## Characters
**Lockwood (Narrator)** - Present throughout; narrates the chapter in first person. Takes supper with Mrs. Dean and requests her company to combat his loneliness despite earlier claims of preferring solitude. Shows curiosity about his neighbors and becomes excited/feverish listening to the story.
**Mrs. Dean/Nelly Dean** - Present throughout; Thrushcross Grange housekeeper. Has worked there 18 years, came when "the mistress was married" and stayed after she died. Has ruddy countenance, brings supper and gruel, fetches sewing to sit with Lockwood. Begins telling the story of the families.
**Heathcliff** - Mentioned extensively; current landlord of Thrushcross Grange, lives at Wuthering Heights. Described as wealthy but miserly ("close-handed"), "rough as a saw-edge, and hard as whinstone." In Nelly's backstory: introduced as a foundling child from Liverpool streets, approximately 6-7 years old when found, dark-haired, dirty, ragged. Could walk and talk but spoke gibberish. Named after a deceased Earnshaw son. Became Mr. Earnshaw's favorite despite being sullen and patient under abuse.
**Catherine Linton (young Mrs. Heathcliff)** - Mentioned; widow of Heathcliff's deceased son, daughter of Lockwood's predecessor. Maiden name was Catherine Linton. Was nursed by Mrs. Dean. Cousin to both her deceased husband and Hareton Earnshaw.
**Hareton Earnshaw** - Mentioned; lives with Heathcliff at Wuthering Heights, nephew of the late Mrs. Linton, last of the Earnshaw family line. In backstory: son of Hindley Earnshaw.
**Mr. Earnshaw (old master)** - In Nelly's backstory; Hindley and Cathy's father, master of Wuthering Heights. Kind-hearted but sometimes severe. Found Heathcliff starving in Liverpool streets and brought him home. Took 60-mile walking journey to Liverpool. Favored Heathcliff over his own children.
**Hindley Earnshaw** - In backstory; Mr. Earnshaw's son, 14 years old when Heathcliff arrived. Hated Heathcliff from the beginning, physically abused him. Wanted a fiddle from his father's Liverpool trip.
**Catherine "Cathy" Earnshaw** - In backstory; Mr. Earnshaw's daughter, "hardly six years old" when Heathcliff arrived. Could ride any horse in the stable. Wanted a whip from Liverpool trip. Initially hostile to Heathcliff but became "very thick" with him. Mischievous and wayward.
**Mrs. Earnshaw** - In backstory; died "in less than two years after" Heathcliff's arrival. Initially hostile to the foundling child.
## Timeline & Events
The chapter occurs over one evening at Thrushcross Grange. Lockwood, feeling lonely despite his earlier claims of preferring solitude, asks Mrs. Dean to stay and chat during supper. Their conversation leads to Nelly beginning the story of the local families.
**Nelly's Backstory begins:**
- Takes place years earlier when she was young
- One fine summer morning at beginning of harvest
- Mr. Earnshaw announces trip to Liverpool (60 miles each way walking)
- Promises gifts: fiddle for Hindley, whip for Cathy, apples and pears for Nelly
- Gone three days
- Returns around 11 o'clock on third evening with foundling child
- Child is named Heathcliff after deceased Earnshaw son
- Mrs. Earnshaw dies "in less than two years after" Heathcliff's arrival
- Children fall ill with measles (timing unspecified)
- Story includes the horse-trading incident between Hindley and Heathcliff
## Key Facts
- Mrs. Dean has worked at Thrushcross Grange for 18 years
- Thrushcross Grange's previous owner was named Linton
- Wuthering Heights has 'Earnshaw' carved over the front door
- Liverpool is 60 miles from Wuthering Heights (each way)
- Heathcliff was found in Liverpool streets as a child
- The foundling was named after a deceased Earnshaw son named Heathcliff
- Heathcliff could walk and talk when found but spoke gibberish
- Mrs. Earnshaw died less than two years after Heathcliff's arrival
- Hindley was 14 years old when Heathcliff arrived
- Cathy was "hardly six years old" when Heathcliff arrived
- Mr. Earnshaw bought two colts at a parish fair
## Ages, Dates & Arithmetic
- Mrs. Dean: 18 years of service at Thrushcross Grange
- Hindley Earnshaw: 14 years old when Heathcliff arrived
- Catherine Earnshaw: "hardly six years old" when Heathcliff arrived
- Heathcliff: appeared older than Catherine when found, could walk and talk
- Mrs. Earnshaw died: "less than two years after" Heathcliff's arrival
- Journey time: 3 days to Liverpool and back (60 miles each way)
## Unexplained Changes
None noted in this chapter - this is backstory being told for the first time.
## Plot Developments
**New threads introduced:**
- The mysterious history of Heathcliff's origins (foundling from Liverpool)
- The complex family relationships between Earnshaws, Lintons, and Heathcliff
- Hindley's hatred of Heathcliff from childhood
- Mr. Earnshaw's favoritism toward Heathcliff over his biological children
**Existing threads advanced:**
- Lockwood's curiosity about his neighbors is being satisfied
- The character of Heathcliff is being developed through backstory
## Foreshadowing & Setups
- Nelly's statement: "I was deceived completely, as you will hear" - suggests Heathcliff's true vindictive nature will be revealed
- The horse-trading incident demonstrates Heathcliff's manipulative abilities and knowledge of his power over Mr. Earnshaw
- Hindley's threat: "I pray that he may break your neck" and his prophecy about Heathcliff wheedling the father "out of all he has"
- The systematic abuse Heathcliff endured suggests future revenge motivations
- References to Heathcliff's mysterious acquisition of wealth ("nobody knows what money")
- Mrs. Dean describes Heathcliff's history as "a cuckoo's" - implying parasitic behavior
The chapter establishes the foundational dynamics that will drive the larger story: the love-hate relationships, class conflicts, and cycles of revenge rooted in childhood trauma and favoritism.