Wuthering Heights Short Questions

Wuthering Heights
Short Questions


Chapters 1–2 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

Why does Mr. Lockwood go to Wuthering Heights?
What happened to Lockwood the previous summer?
How does Lockwood describe himself?
How would you describe Heathcliff?
How does Heathcliff react to Lockwood’s intrusion?
Why do the dogs attack Lockwood?
What prompts Lockwood to leave his house the next day?
Who does the young lady sitting by the fire turn out to be?
Who is the rough-looking young man?
Why can’t Lockwood leave Wuthering Heights?
Quiz Answers:

Mr. Lockwood has just begun renting Thrushcross Grange and goes to meet his landlord, Heathcliff, who lives at Wuthering Heights.
Lockwood accidentally led a young woman to believe that he was interested in her and then treated her indifferently, giving people the impression that he is heartless.
Lockwood believes that he is a loner and somewhat of a misanthrope, though his behavior suggests otherwise.
Heathcliff has a dark complexion and is handsome, though he has a morose expression. He is very gruff and rude to Lockwood and the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights.
Heathcliff is clearly displeased by Lockwood’s intrusion as he, unlike Lockwood, is a true misanthrope.
Lockwood winks and makes faces at the dogs, which leads them to attack him.
Lockwood almost decides to stay home until a maid begins messily cleaning out the fireplace.
The young woman at Wuthering Heights turns out to be Heathcliff’s daughter-in-law.
The hostile young man introduces himself as Hareton Earnshaw.
Lockwood is prevented from leaving Wuthering Heights by a snowstorm.

Chapters 3–5 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

Who owns the diary that Lockwood reads?
Why does Lockwood reach out the window?
What happens to Lockwood’s hand?
After he leaves the room, what does Lockwood see Heathcliff do?
Why does Nelly Dean know so much about Wuthering Heights?
How did Heathcliff come to Wuthering Heights?
How did Mr. Earnshaw treat Heathcliff?
What was Cathy’s relationship with Heathcliff like?
What was Hindley’s relationship with Heathcliff like?
How did Joseph influence Mr. Earnshaw?
Quiz Answers:

The diary belongs to Catherine Earnshaw.
Lockwood keeps being awoken by the tapping sound of a tree branch on the window and finally gets frustrated enough to try to grab the branch.
Lockwood tries to grab the branch but instead makes contact with the cold hand of Catherine’s ghost.
Lockwood sees Heathcliff fling open the window and call out desperately to Catherine’s ghost, begging her to return.
Nelly Dean knows a lot about the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights because she grew up as a servant there along with Heathcliff and the Earnshaw children.
Heathcliff was brought to Wuthering Heights as a child after Mr. Earnshaw saw him living on the streets of Liverpool and took pity on him.
Mr. Earnshaw showed great favoritism toward Heathcliff and clearly loved him more than his own children.
Though Cathy was initially mean to Heathcliff, they quickly grew to be best friends.
Hindley was extremely jealous of Heathcliff’s relationship with Mr. Earnshaw and grew to hate Heathcliff, often physically hurting him.
Joseph uses his influence over Mr. Earnshaw to persuade him that Catherine and Hindley are wicked children.

Chapters 6–7 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

Why does Nelly suspect Hindley kept his new wife a secret from Mr. Earnshaw?
How does Hindley treat Heathcliff after returning to Wuthering Heights?
Why does Catherine stay with the Lintons after she and Heathcliff are caught spying on them?
How does Catherine change during her time at Thrushcross Grange?
What does Catherine say that offends Heathcliff?
What does Nelly suggest Heathcliff imagine about his origins?
Why does Heathcliff get so upset with Edgar Linton?
What does Heathcliff do in response to Edgar’s comment?
How does Catherine react to the conflict between Heathcliff and Edgar?
Who does Heathcliff swear to get revenge on?
Quiz Answers:

Nelly suspects that Frances probably has neither money nor connections, and Hindley was afraid Mr. Earnshaw wouldn’t approve of the marriage.
Hindley demotes Heathcliff, forcing him to become a servant at the house.
The Lintons keep Catherine because they recognize her as a member of the gentry and want to tend her ankle.
Catherine becomes much more ladylike, both in manners and appearance.
Catherine calls Heathcliff dirty and unfavorably compares him to Edgar and Isabella Linton.
Nelly tells Heathcliff that, were she in his position, she would imagine that she was long lost royalty.
Edgar Linton makes a comment about Heathcliff’s hair looking silly.
Heathcliff throws hot applesauce at Edgar.
Catherine blames Edgar for getting Heathcliff in trouble.
Heathcliff swears to get revenge on Hindley.

