Y13 Lit: Plot Synopsis of Wuthering Heights- I knew I had this somewhere! For comparison in terms of setting (Wuthering Heights Vs. Thrushcross Grange / Howards End Vs. Wickham Place)


· First three chapters deal with Lockwood’s relationship with Heathcliff and the sequence of his dreams at Wuthering Heights.
· The narrative passes to Nelly Dean, who fills in the ‘back story’, starting from Heathcliff’s arrival at the Heights.
· Heathcliff is brought to the Earnshaw family as a foundling by Mr.Earnshaw.
· Catherine and Heathcliff are brought up as brother and sister.
· When Mr.Earnshaw dies, Hindley returns to Wuthering Heights with his wife Frances and becomes master of the household.
· Hindley wants to sever the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine.
· Catherine is injured and spends five weeks at Thrushcross Grange recovering.
· When she returns, all her wildness is gone, having made friends with Edgar and Isabella at the Grange.
· While Catherine is away, Hindley degrades Heathcliff, treating him as a labourer.
· Hindley and Frances have a son, Hareton. Frances dies shortly afterwards.
· Heathcliff disappears for three years. Catherine, for reasons open to interpretation, marries Edgar Linton, not Heathcliff.
· Catherine moves into the Grange with Edgar. They are content (an odd word to apply to Catherine!)
· Nelly Dean moves to the Grange.
· Heatchcliff returns, transformed and incredibly appealing. Both Catherine and her sister-in-law Isabella are captivated by him.
· Heatchcliff stays at the Heights, spending much of his time gambling with his former enemy, Hindley.
· Heathcliff begins to court Isabella’s affections, probably to spite Edgar for taking Catherine.
· Edgar and Heathcliff argue violently, causing Catherine enough stress to make her ill.
· With Catherine unwell, Heathcliff courts and marries Isabella. Edgar disowns his sister.
· For two months, Edgar nurses Catherine while there is no word from Heatchliff and Isabella. Then Isabella writes to Nelly, telling her that the couple are living at the Heights and are desperately unhappy.
· Edgar ignores his sister’s plight, but Nelly goes to visit her. Heatchcliff speaks of his love for Catherine and hatred for Isabella.
· Nelly argues with Heathcliff about his behaviour, but eventually he persuades her to take a letter to Catherine.
· Heatchcliff visits Catherine on her deathbed. Catherine dies giving birth to Cathy.
· Isabella runs from Heathcliff, and gives birth to their son, Linton Heathcliff.
· Hindley dies, leaving Heatchcliff and Hareton alone at the Heights. Heathcliff treats Hareton as Hindley once treated him.
· Isabella dies. Linton Heathcliff, now a sickly boy of twelve, goes to live at the Grange with his uncle Edgar.
· Heatchcliff sends for his son and he goes to live at the Heights.
· Cathy lives at the Grange with her father. Her cousin’s closeness is kept from her.
· On her sixteenth birthday, Cathy happens to meet Heathcliff and Hareton on the moors, returns with them to the Heights and is astonished to find her cousin there.
· Heatchcliff plots to marry Cathy and Linton, thereby gaining control of both the Heights and the Grange.
· Cathy wants to please her ‘uncle’, and writes to Linton even though Edgar forbids the relationship. Eventually, they manage to meet in secret.
· Heathcliff manages to force the cousins to marry, knowing he has little time before Linton dies.
· Edgar dies, the Grange passes to Linton (as the male heir). Linton then dies, so the Grange passes to Heathcliff as Cathy’s father-in-law (Cathy would have inherited the Grange were it not for this close male relation by marriage).
· Tricked of her inheritance, Cathy lives a miserable life at the Heights.
· This brings us back to the point the narrative started at. The last three chapters are from Lockwood’s viewpoint, completing the frame narrative.
· Finally, Lockwood leaves the Grange and returns to find Heathcliff has died and Cathy and Hareton are preparing to marry.