Chapter one introduces the characters Mr Heathcliff, Joseph, Cathy and Mr Lockwood himself. He is currently visiting Yorkshire and is therefore staying at Thurshcross Grange his landlord is Mr Heathcliff who lives at Wuthering Heights. Mr Lockwood pays a visit to him and his family where he comes across Joseph, the servant and Cathy whom is the daughter-in-law of Mr Healthcliff. Bronte introduces the characters in different forms. This makes the novel confusing however we soon establish that Bronte writes in this format so the suspension remains throughout the story.
Chapter two gives us a better insight of the family, clearing up the confusion. We discover who Cathy actually is as she comes across as Mr Heathcliffs wife in chapter one we also discover that Cathy actually had a husband, Linton Heathcliff who died. Also in chapter two, the description of the house is revealed and the setting and the kind of atmosphere which is expected from such a household.
The speech of Joseph is phonetic; he has an unusual dialect unlike Mr Lockwood whose dialect portrays a very educated man. Reading josephs dialogue is difficult as its written phonetically.
"whet are ye for? ... T maister's dahn I' t' fowld. Goa rahnd by th' end ut' laith, if yah went tuh spake tull him."
Whereas the vocabulary used by Mr Lockwood is very complex and by first impressions it seems as though Mr Heathcliff is intimidated by this but reading on we soon determine his character.
The setting is light cold snow which turns into a blizzard, in which Lockwood is unable to return to Thurshcross Grange. Mr Healthcliff makes it very clear that he is unwelcome despite the many attempts and obvious hints he makes to accept him for the night.
"As to staying here, I don't keep accommodations for visitors: you must share a bed with Hareton or Joseph, if you do"
Lockwood however manages to obtain a room to spend the night in. Zillah the housekeeper who we are now introduced to shows him the way. The night then continues through chapter three where Lockwood has a terrifying experience. The chapter begins quite fearful as Zillah leads Lockwood to a forbidden room. Lockwood is unaware until Zillah informs him. As he begins to settle into the ghostly room he embarks upon the window ledge which is engraved with the name Catherine in a number of manifestations.
"Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Linton and Catherine Heathcliff"
As Lockwood begins to fall asleep he reads some sort of diary which seems to be composed by Catherine herself. Lockwood falls asleep while reading and experiences two frightful nightmares. One of those was extremely life like, where Lockwood believed he saw Catherine and couldn't get to her. This is a very gothic atmosphere and theme to the novel. Heathcliff shortly appears as he hears Lockwood's scream who apologises for disturbing him. Lockwood then returns to Thurshcross Grange and is welcomed by the housekeeper Nelly Dean.
Chapter four, where the story now begins to get interesting and more focused. Curious of the event that had occurred Lockwood confides in Nelly and begins to ask questions to clear up his knowledge of the family living at Wuthering Heights. Nelly now has a narrative position as she begins to reveal the history of Catherine and Heathcliff and the relationships within the family. We are also introduced to another two characters; Mr Earnshaw, Catherine's father and Hindly, Catherine's brother.
Nelly basically explains that Heathcliff and Catherine didn't get along to begin with but finally become civil friends. Whereas Hindly treats Heathcliff with no respect in which Hindly got beaten up. As a result of this Heathcliff became oblivious to the emotional needs of others. This chapter is only a vague introduction into the lives of those at Wuthering Heights.
The language used by the characters is very different as already mentioned. The lexis differs depending on whom is speaking. Joseph as mentioned has a phonological dialect and is very distinctive compared to the others because of this. Mr Lockwood on the other hand is very educated and portrays this in the use of his vocabulary which is very complex and some words are possibly unknown which can make it difficult to understand him whereas josephs is difficult to read let alone understand. Nelly Dean seems to use Standard English fluently. The syntax may come across as unusual, this is because the story is set and written in completely different centuries.
I found reading the first four chapters was very confusing and needed a lot of focus. It did however create a magnificent setting and explained the complex family very well. Without the introduction like this we wouldn't have been so curious and fascinated with the unusual family of Wuthering Heights. We are also left at the end of chapter four with suspense and excitement as Nelly only briefly introduces the characters.