Chapters 8–9 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

What does the doctor say about Frances’s health?
What is Hindley’s reaction to the doctor’s news?
What happens to Hindley after Frances’s death?
What happens to Frances’s baby?
Why is Catherine upset that Heathcliff is taking the day off?
Why does Catherine claim that she doesn’t want to spend time with Heathcliff?
What does Catherine do to Edgar?
What does Edgar do later that night?
Why is Catherine conflicted about accepting Edgar’s proposal?
Why does Heathcliff run away?

Quiz Answers:
The doctor says that Frances is ill and will soon die.
Hindley refuses to believe the doctor and insists that Frances is getting better.
Hindley becomes a violent drunk and terrorizes the whole household.
Her son, named Hareton, is put into Nelly’s care.
Catherine knows Edgar will be stopping by and dreads another encounter between him and Heathcliff.
She tells Heathcliff that his lack of education makes him a boring companion.
Catherine instinctively slaps Edgar.
Edgar proposes to Catherine.
Catherine loves Heathcliff, but she feels that she cannot marry him.
Heathcliff only overhears Catherine say that she cannot marry him, and he leaves before she explains her true feelings.

Chapters 10–12 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

How has Heathcliff changed in the three years he has been gone?
How does Catherine react to Heathcliff’s reappearance?
Why has Hindley invited Heathcliff to stay at Wuthering Heights?
What does Catherine do to embarrass Isabella?
Why is Heathcliff interested in Isabella?
How has Hareton changed since Nelly last saw him?
Why does Catherine lock the door and throw the key into the fire?
Why doesn’t Nelly say anything about Catherine’s deteriorating condition to Edgar?
What is Edgar’s reaction when he finally sees Catherine?
What does Isabella do at the end of Chapter 12?
Quiz Answers:

When Heathcliff reappears, he looks and behaves like a gentleman, having apparently acquired a fortune during his three years away.
Catherine is overjoyed to see Heathcliff, though she chastises him for leaving her in the first place.
Hindley has lost most of his money and, knowing that Heathcliff is quite wealthy, hopes to win money off him by gambling.
Catherine tells Heathcliff about Isabella’s infatuation with him in front of Isabella.
Heathcliff is interested in Isabella because she is the heir to Edgar’s estate.
Hareton is now rude and mistrustful and swears at Nelly when she approaches him.
Catherine wants Edgar to fight Heathcliff one-on-one.
Nelly thinks Catherine is merely faking being ill for attention, and Nelly doesn’t want to indulge her.
Edgar is furious when he sees how sick Catherine is and tells Nelly that he will fire her if she ever lies like that again.
Isabella elopes with Heathcliff.

Chapters 13–14 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

How has Catherine changed since her illness?
Why is Catherine’s pregnancy especially significant?
What does Hindley tell Isabella on her first night at Wuthering Heights?
In her letter, what does Isabella ask Nelly to do?
What is Edgar’s response to Isabella’s unhappiness?
What defense does Heathcliff offer for his treatment of Isabella?
Why is Heathcliff especially angry at Edgar?
What does Heathcliff want Nelly to do?
Why does Nelly agree to set up a meeting between Heathcliff and Catherine?
What does Lockwood think about after Nelly leaves?
Quiz Answers:

Catherine recovers a little but remains very weak.
Catherine’s pregnancy is important because the birth of a male heir will prevent Heathcliff and Isabella from inheriting Edgar’s estate.
Hindley warns Isabella that every night, he visits Heathcliff’s room to see if it is locked. He tells her that if he ever finds it unlocked, he will shoot Heathcliff.
Isabella writes to Nelly and asks her to come visit at Wuthering Heights.
Edgar is sorry to hear that Isabella is unhappy but refuses to write or visit.
Heathcliff claims that Isabella knew how brutal he was before she ran away with him and that it is not his fault she romanticized him.
Heathcliff feels that Catherine’s illness is Edgar’s fault.
Heathcliff wants Nelly to help set up a secret meeting between Catherine and himself.
Nelly agrees because she knows Heathcliff will march over to Thrushcross Grange and cause a scene if she does not set up a secret meeting.
Lockwood reflects upon Catherine’s daughter, whom he met at Wuthering Heights, and wonders what would happen if he fell in love with her.

