Chapter IV Practice Quiz — Wuthering Heights
by Emily Bronte — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter IV
Why does Lockwood ask Nelly Dean to sit with him?
He has been struggling with low spirits and solitude, and hopes she will prove a regular gossip who can either rouse him to animation or lull him to sleep with her talk.
How long has Nelly Dean lived at Thrushcross Grange?
Eighteen years. She came when the mistress was married and stayed on as housekeeper after her mistress died.
What does Nelly reveal about Heathcliff's wealth?
He has enormous wealth that increases every year and could easily afford a finer house, but he is extremely miserly ("near" and "close-handed") and rents out Thrushcross Grange for extra income.
Who is Catherine Linton, as Nelly explains to Lockwood?
She is the daughter of Nelly's late master (Edgar Linton). Her maiden name was Catherine Linton, and she is now the young Mrs. Heathcliff—widowed after marrying Heathcliff's son.
How is Hareton Earnshaw related to the other characters?
He is the late Mrs. Linton's nephew (her brother Hindley's son), making him young Catherine's cousin. He is the last of the Earnshaw line.
Where did Mr. Earnshaw go on his journey, and how far was it?
He walked to Liverpool—sixty miles each way, a round trip of 120 miles on foot. He was gone for three days.
What gifts did Mr. Earnshaw promise to bring back from Liverpool?
Hindley asked for a fiddle, Cathy chose a whip, and Nelly was promised a pocketful of apples and pears.
How does Mr. Earnshaw describe the child he brings home?
He tells his wife they must "take it as a gift of God; though it's as dark almost as if it came from the devil." He found the child starving, homeless, and nearly mute in the streets of Liverpool.
What happened to the children's promised gifts?
Hindley's fiddle was crushed to pieces inside Mr. Earnshaw's greatcoat, and Cathy's whip was lost while Mr. Earnshaw was attending to the strange child during the journey.
How did Nelly treat Heathcliff on his first night, and what was her punishment?
She placed him on the landing of the stairs, hoping he would be gone by morning. When Mr. Earnshaw discovered this, he banished Nelly from the house for her cowardice and inhumanity.
How did Heathcliff get his name?
The Earnshaws named him Heathcliff after a son who had died in childhood. The single name served as both his first name and surname for the rest of his life.
How does Heathcliff respond to the abuse from Hindley and Nelly?
He endures it with sullen patience—standing Hindley's blows without winking or shedding a tear, and responding to Nelly's pinches only by drawing in a breath, as if he had accidentally hurt himself.
How does Mr. Earnshaw's favoritism toward Heathcliff affect the family?
It breeds deep resentment. Hindley comes to see his father as an oppressor and Heathcliff as a usurper of his parent's affections and his privileges, growing bitter with brooding over these injuries.
What changes Nelly's attitude toward Heathcliff?
When the children fall ill with measles and Heathcliff is dangerously sick, Nelly nurses him constantly. He proves the quietest, most uncomplaining child she ever watched over, and the doctor praises her care—softening her feelings toward him.
Describe the horse-exchange episode between Heathcliff and Hindley.
When Heathcliff's colt goes lame, he demands Hindley swap horses, threatening to tell their father about Hindley's beatings. Hindley throws an iron weight at him, but Heathcliff calmly rises and prepares to show his injuries to Mr. Earnshaw. Hindley surrenders the better colt.
What does the horse-exchange reveal about Heathcliff's true nature?
It shows that beneath his stoic endurance lies a calculating mind. He understands power dynamics, is willing to use threats and manipulation to get what he wants, and shows early signs of the vengeful figure he will become.
What narrative technique does Bronte introduce in Chapter 4?
The frame narrative (nested narration): Lockwood is the outer narrator who records Nelly Dean's inner story, creating layers of perspective and raising questions about narrative reliability.
What is the symbolic significance of the destroyed gifts?
Hindley's crushed fiddle and Cathy's lost whip symbolize the loss of childhood innocence and the disruption of the existing family order that Heathcliff's arrival brings about.
What animal imagery does Nelly use to describe Heathcliff's situation?
She calls his history "a cuckoo's" and says Hareton has been "cast out like an unfledged dunnock" (a hedge sparrow)—comparing Heathcliff to a cuckoo bird that displaces the rightful nestlings from their home.
What does Nelly mean when she says Heathcliff was "not insolent to his benefactor" but "simply insensible"?
Heathcliff was not openly rude or ungrateful to Mr. Earnshaw, but he showed no warmth or gratitude either. He was emotionally detached while knowing perfectly well the power he held over the old man's heart.