Summary
Chapter 16: Birth and Death
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
At midnight, Catherine gives birth to a premature daughter, also named Catherine. Two hours later, the mother dies without regaining consciousness, never knowing she had a child or seeing Edgar again. The baby is unwanted and unloved—Edgar wanted a son and heir. Nelly finds Catherine's corpse peaceful, smiling, more beautiful in death than in life, finally at rest. Edgar collapses beside her, devastated. At sunrise, Nelly goes to tell Heathcliff. She finds him in the park, soaked with dew, standing motionless all night among the trees. He already knows. "She's dead! Damn you all! She wants none of your tears!" When Nelly says Catherine died peacefully, asking if she mentioned him, Nelly lies that Catherine never regained consciousness. Heathcliff erupts in anguish: "May she wake in torment! Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living—haunt me! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!" He smashes his head against a tree until blood streams down, howling like an animal. For days before the funeral, Edgar guards Catherine's coffin day and night. Heathcliff haunts outside. One night, Nelly secretly opens a window so Heathcliff can say goodbye to her corpse.
Coming Up in Chapter 17
The weather turns harsh, mirroring the emotional climate as the household struggles to cope with Catherine's death. Edgar retreats to his room while Nelly takes charge of the lonely household, setting the stage for new conflicts to emerge.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~296 words)
bout twelve o’clock that night was born the Catherine you saw at Wuthering Heights: a puny, seven-months’ child; and two hours after the mother died, having never recovered sufficient consciousness to miss Heathcliff, or know Edgar. The latter’s distraction at his bereavement is a subject too painful to be dwelt on; its after-effects showed how deep the sorrow sunk. A great addition, in my eyes, was his being left without an heir. I bemoaned that, as I gazed on the feeble orphan; and I mentally abused old Linton for (what was only natural partiality) the securing his estate to his own daughter, instead of his son’s. An unwelcomed infant it was, poor thing! It might have wailed out of life, and nobody cared a morsel, during those first hours of existence. We redeemed the neglect afterwards; but its beginning was as friendless as its end is likely to be. Next morning—bright and cheerful out of doors—stole softened in through the blinds of the silent room, and suffused the couch and its occupant with a mellow, tender glow. Edgar Linton had his head laid on the pillow, and his eyes shut. His young and fair features were almost as deathlike as those of the form beside him, and almost as fixed: but his was the hush of exhausted anguish, and hers of perfect peace. Her brow smooth, her lids closed, her lips wearing the expression of a smile; no angel in heaven could be more beautiful than she appeared. And I partook of the infinite calm in which she lay: my mind was never in a holier frame than while I gazed on that untroubled image of Divine rest. I instinctively echoed the words she had uttered a few hours before: “Incomparably beyond and above us all!
Master this chapter. Complete your experience
Purchase the complete book to access all chapters and support classic literature
As an Amazon Associate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
Available in paperback, hardcover, and e-book formats
Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
When Death Brings Peace
When someone's death ends a destructive pattern but leaves others to deal with the aftermath
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
Literature shows us different ways people handle death and loss, helping us understand our own reactions aren't wrong or unusual
Practice This Today
Next time you face loss, remember Nelly's practical acceptance versus Edgar's devastation - both are valid ways to grieve
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
bereavement
The state of having lost someone close to death; deep grief
Modern Usage:
Like when Heath's coworker lost his wife in a car accident and couldn't function at work for months
heir
A person who inherits property or position, traditionally male
Modern Usage:
Today it's whoever inherits the family business or house, regardless of gender
estate
All property and assets owned by someone, especially land and wealth
Modern Usage:
Everything someone owns when they die - house, savings, possessions - that gets passed down
Characters in This Chapter
Catherine Earnshaw Linton
Dies in childbirth, central figure whose death impacts everyone
Her death represents the end of passionate, destructive love and the beginning of a new cycle
Modern Equivalent:
The ex who dies young, leaving everyone to wonder 'what if' and deal with unresolved feelings
Edgar Linton
Catherine's grieving husband, devastated by her death
Shows how civilized people process grief - internally, quietly, but just as deeply
Modern Equivalent:
The stable partner who loses the love of his life and doesn't know how to go on
Young Catherine
Newborn daughter, born into tragedy
Represents hope for the future but also the burden of her parents' legacy
Modern Equivalent:
A child born into family drama who will grow up dealing with everyone else's baggage
Nelly Dean
Narrator and caretaker, observes and reflects on death
Provides practical wisdom about death and grief from working-class perspective
Modern Equivalent:
The nurse or caregiver who sees death regularly and develops philosophical acceptance
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Her brow smooth, her lids closed, her lips wearing the expression of a smile; no angel in heaven could be more beautiful than she appeared."
Context: Describing Catherine's peaceful appearance in death
Death brings Catherine the peace that life never could - she's finally free from the torment of choosing between Edgar and Heathcliff
In Today's Words:
In death, she finally looked at peace - more beautiful than she ever did when she was struggling with all her problems
"An unwelcomed infant it was, poor thing! It might have wailed out of life, and nobody cared a morsel, during those first hours of existence."
Context: About baby Catherine being born into tragedy
The child pays the price for her parents' destructive relationship - unwanted and unloved from birth
In Today's Words:
Nobody wanted this baby - she could have died and no one would have cared, at least not at first
"I am seldom otherwise than happy while watching in the chamber of death, should no frenzied or despairing mourner share the duty with me."
Context: Reflecting on her comfort with death
Nelly finds peace in death because she sees it as natural and restful, unlike the chaos of life
In Today's Words:
I'm actually calm around death when there aren't hysterical people making it worse - death itself is peaceful
Thematic Threads
Death as Liberation
In This Chapter
Catherine finally finds peace in death after a life of torment
Development
Her serene expression contrasts sharply with the chaos she created while alive
In Your Life:
Sometimes ending toxic relationships feels like death, but it can bring the same kind of peace Catherine found
Generational Impact
In This Chapter
Baby Catherine is born unwanted, already burdened by her parents' choices
Development
The sins of one generation are passed to the next through neglect and resentment
In Your Life:
Children always pay the price for their parents' drama - break the cycle or perpetuate it
Class and Grief
In This Chapter
Nelly's practical acceptance of death versus Edgar's aristocratic devastation
Development
Working-class Nelly sees death as natural; upper-class Edgar is unprepared for real loss
In Your Life:
Your background shapes how you handle crisis - some learn resilience, others are sheltered until reality hits
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Catherine look peaceful in death when she never found peace in life?
analytical • Consider how her internal conflicts are finally resolved - 2
Is it fair that baby Catherine starts life unwanted because of her parents' choices?
ethical • Think about how family drama affects innocent children - 3
How does Nelly's attitude toward death differ from Edgar's, and why?
comparative • Examine how class and life experience shape responses to loss - 4
What would you do if you were Heath hearing about Sarah's death?
personal • Reflect on how death changes the meaning of long-held grudges
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Price of Toxic Love
Catherine's death ends her torment but devastates Edgar and leaves baby Catherine unwanted. Think about a toxic relationship in your life (romantic, family, friendship) that ended badly.
Consider:
- •Who got hurt when the relationship ended?
- •Did anyone find peace, even if others were devastated?
- •How did the toxic dynamic affect innocent people (children, friends, family)?
- •What patterns from that relationship are you still carrying?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when ending something toxic felt like death - scary and final, but ultimately freeing. What did you learn about yourself? What would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 17
The weather turns harsh, mirroring the emotional climate as the household struggles to cope with Catherine's death. Edgar retreats to his room while Nelly takes charge of the lonely household, setting the stage for new conflicts to emerge.