Chapters 15–17 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

What happens when Heathcliff visits Catherine?
Why does Heathcliff not forgive Catherine?
Why doesn’t Heathcliff leave before Edgar arrives?
What happens to Catherine after her meeting with Heathcliff?
What does Heathcliff say to Nelly about Catherine’s death?
What does Heathcliff do when he is allowed to see Catherine’s body one last time?
Why does Heathcliff attack Isabella?
What happens to Isabella after she leaves Thrushcross Grange?
What does Nelly discover about Wuthering Heights after Hindley’s death?
Why is Edgar not able to take Hareton in after Hindley dies?
Quiz Answers:

Heathcliff and Catherine passionately embrace and argue.
Heathcliff says he cannot forgive what Catherine has done to herself.
Catherine won’t let Heathcliff go and faints just as Edgar enters the room.
Catherine wakes up but does not recognize anyone. She dies later that night after giving birth to a daughter.
Heathcliff says that he hopes Catherine is forced to haunt him until he dies.
Heathcliff takes the lock of Edgar’s hair out of Catherine’s locket and replaces it with one of his own.
Heathcliff attacks Isabella after she provokes him by saying that he was the cause of Catherine’s death.
Isabella moves near London and gives birth to a son, Linton Heathcliff. She dies when Linton is only twelve.
After Hindley’s death, Nelly discovers that Wuthering Heights has been mortgaged to Heathcliff, who is now the de facto owner.
When Edgar tries to take Hareton, Heathcliff threatens to take Linton away from Isabella.

Chapters 18–21 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

What is young Cathy’s personality like?
Where does Cathy want to go?
What steps has Edgar taken to protect Cathy?
Why is Cathy upset to learn that Hareton is her cousin?
Why is Nelly frustrated when Cathy mentions Linton at Wuthering Heights?
Why can’t Edgar prevent Heathcliff from taking Linton away?
What does Nelly tell Linton in order to persuade him to come to Wuthering Heights?
What is Heathcliff’s plan for Cathy and Linton?
Why is Hareton the perfect person for Heathcliff’s revenge?
What does Nelly catch Cathy doing after their second visit to Wuthering Heights?
Quiz Answers:

Cathy is passionate, kind, and gentle. Unfortunately, her sheltered life at Thrushcross Grange has also made her somewhat naive and spoiled.
Cathy constantly begs to be allowed to visit Penistone Crags, which she can see from her window.
Edgar does not allow Cathy to leave the grounds and has told her nothing of Heathcliff or Wuthering Heights.
Cathy is horrified to imagine that someone as coarse and unrefined as Hareton is related to her.
Nelly knows that everything Cathy says will get back to Heathcliff, including the fact that Linton (Heathcliff’s son) is returning to the area.
As Linton is Heathcliff’s son, Edgar has no legal claim to him.
Nelly lies and says that Linton has never met Heathcliff because circumstance prevented Isabella and Heathcliff from living together.
Heathcliff admits that he wants Cathy and Linton to marry.
Hareton is perfect for Heathcliff’s revenge because, like young Heathcliff, he has admirable qualities which are not being realized.
Nelly finds out that Cathy and Linton have secretly been exchanging love letters.

Chapters 22–25 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

Why does Cathy get stuck on the wrong side of the wall?
What does Heathcliff tell Cathy about Linton?
What does Cathy admit to Nelly when they return home?
What does Cathy do when both Nelly and Edgar are bedridden?
Why does Cathy laugh at Hareton?
How does Hareton punish Cathy and Linton for making fun of him?
What happens when Hareton tries to apologize to Cathy?
What does Nelly do after catching Cathy sneaking out?
Why does Edgar think Linton might be a suitable match for Cathy?
What is the state of Linton’s health?
Quiz Answers:

After climbing down to retrieve her hat, Cathy finds she cannot climb back up the wall.
Heathcliff tells Cathy that she broke Linton’s heart and that Linton is now very near death.
Cathy tells Nelly that she will never be able to rest until she learns whether what Heathcliff said was true.
Cathy secretly goes to Wuthering Heights to visit Linton.
Cathy laughs at Hareton’s attempt to read when he admits he cannot read numbers yet.
Hareton locks Linton and Cathy out of the house, causing Linton to throw a fit.
Cathy hits Hareton with her whip and rides away without accepting his apology.
Nelly immediately tells Edgar after she finds Cathy sneaking out.
Edgar thinks Linton might make a good husband because he is unaware of Linton’s disagreeable personality and knows that Linton will eventually inherit Cathy’s home.
Linton is just as sickly as Edgar and appears to be very near death.

