Wuthering Heights, Chapters 11-23

Wuthering Heights, Chapters 11-23

Chapters 11-12

After her long absence from Wuthering Heights, Nelly decides to return

in order to speak with Hindley. However, instead she meets Hareton who

does not remember her and greets her with a hail of stones and curses.

No doubt these actions have been copied from Heathcliff. Nelly runs

away.

The next day, Heathcliff comes to the Grange and embraces Isabella,

much to the annoyance of Cathy. Heathcliff tells her ‘I’m not your

husband, you needn’t be jealous of me.’

Edgar challenges Cathy and Heathcliff regarding their relationship.

Heathcliff takes the position that Cathy has wronged him and that he

will be revenged. Cathy taunts Edgar encouraging him to fight with

Heathcliff. Edgar strikes Heathcliff and then goes to get assistance

in order to have him removed from the house. Heathcliff, realizing

that he will be outnumbered, leaves. Cathy is asked to choose between

Heathcliff and Edgar, but Cathy will not answer her husband. Instead,

she locks herself in her room refusing to eat. Edgar then decides to

persuade his sister Isabella to pursue Heathcliff, as their

relationship would end the link between Cathy and Heathcliff.

After a few days without food, Cathy calls for Edgar begging

forgiveness. She is delirious and talks about her childhood with

Heathcliff and she has a foreboding of her death. Nelly insists on

keeping the windows in her bedroom closed, but Cathy staggers to them

and throws them open claiming she can see Wuthering Heights. She goes

on to speak about her death, but that she will wander the world until

she is with Heathcliff. Edgar is appalled to find Cathy in such a

weakened state and scolds Nelly for not telling him sooner.

That night Isabella runs away with Heathcliff and Edgar disowns his

sister for this scandal.

The doctor arrives and predicts that Cathy will not survive the

illness.

Chapter 13-15

Cathy is in fact pregnant and Edgar tries to nurse her back to health.

He hopes for a male heir.

Isabella has married Heathcliff and writes to Edgar begging his

forgiveness, but this is ignored. She then writes to Nelly and asks

her to visit Wuthering Heights. She is distraught at the way

Heathcliff treats her. In the letter she tells of her loneliness, as

Hareton, Joseph and Hindley are rude to her. She regrets having

married Heathcliff and cannot see any way for her to escape.

When Heathcliff learns of Cathy’s illness he blames Edgar for this.

Nelly visits Wuthering Heights, but she can give no words of comfort

to Isabella from Edgar who still will have no contact with her.

Heathcliff is eager to learn about Cathy’s situation, clearly hurting