‬‭in‬‭must‬‭be‬‭Heathcliff’s‬
‭son.‬‭Heathcliff‬‭corrects‬‭him‬‭again.‬‭The‬‭young‬‭man,‬‭Hareton‬‭Earnshaw,‬‭is‬‭not‬‭his‬
‭son,‬‭and‬‭the‬‭girl‬‭is‬‭the‬‭widow‬‭of‬‭Heathcliff’s‬‭dead‬‭son‬
‭-‬ ‭The‬‭snowfall‬‭becomes‬‭a‬‭blizzard,‬‭and‬‭when‬‭Lockwood‬‭is‬‭ready‬‭to‬‭leave,‬‭he‬‭is‬
‭forced‬‭to‬‭ask‬‭for‬‭a‬‭guide‬‭back‬‭to‬‭Thrushcross‬‭Grange.‬‭No‬‭one‬‭will‬‭help‬‭him‬
‭-‬ ‭He‬‭takes‬‭a‬‭lantern‬‭and‬‭says‬‭that‬‭he‬‭will‬‭find‬‭his‬‭own‬‭way,‬‭promising‬‭to‬‭return‬‭with‬
‭the‬‭lantern‬‭in‬‭the‬‭morning.‬‭Joseph,‬‭seeing‬‭him‬‭make‬‭his‬‭way‬‭through‬‭the‬‭snow,‬
‭assumes‬‭that‬‭he‬‭is‬‭stealing‬‭the‬‭lantern,‬‭and‬‭loses‬‭the‬‭dogs‬‭on‬‭him.‬‭Pinned‬‭down‬
‭by‬‭the‬‭dogs,‬‭Lockwood‬‭grows‬‭furious,‬‭and‬‭begins‬‭cursing‬‭the‬‭inhabitants‬‭of‬‭the‬
‭house‬
‭-‬ ‭His‬‭anger‬‭brings‬‭on‬‭a‬‭nosebleed,‬‭and‬‭he‬‭is‬‭forced‬‭to‬‭stay‬‭at‬‭Wuthering‬‭Heights.‬
‭The‬‭housekeeper,‬‭Zillah,‬‭leads‬‭him‬‭to‬‭bed.‬
‭➢‬ ‭Setting‬
‭-‬ ‭Gothic‬‭weather‬‭description:‬
‭●‬ ‭“Earth‬‭was‬‭hard‬‭with‬‭a‬‭black‬‭frost”,‬‭“air‬‭made‬‭me‬‭shiver‬‭through‬‭every‬
‭limb”‬
‭●‬ ‭“Dismal‬‭spiritual‬‭atmosphere‬‭-‬‭neutralised‬‭the‬‭glowing‬‭physical‬‭comforts”‬
‭●‬ ‭“Dark‬‭night‬‭coming‬‭down‬‭prematurely”,‬‭“suffocating‬‭snow”‬
‭●‬ ‭Storm‬‭intensifies‬‭at‬‭the‬‭same‬‭rate‬‭as‬‭the‬‭passion‬‭in‬‭the‬‭house‬
‭➢‬ ‭Characters‬

, ‭-‬ ‭Lockwood‬
‭●‬ ‭A‬‭typical‬‭Victorian‬‭gentleman,‬‭Mr.‬‭Lockwood‬‭expects‬‭to‬‭be‬‭welcomed‬‭at‬
‭Wuthering‬‭Heights‬‭with‬‭customary‬‭hospitality‬‭and‬‭good‬‭manners.‬‭He‬
‭gradually‬‭realises,‬‭however,‬‭that‬‭the‬‭inhabitants‬‭of‬‭Wuthering‬‭Heights‬‭live‬
‭by‬‭their‬‭own‬‭set‬‭of‬‭rules,‬‭and‬‭his‬‭reliance‬‭on‬‭traditional‬‭social‬
‭expectations‬‭fails‬‭miserably.‬‭True‬‭to‬‭his‬‭era,‬‭he‬‭expects‬‭a‬‭beautiful‬
‭woman‬‭like‬‭Catherine‬‭to‬‭be‬‭the‬‭"angel‬‭in‬‭the‬‭house,"‬‭a‬‭sweet,‬‭domestic‬
‭goddess‬‭who‬‭is‬‭kind‬‭and‬‭welcoming,‬‭but‬‭Catherine‬‭is‬‭none‬‭of‬‭these‬
‭things‬
‭●‬ ‭In‬‭Wuthering‬‭Heights,‬‭the‬‭social‬‭world‬‭Mr.‬‭Lockwood‬‭knows‬‭is‬‭turned‬
‭upside‬‭down.‬‭Mr.‬‭Lockwood's‬‭own‬‭social‬‭niceties‬‭begin‬‭to‬‭give‬‭way‬‭as‬‭he‬
