Cathy Linton

**Catherine 'Cathy' Earnshaw (née Linton, previously Heathcliff)** is the daughter of Edgar Linton and Catherine Earnshaw, and a central character in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.

## History

Cathy is born on the 20th March 1784, as the daughter of Catherine and Edgar, at seven months. Two hours after her birth, Catherine dies, leaving Edgar consumed with grief and causing him to neglect Cathy for the first few days of her life.

Twelve years later, Cathy's aunt, Isabella Linton dies and Edgar goes to fetch her son, his nephew and Cathy's cousin, Linton Heathcliff. Cathy and Linton strike up a friendship, despite Linton's fussiness, but Heathcliff insists on Linton coming to live at Wuthering Heights. Cathy is distraught, but Linton soon fades from her mind.

Years passed, and Cathy reaches sixteen, and she and her nurse Nelly Dean go on a ramble on the moors, but on the way they are accosted by Heathcliff and Hareton Earnshaw, who take them back to the Heights. Cathy reunites with Linton, to her delight, but Nelly is worried as Edgar forbade them to go to the Heights. Heathcliff orders Linton to walk with Cathy outside, and Hareton goes with them. Linton teases Hareton for his ignorance, to Cathy's amusement but Nelly's displeasure. Cathy and Nelly argue afterwards about the inhabitants of the Heights on the way back to Thrushcross Grange. Cathy tells Edgar about the visit, and he wishes her to not return. Cathy cries after this order.

Cathy begins a correspondence with Linton, as they send what could be classed as love letters. Nelly finds and burns them, telling her that if she keeps this up, she will tell Edgar. Cathy becomes 'sadder and duller' after the romance ends, and she worries about Edgar's illness. Heathcliff visits her and demands to know why the correspondence between Linton and Cathy has ended. The next day, Cathy and Nelly visit Wuthering Heights. There, they find Linton, just as spoiled and sulky as before. Linton and Cathy talk, but they get into a row over their parents, when Cathy talks about how Heathcliff treated Isabella, and Linton tells her that Catherine loved Heathcliff and hated Edgar. Cathy is furious and pushes him off his chair, causing him to have a coughing fit that frightens her. He then proceeds to moan to upset her. Nelly insists that they go, but Cathy stays to help Linton. Cathy continues to visit Linton secretly, and Nelly has no idea, nor does Edgar.

Cathy and Nelly are tricked into going to the Heights by Linton, where Heathcliff imprisons them until Cathy marries Linton; thereby securing Heathcliff's ownership of the Grange. Linton dies soon after and he leaves the Grange and all Cathy's personal property to his father. Cathy is forced to live at the Heights by Heathcliff, which is where Mr Lockwood finds her when he arrives. By the time Lockwood leaves, Heathcliff is dead and Cathy is planning to marry Hareton.

## Adaptations

Cathy is often omitted from adaptations as the younger generation is often ignored.

* Cathy was played by Colette Brettel in the 1920 adaptation of Wuthering Heights
* Cathy was played by Cathryn Harrison in the 1978 television serial of Wuthering Heights
* Cathy was played by Juliette Binoche in 1992's Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. Binoche also played the older Catherine.
* Cathy was played by Sarah Smart in the 1998 film of Wuthering Heights
* Cathy was played by Rachel Night in the 2009 ITV drama of Wuthering Heights