Summary
Chapter 4
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
The next morning, Lockwood witnesses Heathcliff verbally abusing Catherine, threatening violence when she refuses his orders. Escaping at dawn, Lockwood gets lost in the snow-covered moors. Heathcliff guides him partway home, where his worried servants had assumed he died. Back at Thrushcross Grange, recovered and bored with isolation, Lockwood asks his housekeeper Nelly Dean to stay and chat. Desperate for human connection despite claiming to prefer solitude, he's curious about the strange household at Wuthering Heights. Nelly reveals shocking family connections: Catherine is Edgar Linton's daughter, Heathcliff's daughter-in-law and widow of his dead son. Hareton Earnshaw is Catherine's cousin, the last of the original family, now degraded to servant. Heathcliff, despite vast wealth, lives miserly at the Heights. When Lockwood mentions seeing Catherine Earnshaw's name carved everywhere, Nelly realizes he knows nothing of the tragic history. She begins telling the story from the beginning: how old Mr. Earnshaw found a starving gypsy child in Liverpool and brought him home, naming him Heathcliff, setting in motion decades of love, hatred, and revenge.
Coming Up in Chapter 5
Mr. Earnshaw begins to decline in health and becomes increasingly protective of his adopted son Heathcliff, growing angry whenever anyone treats the boy poorly. The family dynamics start to shift as the old man's favoritism creates deeper resentment among the household.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~273 words)
What vain weather-cocks we are! I, who had determined to hold myself independent of all social intercourse, and thanked my stars that, at length, I had lighted on a spot where it was next to impracticable—I, weak wretch, after maintaining till dusk a struggle with low spirits and solitude, was finally compelled to strike my colours; and under pretence of gaining information concerning the necessities of my establishment, I desired Mrs. Dean, when she brought in supper, to sit down while I ate it; hoping sincerely she would prove a regular gossip, and either rouse me to animation or lull me to sleep by her talk. “You have lived here a considerable time,” I commenced; “did you not say sixteen years?” “Eighteen, sir: I came when the mistress was married, to wait on her; after she died, the master retained me for his housekeeper.” “Indeed.” There ensued a pause. She was not a gossip, I feared; unless about her own affairs, and those could hardly interest me. However, having studied for an interval, with a fist on either knee, and a cloud of meditation over her ruddy countenance, she ejaculated—“Ah, times are greatly changed since then!” “Yes,” I remarked, “you’ve seen a good many alterations, I suppose?” “I have: and troubles too,” she said. “Oh, I’ll turn the talk on my landlord’s family!” I thought to myself. “A good subject to start! And that pretty girl-widow, I should like to know her history: whether she be a native of the country, or, as is more probable, an exotic that the surly _indigenae_ will not recognise for kin.” With this intention I asked Mrs.
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Loneliness Trap
The harder you try to avoid people, the more desperately you'll crave human connection
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
Literature teaches you to notice when people's actions contradict their words - like Lockwood claiming he wants isolation while desperately seeking company, or Heathcliff having money but living like a miser
Practice This Today
Pay attention to the gap between what people say they want and what they actually do - it reveals their true needs and motivations
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
weather-cocks
People who change their minds or behavior frequently, like weathervanes that spin with the wind
Modern Usage:
Someone who's wishy-washy or can't stick to their decisions - like saying you'll eat healthy then ordering pizza an hour later
strike my colours
Naval term meaning to surrender by lowering your flag
Modern Usage:
Giving up on something you said you'd stick to - like admitting defeat when you said you wouldn't ask for help
close-handed
Extremely stingy with money, unwilling to spend
Modern Usage:
That person who has money but won't spend it on anything - splits every bill down to the penny, never tips well
indigenae
Native people of a place (Latin term)
Modern Usage:
The locals, people who've lived somewhere their whole lives and might not accept outsiders easily
Characters in This Chapter
Lockwood
Narrator and tenant of Thrushcross Grange
Despite claiming to want isolation, he craves human connection and gossip - showing how we often lie to ourselves about what we need
Modern Equivalent:
Someone who moves to a small town saying they want peace and quiet, then immediately starts asking neighbors about local drama
Mrs. Dean (Nelly)
Housekeeper and storyteller
The keeper of all family secrets, she's about to reveal the entire tragic history of Heathcliff and the Earnshaw family
Modern Equivalent:
That long-time employee who's seen everything at the company and knows where all the bodies are buried
Heathcliff
Wealthy but miserly landlord
Rich enough to live anywhere but chooses to stay in a deteriorating house - suggesting his wealth can't heal his emotional wounds
Modern Equivalent:
Someone who made it big but still lives like they're broke, either from trauma or spite
Key Quotes & Analysis
"What vain weather-cocks we are!"
Context: Lockwood admits he's contradicting his earlier desire for solitude
Shows how we often don't know ourselves as well as we think - we make grand declarations about what we want, then immediately do the opposite
In Today's Words:
We're all hypocrites who change our minds constantly
"Rich, sir! He has nobody knows what money, and every year it increases."
Context: Explaining why Heathcliff could afford better but chooses not to
Suggests that Heathcliff's relationship with money is complicated - he accumulates it but won't enjoy it, possibly as a form of self-punishment or control
In Today's Words:
He's loaded but won't spend a dime - there's definitely a story there
Thematic Threads
Isolation vs Connection
In This Chapter
Lockwood claims he wants solitude but immediately seeks out human company and gossip
Development
Sets up the contrast between chosen isolation (Lockwood's temporary retreat) and forced isolation (Heathcliff's emotional exile)
In Your Life:
Think about times you said you wanted to be alone but actually craved connection - recognizing this pattern helps you ask for what you really need
Social Class and Money
In This Chapter
Heathcliff has wealth but lives below his means, suggesting money alone doesn't bring happiness or healing
Development
Introduces the idea that Heathcliff's relationship with wealth is tied to his past trauma and current emotional state
In Your Life:
Notice how some people with money still act broke, or how financial behavior often reflects deeper emotional issues rather than actual resources
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why do you think Lockwood convinced himself he wanted isolation when he clearly craved human connection?
psychological • Explores self-deception and how we often don't understand our own needs - 2
What does Heathcliff's wealth combined with his cheap lifestyle suggest about his character?
analytical • Examines how financial behavior reveals emotional state and past trauma - 3
Have you ever claimed you wanted something but then immediately acted in opposition to that claim?
personal • Connects the text to personal experience with self-awareness and contradictory behavior - 4
Why might someone accumulate money but refuse to spend it on improving their living situation?
psychological • Explores the complex relationship between wealth, self-worth, and emotional healing
Critical Thinking Exercise
The Money-Happiness Disconnect
Think of someone you know (or have observed) who has the resources to improve their life but chooses not to. What might be driving this behavior?
Consider:
- •Past trauma or scarcity mindset
- •Using money as control or power
- •Fear of change or unworthiness
- •Money as security rather than enjoyment
Journaling Prompt
Describe your own relationship with spending money on yourself. Do you easily invest in your comfort and happiness, or do you hold back even when you can afford it? What emotions come up when you think about 'treating yourself'?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 5
In the next chapter, you'll discover favoritism in families creates toxic dynamics that last for generations, and learn protecting someone from consequences often makes them worse, not better. These insights reveal timeless patterns that resonate in our own lives and relationships.