Chapters 26–28 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

Why are Cathy and Nelly shocked by Linton’s condition?
How does Linton react when Cathy and Nelly try to leave?
Why do Cathy and Nelly not reveal Linton’s condition to Edgar?
Why is Edgar happy to think Cathy will end up with Linton?
What does Linton admit to Cathy about their visits?
Why does Cathy get angry with Linton when she meets him for the second time?
What is Heathcliff’s plan in locking Nelly and Cathy in the house?
Why is Cathy so distraught about having to spend the night at Wuthering Heights?
Why isn’t Edgar able to change his will when he finds out what has happened to Cathy?
Why do Cathy and Nelly lie about Cathy’s marriage to Linton?
Quiz Answers:

Cathy and Nelly are shocked to see that Linton is so weak that he can barely move, especially as they had heard he was getting better.
Linton begs them to stay longer, though Cathy does not understand why he wants to continue to visit in his weakened state.
Cathy and Nelly are confused by Linton’s health and decide to wait until they have seen him again to pass judgment on whether he is truly as well as he claims.
Edgar likes Linton because Cathy and Nelly have never honestly related Linton’s poor character to him. Edgar only corresponds with Linton through letters, and it is implied that Heathcliff tells Linton what to write.
Linton admits that Heathcliff is forcing him to visit with Cathy.
When she finds out that Linton is being forced to see her, Cathy is furious that she left her dying father’s side to visit with someone so indifferent to her company.
Heathcliff plans to hold Cathy hostage at Wuthering Heights until she marries Linton.
Cathy knows that her disappearance will torment her already dying father and is afraid that he will die before she can see him again.
Edgar attempts to contact his lawyer to have his will altered, but the lawyer cannot be found in time, and it is later revealed that Heathcliff paid him off.
Cathy and Nelly conceal the truth from Edgar because they want him to die happy.

Chapters 29–31 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

Why does Heathcliff want Cathy to leave Thrushcross Grange?
What does Heathcliff confess to Nelly while Cathy is packing upstairs?
What is Nelly’s reaction to Heathcliff’s confession?
How does Nelly hear about Cathy’s exploits at Wuthering Heights?
What is Cathy forced to do when she arrives at Wuthering Heights?
Why don’t Zillah and Hareton help Cathy?
How does Cathy respond to Zillah’s and Hareton’s attempts at kindness after Linton’s death?
What does Nelly consider after hearing about Cathy’s life at the Heights?
Why does Lockwood ride out to Wuthering Heights?
How does Cathy treat Hareton during Lockwood’s visit?

Quiz Answers:
Heathcliff says that he intends to rent out Thrushcross Grange.
Heathcliff admits that he broke into Catherine’s coffin when Edgar was buried.
Nelly is horrified that Heathcliff disturbed the dead and reprimands him.
Nelly hears what goes on at Wuthering Heights from Zillah, the housekeeper.
Heathcliff forces Cathy to take care of the dying Linton on her own, though she begs him to call a doctor.
Zillah and Hareton are under strict orders from Heathcliff not to help Cathy.
Cathy rebuffs Zillah’s and Hareton’s attempts at friendship because they abandoned her when she first arrived.
Nelly briefly considers quitting her job and taking Cathy away to live with her in a cottage. However, she quickly realizes that Heathcliff would never let Cathy go.
Lockwood goes to Wuthering Heights to give notice to Heathcliff that he plans to leave early.
Cathy mocks Hareton’s attempts to learn to read, eventually goading him so far that he strikes her and throws the books in the fire.

