A gentleman named Mr. Lockwood first visits the manor of Wuthering Heights, describing it as “[a] perfect misanthropist’s Heaven” (1). After meeting the surly and mysterious owner, Heathcliff, Lockwood meets Joseph, an old servant who appears healthy and strong despite his age. Upon entering the house, Lockwood notices the name Hareton Earnshaw carved over the front door and asks the owner for a short history of the place. As Lockwood walks through the house, he observes that the apartment and its furniture would seem ordinary in the home of a northern farmer, but Heathcliff is not such a man. He observes that Heathcliff is “handsome” but “morose.”

Lockwood strays from his descriptions of the house and owner to explain that, the previous summer, he led on a woman, breaking her heart and proving himself unworthy of a comfortable home. When attempting to stroke one of the many dogs in the house, one dog snarls at Lockwood, but Lockwood disregards Heathcliff’s warnings and makes faces at three of the dogs. They attack him, which inspires six more dogs to join in the fracas, and Joseph and Heathcliff join forces with a robust woman to beat the dogs off Lockwood. Heathcliff blames Lockwood for the incident but offers him some wine, and they talk. Despite Heathcliff’s unfriendliness, Lockwood decides to visit again the next day.

When Lockwood visits Wuthering Heights the next day, he climbs over the locked gate just as the first snowflakes begin to fall. Only a young blond woman is home, and Lockwood calls her “Mrs. Heathcliff.” She observes Lockwood coldly. Despite her bad-tempered appearance, Lockwood finds her attractive, but she seems to find him unworthy of positive attention; he is relieved that there is little danger that he will fall in love with her. Lockwood notices a young man looking at him “as if there were some mortal feud unavenged between [them]” (7). Heathcliff’s entrance breaks the tension. While Lockwood drinks tea with Heathcliff, they discuss the snowstorm, and Heathcliff introduces the young woman as his daughter-in-law.

The young man reacts badly when Lockwood teases him about the young woman and demands respect, introducing himself as Hareton Earnshaw. Meanwhile, the snow worsens, but no one seems willing to advise Lockwood as to how he should get home to Thrushcross Grange, and Lockwood announces that he feels he must stay. Moments later, “two hairy monsters [fly] at [his] throat” (11), knocking Lockwood over. This causes Heathcliff and Hareton to laugh, provoking an overreaction from Lockwood that brings on a nosebleed and more humiliating laughter from the men. Heathcliff’s light mood passes quickly, and he orders Zillah, a servant, to give Lockwood a glass of brandy before Lockwood is shown to a bed for the night.

Under Zillah’s guidance, Lockwood stays in a room littered with furniture and old books inscribed with the name Catherine. One book appears to be a diary, and Lockwood reads it. In the diary, Lockwood learns about young Heathcliff’s trials as well as about Catherine’s attachment to Heathcliff. Someone named Hindley, “a detestable substitute” (13), runs the house when Catherine’s father is away, and Heathcliff and Catherine escape to the moors whenever they can for fun and for escape. Lockwood falls asleep while perusing another book, and in his dream, he attends a church service where he feels moved to rise and denounce the preacher. In Lockwood’s dream, the tapping of the pulpit wakes him up, but it turns out to be the branch of a fir tree blowing in the wind. More sounds of the branch tapping at the window annoy Lockwood, and he tries to stop the sound by reaching out to grab the branch. To his fright, Lockwood’s “fingers close[] on the fingers of a little, ice-cold hand” (17), and he sees a ghost at the window. The ghost complains of being lost for 20 years, and Lockwood screams in alarm, bringing Heathcliff up the stairs. Lockwood explains the matter, and Heathcliff is visibly affected, though he suppresses his emotions. 

Lockwood leaves his room and goes down to the kitchen, where Hareton Earnshaw and Heathcliff soon arrive, and they find Mrs. Heathcliff reading a book by the fire. As soon as the sun comes up, Lockwood leaves. Heathcliff follows Lockwood to guide him to the gate and see that he arrives safely at Thrushcross Grange. After explaining what happened to the anxious servants at the Grange and warming up in his room, Lockwood retires to his study, overcome.

When the housekeeper, Nelly Dean, brings Lockwood his supper, he asks her about her years in service at the house. Lockwood wants to know more about the pretty young widow, so he asks why Heathcliff does not live at Thrushcross Grange, which is a much more hospitable residence than Wuthering Heights. Nelly explains, but her mention of individuals with the names of Linton and Earnshaw confuses Lockwood, so she explains the complicated dynamics between the two families. The pretty woman is Catherine Linton, the daughter of Nelly’s late employer, Edgar Linton, and his wife, Catherine Earnshaw. Hareton Earnshaw is Catherine Earnshaw-Linton’s nephew, and Heathcliff married Mr. Linton’s sister. At Lockwood’s request to hear more of his neighbors, Nelly obliges and begins her story.

Early in Nelly’s career, she often spent time at Wuthering Heights, where her mother was in service, looking after young Hindley Earnshaw, who later became Hareton’s father. One day, Hindley’s father, Mr. Earnshaw, left for Liverpool and came back after three days with “a dirty, ragged, black-haired child” (25), about the same age as Hindley’s sister, Catherine. He had found the child in Liverpool, alone, starving, and seemingly unable to speak, so he took the child home with him. The children, Catherine, Hindley, and Nelly herself, mistreated the boy, but Mr. Earnshaw cared for him and named him Heathcliff, after a son who had died in childhood. Less than two years later, Mr. Earnshaw would die, leaving Heathcliff alone with Hindley, who hated him, and the others.

Nelly reflects on the young Heathcliff’s character, remembering him as an uncomplaining child even when he was ill. She also recalls a confrontation he had with Hindley, during which Hindley shoved him beneath a horse. Even then, Nelly was surprised at “how coolly the child gathered himself up, and went on with his intention” (28). These instances of level-headedness misled Nelly into believing Heathcliff to be an individual lacking a vindictive streak.