Q# 2 The Narrative Techniques in Wuthering Heights ?

Although Wuthering Heights was Emily Bronte’s only novel, it is notable for the narrative
technique she employed and the level of craftsmanship involved in it. Although there are only two
obvious narrators, Lockwood and Nelly Dean, a variety of other narratives are interspersed
throughout the novel. The reasons for this are that the whole action of Wuthering Heights is
presented in the form of eyewitness narrations by people who have played some part in the
narration they describe. Unlike other novels where parallel narratives exist i.e. same event, within
the same time frame being narrated from different perspectives, Wuthering Heights has a multi-
layered narration, each individual narrative opening out from its parent to reveal a new stratum
(level) of the story. This intricate technique helps to maintain a continuos narrative despite of the
difficulties posed by the huge time-shifts involved in the novel.

Lockwood’s narrative is the outer framework of the story. He is then present as the recipient of
Nelly’s story and she in turn is the recipient of tertiary narratives.

A.) Heathcliff: Chapter 6, 29 B.) Isabella: Chapter 13, 17

C.) Cathy: Chapter 24 D.) Zilla: Chapter 30.

Nelly’s narrative is so dramatised that we could argue that much of it is in the form of a tertiary
narration, e.g. the conversation involving Heathcliff, Catherine and Edgar on Heathcliff’s return is
recorded in the words of the participants. The effect of this is to present the story directly to the
reader so that our perception is constantly changing as if we were witnessing a drama.

The difficulty facing the author at the beginning if the novel was to find a method by which the
reader could be introduced into the household of the Heights, so that its characters and its ambience
could be understood. The purpose of Bronte’s narrative is to draw the reader into a position where
he can only judge its events from within. Lockwood presents the normal outsider or the reader, by
drawing him into the penetralium, the reader is cleverly introduced to the realities of this hostile
and bewildering environment. The narrative form poses severe limitations for the author in that she
cannot use her own voice, the story must speak entirely for itself, its values must be self-generated,
created for us by the language which must be emotive and strong, particularly in moments of self
revelation and strong feeling. In Wuthering Heights each narrative takes place within the action
occupying an important place in the dramatic structure so that the reader never stands completely
outside the story. We, like Lockwood, find ourselves as the direct recipients of Nelly’s narrative,
we are immediately inside the world of Wuthering Heights and therefore the events loom large and
have a more dramatic impact, because they are not prefaced for us by editorial comment or
introduction provided in the first person by the author.

While the larger frameworks of Lockwood and Nelly’s narratives, provide the necessary
objectivity, the smaller more condensed narratives like Catherine’s diary give us direct glimpses
into the imaginary lives of the main protagonists, these together form the core of the story and are
joined in subtle ways with each other. They suddenly appear without warning and the memory of
them remains vibrant in the background. The modify over veins of all the outward events that Nelly
or Lockwood describe, allowing for an individual response or appreciation to the core
developments of the story. Bronte seeks to engage the reader directly through the reactions of her
narrators, the technique is abrupt and dramatic allowing little time for insight but confronting us
with a sharply focused scene where the characters are realised first as physical presences, they are
set in motion at once and the chain if events begins to occur, the reader is immediately caught up in
the overall experience of the story without having time to consider its meaning. The background,
the setting, the climate, the houses and the animals all take on a life of their own, images of past
and present are flashed together "a glare of white letters startled from the dark as vivid as spectres -
the air swarming with Catherines".

Thus the novel itself begins at a point where the action is almost completed. The questions which
Lockwood asks of Nelly Dean, promote answers which give him little insight but it is Lockwood’s
fascination with the character of Mr. Heathcliff which causes his mind to become "tiresomely
active", thus requiring a full circumstantial narrative. The kind of curiosity aroused by Bronte in
Lockwood and therefore in the reader, demands a complete imaginative reliving of the past. It is
only through experiencing the events as Lockwood did from Heathcliff’s arrival to that point in
time that he can be in a position to understand the complex set of relationships he witnessed in the
household of Wuthering Heights, that is why the apparently artificial narrative structure is both
necessary and convincing and we accept its conventions without questions. Past and present
interact on one another forming a single close knit drama without division into parts.

