Chapter Nine

Isabella’s Story

Questions with answers:

There was another reason for Catherine to live. Discuss
Catherine had been dangerously ill with brain fever for a long time. However, she got better
and began to take interest in the people and things around her. Edgar was extremely happy
and took such good care of her. There was another reason for her to live, he was expecting
a baby.

Edgar and Ellen hoped Catherine would have a son. Discuss

To inherit the Linton Fortune and not to pass to Isabella and her husband (Heathcliff) after
Edgar’s death.

Isabella sent a letter to Ellen for some reason. Discuss

When Isabella arrived at Wuthering Heights after she got married to Heathcliff, she wrote a
long letter to Ellen Dean for some reason:
1- As her brother (Edgar) refused to write to her, she asked Ellen to tell Edgar that she
still loved him and Catherine and she wanted to return to live at the Grange.
2- The rest of the letter was for Ellen herself as she asked her about Heathcliff, her
husband, and how Ellen managed to deal with the people at Wuthering Heights.
3- She asked Ellen to come to visit her at wuthering Heights.

What sort of welcome did Isabella receive at Wuthering Heights?

Once she arrived at wuthering Heights, Isabella received a very cold welcome. For example,
Hareton (Hindley’s son and Catherine’s nephew) swore at her. Hindley growled when he
knew that Heathcliff returned back. Isabella felt unhappy in that unpleasant house. She
knew that her real home was only four miles from Wuthering Heights containing the only
people she loved in the world. Those four miles were like an ocean, which she couldn’t
cross. She hoped to find a friend at Wuthering Heights to support her against Heathcliff.
She realized that no one would help her as all people in Wuthering Heights were against
Isabella and her husband’s presence.
1
Page
Hindley advised Isabella to lock the bedroom door that night.
Discuss
Although Isabella didn’t want to lock herself in with Heathcliff, Hindley told her that there
was no room for her except Heathcliff’s bedroom and advised her to lock the door that
night as he was planning to kill Heathcliff with a gun that has a knife attached to it. Hindley
tried many times to murder Heathcliff but every time Heathcliff locked the bedroom door.
Hindley was waiting for a chance to murder him.

Hindley hated Heathcliff so much and wanted to murder him.

Discuss
Hindley hated Heathcliff so much and waited the chance to murder him as he had taken
everything from him. There was nothing left for his son Hareton to inherit. He told Isabella
that he would get Wuthering Heights back from Heathcliff and his money as well.

Isabella was a fool and miserable when she got married to

Heathcliff. Discuss
Besides the cold welcome at Wuthering Heights and bad conditions she found there,
Heathcliff blamed Edgar for Catherine’s illness. He warned he that he would make her
suffer for that. She was really miserable and described herself as a fool and asked Ellen not
tell that to anyone in The Grange.

Describe Wuthering Heights when Ellen went to visit Isabella there.

When Ellen told Edgar about the letter from Isabella, he refused to write to her and let Ellen
to go to Wuthering Heights to visit her. He asked Ellen to tell her that Edgar was sorry for
her. When she arrived, she was shocked to see how much worse the house looked than
when she used to live there. Hindley didn’t care about it and Joseph spent more time
praying than cleaning. Even Isabella had not bothered to brush her hair or change her dress.

Isabella was very useful to Heathcliff. Discuss

Isabella was useful to Heathcliff that’s why he kept her with him. He married her to take
revenge on Edgar and take over the Grange after Edgar’s death. Isabella knew his plan well
and told Ellen that she wouldn’t let him carry out his wicked plan even she killed him and
herself. Heathcliff treated her badly, he described her as an insect under his foot. He told
Ellen the more she cried, the more he enjoyed hurting her.
2
Page
Ellen made a very bitter promise when she visited Isabella at
Wuthering Heights. Discuss
Although Ellen told Heathcliff that Edgar was fond of Catherine and she asked him many
times to keep away from them, he forced her to let him know when Edgar was away from
home to visit Catherine. He told her that he would wait every evening in the Grange garden
until he found a chance to see Catherine. He forced her to promise him that she would give
Catherine a letter from him as well.

Important Quotations
“Ah, so that devil has returned! Good!” or “Joseph will show you
Heathcliff’s room, if you like. And – and – you’d better lock the
bedroom door tonight” or “Look at this, every night I try to open his
bedroom door. Up to now he’s locked it. But one night he’ll forget,
and then I’ll kill him!”
These words were said by Hindley to Isabella when she came to live at Wuthering Heights
after she had married to Heathcliff. She received a very cold welcome once she arrived at
Wuthering Heights. Hindely told her that there were no bedrooms apart from Heathcliff’s
and he advised her to lock the bedroom door as he was planning to kill Heathcliff.

