Wuthering Heights · Chapter
XXV explained
Edgar Linton's health declines as he worries about Catherine's future.
What happens
Edgar Linton's health declines as he worries about Catherine's future. He corresponds with Linton Heathcliff, who pleads to see Catherine. Edgar reluctantly allows weekly meetings on the moors under Nelly's supervision, unaware that Heathcliff is forcing Linton to appear eager. Nelly reflects on the past year and her growing fondness for Catherine.
Themes in this chapter
Family and Generational Conflict
Edgar struggles to protect Catherine from Heathcliff's influence while Linton is caught between his father's tyranny and his own desires.
Cruelty and Power
Heathcliff's manipulation of Linton's letters and his tyrannical treatment of his dying son highlight the cruel exercise of power.
Isolation and Alienation
Linton's enforced solitude and Edgar's impending death underscore the characters' emotional and physical isolation.
Characters to notice
- Edgar Linton
Declining in health, he worries about Catherine's future and reluctantly agrees to limited meetings between Catherine and Linton.
- Catherine Linton
Devoted to her father, she persuades him to allow weekly rides with Linton, unaware of Heathcliff's manipulation.
- Linton Heathcliff
Writes pleading letters to Edgar, but is forced by Heathcliff to feign eagerness; his health is failing.
- Nelly Dean
Narrates the events, observes Edgar's decline, and agrees to chaperone Catherine's meetings with Linton.
- Heathcliff
Manipulates Linton's correspondence and forces him to appear eager, threatening his plans if Linton dies.
Key passages
“I've prayed often for the approach of what is coming; and now I begin to shrink, and fear it.”
Edgar admits he once longed for death but now dreads it, as he worries about leaving Catherine alone.
Reveals Edgar's internal conflict between his desire for peace and his protective love for his daughter.
“I'd rather resign her to God, and lay her in the earth before me.”
Edgar would prefer Catherine to die than to be left vulnerable and unhappy after his death.
Highlights the depth of Edgar's despair and his fear of Heathcliff's influence over Catherine's future.