Wuthering Heights Chapter 11

Key Events Nelly visits Wuthering Heights to find Hareton has been corrupted by Heathcliff. She tries to speak with Hindley but doesn’t get the chance. Heathcliff tries to make a move on Isabella but is caught out by Nelly Heathcliff and Cathy have a massive argument where Heathcliff’s true feelings and bitterness over how much Cathy has hurt him are revealed Linton intervenes and is put in a situation where he feels unsafe the extent of his cowardice is shown but he sneakily manages to hit Heathcliff and runs away. Cathy feels as if she has been betrayed by both Heathcliff and Linton, faced with Linton’s ultimatum between him or Heathcliff, she is thrown into fits of angry and starts to become seriously ill

Significant developments in characters and relationships Hareton is like a different child due to his relationship with Heathcliff “from the stammering lips of the little fellow, a string of curses of which, whether he comprehended them or not, were delivered with practised emphasis, and distorted his baby features into a shocking expression of malignity.” Heathcliff's true feelings are revealed, he feels Cathy is intentionally hurting him and is very bitter -”I want you to be aware that I know you have treated me infernally- infernally! Do you hear? And, if you flatter yourself that I don’t perceive it you are a fool- and if you think I can be consoled by sweet words you are an idiot- and if you fancy I’ll suffer unrevenged, I’ll convince you of the contrary” -”You are welcome to torture me to death for your amusement” Cathy begins to understand Heathcliff’s true nature which would have a negative impact on their relationship -”It is as bad as offering Satan a lost soul – Your bliss lies, like his, in inflicting misery” The extent of Linton’s cowardice is shown when he finds himself in a situation where him and Heathcliff could have a one on one fight -”Mr Edgar was taken with a nervous trembling, and his countenance grew deadly pale” -”Is he weeping, or is he going to faint from fear?”

Developments continued Cathy becomes fed up with both of them, feeling she has been wronged by both. She also finds Linton’s cowardice pathetic causing her to become insulting -”After constant indulgence of one’s weak nature, and the other’s bad one, I earn, for thanks, two samples of blind ingratitude, stupid to absurdity!” -(To Edgar) “Your type is not a lamb, it’s a sucking leveret.” There has been a very negative impact on Cathy and Linton’s relationship and she begins to experience the fits of anger that make her seriously ill -”The fool’s-craving to hear evil of self” -”Really when he opened on me in that unreasonable tone of displeasure, after I had scolded Heathcliff till I was hoarse for him!” -”Her hair flying over her shoulders, her eyes flashing, the muscles of her neck and arms standing out prenaturally.

Significant linguistic and literary techniques used Alliteration is used to show how strange the relationship between Heathcliff and Hareton is; “Devil Daddy” shows although Hareton sees Heathcliff as a father figure he also sees him as Evil itself. Exclamatories are used to show how passionate and emotional Cathy and Heathcliff are getting in their argument, making it more real by showing how involved they are. Metaphors are used to show how cowardly Linton is; “Cathy this lamb of yours threatens like a bull!” He said. “It is danger of splitting its skull against my knuckles.” A metaphor is also used to show how emotionless Cathy feels Linton is, “your veins are full of ice water”. An imperative verb is used to convey the seriousness of Linton’s ultimatum; “You must answer it.”

Cross references to other chapters Cathy’s illness and how crossing her could make her very ill -”To this point he has been discreet in his dread of provoking me; you must represent the point of quitting that policy.” Isabella taking a shine to Heathcliff and his fake love for her in order to get back at Linton -”and supposing himself unseen, the scoundrel had the impudence to embrace her.”