What happens in Chapter XXXIII of Wuthering Heights?
The chapter begins the morning after the previous day's events, with Hareton Earnshaw still trapped inside. Catherine sneaks downstairs and persuades Hareton to clear out Joseph's beloved currant and gooseberry bushes to make room for a flower bed. Nelly scolds them, warning of potential trouble. At breakfast, despite Nelly's quiet warnings, Catherine playfully sticks primroses in Hareton's porridge, causing him to stifle a laugh; Heathcliff, noticing this, angrily reprimands Catherine for her defiant expression. Joseph then barges in, threatening to quit over the ruined plants. Heathcliff questions the young couple; Catherine boldly accuses him of stealing her land and money, threatening to reveal everything about him to Hareton. Fueled by "mortal hate," Heathcliff grabs Catherine by her hair; Hareton tries to free her, and then Heathcliff's grip loosens—he shifts his hold from her head to her arm, gazes intently at her face, and draws his hand over his eyes before letting her go. He orders everyone to leave. Later, Hareton firmly refuses to hear any negative remarks about Heathcliff, and Catherine, realizing the depth of Hareton's loyalty, decides never to speak ill of Heathcliff in his presence again. That evening, Heathcliff returns to find the two young people studying together by the fire. Noticing their eyes—identical to Catherine Earnshaw's—he seems visibly shaken. Alone with Nelly afterward, he confesses that his desire for revenge has dwindled, that Hareton's resemblance to Catherine torments him, and that he feels an inexplicable "change" approaching. He talks about being consumed by an unnamed wish, struggling to eat, breathe, or act. He finishes by pacing and muttering, and Nelly notes that this troubled state, although rarely visible, has been his usual mood for a long time.
Analysis
The chapter takes us on a journey from lighthearted domestic chaos to the edge of violence, ultimately settling into a moment of quiet confession. Each section gradually eases the tension while peeling back layers of Heathcliff's complex psyche. Nelly narrates the events, juggling her responsibilities as the housekeeper dealing with practical issues and as a keen observer of private moments. The chapter wraps up with her addressing Lockwood directly, drawing the reader back into the overarching narrative.
The flower-bed incident starts with a hint of humor: primroses caught in porridge, a stifled laugh, and Joseph's outraged, cow-like expression. However, this lightness quickly fades when Heathcliff erupts in anger, which dissipates once he grasps Catherine, only to suddenly relax his hold, staring intently at her face before wiping his eyes to steady himself. The physical description — "his fingers relaxed; he shifted his grasp from her head to her arm, and gazed intently in her face" — captures the chapter's core theme: the past intruding upon the present.
In the firelight scene, the motif of resemblance emerges. Nelly observes that Hareton's and Catherine's eyes "are precisely similar, and they are those of Catherine Earnshaw," and this shared trait "disarms" Heathcliff. His ensuing monologue broadens the concept of haunting to include the entire world around him: "In every cloud, in every tree — filling the air at night." The mechanical imagery — "bending back a stiff spring," needing "to remind myself to breathe" — reflects a man whose will has become entirely compulsive. His confession that he has "lost the faculty of enjoying their destruction" marks a significant shift in his characterization, conveyed not through actions but through weary introspection.
Key quotes from Chapter XXXIII
“The entire world is a dreadful collection of memoranda that she did exist, and that I have lost her!”
Heathcliff speaks to Nelly alone by the fire, explaining why Hareton's resemblance to Catherine torments rather than comforts him.
“I get levers and mattocks to demolish the two houses, and train myself to be capable of working like Hercules, and when everything is ready and in my power, I find the will to lift a slate off either roof has vanished!”
Heathcliff reflects to Nelly on the collapse of his appetite for revenge after watching the two young people together.
“The red fire-light glowed on their two bonny heads, and revealed their faces animated with the eager interest of children”
Nelly describes the scene Heathcliff walks in on — Hareton and Catherine studying together by the hearth.
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