Mr. Lockwood, a new tenant at Thrushcross Grange, uncovers the turbulent history of his neighbors, the Earnshaws and Lintons, through the housekeeper Nelly Dean. Her tale recounts the orphan Heathcliff’s degradation and his fierce bond with Catherine Earnshaw, a connection severed by her marriage to Edgar Linton. Heathcliff returns years later to exact a brutal revenge on the families, corrupting the next generation and claiming the estates. Only after his death does the cycle of violence break, allowing the young Catherine and Hareton to heal the wounds of the past.
Catherine remained at Thrushcross Grange for five weeks, returning to Wuthering Heights on Christmas Eve with her ankle thoroughly healed and her manners entirely transformed. Under the Lintons’ tutelage, the wild, hatless savage had evolved into a dignified young lady. She dismounted from a handsome black pony clad in a fine feathered beaver and a grand silk frock, her fingers whitened by idleness. Hindley and his wife were enchanted by her gentility, but Catherine’s first concern was to find Heathcliff. He had sunk even deeper into neglect during her absence, hiding behind the settle with mire-caked clothes and uncombed hair. When she discovered him, she flew to embrace him, but her innocent laughter at his grim, dirty appearance struck him to the core. He rejected her attempt to reconcile, declaring he would not endure being mocked, and dashed from the room in a rage.
Catherine was confounded by his behavior, but Nelly Dean recognized the boy’s misery and sought to repair the breach. On Christmas Eve, she found Heathcliff in the stables and urged him to wash and dress so he could rejoin Catherine. She appealed to his pride, assuring him that he was taller and broader than Edgar Linton and could easily knock him down. Heathcliff’s confidence wavered, however, as he confessed that violence would not make him handsome or rich. He bitterly wished for light hair and a fair skin, envying Edgar’s social advantages. Nelly soothed his insecurity with fanciful tales, suggesting he might be the son of an Emperor of China, and gradually coaxed him into a better spirit.
Their tentative reconciliation was shattered by the arrival of the Linton family for Christmas service. As Heathcliff opened the kitchen door, Hindley intercepted him, shoving him back with brutal force. Determined to keep his promise to Mrs. Linton to separate the children, he ordered Heathcliff to the garret. Edgar Linton, peeping from the doorway, unwisely remarked that Heathcliff’s long hair resembled a colt’s mane. Heathcliff’s violent nature snapped; he seized a tureen of hot apple sauce and dashed it full into Edgar’s face. Hindley dragged Heathcliff away to administer a rough punishment, while Catherine scolded Edgar for his provocation and wept over Heathcliff’s fate.
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