Summary
Chapter 21
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Young Cathy grieves her cousin Linton's departure after his sudden removal to Wuthering Heights, though time gradually erases his memory from her mind. Nelly learns from the Heights' housekeeper that Linton lives in isolation, constantly sick, and has become insufferably demanding. Heathcliff barely conceals his contempt for his own son, avoiding him whenever possible and showing visible antipathy to his voice and presence. The boy spends his days wrapped in furs by the fire, demanding special food, complaining about drafts, and quarreling with Hareton when he tries to befriend him. Three years pass, and on Cathy's sixteenth birthday—also the anniversary of her mother's death—she manipulates Nelly into walking farther than permitted on the moors. They accidentally encounter Heathcliff on his land, where Cathy has been hunting for bird nests. Heathcliff, recognizing his opportunity, forces them to visit Wuthering Heights despite Nelly's protests. There, Cathy meets her cousin Linton for the first time since childhood—a pale, delicate, peevish boy who both attracts and repels her. Heathcliff reveals his scheme to Nelly: he wants the cousins to fall in love and marry, securing his control over both the Linton and Earnshaw estates. He manipulates the young people into a secret correspondence, knowing Edgar would never approve. The chapter ends with Cathy enchanted by her romantic cousin and the forbidden nature of their connection, while Nelly dreads the consequences of this engineered reunion.
Coming Up in Chapter 22
Edgar Linton catches a severe cold during harvest season, confining him indoors for the winter. Cathy, already saddened by her cousin's absence, grows even more melancholy as her father's health declines.
Share it with friends
An excerpt from the original text.(~297 words)
We had sad work with little Cathy that day: she rose in high glee, eager to join her cousin, and such passionate tears and lamentations followed the news of his departure that Edgar himself was obliged to soothe her, by affirming he should come back soon: he added, however, “if I can get him”; and there were no hopes of that. This promise poorly pacified her; but time was more potent; and though still at intervals she inquired of her father when Linton would return, before she did see him again his features had waxed so dim in her memory that she did not recognise him. When I chanced to encounter the housekeeper of Wuthering Heights, in paying business visits to Gimmerton, I used to ask how the young master got on; for he lived almost as secluded as Catherine herself, and was never to be seen. I could gather from her that he continued in weak health, and was a tiresome inmate. She said Mr. Heathcliff seemed to dislike him ever longer and worse, though he took some trouble to conceal it: he had an antipathy to the sound of his voice, and could not do at all with his sitting in the same room with him many minutes together. There seldom passed much talk between them: Linton learnt his lessons and spent his evenings in a small apartment they called the parlour: or else lay in bed all day: for he was constantly getting coughs, and colds, and aches, and pains of some sort. “And I never knew such a faint-hearted creature,” added the woman; “nor one so careful of hisseln. He _will_ go on, if I leave the window open a bit late in the evening. Oh! it’s killing, a breath of night air!
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
The Professional Victim Pattern
When weakness becomes a manipulation tool that ultimately isolates the person using it
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
Literature shows us how people use weakness as a weapon to control others
Practice This Today
Notice when someone's 'helplessness' always seems to require your sacrifice
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
faint-hearted
Lacking courage or determination; weak-willed
Modern Usage:
That coworker who calls in sick every time there's a difficult project
antipathy
Strong feeling of dislike or aversion
Modern Usage:
The instant negative reaction you have to certain people
secluded
Isolated from others; kept apart
Modern Usage:
Like being ghosted or deliberately excluded from family gatherings
Characters in This Chapter
Young Linton Heathcliff
Heathcliff's sickly son
Represents the cycle of abuse and weakness
Modern Equivalent:
The adult child who never learned independence, always complaining and demanding special treatment
Cathy Linton
Edgar's daughter, mourning her cousin
Shows how children adapt and forget when relationships are cut off
Modern Equivalent:
A kid whose parents limit contact with certain family members for 'protection'
Heathcliff
Reluctant guardian showing contempt for his son
Demonstrates how hatred can extend even to one's own children
Modern Equivalent:
Heath - the bitter parent who resents their child for reminding them of their ex
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I never knew such a faint-hearted creature, nor one so careful of hisseln."
Context: Describing Linton's weak, demanding nature
This reveals how some people become professional victims, always needing special treatment and making everyone else responsible for their comfort.
In Today's Words:
I've never met anyone so weak and self-centered.
"Mr. Heathcliff seemed to dislike him ever longer and worse, though he took some trouble to conceal it"
Context: Explaining the toxic dynamic between father and son
Shows how resentment builds when someone reminds you of painful memories, even when that person is innocent.
In Today's Words:
Heath couldn't stand his own kid but tried to hide it.
Thematic Threads
Toxic Family Dynamics
In This Chapter
Heathcliff's hatred for his own son creates a poisonous household
Development
The cycle of abuse continues as damaged people damage others
In Your Life:
Recognize when family dynamics are unhealthy and protect yourself from becoming either the abuser or the victim
Isolation as Punishment
In This Chapter
Both Linton and Cathy are kept apart, suffering from loneliness
Development
Adults use children as weapons in their personal wars
In Your Life:
Don't let other people's conflicts isolate you from relationships you value
The Victim Mentality
In This Chapter
Linton's constant complaints and demands for special treatment
Development
Shows how being coddled can create entitled, unlikeable adults
In Your Life:
Take responsibility for your own problems instead of expecting others to constantly rescue you
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Heathcliff hate his own son so much?
analysis • Linton reminds Heathcliff of his failed relationship and represents everything weak about the Linton family - 2
Is Linton really as helpless as he appears, or is this learned behavior?
interpretation • Consider how his constant demands and complaints might be manipulation tactics - 3
How does isolation affect both Cathy and Linton differently?
comparison • Cathy adapts and moves on, while Linton becomes more demanding and self-centered - 4
Have you ever known someone who used their problems to control others?
personal_connection • Reflect on how professional victims operate in modern relationships
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Victim or Survivor Assessment
Think about someone in your life who frequently needs help or special treatment. List their behaviors and your responses. Are they working toward independence, or do they seem comfortable being dependent?
Consider:
- •Does this person take responsibility for their problems?
- •Do they appreciate help or demand more?
- •Are they working toward solutions or just complaining?
- •How do you feel after spending time with them?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to stop enabling someone's helplessness. What happened when you set boundaries?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 22
The coming pages reveal illness can shift family dynamics and create vulnerability, and teach us the way depression manifests when we lose our sense of purpose. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.