Summary
Chapter 33
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Nelly narrates the transformation that occurred after Lockwood's last visit. One Monday morning, Hareton stays home from work, and Catherine rushes downstairs to the garden where he's working. By breakfast time, Nelly finds them planning to import plants from the Grange—tearing out Joseph's prized currant bushes to make space. Catherine has changed completely: where she once mocked Hareton's attempts to read, she now gently teaches him. She kisses him on the cheek as reward for mastering lessons, making him blush crimson. Hareton, transformed by love and respect, studies eagerly. Their shared reading sessions by the fire replace the former hostility with tender domesticity. Joseph is outraged at the garden destruction and what he sees as Hareton's corruption by this "witch." Nelly watches anxiously, knowing Heathcliff will explode when he discovers this. But when Heathcliff finally encounters them reading together, Catherine cuddled close to Hareton teaching him poetry, something unexpected happens. Instead of rage, Heathcliff stares transfixed at their faces—specifically at their eyes. He sees the ghost of his Catherine in young Cathy's face, and the ghost of himself in Hareton's features. The resemblance haunts him. Rather than destroy their happiness, he turns away, muttering that their love means his revenge is complete yet meaningless. The younger generation's genuine love for each other—Earnshaw and Linton united through affection rather than force—reveals the futility of Heathcliff's entire scheme. He got his estates, but lost his purpose.
Coming Up in Chapter 34
Heathcliff begins avoiding meals to escape watching Catherine and Hareton's growing closeness, but his absence only gives them more freedom to connect. As spring arrives, his isolation deepens while their bond strengthens.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~297 words)
On the morrow of that Monday, Earnshaw being still unable to follow his ordinary employments, and therefore remaining about the house, I speedily found it would be impracticable to retain my charge beside me, as heretofore. She got downstairs before me, and out into the garden, where she had seen her cousin performing some easy work; and when I went to bid them come to breakfast, I saw she had persuaded him to clear a large space of ground from currant and gooseberry bushes, and they were busy planning together an importation of plants from the Grange. I was terrified at the devastation which had been accomplished in a brief half-hour; the black-currant trees were the apple of Joseph’s eye, and she had just fixed her choice of a flower-bed in the midst of them. “There! That will be all shown to the master,” I exclaimed, “the minute it is discovered. And what excuse have you to offer for taking such liberties with the garden? We shall have a fine explosion on the head of it: see if we don’t! Mr. Hareton, I wonder you should have no more wit than to go and make that mess at her bidding!” “I’d forgotten they were Joseph’s,” answered Earnshaw, rather puzzled; “but I’ll tell him I did it.” We always ate our meals with Mr. Heathcliff. I held the mistress’s post in making tea and carving; so I was indispensable at table. Catherine usually sat by me, but to-day she stole nearer to Hareton; and I presently saw she would have no more discretion in her friendship than she had in her hostility. “Now, mind you don’t talk with and notice your cousin too much,” were my whispered instructions as we entered the room. “It will certainly annoy Mr.
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Garden Revolution Pattern
How shared work and mutual respect can break down established hierarchies and create new possibilities for connection
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter shows what healthy connection looks like - playful, respectful, collaborative, and natural. It contrasts sharply with the obsessive, controlling patterns we've seen throughout the book.
