Chapter+21


 * The One with the Letters**

__EVENTS or DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS CHAPTER:__

Young Catherine frets over Linton’s departure from Thrushcross Grange while he is in his frail state. Meanwhile, Nelly goes to Gimmerton for errands and runs into the housekepper. She pursues her for updates of Linton, and learns that Heathcliff despises his son and cannot stand to be around him. All the while, Linton is growing sicker and sicker. Later, Catherine and Nelly go bird-hunting on the moors where Catherine encounters Heathcliff and Hareton. Heathcliff invites them back to Wuthering Heights to see his son, Catherine not knowing it is in fact her cousin Linton. Nelly is reluctant to go, but Catherine—in her ignorance—is egar. While at Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff tells Nelly how he wishes that Catherine and Linton will get married. When Linton and Catherine see one another, they do not recognize eachother, due to the three year time lasp and Linton’s frail condtition. Linton is hesitatnt to show Catherine Wuthering Heights due to his health and pessimism, so Hareton is ordered to do so by Heathcliff. Eventaully, Heathcliff forces Linton to catch up with them. While at Thrushcross Grange, Catherine reveals her secret to her father that she visited Wuthering Heights. Concurrently, she forces him to tell her the history between Edgar and Heathcliff. Catherine simplifies this to mean that Edgar simply does not like Heathcliff. Edgar assures her that the problem lies with Heathcliff, not him. Against Edgar’s wishes, Catherine begins to exchange letters with Linton. Nelly finds out about her new secret and destroys Linton’s letters. She then writes to Wuthering Heights to request that Linton stop sending letters to Young Catherine. All the while, she does not tell Edgar about the letters or Catherine’s betrayl of him.

__2 IMPORTANT QUOTATIONS FROM THIS CHAPTER (and why):__

“’But he’s no fool; and I can sympathise with all his feelings, having felt them myself. I know what he suffers now, for instance, exactly: it is merely a beginning of what he shall suffer, though. And he’ll never be able to emerge from his bathos of coarseness and ignorance.’” (201) Heathcliff's commentary on Linton's sadness reveals the extent that his love for Catherine. It has driven him to wish that sick feeling of losing love onto others, even his own son. As he describes, his own suffering is not over and he doesn't wish Linton's to be either.

“’It was because you disliked Mr. Heathcliff.’” (204) Catherine's certainty in this conversation with her father, Edgar, only further reveals her overall ignorance. She is unaware of her father's rich history with Heathcliff and deduces that her father is simply being immature. This ignorance is her ultimate downfall that eternally bounds her to Heathcliff and allows him to manipulate her.

__THEMATIC CONNECTIONS and MOTIFS:__

This will be completed later