Chapter IX Practice Quiz — Wuthering Heights
by Emily Bronte — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter IX
What dangerous act does Hindley commit at the start of Chapter IX?
He drunkenly drops his infant son Hareton over the banister of the staircase, nearly killing him.
Who catches Hareton when he falls over the banister?
Heathcliff, who arrives underneath at the critical moment and instinctively arrests the child's fall.
Why does Heathcliff regret saving Hareton?
Because when he looks up and sees it is Hindley's son, he realizes he has thwarted his own chance for revenge against the Earnshaw family.
What major news does Catherine confide to Nelly Dean in Chapter IX?
That Edgar Linton has proposed marriage and she has accepted him.
What reasons does Catherine give for loving Edgar Linton?
He is handsome, young, cheerful, rich, and he loves her—all of which Nelly dismisses as shallow and superficial.
What does Catherine say when Nelly asks why she is unhappy about accepting Edgar?
She strikes her forehead and breast and says, "In my soul and in my heart, I'm convinced I'm wrong!"
What dream does Catherine describe to Nelly about heaven?
She dreamt she was in heaven but was miserable, and the angels flung her out onto the heath atop Wuthering Heights, where she woke sobbing for joy.
How does Catherine use her dream about heaven to explain her feelings?
She says marrying Edgar is like being in heaven—it is not where she truly belongs. Her real home is the wild moors and Heathcliff.
Why does Catherine say it would "degrade" her to marry Heathcliff?
Because Hindley has reduced Heathcliff to the status of a common laborer, so marriage to him would lower her social standing.
Complete Catherine's famous declaration: "Nelly, I _____ Heathcliff!"
"Nelly, I am Heathcliff!" She declares that they share the same soul and identity.
How does Catherine contrast her love for Edgar with her love for Heathcliff using nature imagery?
Her love for Edgar is "like the foliage in the woods" that time will change; her love for Heathcliff "resembles the eternal rocks beneath.”
What does Catherine say would happen to the universe if Heathcliff were annihilated?
"The universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it."
What part of Catherine's confession does Heathcliff overhear?
He hears her say it would degrade her to marry him, but leaves before hearing her declaration of their spiritual bond and "I am Heathcliff."
What literary device does Brontë use in Heathcliff's partial overhearing of Catherine's confession?
Dramatic irony—the reader and Nelly know what Heathcliff missed, but Catherine does not realize he overheard anything at all.
What happens during the storm on the night Heathcliff disappears?
A violent wind splits a tree and knocks down part of the east chimney-stack, sending stones and soot into the kitchen fire.
What is pathetic fallacy, and how does Brontë use it in this chapter?
Pathetic fallacy is when nature mirrors human emotion. The violent thunderstorm reflects the emotional devastation of Heathcliff's departure and Catherine's anguish.
What happens to Catherine after she waits all night in the rain for Heathcliff?
She falls dangerously ill with a fever and delirium. The doctor, Mr. Kenneth, is called and she nearly dies.
How does Catherine's illness spread beyond Wuthering Heights?
Old Mrs. Linton nurses Catherine back to health and takes her to Thrushcross Grange, but catches the fever herself. Both she and Mr. Linton die within days of each other.
What practical argument does Catherine offer for marrying Edgar instead of Heathcliff?
She claims that by marrying Edgar, she can use his wealth and position to aid Heathcliff and place him out of Hindley's power.
How does Nelly respond to Catherine's plan to help Heathcliff with Edgar's money?
Nelly warns that Edgar will not be as "pliable" as Catherine expects and calls it the worst motive she has given for the marriage.
What happens at the end of Chapter IX?
Catherine marries Edgar Linton three years after these events, and Nelly reluctantly leaves Wuthering Heights and Hareton to accompany Catherine to Thrushcross Grange.
What narrative technique surfaces at the very end of Chapter IX?
The nested narration structure—the perspective briefly shifts from Nelly's account back to Lockwood, reminding the reader the story is told at multiple removes.
What does Catherine's reference to the fate of Milo mean?
Milo of Croton was a Greek athlete who was trapped by a split tree and devoured by wolves. Catherine warns that anyone who tries to separate her from Heathcliff will meet a similarly violent end.
How does Joseph react to the thunderstorm?
He drops to his knees, praying that God spare the righteous as He spared Noah and Lot, and blames the storm on the sinfulness of Hindley and the household.