“Because he has taken everything from me there is nothing left for

Hareton to inherit. But I am going to get it all back, and his money
too. And then his blood. Then the devil can have his soul.”
These words were said by Hindley as a reply to Isabella’s question why he hated Heathcliff
so much. Hindley explained his hatred for Heathcliff and said the above.

“Tell her I am not angry, just sorry to have lost her. I can’t imagine
she will ever be happy. I shall never visit her or write to her.”
These words were said by Edgar to Ellen when she informed him that his sister Isabella sent
a letter asking him to write to her. Edgar refused to visit her or write to her but he let Ellen
visit her at Wuthering Heights if she liked.

“If you really love her, you will keep away from her now. She
mustn’t be over-excited. Her health will always be weak. And her
loving husband is a very good nurse to her”
These words were said by Ellen to Heathcliff when she came to visit Isabella at Wuthering
Heights. Heathcliff asked Ellen question after question about Catherine’s illness. She said
3
Page

above words as a reply to his question.

“Her loving Husband. Don’t compare my feelings for her with his.
Before you leave this house, I’ll make you promise to arrange a
meeting for me with Catherine. I must see her.”
These words were said by Heathcliff to Ellen when she came to see / visit Isabella at
Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff asked Ellen question after question about Catherine’s illness.
Ellen asked him to keep away from her as she was very ill and her loving husband is a good
nurse for her. He scornfully repeated her words. He asked her to arrange a meeting with
Catherine but she refused.

“I’ll never agree to that. She’s just beginning to recover. She’s almost
forgotten you, and now you want to upset her again.”
These words were said by Ellen to Heathcliff when she came to visit Isabella. Heathcliff
asked her to arrange a meeting with Catherine but she refused and said the words above.

“You know as well as I do that she can never forget me! If she thinks
once of Edgar, she thinks a thousand times of me! He can’t love her
as I can!”
These words were said by Heathcliff to Ellen when she came to visit Isabella at Wuthering
Heights. Heathcliff asked Ellen to arrange a meeting to visit Catherine. Ellen refused and
told him that Catherine had forgotten him and she no longer in love with him. Heathcliff
had another opinion and said the above words.

“Catherine and Edgar are very fond of each other” or “Don’t speak
of my brother like that!” Or “that’s because he doesn’t know how
much I’ve suffered”
These words were said by Isabella to Heathcliff while Ellen was visiting them at Wuthering
Heights. Isabella defended her brother (Edgar) and his wife (Catherine) when Heathcliff
compared between his feelings to Catherine and Edgar’s. Heathcliff replied to her in a
tough way. He told her that she shouldn’t have defended her brother as he didn’t care
about Isabella to write to her

“I’m not going to be soft with her.” Or “ She was stupid enough to
run away with me. I never pretended to love her. She is an even
weaker fool than her brother, but she is going to be useful to me.”
These words were said by Heathcliff to Ellen who came to wuthering Heights to visit
Isabella. Ellen noticed that Heathcliff treated Isabella badly so she asked him to treat her
well, at least arranging a maid for her. Heathcliff refused and said the words above.
4
Page
“He says he married me to have his revenge on Edgar! But I won’t
him carry out his plan, whatever it is. I’ll dead, or I’ll see him dead
first”
These words were said by Isabella to Heathcliff defending his brother Edgar. Heathcliff told
Ellen that he never pretended to love Isabella and he kept her at Wuthering Heights
because she was useful to carry out his wicked plan and take his revenge on Edgar.

“Don’t feel pity for her?” “Have you ever felt pity for anybody in
your life?”
These words were said by Ellen to Heathcliff during her visit to wuthering Heights. Ellen
noticed how harsh Heathcliff treated Isabella. She asked him if he felt pity for her and said
the words above.

“Why should I?” Or “She’s just like an insect under my foot. The more
she cries, the more I enjoy hurting her” Or “I’ll wait every day and
every evening in the Grange garden, until I find a chance to see
Catherine.” Or “if I meet Edgar Linton or his servants, I’ll shoot
them. But you don’t think it’d be better to avoid a fight?”
These words were said by Heathcliff to Ellen during her visit to Wuthering Heights.
Heathcliff revealed his wicked feeling towards Isabella. In addition, he asked her to arrange
a meeting with Catherine. He said the words above as a plan to see Catherine.

5
Page