Isabella Linton
Encyclopedia
Isabella Linton is a female character in Emily Brontë
's only novel Wuthering Heights
. She is the sister of Edgar Linton
and the wife of Heathcliff
.
of Wuthering Heights suffers an accident while intruding on the Grange, the Lintons take her in and make her a lady in five weeks. Both Edgar and Isabella grow close to Catherine, and, when she marries Edgar six years later, Isabella and Catherine identify as sisters and close friends.
When Heathcliff returns to the neighbourhood to exact revenge on the Lintons because of Edgar's marriage with his true love Catherine, Isabella, a slightly shallow and foolish woman, is irresistibly attracted to him. Catherine is deeply shocked by this, and playfully tells Heathcliff, enabling him to see a route to vengeance. Isabella, hurt by Catherine's betrayal, grows cold and distant to everyone around her, and, with everyone opposing a relationship with Heathcliff, "moped around in the garden" in great distress. Even more nervous is Edgar, who is suspicious of Heathcliff's mysterious return to the neighbourhood, but does not know what to do about it. It becomes apparent that Heathcliff is seducing Isabella when he "embraces her", much to Catherine's dislike. In explanation, Heathcliff reveals to her that he "will have his vengeance", and that he does not love Isabella: if Catherine wished him to marry her, he "would cut his throat."
One night, it is revealed to Nelly Dean
, a servant at Wuthering Heights and the primary narrator of the novel, that Isabella has run off with Heathcliff, although Edgar has warned her that, if she does so, he will cut off all ties with her. After several months, Heathcliff and Isabella marry, but she soon realises her mistake, sending a long letter to Nelly in which she details her hostile and displeasing "welcome" at the Heights, and her hatred for Heathcliff, who has made it clear that he has married her only because he is now the heir to the Grange. Isabella is reduced to the status of the abused, hurt and degraded wife, and Nelly describes Heathcliff as looking like "the only one decent" in the household, while Isabella has seemingly lost the title of Miss Linton of Thrushcross Grange.
Isabella continues to despise her vengeful, tyrannical husband, and, at the death of Catherine, taunts Heathcliff by insisting that her death was entirely his fault. She also points out that Hindley Earnshaw
, Catherine's drunken brother and Heathcliff's greatest enemy, has the same eyes as her, despite Heathcliff's relentless attempts to "gouge them out". This provokes Heathcliff to a deep and passionate anger, which results in yet another brawl between himself and Hindley. Seeing it as a chance to flee, Isabella escapes Wuthering Heights and her disastrous, terrifying marriage once and for all. She describes the occurrence thus:
After informing Nelly of how she pursued her escape, and paying one last visit to Thrushcross Grange, her childhood home, Isabella removes somewhere "south of London", where she gives birth to Heathcliff's son, Linton, who resembles Isabella in every aspect. The two lead a peaceful life for thirteen years, although no detail is given as to their activities. Edgar visits Isabella in her final illness, where she asks him to take charge of Linton, and raise him away from his father.
Emily Brontë
Emily Jane Brontë 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother...
's only novel Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846. It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December after the success of her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre...
. She is the sister of Edgar Linton
Edgar Linton
Edgar Linton is a character in Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights. His role in the story is that of Catherine Earnshaw's husband. He resides at Thrushcross Grange and falls prey to Heathcliff's schemes for revenge against his family....
and the wife of Heathcliff
Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)
Heathcliff is a fictional character in the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Owing to the novel's enduring fame and popularity, he is often regarded as an archetype of the tortured Romantic hero whose all-consuming passions destroy both himself and those around him.Legend has stereotyped...
.
Story
Isabella Linton was raised in the safe, elegant environment of Thrushcross Grange, with her brother, Edgar. When Catherine EarnshawCatherine Earnshaw
Catherine Earnshaw, known as Catherine Linton after her marriage, is the main female protagonist of Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights....
of Wuthering Heights suffers an accident while intruding on the Grange, the Lintons take her in and make her a lady in five weeks. Both Edgar and Isabella grow close to Catherine, and, when she marries Edgar six years later, Isabella and Catherine identify as sisters and close friends.
