Wuthering Heights · Chapter
I explained
Mr.
What happens
Mr. Lockwood visits his landlord, Heathcliff, at Wuthering Heights, describing the remote, desolate setting and the inhospitable reception. He observes the house's rugged architecture, the surly servants, and the aggressive dogs, and reflects on Heathcliff's reserved and misanthropic nature, contrasting it with his own social awkwardness.
Themes in this chapter
Isolation and Alienation
Lockwood describes Wuthering Heights as 'completely removed from the stir of society' and notes the mutual misanthropy between himself and Heathcliff, emphasizing the theme of deliberate isolation.
Nature vs. Civilization
The harsh, windswept setting of Wuthering Heights, with its stunted firs and gaunt thorns, contrasts with the refined but fragile world of Thrushcross Grange, highlighting the tension between wild nature and human cultivation.
Cruelty and Power
Heathcliff's cold, domineering demeanor and the aggressive dogs reflect a household governed by cruelty and raw power, as Lockwood experiences firsthand.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Lockwood
The narrator and new tenant of Thrushcross Grange, who visits Heathcliff and finds himself both intrigued and repelled by the bleak atmosphere.
- Heathcliff
The landlord of Wuthering Heights, depicted as dark-skinned, reserved, and morose, with a gentlemanly bearing that contrasts with his rude, inhospitable behavior.
- Joseph
An elderly, sour servant at Wuthering Heights who grudgingly takes Lockwood's horse and mutters peevishly.
- Zillah
A lusty dame from the kitchen who rushes in with a frying pan to quell the dog attack, restoring order.
Key passages
“I have just returned from a visit to my landlord—the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with.”
Lockwood has just come back from meeting his landlord, the only neighbor he expects to have.
Opens the narrative, establishing Lockwood's arrival and the isolated setting.
“A perfect misanthropist’s heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us.”
This place is a perfect haven for someone who hates humanity, and Heathcliff and I are well-matched to share its loneliness.
Highlights the theme of isolation and Lockwood's self-aware misanthropy.
“Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr. Heathcliff’s dwelling. 'Wuthering' being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather.”
The house is called Wuthering Heights, a local term for the fierce winds that batter it during storms.
Introduces the setting and its symbolic connection to nature's wildness.