## Characters
**Nelly Dean** - The narrator and housekeeper at Thrushcross Grange. Present throughout the chapter. Shows maternal care for young Hareton, demonstrates loyalty to the Linton family, and acts as mediator/messenger. Takes active role in observing and reporting events to Edgar Linton.
**Hindley Earnshaw** - Appears only in Nelly's childhood memory/vision at the guide-post. Described as having a "dark, square head" as a child. Was Nelly's playmate "twenty years before." Currently lives at Wuthering Heights in deteriorated condition.
**Hareton Earnshaw** - Child, son of Hindley. Physical description: "elf-locked, brown-eyed boy" with "ruddy countenance." Age referenced as "not altered greatly since I left him, ten months since." Has been taught to curse by Heathcliff, throws stones at visitors, speaks in dialect. Lives at Wuthering Heights under Heathcliff's influence.
**Heathcliff** - Present at Wuthering Heights and later at Thrushcross Grange. Referred to as "black villain" and "scoundrel" by Nelly. Has been teaching Hareton to curse and rebel. Embraces Isabella in the courtyard, engages in heated argument with Catherine about revenge and marriage. Uses violence (strikes Edgar in throat, breaks door lock with poker).
**Catherine Linton (née Earnshaw)** - Present at Thrushcross Grange. Edgar's wife, Heathcliff's childhood friend. Protects Heathcliff while also trying to control the situation. Shows manipulative behavior, throws dramatic fits, locks the door during confrontation. Refuses food for days after the incident.
**Edgar Linton** - Master of Thrushcross Grange, Catherine's husband, Isabella's brother. Described as having "nervous trembling" and growing "deadly pale" under stress. Called a "milk-blooded coward" by Heathcliff. Strikes Heathcliff in the throat before retreating. Issues ultimatum to Catherine about choosing between him and Heathcliff.
**Isabella Linton** - Edgar's sister. Present in courtyard feeding pigeons when Heathcliff approaches her. Described as embarrassed and trying to escape Heathcliff's advances. Has not spoken to Catherine for three days. Edgar questions her about her feelings toward Heathcliff.
## Timeline & Events
The chapter occurs during "about the period that my narrative has reached" on "a bright frosty afternoon; the ground bare, and the road hard and dry."
**Past Reference**: Nelly mentions the guide-post was a favorite spot for her and Hindley "twenty years before," and she left Hareton "ten months since."
**Sequence of Events**:
1. Nelly travels toward Gimmerton and stops at a stone guide-post
2. She has a vision/memory of childhood Hindley, then sees young Hareton
3. Hareton throws a stone at her, curses, and reveals Heathcliff teaches him to swear
4. Nelly sends message to Hindley but Heathcliff appears instead; she flees
5. Later, Heathcliff visits Thrushcross Grange and embraces Isabella in the courtyard
6. Catherine discovers Nelly watching; Heathcliff enters the house
7. Major confrontation between Catherine, Heathcliff, and Edgar in the kitchen
8. Catherine locks the door, preventing Edgar from calling servants
9. Edgar strikes Heathcliff; Heathcliff breaks the door and escapes
10. Catherine has a dramatic fit and refuses to eat for days afterward
11. Edgar questions Isabella about Heathcliff and warns her against him
## Key Facts
- The guide-post has letters "W. H." (Wuthering Heights) on north side, "G." (Grange) on east, "T. G." on south-west
- Hareton can speak but cannot read or write
- The curate has been forbidden from teaching Hareton, threatened by Heathcliff
- Catherine and Isabella haven't spoken for three days before this incident
- Edgar spends time in the library after the confrontation
- The house has a kitchen with a window, back door leading to yard, front entrance, and parlour windows
- There are servants: coachman, two gardeners, and men in the hall
## Ages, Dates & Arithmetic
- **Twenty years before**: Nelly and Hindley were children playing at the guide-post
- **Ten months since**: Nelly last saw Hareton before this encounter
- **Three days**: Isabella's silent treatment of Catherine prior to events
- Hareton appears to be a young child (specific age not stated, but old enough to throw stones and speak in sentences)
## Unexplained Changes
**Hareton's condition**: In ten months, he has learned extensive profanity and developed hostile behavior toward former caretakers. His education has been deliberately stunted (cannot read/write despite being old enough).
**Heathcliff's boldness**: Now openly pursuing Isabella and directly challenging Edgar's authority in his own home, suggesting increased confidence or desperation.
## Plot Developments
**New threads introduced**:
- Heathcliff's romantic pursuit of Isabella as potential revenge against Catherine
- Edgar's ultimatum forcing Catherine to choose between him and Heathcliff
- Catherine's manipulative illness/dramatic fits as a control mechanism
**Existing threads advanced**:
- The deterioration of relationships at both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange
- Heathcliff's systematic corruption of Hareton as revenge against Hindley
- The love triangle between Catherine, Edgar, and Heathcliff reaching a crisis point
**Threads complicated**:
- Isabella's apparent attraction to Heathcliff despite his reputation
- Catherine's torn loyalty between husband and childhood friend
- Edgar's attempt to assert authority while maintaining his gentle nature
## Foreshadowing & Setups
- **Catherine's threat**: "I'll try to break their hearts by breaking my own. That will be a prompt way of finishing all, when I am pushed to extremity!" - Foreshadows potential self-destructive behavior
- **Heathcliff's revenge promise**: His declaration that he'll make Catherine pay and use Isabella for revenge
- **Edgar's ultimatum**: The forced choice between Heathcliff and Edgar cannot remain unresolved
- **Catherine's "fits"**: Nelly's observation that Catherine can control her passionate outbursts when she chooses suggests future manipulation
- **The guide-post vision**: Nelly's supernatural experience and premonition about death may foreshadow tragedy
- **Hareton's corruption**: His transformation under Heathcliff's influence sets up future consequences for the next generation
The chapter establishes a crucial turning point where all major relationships reach crisis simultaneously, with Catherine's refusal to choose sides creating an unsustainable situation.