What happens in Chapter XXXI of Wuthering Heights?
Lockwood rides to Wuthering Heights with a note from Mrs. Dean for Catherine. Hareton Earnshaw lets him in and keeps a close watch on him. Inside, Catherine is sulking while preparing vegetables, hardly acknowledging Lockwood's presence. When he tries to hand her the note discreetly, Catherine speaks up, catching Hareton's attention. He grabs the letter, insisting that Heathcliff must see it first. After a moment of wrestling with his emotions, Hareton reluctantly drops the letter at Catherine's feet. She eagerly reads it but then expresses her sadness about missing the moors and her horse, Minny. Lockwood strikes up a conversation, and Catherine explains that she can’t reply to Ellen because Heathcliff has destroyed all her books. She then accuses Hareton of secretly hoarding books—from Latin and Greek to stories and poetry—and mocks him for mispronouncing her favorite passages. Lockwood defends Hareton's desire to learn. Embarrassed, Hareton fetches the books and throws them at Catherine, but she turns them away. She reads aloud in a mocking tone, prompting Hareton to hit her and then throw the books into the fire. Heathcliff arrives, notices Hareton's distress, and mutters that he can hardly bear to see the boy because he sees not his father in his face, but someone else. Heathcliff and Lockwood share dinner while Catherine is sent to the kitchen. Lockwood announces his plan to leave for London next week and that he won't be renewing his lease at Thrushcross Grange. He departs, reflecting on how dreary life is at the Heights and idly wondering what might have been with Catherine.
Analysis
The chapter is told entirely through Lockwood's diary, which keeps the reader distanced from the emotional heart of the story. His self-aware, somewhat pretentious tone — admitting to his own "gentlemanly idea of relieving his embarrassment" and patting himself on the back for dropping the note "adroitly" — creates an ironic gap: he often misinterprets or underappreciates what he sees. His final daydream about eloping with Catherine to "the stirring atmosphere of the town" highlights his superficial nature.
The chapter revolves around a series of failed interactions: the letter intercepted by Hareton, the books that are offered and then declined, and the mocking reading that results in a blow and a burning. Each interaction intensifies the mix of cruelty and longing between Catherine and Hareton. The books serve as the chapter's key symbol — representing education, memory, and emotional bonds — and their destruction in the fire marks the climax. Lockwood's remark that "shame at her scorn, and hope of her approval, were his first prompters to higher pursuits" provides a psychological insight into Hareton, which Lockwood himself seems to only partially understand.
Heathcliff's brief appearance is depicted with tight, intense language. His remark — "when I look for his father in his face, I find her every day more" — introduces a layer of personal pain and obsession that starkly contrasts with his cold, businesslike demeanor toward Lockwood moments later. The chapter shifts in tone from domestic comedy to violence to sadness, concluding with Lockwood's lighthearted, self-serving thoughts as he departs.
Key quotes from Chapter XXXI
“I’ve most of them written on my brain and printed in my heart, and you cannot deprive me of those!”
Catherine defies Hareton after accusing him of hoarding and debasing her books.
“when I look for his father in his face, I find her every day more! How the devil is he so like? I can hardly bear to see him.”
Heathcliff mutters to himself, unaware Lockwood is behind him, after watching Hareton storm out.
“Shame at her scorn, and hope of her approval, were his first prompters to higher pursuits”
Lockwood reflects on Hareton's secret motivation for educating himself after watching him burn the books.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in Chapter XXXI
- misanthropists
- People who have a general hatred or deep distrust of other human beings and prefer to avoid their company.