Chapters 32–33 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

Why is Lockwood in the area?
Why can Lockwood still stay at Thrushcross Grange even though he moved away?
Where is Nelly Dean?
What does Lockwood notice about the outside of Wuthering Heights?
What does Nelly tell Lockwood when he says he is looking for Heathcliff?
Why did Heathcliff summon Nelly to Wuthering Heights?
What causes the confrontation between Cathy and Heathcliff?
Why does Cathy regret trying to turn Hareton against Heathcliff?
Why is Heathcliff startled when he walks in on Cathy and Hareton reading?
Why has Heathcliff lost interest in revenge?
Quiz Answers:

Lockwood is visiting a friend when he realizes he is not far from Thrushcross Grange.
Lockwood is still technically renting Thrushcross Grange, even though he does not live there anymore.
Lockwood is told that Nelly Dean has moved to Wuthering Heights.
Lockwood notices that the gate is unlocked and that flowers have been planted in the yard.
Nelly informs Lockwood that Heathcliff died a few months ago.
Heathcliff unexpectedly called Nelly to Wuthering Heights to help keep Cathy out of his sight.
Cathy convinces Hareton to pull up some of Joseph’s old trees to make room for flowers, and Heathcliff is mad at her for altering his property.
Cathy eventually realizes that Heathcliff is like a father to Hareton and, knowing how close she was to her own father, decides that it would be cruel to abuse Heathcliff in front of Hareton.
Heathcliff is startled by their resemblance to Catherine.
Heathcliff admits that he is so consumed by his desire to be reunited with Catherine that his desire for revenge has been overshadowed.

Chapter 34 Questions and Answers
Quiz Questions:

How do Heathcliff’s eating habits change?
Where does Heathcliff go one night?
How is Heathcliff changed after his night outside?
What can Heathcliff be heard doing in his room at night?
What does Nelly advise Heathcliff to do?
How does Nelly sense something is amiss the morning she discovers Heathcliff’s body?
Who is upset most by Heathcliff’s death?
What do Cathy and Hareton plan to do?
Where does Lockwood go after leaving Wuthering Heights?
What does Lockwood conclude about the dead?
Quiz Answers:

Heathcliff begins eating less and less until he refuses food altogether.
Heathcliff spends an entire night rambling out on the moors.
Heathcliff walks around the next day with an eerie expression of joy on his face.
Nelly can hear Heathcliff pacing, groaning, and saying Catherine’s name in his room.
Nelly advises Heathcliff to turn to God before he dies.
Nelly notices that Heathcliff’s bedroom window is wide open even though there was a rainstorm the night before.
Hareton is the most upset when Heathcliff dies.
Cathy and Hareton plan to marry and move to Thrushcross Grange.
Lockwood wanders to the graves of Catherine, Edgar, and Heathcliff.
Lockwood concludes that the dead must surely be at peace.

1
Analyze the relationship between Lockwood and Heathcliff.

Heathcliff is Lockwood's first introduction to the passionate, terrifying world of Wuthering Heights. Early in the novel, Lockwood frequently confuses himself and Heathcliff. At one point, he backtracks on his description of Heathcliff because he “bestow[s] [his] own attributes too readily on him” (5-6). However, Heathcliff's rudeness to Cathy Linton and his servants, along with Ellen's narrative, eventually convince Lockwood to despise Heathcliff like most of the other characters. Nevertheless, the identification between the two characters remains important because it cements Heathcliff's status as one of the novel's protagonists (in the sense that the narrative sometimes seems to favor his perspective).

2
Interpret the novel’s dream sequences. Why are they important?

Dreams in Wuthering Heights foreshadow future events, but they also reveal important information about the characters' current situations. For example, Lockwood's nightmare about Cathy Linton trying to get into Wuthering Heights foreshadows the young girl's eventual reconciliation with the place, via her relationship with Hareton (although this reconciliation comes only after many months of misery, which may be represented by the wounds she gets from the broken glass). However, her fearsome apparition in the dream also reflects her current psychic desperation. Similarly, Catherine's early dream of choosing the moors over heaven foreshadows her eventual burial (and the importance her buried corpse will have for Heathcliff) but also her current preference for worldly pleasure over future happiness.

3
What is the significance of the frame story?

Wuthering Heights is narrated through many layers of mediation. Not only does Ellen Dean narrate most of the story to Lockwood, but occasionally Ellen herself was not present at important events, and only hears about them secondhand––so we hear what happens through two layers of narration. Examples of this include Cathy's explanation of her correspondence with Linton and Cathy's narration of her first visit to Wuthering Heights. The fact that the story is so potent despite these multiple layers of mediation speaks to the extraordinary power of love and emotion in this isolated society.

