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What happens in Chapters 15–20 of Wuthering Heights?
Before Catherine can open Heathcliff’s letter, Heathcliff himself appears, and Catherine claims that both Heathcliff and Edgar have broken her heart. When Edgar returns, Heathcliff is forced to wait outside; Catherine gives birth and dies two hours later. Not long after, Isabella leaves for London where she gives birth to Heathcliff’s son, Linton. Hindley dies six months after Catherine, leaving Heathcliff the master of Wuthering Heights, where he plans to raise Hareton on his own. Upon learning that Isabella is dying, Edgar hurries to London to take charge of young Linton; however, this allows young Cathy, now thirteen, to sneak away from Thrushcross Grange and meet Hareton. When Edgar returns with Linton, Heathcliff is determined to take possession of his son, which Edgar agrees to.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Chapters 15–20 of Wuthering Heights. (3-minute read)
What key characters are introduced in Chapters 15–20 of Wuthering Heights?
Heathcliff and Isabella’s son, Linton, is introduced in these chapters. Sickly and weak, he does not meet his father until after his mother dies when he is a teenager, at which point Heathcliff takes charge of him.
Read our Character List descriptions for Wuthering Heights. (4-minute read)
What important themes from Wuthering Heights are developed in Chapters 15–20?
These chapters explore The Futility of Revenge as a theme. As Heathcliff continues his plots, the reader might anticipate that revenge won’t satisfy him, particularly now that Catherine is dead—as Heathcliff says, his life is meaningless without her. Other themes developed include Physical versus Psychological Haunting, and The All-Consuming Nature of Suffering. Heathcliff’s animalistic grief consumes him entirely, and he begs her to haunt him.
Read more about the novel’s key Themes. (4-minute read)
What key motifs appear in Chapters 15–20 of Wuthering Heights?
Repetition and doubles resurface in these chapters as the second half of the book commences. Cathy, Linton, and Hareton emerge as doubles of their parents, and similar events play out as the next generation is haunted by the one that preceded it—though the ending is quite different.
Read more about the novel’s key Motifs. (3-minute read)
What key symbols appear in Chapters 15–20 of Wuthering Heights?
The symbolism of Catherine being buried overlooking the moors underscores her connection to their untamable nature. When Heathcliff begs her to haunt him following her death, it conjures the image of Lockwood encountering her ghost outside the window of her old bedroom, confirming that she does indeed haunt him.
