Wuthering Heights Chapter 4-9

Summary

In Thrushcross Grange, Nelly Dean begins to tell Lockwood of the story of Heathcliff. She explains how he was brought to Wuthering Heights as a child and spread discord among the Earnshaw family. As Mr Earnshaw gets older and sick he becomes very protective over Heathcliff . He then sends his son Hindley off to college, resulting in Heathcliff and cute troublesome Cathy growing fond together. Inevitably, Mr Earnshaw passes into eternity, leaving only Cathy who favours him. With no one else liking him, trouble emerges.Hindley then comes back to Wuthering Heights for Mr Earnshaw's funeral alongside his wife Frances, who consistently 'coughed troublesomely' . Consequently Hindley is now the master of the house, things were going to change around Wuthering Heights. When Frances expresses her dislike of Heathcliff, it stokes Hindley's animosity all over again. Hindley decides to start treating his adoptive brother like a servant, reducing him to a farmhand and depriving him of an education. Catherine and Heathcliff grow more rebellious and wild. They sneak into Thrushcross Grange where they meet Isabella and Edgar Linton who detect there are intruders, resulting in Heathcliff and Cathy trying to make an escape, however the dogs catch up to them and Cathy gets injured. They are then dragged into Thrushcross Grange by a servant, where Catherine's wounds heal, receiving the treatment of a princess, leaving Heathcliff to get insulted on his race and class.


Five weeks later, Catherine returns to Wuthering Heights, and you can bet that was a long five weeks for Heathcliff. Without her around, Heathcliff was neglected and abused even more than usual.Catherine has changed a lot during her stay at Thrushcross Grange. No longer the tomboyish wild child, she is composed and groomed, looking quite the little lady. She acts singly from Heathcliff who briefly tries to smarten himself up to impress her but fails, throwing apple sauce over Edgar. Hindley banishes Heathcliff to his room for the remainder of the evening, where he makes a solemn vow to Nelly Dean, and this is where the revenge plot is set in motion.Hareton is born to Hindley and Frances but the latter soon dies of tuberculosis, causing Hindley to gradually fall apart, inducing the treatment of Heathcliff to get worse. Catherine continues her friendship with Edgar, moving further from Heathcliff and closer to Edgar.

In a drunken state, Hindley returns and drops Hareton from the landing; the child is saved by Heathcliff even though he desires nothing more than to ruin Hindley, Heathcliff rescues the child on instinct. . Catherine talks with Ellen and reveals that she has accepted an offer of marriage from Edgar. She says that she couldn't marry Heathcliff because he is too poor and rough but that, really, her heart belongs to him. He overhears the first part of this but not the second and runs away from Wuthering Heights. Catherine goes on to marry Edgar and Ellen leaves with her as her maid.

Analysis 

• Lockwood is naïve, Mrs. Dean is cynical, having spent so many years taking care of Thrushcross Grange. 
• Nelly helps us see the characters background which changes our perspective of the story line and characters
• Themes of social class are introduced: "a gipsy", "a Spanish castaway," - Catherine 'changes' when she stays at Thrushcross grange for 5weeks. The reason why Catherine cant marry Heathcliff 
• Theme of violence and extreme behaviour : Hindley puts a knife in Nelly's mouth