‭finds‬‭himself‬‭in‬‭a‬‭hostile‬‭environment,‬‭introducing‬‭the‬‭novel's‬‭theme‬‭of‬
‭cyclical‬‭violence—in‬‭other‬‭words,‬‭how‬‭violence‬‭creates‬‭violent‬‭people.‬‭Mr.‬
‭Lockwood‬‭becomes‬‭increasingly‬‭angry‬‭in‬‭response‬‭to‬‭the‬‭"disagreeable"‬
‭companions‬‭who‬‭do‬‭not‬‭pretend‬‭social‬‭civility‬‭(as‬‭he‬‭does),‬‭check‬‭their‬
‭violent‬‭tendencies,‬‭or‬‭care‬‭to‬‭be‬‭seen‬‭as‬‭helpful‬‭or‬‭sociable.‬‭In‬‭this‬‭way,‬
‭he‬‭is‬‭the‬‭embodiment‬‭of‬‭artificial,‬‭rational‬‭society.‬‭But‬‭Wuthering‬‭Heights‬
‭infects‬‭Mr.‬‭Lockwood‬‭with‬‭its‬‭own‬‭dark‬‭energy,‬‭reducing‬‭him‬‭to‬
‭screeching‬‭like‬‭an‬‭angry‬‭lunatic‬‭by‬‭the‬‭end‬‭of‬‭the‬‭chapter.‬
‭-‬ ‭Heathcliff‬
‭●‬ ‭He‬‭has‬‭lost‬‭both‬‭a‬‭wife‬‭and‬‭a‬‭son‬
‭●‬ ‭Still‬‭aggressive‬‭towards‬‭lockwood;‬‭“ferocious‬‭gaze”,‬‭“uttered‬‭so‬
‭savagely”,‬‭“diabolical‬‭sneer”,‬‭“malignant‬‭masters”→‬‭“I‬‭no‬‭longer‬‭felt‬
‭inclined‬‭to‬‭call‬‭HC‬‭a‬‭capital‬‭fellow”.‬
‭●‬ ‭Foreboding:‬‭hopes‬‭this‬‭will‬‭be‬‭a‬‭lesson‬‭to‬‭“take‬‭no‬‭more‬‭rash‬‭journeys‬‭on‬
‭these‬‭hills”‬
‭-‬ ‭Heathcliff’s‬‭widowed‬‭daughter‬‭in‬‭law/‬‭“Mrs‬‭Heathcliff”‬‭/‬‭Cathy‬
‭●‬ ‭paradoxical‬‭beauty‬‭who‬‭does‬‭not‬‭like‬‭being‬‭at‬‭Wuthering‬‭Heights‬‭but‬‭is‬
‭not‬‭permitted‬‭to‬‭leave.‬‭She‬‭feels‬‭trapped:‬‭“they‬‭wouldn’t‬‭let‬‭me‬‭go‬‭to‬‭the‬
‭end‬‭of‬‭the‬‭garden‬‭wall”‬‭-‬‭something‬‭Lockwood‬‭corroborates‬‭-‬‭justs‬‭wants‬
‭her‬‭to‬‭“tell”‬‭not‬‭“show”‬‭the‬‭way‬
‭●‬ ‭Cold‬‭towards‬‭lockwood:‬‭“cool,‬‭regardless‬‭manner”,‬
‭●‬ ‭Beautiful:‬‭“most‬‭exquisite‬‭little‬‭face‬‭I‬‭have‬‭ever‬‭had‬‭the‬‭pleasure‬‭of‬
‭beholding”‬
‭●‬ ‭Calls‬‭joseph‬‭a‬‭“scandalous‬‭old‬‭hypocrite”‬
‭●‬ ‭Taunting:‬‭“I’ll‬‭show‬‭you‬‭how‬‭far‬‭I’ve‬‭progressed‬‭in‬‭the‬‭black‬‭art”,‬‭“little‬
‭witch‬‭put‬‭a‬‭mock‬‭malignity‬‭into‬‭her‬‭beautiful‬‭eyes”‬‭-‬‭cannot‬‭be‬‭seen‬‭as‬‭an‬
‭actual‬‭threat,‬‭“I‬‭hope‬‭his‬‭ghost‬‭will‬‭haunt‬‭you”‬‭=‬‭SF‬‭of‬‭supernatural‬
‭●‬ ‭HC‬‭describing‬‭her:‬‭“she‬‭looked‬‭very‬‭well‬‭and‬‭very‬‭handsome‬‭yet‬‭not‬‭very‬
‭happy”‬
‭-‬ ‭Hareton‬‭Earnshaw‬