Wuthering Heights

First Three Chapters

What does Lockwood find out about the position in 1801 of Catherine and
Hareton?

Lockwood’s first encounter with Catherine is in front of the fire in the parlour at
Wuthering Heights and she is cold and scornful toward him. He then meet a
young man who acts boorishly and suspicious of him, and he presumes he is
the young Mr.Heathcliff. However, the young girls rude disposition did not stop
him noticing that she was a very attractive woman, “the most exquisite little
face that I have ever had the pleasure of beholding,” and with this he
assumes that she is the young Mr.Heathcliffs wife. However when he voices
his assumption he is rudely corrected by Mr.Heathcliff. He is transpired that
the young woman is his daughter-in-law and that her husband, Mr.Heathcliffs
son is dead. He is then informed that the boy is Hareton Earnshaw

What was the position of Heathcliff in the past, as revealed by what Lockwood
reads?

Lockwood finds an old diary, seeming belonging to a different Catherine who is

about the same age as the Catherine he had just been scorned by and he starts
to flick through it. After reading for several pages he finds that Heathcliff was a
Vagabond and was living in a poor house in Liverpool when Catherine’s father
adopted him and brought him home to Wuthering Heights. However he also find
out that when their Father died, the eldest child, Hindley who hated Heathcliff,
made him lodge with the servants and threatened to evict him, much to Catherine
Linton’s sorrow.

What opinion did Lockwood form of Heathcliff on the evidence available so far

When Lockwood first meets Heathcliff he notices his reserved nature and
compares him with himself. The fact they seem similar in personalities makes
Lockwood, “interested in a man who seemed more exaggeratedly reserved than
myself.” He calls Mr.Heathcliff a capital fellow and has a very high opinion of him.
However, Heathcliff attitude toward Lockwood gets colder and more sinister
toward Lockwood and it results in Lockwood being accused of robbing from
Wuthering heights. Lockwood is insulted and ashamed my Heathcliff. After this
he starts to doubt his liking of Heathcliff and is angry and ashamed by him more
than thinking he is a capital fellow.