Summary
Chapter 15: The Letter and the Return
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Nelly delays delivering Heathcliff's letter to Catherine for three days out of fear. Finally, while Edgar is at church, she orchestrates their meeting. Catherine sits ghostlike by the window, barely aware of reality. When Heathcliff arrives, they embrace desperately—he kisses her frantically, but can barely look at her face because he knows immediately she's dying. Their reunion is violent and passionate: Catherine accuses him and Edgar of killing her, demanding to know if he'll forget her after she's dead. She grabs his hair, refusing to let go, torturing him with visions of him being happy without her. Heathcliff responds with equal ferocity—accusing her of killing herself by choosing Edgar, saying her words will haunt him forever in hell. They blame each other while clinging together. Catherine admits she was wrong to marry Edgar, that she and Heathcliff are the same soul. They embrace one final time—Heathcliff bruising her arms, Catherine pulling out his hair—their love inseparable from violence. Edgar returns unexpectedly. Heathcliff passes Catherine to Edgar and flees. Catherine collapses. That night, she gives birth to a premature daughter (also named Catherine) and dies without regaining consciousness. Heathcliff, devastated, begs her ghost to haunt him rather than leave him alone.
Coming Up in Chapter 16
Catherine dies giving birth to a daughter, never fully conscious enough to see Heathcliff one last time. Edgar is left devastated and without a male heir, setting up future conflicts over inheritance and legacy.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~297 words)
Another week over—and I am so many days nearer health, and spring! I have now heard all my neighbour’s history, at different sittings, as the housekeeper could spare time from more important occupations. I’ll continue it in her own words, only a little condensed. She is, on the whole, a very fair narrator, and I don’t think I could improve her style. * * * * * In the evening, she said, the evening of my visit to the Heights, I knew, as well as if I saw him, that Mr. Heathcliff was about the place; and I shunned going out, because I still carried his letter in my pocket, and didn’t want to be threatened or teased any more. I had made up my mind not to give it till my master went somewhere, as I could not guess how its receipt would affect Catherine. The consequence was, that it did not reach her before the lapse of three days. The fourth was Sunday, and I brought it into her room after the family were gone to church. There was a man servant left to keep the house with me, and we generally made a practice of locking the doors during the hours of service; but on that occasion the weather was so warm and pleasant that I set them wide open, and, to fulfil my engagement, as I knew who would be coming, I told my companion that the mistress wished very much for some oranges, and he must run over to the village and get a few, to be paid for on the morrow. He departed, and I went upstairs. Mrs. Linton sat in a loose white dress, with a light shawl over her shoulders, in the recess of the open window, as usual.
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Messenger's Dilemma
When fear of conflict leads to delays that make situations worse
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
Learning when and how to deliver difficult messages, balancing multiple people's needs and emotions
Practice This Today
Before having a tough conversation, consider the other person's emotional state, choose appropriate timing, and prepare for various reactions
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Engagement
A promise or commitment to do something
Modern Usage:
Like promising to meet someone or fulfill an obligation, even when it's uncomfortable
Bereavement
The state of being deprived of someone close through death
Modern Usage:
The grief and loss felt when someone important dies, like losing a spouse or parent
Distraction
Extreme agitation or mental disturbance
Modern Usage:
Being so upset or overwhelmed that you can't think straight or function normally
Characters in This Chapter
Nelly Dean
Housekeeper and narrator
The reluctant messenger who controls the flow of information between characters
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker who gets caught in the middle of workplace drama and has to decide whose side to take
Catherine Linton
The dying woman caught between two worlds
Represents the cost of choosing security over passion
Modern Equivalent:
Someone dying young after sacrificing their true desires for social expectations
Heathcliff
The obsessed former lover
Embodies destructive passion that refuses to accept loss
Modern Equivalent:
The ex who can't let go and keeps trying to reconnect despite the damage it causes
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I still carried his letter in my pocket, and didn't want to be threatened or teased any more."
Context: Nelly explains why she delayed delivering Heathcliff's letter
Shows how fear of confrontation can lead to procrastination with serious consequences
In Today's Words:
I was scared of dealing with the drama, so I kept putting off doing what I knew I had to do
"Her appearance was altered, as I had told Heathcliff; but when she was calm, there seemed unearthly beauty in the change."
Context: Describing Catherine's appearance as she approaches death
Suggests that approaching death has given Catherine a ethereal, otherworldly quality
In Today's Words:
She looked different now that she was sick, but there was something almost angelic about how peaceful she seemed
Thematic Threads
Obsessive Love
In This Chapter
Heathcliff's persistent attempts to reach the dying Catherine despite the danger
Development
His obsession has become so consuming that he risks everyone's safety for one final meeting
In Your Life:
Recognize when your feelings for someone have crossed from love into obsession—healthy love respects boundaries
Social Class Barriers
In This Chapter
The elaborate deception needed for Heathcliff to see Catherine shows how rigid social divisions are
Development
Even in Catherine's final days, class differences require secret meetings and careful timing
In Your Life:
Notice how economic and social differences still create barriers in relationships today
The Cost of Passion
In This Chapter
Catherine's illness seems directly connected to her emotional turmoil over Heathcliff
Development
Her body is failing as her heart remains torn between duty and desire
In Your Life:
Understand that unresolved emotional conflicts can literally make you sick—stress affects physical health
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Was Nelly right to delay giving Catherine the letter, or should she have delivered it immediately?
ethical • Consider the competing loyalties and potential consequences of each choice - 2
How does Catherine's physical deterioration reflect her emotional state throughout the novel?
analytical • Examine the connection between psychological stress and physical health in the story - 3
What role does class difference play in making this meeting so complicated and secretive?
social • Analyze how social barriers create practical obstacles even in life-and-death situations - 4
Have you ever delayed delivering bad news or having a difficult conversation? What happened?
personal • Reflect on your own experiences with avoidance and the consequences that followed
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Messenger's Choice
Imagine you're in Nelly's position: you have information that someone desperately wants to share with a person who might be harmed by receiving it. The messenger (you) could face consequences either way. Map out all the stakeholders, their needs, and the potential outcomes of different choices.
Consider:
- •Who are all the people affected by your decision?
- •What are the short-term vs. long-term consequences of each option?
- •How do you balance protecting someone from harm vs. respecting their right to know?
- •What are your own motivations and fears influencing the decision?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you were caught in the middle of a situation between two other people. How did you handle it? What would you do differently now? What did you learn about managing complex relationships and competing loyalties?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 16
As the story unfolds, you'll explore grief and loss can consume someone completely, while uncovering the way love triangles create lasting damage for everyone involved. These lessons connect the classic to contemporary challenges we all face.