# XXXIV explained — Wuthering Heights

> Chapter companion for Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

## What happens

Heathcliff's final days are marked by a strange, unnatural joy and a fixation on an unseen presence, which Nelly Dean interprets as a vision of Catherine. He refuses food, speaks of his impending death and burial wishes, and ultimately dies in his room. Nelly discovers his body and later finds that he has been buried next to Catherine, fulfilling his desire.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Destruction

Heathcliff's obsessive love for Catherine consumes him entirely, leading to his physical and mental deterioration. His joy is derived from a spectral vision of her, illustrating how love both sustains and destroys him.

### Supernatural and the Ghostly

Heathcliff's behavior suggests he is interacting with a ghostly presence, likely Catherine's spirit. The chapter blurs the line between life and death, emphasizing the supernatural elements of the story.

### Isolation and Alienation

Heathcliff isolates himself from the household, refusing meals and company. His fixation on the unseen world further alienates him from the living, culminating in his solitary death.

## Character check-ins

### Heathcliff

Heathcliff is in a state of extreme agitation and strange joy, refusing food and sleep, muttering Catherine's name, and speaking of his death and burial. He appears to be haunted by a vision of Catherine.

### Nelly Dean

Nelly observes Heathcliff's deteriorating condition, tries to persuade him to eat and rest, and later finds his body. She reflects on his life and the fulfillment of his desire to be buried next to Catherine.

### Catherine Linton

Catherine (young Cathy) notices Heathcliff's unusual demeanor and reports his strange, cheerful appearance to Nelly and Hareton.

### Hareton Earnshaw

Hareton is present in the household, working in the garden and interacting with Cathy. He attempts to speak with Heathcliff but is dismissed.

### Joseph

Joseph is mentioned as having complained about the garden's location, and he converses with Heathcliff about farming business.

## Key lines

> I have not written my will yet; and how to leave my property I cannot determine. I wish I could annihilate it from the face of the earth.

Heathcliff expresses his desire to destroy his property rather than leave it to anyone, reflecting his disdain for worldly possessions.

_Heathcliff's words reveal his nihilistic attitude toward his wealth and his lack of concern for inheritance._

> My soul's bliss kills my body, but does not satisfy itself.

Heathcliff claims that his spiritual joy is destroying his physical health, yet it remains unfulfilled.

_This line captures the paradox of Heathcliff's state: his happiness from the vision of Catherine is both life-giving and fatal._

> I tell you I have nearly attained my heaven; and that of others is altogether unvalued and uncoveted by me.

Heathcliff declares that he has almost reached his own version of paradise, and he has no interest in the conventional heaven of others.

_Heathcliff's rejection of Christian salvation underscores his unorthodox beliefs and his focus on reunion with Catherine._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/wuthering_heights_se/chapters/xxxiv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/wuthering_heights_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/wuthering_heights_se/chapters