Practice This Today
Notice the difference between relationships built on mutual respect versus those based on control, status, or fear. Look for the 'garden moments' - times when people work together as equals toward shared goals.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
importation of plants
Bringing plants from one garden to another, here from Thrushcross Grange to Wuthering Heights
Modern Usage:
Like when you move apartments and bring your favorite plants, or when neighbors share cuttings from their gardens
apple of Joseph's eye
Something precious and beloved, referring to Joseph's prized currant bushes
Modern Usage:
That one thing you're super protective of - like your vintage car, your grandmother's china, or your perfectly organized workspace
sidled
Moved sideways in a sneaky or casual way
Modern Usage:
Like when you casually scoot your chair closer to your crush at work, or slide up to someone at a bar
Characters in This Chapter
Catherine Linton
Young woman breaking down social barriers through kindness
Shows how genuine warmth can overcome years of resentment and class division
Modern Equivalent:
The college-educated person who treats service workers with real respect, or the boss who actually listens to their employees' ideas
Hareton Earnshaw
Working-class man discovering his worth through someone's belief in him
Represents how people can transform when treated with dignity instead of contempt
Modern Equivalent:
The guy everyone writes off who blooms when someone finally sees his potential - like Heath finding confidence through genuine connection
Nelly Dean
Worried observer trying to manage dangerous emotions
Shows the anxiety of watching people you care about risk everything for connection
Modern Equivalent:
The friend who sees you falling for someone your toxic ex will hate, knowing drama is coming but unable to stop it
Key Quotes & Analysis
"I'd forgotten they were Joseph's"
Context: When Nelly scolds him for destroying Joseph's beloved currant bushes at Catherine's request
Shows how Catherine's presence makes Hareton forget the rigid rules and boundaries that normally govern his life
In Today's Words:
When you're with someone special, you stop overthinking all the small rules that usually stress you out
"she had sidled to him, and was sticking primroses in his plate of porridge"
Context: Catherine playfully decorating Hareton's breakfast despite Nelly's warnings
Simple, innocent flirtation that shows Catherine choosing connection over social expectations
In Today's Words:
Like leaving little notes in someone's lunch or texting them silly memes - small gestures that say 'I'm thinking of you'
"he was twice on the point of being provoked to laugh"
Context: Hareton trying to suppress his amusement at Catherine's teasing
Shows the internal battle between fear of consequences and the joy of human connection
In Today's Words:
When someone makes you want to smile but you're scared of what others will think if they see you happy
Thematic Threads
Social Class Barriers Breaking Down
In This Chapter
Catherine treats Hareton as an equal partner in planning the garden, ignoring traditional class distinctions
Development
Their collaboration shows how shared work and mutual respect can overcome years of social conditioning
In Your Life:
Notice when you unconsciously treat people differently based on their job, education, or background - and practice seeing everyone as having valuable contributions
Nature vs Civilization
In This Chapter
The garden becomes a space where natural affection can grow, away from the house's toxic atmosphere
Development
Working with plants and soil allows their relationship to develop organically, without forced social rules
In Your Life:
Sometimes you need to get away from your usual environment to see relationships clearly - take walks, work on projects together, create new spaces for connection
Obsessive Control vs Natural Growth
In This Chapter
Nelly's anxiety about Heathcliff's reaction contrasts with Catherine and Hareton's natural, easy interaction
Development
Shows how fear of others' reactions can poison even innocent connections
In Your Life:
Ask yourself: are you avoiding healthy relationships because you're afraid of how toxic people in your life will react?
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why does Catherine's simple act of decorating Hareton's porridge feel so significant in this story?
analysis • Explores how small gestures can carry enormous emotional weight in relationships starved of affection - 2
How does working in the garden together change the power dynamic between Catherine and Hareton?
interpretation • Examines how shared physical work can break down social barriers and create equality - 3
What does Nelly's anxiety about Heathcliff's reaction tell us about living under someone's emotional control?
personal connection • Connects to modern experiences of walking on eggshells around volatile people - 4
In your own life, when have small acts of kindness had unexpectedly powerful effects?
personal reflection • Encourages readers to recognize and value simple human connections in their own experiences
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Respect Inventory
Think about your daily interactions over the past week. List three people you interacted with who have less social status, power, or education than you (service workers, younger colleagues, people asking for help, etc.). Now list three people with more status than you. Be honest: did you treat these groups differently? How did your tone, attention level, or basic courtesy change?
Consider:
- •What does this pattern tell you about your own insecurities or assumptions?
- •How might your behavior affect others' sense of dignity and worth?
- •What would change if you treated everyone with Catherine's natural warmth and respect?
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when someone treated you with unexpected respect or dignity despite status differences. How did it feel? How did it change your day or your sense of yourself? Now write about how you can be that person for others.
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 34
Moving forward, we'll examine isolation becomes a weapon we use against ourselves and others, and understand the dangerous shift when revenge starts consuming the avenger. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.