When Heathcliff returns to the neighbourhood to exact revenge on the Lintons because of Edgar's marriage with his true love Catherine, Isabella, a slightly shallow and foolish woman, is irresistibly attracted to him. Catherine is deeply shocked by this, and playfully tells Heathcliff, enabling him to see a route to vengeance. Isabella, hurt by Catherine's betrayal, grows cold and distant to everyone around her, and, with everyone opposing a relationship with Heathcliff, "moped around in the garden" in great distress. Even more nervous is Edgar, who is suspicious of Heathcliff's mysterious return to the neighbourhood, but does not know what to do about it. It becomes apparent that Heathcliff is seducing Isabella when he "embraces her", much to Catherine's dislike. In explanation, Heathcliff reveals to her that he "will have his vengeance", and that he does not love Isabella: if Catherine wished him to marry her, he "would cut his throat."
One night, it is revealed to Nelly Dean
Nelly Dean
Ellen "Nelly" Dean is a female character in Emily Brontë's novel, Wuthering Heights. She is the main narrator for the story, and gives key eyewitness accounts as to what happens between the characters...
, a servant at Wuthering Heights and the primary narrator of the novel, that Isabella has run off with Heathcliff, although Edgar has warned her that, if she does so, he will cut off all ties with her. After several months, Heathcliff and Isabella marry, but she soon realises her mistake, sending a long letter to Nelly in which she details her hostile and displeasing "welcome" at the Heights, and her hatred for Heathcliff, who has made it clear that he has married her only because he is now the heir to the Grange. Isabella is reduced to the status of the abused, hurt and degraded wife, and Nelly describes Heathcliff as looking like "the only one decent" in the household, while Isabella has seemingly lost the title of Miss Linton of Thrushcross Grange.
Isabella continues to despise her vengeful, tyrannical husband, and, at the death of Catherine, taunts Heathcliff by insisting that her death was entirely his fault. She also points out that Hindley Earnshaw
Hindley Earnshaw
Hindley Earnshaw is a fictional character in Emily Bronte's novel Wuthering Heights. The brother of Catherine Earnshaw, father of Hareton Earnshaw, and sworn enemy of Heathcliff, he descends into a life of drunkenness, degradation, and misery after his wife Frances dies in childbirth, enabling...
, Catherine's drunken brother and Heathcliff's greatest enemy, has the same eyes as her, despite Heathcliff's relentless attempts to "gouge them out". This provokes Heathcliff to a deep and passionate anger, which results in yet another brawl between himself and Hindley. Seeing it as a chance to flee, Isabella escapes Wuthering Heights and her disastrous, terrifying marriage once and for all. She describes the occurrence thus:
The back of the settle and Earnshaw's person interposed between me and him; so instead of endeavouring to reach me, he snatched a dinner-knife from the table and flung it at my head. It struck beneath my ear, and stopped the sentence I was uttering; but, pulling it out, I sprang to the door and delivered another; which I hope went a little deeper than his missile. The last glimpse I caught of him was a furious rush on his part, checked by the embrace of his host; and both fell locked together on the hearth. In my flight through the kitchen I bid Joseph speed to his master; I knocked over HaretonHareton EarnshawHareton Earnshaw is a character in Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights. He is the son of Hindley Earnshaw and Hindley's wife Frances. At the end of the novel, he makes plans to wed Catherine Linton, with whom he falls in love.- Story :...
, who was hanging a litter of puppies from a chair-back in the doorway; and, blessed as a soul escaped from purgatory, I bounded, leaped, and flew down the steep road; then, quitting its windings, shot direct across the moor, rolling over banks, and wading through marshes: precipitating myself, in fact, towards the beacon-light of the Grange. And far rather would I be condemned to a perpetual dwelling in the infernal regions than, even for one night, abide beneath the roof of Wuthering Heights again.
After informing Nelly of how she pursued her escape, and paying one last visit to Thrushcross Grange, her childhood home, Isabella removes somewhere "south of London", where she gives birth to Heathcliff's son, Linton, who resembles Isabella in every aspect. The two lead a peaceful life for thirteen years, although no detail is given as to their activities. Edgar visits Isabella in her final illness, where she asks him to take charge of Linton, and raise him away from his father.