Analysis Pages

Plot in Wuthering Heights

Plot Examples in Wuthering Heights:

Chapter I

🔒 4

"laconic style of chipping off his pronouns and auxiliary verbs..."   (Chapter I)

Heathcliff is relaxing his speech. Instead of saying "him," for example, he would say, "'im."  He is also dropping the g at the end of verbs—"helpin'" instead of "helping."

 

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"for keeping his hand out of the way..."   (Chapter I)

"Keeping his hand out of the way" means he did not shake hands, an expected sign of civility.

 

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"all stretching their limbs one way..."   (Chapter I)

This imagery suggests that the trees are all leaning away from the wind and reaching for the sun's warmth.

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"this compound order..."   (Chapter I)

The "compound order" refers to Heathcliff's order for the care of Lockwood's horse and the provision of wine.

 

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"your rheumatism can hardly be reckoned among providential visitations..."   (Chapter II)

Cathy implies that she, rather than God (Providence), is the cause of Joseph's rheumatism (arthritis).

 

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"I warn you to refrain from provoking me..."   (Chapter II)

Cathy pretends to engage in witchcraft in order to shake up Joseph, who appears to be highly superstitious.

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"She looked at me, leaning back in her chair, and remained motionless and mute..."   (Chapter II)

Mrs. Heathcliff's inhospitable behavior signals that something is fundamentally wrong in this household that has nothing to do with its geographical isolation.

 

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