Chapter XVIII Practice Quiz — Wuthering Heights
by Emily Bronte — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Chapter XVIII
How does Nelly Dean describe the twelve years following Catherine Earnshaw's death?
As the happiest of her life, with her greatest troubles being young Cathy's minor childhood illnesses.
What physical features does young Cathy inherit from each side of her family?
She has the Earnshaws' handsome dark eyes but the Lintons' fair skin, small features, and yellow curling hair.
Why has young Cathy never been beyond the park by herself before age thirteen?
Edgar Linton has kept her sheltered at Thrushcross Grange, trusting her to no one else, and ensuring she knows nothing of Wuthering Heights or Heathcliff.
What landmark repeatedly fascinates young Cathy from her nursery window?
Penistone Crags, especially when the setting sun illuminates them while the rest of the landscape lies in shadow.
Why does Edgar Linton leave Thrushcross Grange during Chapter 18?
His sister Isabella writes that she is dying and wishes to deliver her son Linton into Edgar's care and bid him farewell.
What imaginative game does Cathy play on the day she escapes to Wuthering Heights?
She pretends to be an Arabian merchant crossing the desert with a caravan, using her pony, a hound, and two pointers as her horse and camels.
How do Cathy and Hareton first meet?
Their dogs get into a fight when Hareton comes out of the farmhouse at Wuthering Heights, which serves as their introduction.
What causes the relationship between Cathy and Hareton to sour during their first meeting?
Cathy unwittingly insults Hareton by treating him as a servant and ordering him to fetch her horse. He is further humiliated when she reacts with horror upon learning he is her cousin.
How old is Hareton Earnshaw in Chapter 18, and what is his condition?
He is eighteen years old, physically strong and good-looking, but completely uneducated—Heathcliff has never taught him to read or write as part of his revenge.
What does Nelly observe about Hareton's inner character despite his rough exterior?
She detects a mind with better qualities than his father Hindley ever possessed—"good things lost amid a wilderness of weeds" suggesting a wealthy soil that could yield "luxuriant crops" under better circumstances.
How has Heathcliff treated Hareton, according to Nelly's account?
Heathcliff has not physically abused Hareton but has deliberately kept him ignorant and uncivilized, never teaching him to read, never correcting bad habits, and never guiding him toward virtue.
What role does Joseph play in Hareton's upbringing?
Joseph contributes to Hareton's deterioration by flattering and indulging him as the heir of the old Earnshaw family, while blaming all of Hareton's faults on Heathcliff.
How does Nelly persuade Cathy to keep her visit to Wuthering Heights a secret?
She warns Cathy that if Edgar learned of her negligence in letting Cathy escape, he might be so angry that Nelly would have to leave—a prospect Cathy cannot bear.
What do Penistone Crags symbolize in Chapter 18?
They symbolize the forbidden, unknown world beyond Cathy's sheltered existence. Their brightness after the Grange lies in shadow represents alluring truths that lie beyond her protected boundaries.
What parallel does Chapter 18 draw between Edgar's and Heathcliff's treatment of their respective children?
Both control their children through isolation: Edgar keeps Cathy confined to the civilized Grange to preserve her innocence, while Heathcliff keeps Hareton at the Heights in deliberate ignorance to ensure his degradation. Both forms of control prove inadequate.
What is the significance of the dogfight that introduces Cathy and Hareton?
The dogfight symbolizes the instinctual conflict between the two households—Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights—and foreshadows the volatile but ultimately transformative relationship between these two cousins.