After finishing Wuthering Heights, I can certainly say that I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would.
There’s a lot to munch on this book and a lot that I want to discuss. In order to cover everything, I’ve decided to take a mathematical approach to dissecting Wuthering Heights. In Statistics, you can investigate a normal curve by describing its S.U.C.S., or its Spread, Unusual points, Center, and Shape. I will attempt to investigate Bronte’s work using similar guidelines, changed to fit a literary work, in four different blog posts.
In this post, I will explore the Spread of Bronte’s novel, especially how the story is laid (or spread) out for the reader.
The point of view in Wuthering Heights is a bit confusing. Although the entire book is supposedly journal entries from the main character’s perspective, most of the plot occurs through second-hand narration from Lockwood’s maidservant, Nelly. Lockwood moves into Thrushschcross Grange, a house neighboring Wuthering Heights, and sets out to meet his neighbor, Heathcliff. He finds him very disagreeable and eventually attempts to get the low-down from Nelly, who he hopes is “a regular gossip” (20). She then goes on to recount the entire history of the family, from the time the Mr. Earnshaw found Heathcliff roaming around in the city to the present-day. However, even within Nelly’s interpretation, there are many other perspectives explored throughout this novel. She sometimes utilizes anecdotes from other people, like other servants or inhabitants of Wuthering Heights or Thrushcross Grange.
The major question this lends towards is WHY Bronte chose to create Lockwood's character if she intended on having Nelly narrate most of the important bits of the tale. I can think of a few reasons for this bold choice. First and foremost, Lockwood is higher up in society and therefore more trustworthy as a narrator. Wuthering Heights deals with a lot of huge societal issues, including that of the social classes (as Heathcliff is cast aside by most of his makeshift upbringing because of his "gypsy" upbringing). Nelly is not someone the reader should respect because she is very low in class. Furthermore, the comparisons the reader sees between Lockwood and Heathcliff is very important. Lockwood and Heathcliff are directly opposite characters. Without Lockwood commenting on the plot in addition to Nelly, the book would hold far less weight.
The point of view in Wuthering Heights is a bit confusing. Although the entire book is supposedly journal entries from the main character’s perspective, most of the plot occurs through second-hand narration from Lockwood’s maidservant, Nelly. Lockwood moves into Thrushschcross Grange, a house neighboring Wuthering Heights, and sets out to meet his neighbor, Heathcliff. He finds him very disagreeable and eventually attempts to get the low-down from Nelly, who he hopes is “a regular gossip” (20). She then goes on to recount the entire history of the family, from the time the Mr. Earnshaw found Heathcliff roaming around in the city to the present-day. However, even within Nelly’s interpretation, there are many other perspectives explored throughout this novel. She sometimes utilizes anecdotes from other people, like other servants or inhabitants of Wuthering Heights or Thrushcross Grange.
The major question this lends towards is WHY Bronte chose to create Lockwood's character if she intended on having Nelly narrate most of the important bits of the tale. I can think of a few reasons for this bold choice. First and foremost, Lockwood is higher up in society and therefore more trustworthy as a narrator. Wuthering Heights deals with a lot of huge societal issues, including that of the social classes (as Heathcliff is cast aside by most of his makeshift upbringing because of his "gypsy" upbringing). Nelly is not someone the reader should respect because she is very low in class. Furthermore, the comparisons the reader sees between Lockwood and Heathcliff is very important. Lockwood and Heathcliff are directly opposite characters. Without Lockwood commenting on the plot in addition to Nelly, the book would hold far less weight.
This book deals with themes that are ubiquitous in the novels we have read so far in AP Lit Comp. Multiple layers of narration, the reliability of the narrator, and the importance of truth are all things that the reader grapples with during Bronte’s work. Should we trust Nelly’s account of Heathcliff’s history? Should we even trust Lockwood’s account of Nelly’s account of Heathcliff’s history? There are many layers to the truth.
I think Bronte made a really bold and important choice when she decided to narrate the story through a first person recount to a first person major narrator. The way the book is spread out to the reader is an important part of understanding Wuthering Heights.
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