4
Analyze the story’s setting. What role does it play in Wuthering Heights?

The natural world of the moors is not merely a setting––it also sets the mood of the novel and exerts a noticeable influence on the characters' choices and personalities. The frequently inhospitable weather establishes the conflict between humanity and nature that becomes an important theme; the frequent blizzards and thunderstorms ensure that the characters constantly struggle for survival against the elements. Moreover, the characters at Wuthering Heights are frequently characterized as 'wild,' which suggests that their dramatic natural surroundings have somehow seeped into the personalities.

5
Discuss Emily Brontë’s portrayal of religion in the novel.

There are distinctly Gothic elements to Brontë's portrayal of Christianity in Wuthering Heights. A riot in a church figures prominently in Lockwood's nightmare in Chapter 3, and Joseph's proselytizing eventually takes on a sinister element as it becomes clear that he is just as cruel and self-centered as any other character in the novel. Only Ellen seems to take Christianity seriously, reminding Heathcliff to make his peace with God when it becomes clear that he is dying. However, Heathcliff ultimately rejects this solace. For the Earnshaws and the Lintons, religion is a weak force that is largely irrelevant to their lives outside the strictures of society.

6
When Wuthering Heights was first released, many readers were shocked by its graphic, violent imagery. Why might the violence be important to the story?

It is important to note that Wuthering Heights features not only extensive physical violence, but also extreme emotional cruelty. These elements serve to demonstrate the potential of the human spirit to be debased by its conditions; although Heathcliff is able to love Catherine in his early life, the compassion and gentleness is slowly drained from him because of his abuse by Hindley. Violence, then, is set up as a counterpoint to love, and as Cathy and Hareton demonstrate at the end of the novel, love is the only thing that can redeem their world from the horrific violence that fills it.

7
Discuss the relationship between gender and power in Wuthering Heights.

Brontë seems to delight in confusing gender roles. Catherine Earnshaw roams free on the moors and works with Heathcliff in the fields, conduct that would have been considered highly unbecoming for a lady at this time, even in rural Yorkshire. In contrast, Linton is characterized as "delicate [and] effeminate" (200). It seems that transcending gender boundaries allows characters to become more powerful; Linton uses his weak health to manipulate others, and Isabella realizes that wielding a knife could give her the means to escape her unhappy marriage.

8
Discuss the role of books and literacy in Hareton and Cathy Linton’s relationship.

From its earliest stages, Hareton and Cathy Linton's relationship is colored by the fact that she can read and he cannot. She drives him away by teasing him about his inability to read, and her decision to teach him to read is what eventually resolves their differences and allows them to love one another. Cathy's reading lessons can also be seen as rehabilitating Hareton after his unhappy childhood with Heathcliff, who purposely prevented him from learning to read in hopes of getting revenge on Hareton's father, Hindley.

9
What is Heathcliff’s role in the story? Is he a protagonist or an antagonist?

Heathcliff can be considered both a protagonist and an antagonist. He is a protagonist in the sense that the novel is structured around his life––Ellen's narrative begins when Earnshaw brings Heathcliff home from Liverpool, and it ends at Heathcliff's death, suggesting that he was the main character all along. Likewise, Heathcliff is the main person to pique Lockwood's curiosity when he first visits Wuthering Heights. However, Heathcliff can also be considered an antagonist in that he actively works to undermine many of the novel's more likeable characters, including Edgar, Hareton, and Cathy Linton. Moreover, the novel is never related from his perspective; for the most part, the narrator Ellen can only speculate on his thoughts and feelings.

10
Catherine Earnshaw, Heathcliff, Linton, and Cathy Linton all tend to dwell on their personal ‘heavens.’ What might the significance of this be?

Heaven is an important concept for each of these characters, and their idea of a perfect world reveals their true personalities. Catherine admits that she would rather be on the moors than in heaven, and Heathcliff rejects the idea of a traditional heaven in favor of his remains mingling with Catherine's beneath the earth. The similarities between their ideas of heaven reveal the compatibility of their personalities, and also their tendency to locate themselves in opposition to conventional society. Linton and Cathy Linton both consider heaven to be a beautiful day outdoors, but the differences between their fantasies––Linton wants to lie in the grass, while Cathy would prefer to climb trees––reveal the fundamental differences in their respective characters.