It is now 2025 and if you still haven’t read the masterpiece that is Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, then we suggest you log into Amazon, Goodreads, or whichever alternative you prefer and get on with it.
Dark fairy tale vibes, gothic elements, a morally gray hero, and a love that transcends even death are some of the things that make Wuthering Heights one of the greatest novels in English literature. An absolute must for every bookworm’s collection and an iconic book club read and high-school British lit requirement for some, this classic novel will leave you wondering for days, whether you are crazy for liking the cynical, byronic, and slightly deranged Heathcliff and if Catherine’s ghost really haunted him.
One thing new readers might get confused about is the interplay between the Linton and Earnshaw families. But fear not, valiant bookworms, we got your back. We have prepared a family tree combined with a detailed analysis of each branch to get you up to speed.
For more Wuthering Heights content, check our character breakdown, in-depth summary and collection of timeless quotes. And don’t forget to visit our crewfiction blog for more posts on the classics like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.
The story starts with Mr. Earnshaw bringing Heathcliff, an orphan from Liverpool, to Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff is brought up along with Hindley and Catherine Earnshaw. Catherine quickly warms up to Heathcliff and a tender bond develops between them. However, Hindley is deeply jealous of Mr. Earnshaw treatment of Heathcliff and makes his life a living hell.
Across the moors of Haworth in West Yorkshire, lives the Linton family. When getting injured on their property, little Catherine stays with the Lintons in Thrushcross Grange during her recovery. Upon returning to Wuthering Heights, though, her fascination with Isabella and Edgar Linton triggers Heathcliff’s anxiety. When Mr. Earnshaw dies, Hindley Earnshaw, who had gone away to college, returns with his new wife Frances as the new master of Wuthering Heights. His treatment of Heathcliff is as despicable as ever, leading to young Heathcliff running away.
In the meantime, Catherine marries Edgar Linton and Hindley’s son Hareton Earnshaw is born. Unfortunately, his wife dies, leaving Hareton under Hindley's neglectful care. By this time, Heathcliff comes back, having become a man of wealth. Upon facing the news of Catherine’s marriage to another, he tries to get her back. Alas, Catherine’s social aspirations make her stay by Edgar’s side. In retaliation, Heathcliff marries Edgar’s sister Isabella. To no one’s surprise he is a terrible husband, which leads to Isabella Linton fleeing to London where she gives birth to their son, Linton Heathcliff.
Catherine gives birth to Catherine Linton (Cathy), but her health declines resulting in her death and Heathcliff devastation. His loss is so great that he cannot come to terms with reality and is convinced he is haunted by Catherine’s ghost. This does not prevent him from setting his sights on Cathy and the Linton estate. Years later, Heathcliff lures young Cathy and Nelly Dean back to Wuthering Heights, where she meets Hareton and later the sickly Linton. Seeing Cathy’s growing affection for Linton, he forces Linton and Cathy to marry, hence he is now able to get his hands on Thrushgross Grange after Edgar’s passing, which comes only a short while later.
Having gotten everything he ever desired, apart from Catherine, Heathcliff dies, deranged and deeply scorned by his family. Cathy and Hareton the last surviving heirs of the two families have now found love and break the cycle of domestic abuse and emotional brutality by letting Heathcliff’s memory be lost in time.
The whole story is narrated by Ellen Dean, a young servant who has been in the Earnshaw family for years, and Mr. Lockwood, the man who has rented Thrushcross Grange from Heathcliff.
Check our post for a far more detailed summary of Wuthering Heights and the study of the novel’s central themes.
For more insight into these complex personas, you should definitely check our Wuthering Heights character list, where we analyze both the main and minor characters. Now, let’s take it from the top and dive into both families.
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As we can in this vivid visual representation Edgar and Catherine’s marriage is what connects the two families in the first place.
