Wuthering Heights: Chapter 21 Summary & Analysis

At first, Cathy is despondent about Linton's departure. As time passes, though she asks about Linton less and less. Meanwhile, Nelly keeps tabs on Linton by questioning the Wuthering Heights housekeeper, and learns that Linton remains weak and whiny and that Heathcliff can't stand him.

One day, three years after Linton goes to Wuthering Heights, the sixteen-year-old Cathy and Nelly go bird-hunting on the moors. Cathy runs ahead of Nelly, and when Nelly catches up she finds Cathy speaking with Heathcliff and Hareton.

Cathy says that she thinks she's met Hareton before, and wonders if he's Heathcliff's son. Heathcliff says no, but that he does have a son whom Cathy has met before and invites Cathy and Nelly to come back to Wuthering Heights with him. Nelly suspects Heathcliff's is plotting something, but Cathy is intrigued and Nelly has no choice but to go along with her to the Heights.

At the house, Heathcliff tells Nelly that he hopes Linton and Cathy will one day marry. Yet Cathy and Linton don't even recognize each other when they meet.

Linton, is now taller than Cathy. But he is still so sickly and weak that he can't even show Cathy around the house, so she goes off with Hareton instead. Heathcliff demands that Linton go after them. Before they move out of earshot, Nelly hears Cathy mocking Hareton for being illiterate.

The next day, Cathy confronts Edgar about why he has kept her relatives at Wuthering Heights a secret from her. Edgar tries to carefully explain, and though Cathy doesn't entirely understand he does manage to get across how much he despises Heathcliff. Edgar also asks his daughter not to have any contact with Linton, but Cathy doesn't listen and she and Linton begin writing secret letters to each other. Nelly eventually finds Linton's letters and, over Cathy's objections, destroys them. Cathy ends the correspondence with Linton, and Nelly doesn't say anything about the letters to Edgar.