The year 1801 is the story’s starting and finishing point up to the time of Lockwood’s arrival at
Wuthering Heights, as is September 1802 the start and finish of the events dealt with in the final
chapters. Nelly’s story is studded with dates which allows us to work out the precise dates of major
events, the ages of the characters and often even the day of the week when an event occurs.

As the novel contains a history of 2 families whose fates are worked out over three generations, it is
important that a reasonable exact timescale is adhered to. Without cluttering the narrative with
dates, Bronte achieves this by the precise plotting of the lives of Catherine and Heathcliff. Their life
stories provide the time framework for the novel and other events and the births, lives and deaths of
other characters are related to us in conjunction with developments in the lives of the two main
characters. Lockwood as Narrator
Lockwood is the outsider, coming into a world in which he finds bewildering and hostile, he’s a
city gentleman who has stumbled on a primitive uncivilised world which he doesn’t understand, but
which fascinates him. He arrives at the end of November 1801 as a tenant of Thrushcross Grange.
After his initial meetings with his landlord, Mr. Heathcliff, he is laid up for two months during
which time his fascination with Wuthering Heights leads to the beginning of Nelly’s narrative. By
January 1802, he is sufficiently recovered to return to the Heights where he informs Heathcliff of
his intention to return to London for 6 months. He returns briefly in September 1802, when he
hears the conclusion of Nelly’s narrative and the final events of the novel take place.

In the novel Lockwood presents the situation as he sees it, the reader is thus brought closer to the
action, seeing it through the eyes of the narrator himself. The presence of Lockwood in the book
allows the author the author to begin the story near the end and work backwards and forwards in
time with little difficulty. The opening chapters of the book are narrated by Lockwood and provide
the reader with their introduction to this early 19th century world. The format of Lockwood’s
narrative is that of a personal diary, which allows the development for the reader of an easy
intimacy with an impartial character whose style - self-conscious, a little affected and facetious is
nicely calculated to engage sympathy, while allowing ground for the reader to be amused at the
narrators expense.

With all his limitations, Lockwood is intelligent and perceptive and his precise detailed descriptions
are used by his creator to create subtle changes in situation and character, an example of this is that
when Lockwood first visited Wuthering Heights, he commented on the chained gate, while at the
end of the novel when he returns to find Heathcliff dead, he noticed "Both doors and lattices were
open". Changes in character are also hinted at by Lockwood’s eye for detail, he has noticed
changes in both Cathy and Hareton - Cathy once described by Lockwood as "the little witch", now
has "a voice as sweet as a silver bell". Hareton described in the opening chapters as a boor and a
clown and has by the end of the novel become "a young man respectably dressed" with "handsome
features", therefore Lockwood, by fulfilling the role as the detached outsider and observer, brings a
dimension to the novel which is quite different from the perception provided by Nelly.

Lockwood’s Style as Narrator

Lockwood uses an educated literacy language marked by detailed factual description and
perceptive observation and comment, both on situation and character. An example of this is his
description of Hareton "Meanwhile, the young man had slung onto his person a decidedly shabby
upper garment, and, erecting himself before the blaze, looked down on me from the corner of his
eyes, for all the world as if there was some mortal feud unavenged still between us. I began to
doubt whether he was a servant or not... his bearing was free, almost haughty and he showed none
of a domestic’s assiduity in attending to the lady of the house."

Lockwood’s sentences are often complex consisting of a number of clauses or long phrases,
frequently separated by dashes or semi-colons, examples, "he probably swayed by the presidential
considerations of the folly of offending a good tenant - released a little in the laconic style of
chipping of his pronouns and auxiliary and introducing what he supposed would be a subject of
interest to me." A noticeable aspect of Lockwood’s style is his use of words of Latin origin, e.g.
prudential, laconic, auxiliary. By the end of Chapter 3, Lockwood’s style has become more
complex in that his sentence structure is complicated, large numbers of adjectival and adverbial
clause, a liberal use of the semi-colon and comma, to give the impression of a narrator whose
command of language is sophisticated. "My human fixture and her satellites, rushed to welcome
me; explaining tumultuously, they had completely given me up; everybody conjectured (guessed)
that I perished last night; and they were wondering how they must set about the search for my
remains.