The Earnshaws officially consist of four members; Mr. and Mrs. Earnshaw, Catherine and Hindley. Enter Heathcliff, the young orphan Mr. Earnshaw treats as his son. He is in love with Catherine—and that is totally okay since they are not related in any sort of way—and despite Mr. Earnshaw’s efforts, Heathcliff is never fully assimilated into the family and is treated like an outsider. Frances, Hindley’s wife, also becomes a part of the family, which results in the third generation of the Earnshaws with the son of Hindley.
Third generation→ Hareton Earnshaw (Hindley and Frances’ son)
Mr. and Mrs. Linton live on the other side of the moors with their two children, Isabella and Edgar Linton. When Edgar marries Catherine, she enters the Linton family as well. And with Isabella’s marriage to Heathcliff, he also becomes an in-law of the family. Catherine and Edgar’s daughter is the first descendant of the two families.
Third generation→ Catherine “Cathy” Linton (Edgar and Catherine’s son)
Heathcliff is never officially an Earnshaw, only a Linton in-law. His son is the one and only descendant of the Heathcliff family.
Second generation→ Linton Heathcliff (Heathcliff and Isabella’s son)
After the elder Earnshaws and Lintons die, only the three youngest along with Heathcliff remain. Cathy, Hareton, and Linton all live in Wuthering Heights, along with Heathcliff, Nelly Dean, Zillah, and Joseph—the last remaining servants in the house. Soon Heathcliff’s son, and Cathy’s husband and cousin through her aunt Isabella, succumbs to his frail nature, and not long after, his father follows. So all the main characters are now in the grave, leaving the next generations to thrive.
Cathy Linton and Hareton Earnshaw, will usher in the new Earnshaw-Linton era, thus breaking the cycle of abuse repetition and misery in Wuthering Heights.
You can use this family tree as a study guide or simply additional material to help you navigate the complex dynamics in Wuthering Heights. The Brontë sisters never disappoint, and if you like Wuthering Heights, you should definitely check Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre out too—a liminal work of female empowerment in literature. Till next time, dear bookworms!
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No, Hareton is the son of Hindley Earnshaw and Frances. After his mother dies, Hindley descents into alcoholism and neglects his son. After Hindley’s death, Heathcliff is the new master of Wuthering Heights and all its occupants, including little Hareton. The abuse Heathcliff received from Hindley has stigmatized Heathcliff. And as a result of Heathcliff’s bitter cruelty, Hareton is raised as an uneducated field worker, even though he is the last male Earnshaw and therefore the rightful master of the estate.
No, Catherine is the youngest Earnshaw child, while Heathcliff is an orphan Mr. Earnshaw found in Liverpool, England, and brought home. These two are not related whatsoever and thus their growing feelings for one another are perfectly normal. Let’s not forget that Heathcliff was never really treated as an Earnshaw, especially after Mr. Earnshaw died and Hindley took over the estate.
No, Catherine—nicknamed Cathy to easily separate from her mother, is Catherine Earnshaw and Edgar Linton’s daughter. Her name is possibly Edgar’s attempt to honor his wife’s memory. As far as the novel is concerned, Heathcliff and Catherine never acted on their tender feelings for each other. Young Catherine will become Heathcliff’s daughter-in-law, however, once she marries his son, Linton Heathcliff.
Always living in her own enchanted little world, Christina discovered the magic that can be hidden within the pages of a book when one dares to take a closer look from a tender age. An avid reader, she is constantly inspired to delve into the secrets woven between the lines and challenges herself to find her own voice amidst the chaos. She is a dedicated fan of the classics, but the supernatural creatures that have tormented readers for years are her kryptonite. The mastery it takes to infuse the author's essence, molded by the era they grew up in to their innermost desires fascinates her. Undoubtedly, putting her passion and knowledge on paper has a mesmerizing allure on her, and following the steps of so many other dreamers before her she wishes to leave her mark in the literary world. Guided by T.S Eliot’s haunting words: “I will show you fear in a handful of dust” she intends to wreak havoc in the minds of her future readers.
