Wuthering Heights

Question 1

Who rents Thrushcross Grange and who does he meet when he’s there?

Answer 1

Lockwood, his landlord Heathcliff

Question 2

Who does Lockwood talk to about Heathcliff, and whose recollections form most of the story?

Answer 2

Nelly, his housekeeper

Question 3

Who used to live in Wuthering Heights and what was Heathcliff doing there?

Answer 3

The Earnshaw family; Heathcliff was an adopted son

Question 4

Who are the Earnshaw kids?

Answer 4

Hindley and Catherine

Question 5

What new character comes to Wuthering Heights after Mr. Earnshaw dies?

Answer 5

Frances, Hindley’s new wife

Question 6

After Frances’s arrival, what comes of Heathcliff?

Answer 6

He becomes a servant, but keeps in touch with Catherine

Question 7

What happens that causes a rift between Heathcliff and Catherine? What additional change to Catherine takes place

Answer 7

Catherine gets severely hurt, has to stay at a nearby manor, where she starts getting close to Edgar Linton. She also become much more ladylike

Question 8

After Catherine’s accident, how is Hindley doing?

Answer 8

Not very well; his wife died after giving birth to Hareton, and he is now an alcoholic to deal with the pain

Question 9

After Frances’ death, what happens with Catherine?

Answer 9

She is engaged to Edgar, in order to climb the ladder of social standing

Question 10

Catherine’s marriage results in what?

Answer 10

Heathcliff runs away for three years

Question 11

What is the first thing Heathcliff does upon return to Wuthering Heights?

Answer 11

He engages in predatory lending to Hindley

Question 12

When Hindley dies, what does Heathcliff inherit?

Answer 12

Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange (TG by way of marriage to Isabella Linton)

Question 13

Catherine dies after giving birth, then what?

Answer 13

Isabella runs away with their child, Linton, to London

Question 14

After thirteen years, what job is Nelly Dean responsible for?

Answer 14

Young Cat’s nursemaid (Elder Cat’s daughter)

Question 15

Young Cat starts a romance with who, and what is Heathcliff’s role in this romance?

Answer 15

Linton, however he is only pursuing young Cat because Heathcliff wants legal claim over Thrushcross Grange

Question 16

How does the story end?

Answer 16

Heathcliff forces the marriage and gets Thrushcross Grange, but when he dies, young Cat and Hareton, who fall in love, gain WH and TG

Question 17

What two love stories dominate the book?

Answer 17

Catherine and Heathcliff, and Young Catherine and Hareton

Question 18

What do the two love stories represent?

Answer 18

Young Catherine and Hareton: Growth and change, particualarly in how they see each other
Catherine and Heathcliff: Inability to change; particularly Heathcliff’s grudges and Catherine’s love for Heathcliff

Question 19

Does Wuthering Heights champion change or love? How?

Answer 19

Change; as one generation passes, the next generation undoes some of the problems of the first one

Question 20

What were the rungs of British society in the 18th-19th century?

Answer 20

From top to bottom, royalty, aristocracy, gentry, lower classes

Question 21

Was a British “gentleman” based on morality?

Answer 21

No, it was based on material things, like horses and cash, and houses (not trade though)

Question 22

How does social standing play a role in Wuthering Heights?

Answer 22

One example is elder Cat, who marries Edgar for social standing but lives lonely and depressed the rest of her life

Question 23

How does Bronte use pairs in her novel?

Answer 23

Bronte seems to have to sides to major points of her novel, including TG and WH, the two love stories, the two narrators, etc.

Question 24

How do WH and TG contrast each other?

Answer 24

TG represents civility, social standing and norms, WH represents more passion and human emotion, throwing social norms to the wind in a way

Question 25

What makes WH a unique novel?

Answer 25

Whereas most novels, like Pride and Prejudice, are culture over nature, WH seems to change this, depicting nature somehow corrupting culture

Question 26

Describe moorland

Answer 26

Moorland is wet, soggy, kind of like a marsh, and dangerous

Question 27

What role do moors play in WH?

Answer 27

Catherine and Heathcliff play on the moors, and their bond starts here as well

Question 28

What is a motif that is present in parts of WH?

Answer 28

Ghosts

Question 29

What happens in Ch. 34 concerning Heathcliff?

Answer 29

Villagers claim to see Heathcliff’s ghost

Question 30

What do ghosts symbolize in WH?

Answer 30

Ghosts symbolize the way the past sticks with people