Nelly Dean as Narrator

Nelly Dean’s narrative, though copious and detailed, has an extraordinary, sometimes breathless
energy as if she were describing events that she had witnessed an hour ago, every moment of which
is vividly present to her. Nelly’s narrative is an art of stark immediacy - of making the past live for
us in the present. As much of Nelly’s narrative is unfolded in the words of the actual characters, we
the readers, feel that the narrative is moulded by the pressure of events, not that the shape and
interpretation of events is being fashioned by the narrator. The sense of actuality is conveyed by a
series of concrete details that fall artlessly into place. Nelly’s sureness in relating her narrative
seems to arise out of an astonishing clear memory, the impression of rapid excitement is achieved
by concentrating our attention on movement and gesture, action and reaction, intermixed with
vehement dialogue which convinces by its emphatic speech rhythms and plain language. The
dialogue has no trace of a conscious stylist, it is noticeable for the brief rapidity of the sentence, an
example of this is Nelly’s recollection of the time leading up to Catherine’s death, when Catherine
emplored her to open the window of her room - "Oh, if I were but in my own bed in the old house!"
she went on bitterly, wringing her hands, "And that wind sounding in the firs by the lattice. "Do let
me feel it! - it comes straight down the moor - do let me have one breath!"

Nelly’s value as a narrator is clear from this example, she brings us very close to the action and is
in one way deeply engaged in it. The intimate affairs of the Grange and the Heights have taken up
her whole life, however, her position as a professional housekeeper means that her interests in
events is largely practical. She provides the inner frame of the narrative and we see this world of
the successive generations of Earnshaw’s and Linton’s through her eye’s, although much of the
dialogue, in the interests of objectivity, is that of the characters themselves. As a narrator reporting
the past from the present, she has the benefit of hindsight and can therefore depart from the straight
chronological narrative to hint at the future.

A major contrast between Nelly and Lockwood is that she, to an extent, is a character within her
own narrative, which causes her several problems. At times she is involved in the action, she is now
describing and therefore she treads a difficult path between romantic indulgence and moral
rectitude, she both encourages and discourages relationships. Her attitude to theme sways between
approval and disapproval, depending on her mood. This is primarily evident in the role she plays in
the love triangle between Heathcliff, Catherine and Edgar; at times taking Edgar’s side while yet
arranging the last meeting between Heathcliff and Catherine by leaving the window open for him.
She adopted a similar position between the relationship between Cathy and Linton, at time
colluding with Cathy and at other times judging and betraying her for writing against her father’s
wishes. There is an ambivalence in Nelly’s attitude and this combined with her meddling nature
renders her moral stance inconsistent and even hypocritical. Despite these shortcomings, she is
vigorous, lively narrator with a formidable memory whose energy and unflagging interests allow
the reader an insight into the lives of characters.
As a narrator, Nelly’s style differs substantially from that of Lockwood, much of her narrative
consists of verbatim dialogue and as such is the language of the characters in Wuthering Heights.
When she herself is speaking as a narrator, her language is lively, colloquial and imaginative, this
has the effect of bringing characters to life and providing the reader with many vivid and precise
images, an example of this is her reference to Heathcliff’s life "It’s a cuckoo’s, sir - I know all
about it, except where he was born, and who were his parents, and how he got his money at first.
And that Hareton, has been cast out like a unfledged dunnock." In this example the tagging on of
the phrase "at first" suggests that Nelly knows how he got his money later and therefore arouses our
interest in Heathcliff. Nelly is limited because of her conventional, religious and moral sentiments,
which often prevent her from a greater understanding of the emotions or motives of the characters.
This is important in Bronte’s technique as it allows the reader to believe that they have a better
understanding of the characters and the developments, than either of her narrators. The inclusion of
so much dialogue and the tertiary narratives of the central characters provide a direct
communication between the reader and character allowing for greater immediacy and for an
individual response on behalf of the reader. In this respect both Nelly and Lockwood are merely
facilitators providing a mechanism through which the reader can enter a world of Wuthering
Heights and react in an individual fashion to the events which transpire.

Although Lockwood and Nelly serve as the obvious narrators, others are interspersed throughout the
novel — Heathcliff, Isabella, Cathy, even Zillah — who narrate a chapter or two, providing insight into
both character and plot development. Catherine does not speak directly to the readers (except in
quoted dialogue), but through her diary, she narrates important aspects of the childhood she and
Heathcliff shared on the moors and the treatment they received at the hands of Joseph and Hindley.
All of the voices weave together to provide a choral narrative. Initially, they speak to Lockwood,
answering his inquiries, but they speak to readers, also, providing multiple views of the tangled lives
of the inhabitants of Thrushcross Grange and Wuthering Heights.

