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What happens in Chapters 6–9 of Wuthering Heights?
Nelly continues her story. In it, Hindley and his wife Frances return to Wuthering Heights and make Heathcliff work the fields. While playing on the moors one day, Catherine injures her ankle and spends five weeks at Thrushcross Grange healing under the tutelage of the Linton family, who teach her to be a lady. Nelly’s story continues with the birth of Hindley’s son, Hareton, and the death of Frances. She reveals the budding romance between Catherine and Edgar, their eventual marriage, and how Heathcliff runs away from Wuthering Heights after hearing Catherine say that she can’t marry Heathcliff because of his low status.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Chapters 6–9 of Wuthering Heights. (3-minute read)
What key characters are introduced in Chapters 6–9 of Wuthering Heights?
- Edgar Linton: Well-bred but spoiled as a child, Edgar’s character serves as a foil to Heathcliff’s. He is raised a gentleman at Thrushcross Grange and ultimately marries Catherine.
- Isabella Linton: Isabella is Edgar’s sister, and eventually surprises everyone by falling in love with Heathcliff in spite of his temperament.
Read our Character List descriptions for Wuthering Heights. (4-minute read)
What famous quote from Wuthering Heights appears in Chapters 6–9?
In one of the novel’s most famous quotes, Catherine’s confession to Nelly Dean in Chapter 9 forms a turning point in the novel’s plot, as it is the catalyst for Heathcliff’s departure from Wuthering Heights:
It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and [Edgar’s] is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.
Read the complete quote and a full analysis of it in Famous Quotes Explained. (1-minute read)
What is the novel’s tone?
Lockwood’s annoyance with the less-than-welcoming attitude he encounters at Wuthering Heights permeates his narration. When Nelly takes over the story, the tone becomes particularly critical; she makes no secret of her disapproval of Catherine and Heathcliff’s behavior.
Read more about the Tone of Wuthering Heights. (2-minute read)
What important themes from Wuthering Heights are developed in Chapters 6–9?
These sections introduce and develop several themes. The Precariousness of Social Class comes into play as a theme when Heathcliff’s good fortune in being brought to Wuthering Heights by Mr. Earnshaw quickly disappears upon his death. Hindley, his heir, proceeds to treat Heathcliff as a servant, rendering him unmarriageable for Catherine. Despite this, Catherine continues to love him, emphasizing the theme of The Destructiveness of a Love That Never Changes, which will impact both Catherine and Heathcliff throughout the text. Catherine’s decision intensifies Heathcliff’s need for revenge against Hindley and Edgar, though the reader will witness the results in yet another of the novel’s themes: the Futility of Revenge.
Read more about the novel’s key Themes. (4-minute read)
What key motifs appear in Chapters 6–9 of Wuthering Heights?
With the introduction of Thrushcross Grange juxtaposed against the Wuthering Heights estate, Brontë further develops the doubles motif for which she has already begun to lay the groundwork. Other significant doubles include Catherine and Heathcliff, Catherine and her daughter Cathy, and our two narrators, Lockwood and Nelly Dean. Also prominent in these sections is the motif of the conflict between nature and culture. In Chapter 6, Catherine’s weeks-long stay at Thrushcross Grange tempers her wildness somewhat, sparking conflict with Heathcliff, though she remains passionate and free-spirited
Read more about the novel’s key Motifs. (3-minute read)
What key symbols appear in Chapters 6–9 of Wuthering Heights?
Brontë explores the symbolism of the moors in these chapters, equating the wildness and untamable nature of the moors with the wildness and untamable nature of Catherine and Heathcliff, and the passion they have for one another.