Brontë appears to present objective observers, in an attempt to allow the story to speak for itself.
Objective observations by outsiders would presumably not be tainted by having a direct involvement;
unfortunately, a closer examination of these two seemingly objective narrators reveals their bias.

For example, Lockwood's narrative enables readers to begin the story when most of the action is
already completed. Although the main story is being told in flashback, having Lockwood interact with
Heathcliff and the others at Wuthering Heights immediately displaces his objectivity. What he records
in his diary is not just what he is being told by Nelly but his memories and interpretation of Nelly's tale.
Likewise, Nelly's narrative directly involves the reader and engages them in the action. While
reporting the past, she is able to foreshadow future events, which builds suspense, thereby engaging
readers even more. But her involvement is problematic because she is hypocritical in her actions:
sometimes choosing Edgar over Heathcliff (and vice versa), and at times working with Cathy while at
other times betraying Cathy's confidence. Nonetheless, she is quite an engaging storyteller, so
readers readily forgive her shortcomings. Ultimately, both Lockwood and Nelly are merely facilitators,
enabling readers to enter the world of Wuthering Heights. All readers know more than any one
narrator, and therefore are empowered as they read.

Family Life Either you're in or you're out. Hindley is in and wants to make sure Heathcliff knows
it. By excluding, humiliating, and otherwise mistreating Heathcliff, Hindley breeds a resentment that
leads to revenge.
Never welcomed into the Earnshaw family, Heathcliff decides to ruin it: he destroys the sanctity of the
family and demonstrates no respect for Hindley's wife or son. Being an orphan, Heathcliff has messed
up the whole family inheritance thing (although we suspect that he is really Mr. Earnshaw's
illegitimate son). Add the fact that Hindley is a trainwreck, and you have a recipe for a hostile
takeover.

Being an Earnshaw is good: you get to live in that big house and be a landowner. But being a Linton
is even better: Thrushcross Grange is much more cushy, and life with the Lintons is far more pleasant
and entitled. That's what draws Catherine over to the Linton side.But by the end of the novel, the
families and houses have, in effect, fused into one.
Names
You would think Emily Brontë could have been a little more creative with her characters' names,
rather than recycling the same ones over and over. But that's the whole point. By using the same
names—or different combinations of existing ones—for new characters, Brontë creates a feeling of
claustrophobia and even incest. The repetition of names also helps tie everything together, as in the
case of the two Hareton Earnshaws.

Names are a way of identifying family affiliations (Earnshaw or Linton) and marking those on the
outside—as in Heathcliff, who, like Madonna or Cher, has no last name. Heathcliff's name ties him
directly to the land rather than a house, which reflects his whole wild-on-the-moors character.
Lockwood's name reflects his outsider status and inability to enter. Linton Heathcliff gets a really
strange name combination, but since he dies young he is, in a sense, the second and last of the
Heathcliffs.
To be a Linton is to have social stature; to be an Earnshaw is to be part of that group of heathens
living up on the hill. When Catherine marries Edgar, she changes. All of the names written on her
window ledge—Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Heathcliff, Catherine Linton—represent her different
identities.
Social Status
When this book isn't about love or revenge, it's about social status. We can tell the Lintons are at the
top of the local heap: Catherine yearns to marry Edgar in order to become the greatest lady of the
neighborhood, and Hindley is only too eager to get the Earnshaws linked up with the Lintons. Though
both families are landowners, the Lintons are definitely more refined. Both families are middle class
(probably upper-middle class in the case of the Lintons) and, like most middle-class families of the
time, both have servants (even if they are surly like Joseph).

Heathcliff starts out on the lowest rung of the ladder: not only does he not have money or property, he
has no family affiliation or education. For him, to aspire to any other class would be just plain uppity,
and by abetting that rise, Mr. Earnshaw is going against what was perceived to be the natural order of
things.
No wonder Hindley is ticked off. Punishment of the sort Hindley inflicts on Heathcliff (and Heathcliff, in
turn, on Hareton) hits you right in the social-status groin. By going off with the rogue and usurper,
Isabella drags down the Linton family name, which is why Edgar disowns her.