I believe that Emily's intentions were to set the scene as well as she could and introduce as many characters in a style that will associate well with the themes of the novel itself, keeping readers attention captured as she twists the story and as we read along we realise how unpredictable the story is which keeps us more entertained as we want to know what happens next. Emily not also introduces the present characters but also those that have died. Which divides the present and past and because of the interest of the past characters by Lockwood and his un answered questions, we then too begin to question the novel.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
On the narrator Lockwood’s second visit to the dreary and cryptic Wuthering Heights, he is faced with the nonattendance of his landlord, Heathcliff, at his manor. While returning in dismay to his residency at the Grange, “two hairy monsters flew at [his] throat,” attacking him while the returning Heathcliff cynically laughs in amusement…
- 445 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The novel begins at a time when the story is almost finished. There are two narrators in the novel: Lockwood and Nelly Dean. Lockwood seems more passive as a narrator and more like a receiver of information. He acts both, as an introduction to Nelly’s story and as a validation of it. Nelly knows more about the events at Wuthering Heights and Thruchcross Grange and is also more persuasive. However, both, Lockwood’s narration and Nelly’s narration are very important, because by moving through both of their narrations the reader gets closer to the essential truth of the story…
- 98 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
3. Lockwood compares himself to Heathcliff in his hospitality and in his capacity within the subject of relationships. Lockwood also indirectly contrasts the environment’s suitability to the two characters.…
- 3902 Words
- 16 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Wuthering Heights was written in 1847; therefore it is accused of being uninteresting and hard to read, due to outdated language. The writing in Wuthering Heights is very beautiful. Modern writing lacks the poetic ring and flow of words that Emily Bronte is able to capture in the novel Wuthering Heights. In a beginning passage, Lockwood describes Heathcliff: “He is a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather morose.” The description expresses puzzlement over Heathcliff as a character, with him being dark, untidy, and unhappy, while still being well dressed, well mannered, and somewhat tall and handsome. The sentence structure itself suggests Lockwood’s confusion in his appraisal of Heathcliff; it is an example of the artful language and vocabulary in Wuthering Heights. The first time I read this book, I sat down with a dictionary so I could look up every word I don’t know. After several pages of written definitions, it became clear all my word hunting was distracting from the story. I decided instead to rely on context clues, which expanded vocabulary and understanding. Learning is exciting and satisfying; learning is in itself a purpose to…
- 659 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
In 1801, Mr. Lockwood became a tenant at Thrushcross Grange, an old farm owned by a Mr. Heathcliff of Wuthering Heights. In the early days of his tenancy, he made two calls on his landlord. On his first visit, he met Heathcliff, an abrupt, unsocial man who was surrounded by a pack of snarling, barking dogs. When he went to Wuthering Heights a second time, he met the other members of the strange household: a rude, unkempt but handsome young man named Hareton Earnshaw and a pretty young woman who was the widow of Heathcliff 's…
- 3193 Words
- 13 Pages
Powerful Essays -
'The theme of childhood, voiced by the elder Cathy on her deathbed, is continued in the main action of the second half of the book [.. .] in one way or another childhood is in fact the central theme of Emily Bronte's writing'.' This time in Catherine's life, which is unquestionably associated with Heathcliff's appearance in her house and the strong feelings the boy then arouses in her, is, indeed, described at length by the narrator Nelly, as it will determine the following events in the novel. Catherine's dreams of happiness are associated with childhood all through her life, and even on her death-bed she still looks like a child in Nelly's eyes: 'She drew a sigh, and stretched herself, like a child reviving, and sinking again to sleep and five minutes after I felt one little pulse at her heart, and nothing more!''.Finally it is the ghost of a child that visits Lockwood, the newcomer and second narrator in the novel. Until she dies at the age of nineteen, Catherine clings in a passionate way to her childhood memories. The most revealing passage is the scene which takes place after Heathcliff has returned from a long absence and has just quarrelled with Catherine's husband, Edgar Linton. This scene, in which she raves, is significant as it echoes the childhood scenes in which she suffered from being separated from Heathcliff. Her memories have actually never stopped cropping up in an insistent way and she now…
- 469 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Pettinger, Tejvan. "Biography of Emily Dickinson", Oxford, www.biographyonline.net 2 Feb. 2011. This source describes Emily Bronte’s imaginary worlds outside of reality, in her earlier years. She uses her mind to create a whole new world and reflects her life as a child through her novel. As a kid Emily Bronte grew up and was raised in Yorkshire, Haworth near the moorland. Emily and her sister Anne Bronte often played around Haworth while imagining dream like worlds. The Bronte children were separated from the normal realm of things. This reflects her childhood in the book by stating the imaginary characters in Wuthering Heights that lived in Yorkshire, Haworth.…
- 490 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Here Bronte writes into a dream sequence and we find out about Catherine Earnshaw. Catherines father has died, and her brother is unfair towards her and Heathcliffe. 'Poor Heathcliffe' shows her sympathy and care for Heathcliffe, which is strange for the reader as he is brought upon us as cold hearted yet someone feels for him. The dream sequence shows the reader that she was devoted to Heathcliffe yet they were banned from seeing each other, it also foreshadows future events whilst revealing important information about the current situationd. The dream of Lockwood's forshadows future events the young girls reconaliation with wuthering heights when she tries to get in the window. The broken glass symbolises pain that she has suffered in the house. However Heatchliffe is very angry and defensive about the chamber Lockwood is staying in and feels enfuriated by Zillah's betrayay. Suddenly his mood changes and he becomes calm and sarcastic calling Lockwood 'delightful company' after he was emotional when speaking to Catherines ghost, desperate and emotional for her to talk back to him. This shows a large change in contrast in behaviour from when he was speaking to Lockwood, showing the weak side of Heathcliffe. Bronte gives more mystery to the chapter when Lockwood spots Catherines name carved into the window ledge 'Catherine Earnshaw, here and there varied to Catherine Heathcliff, and again to Catherine Linton' hinting to the reader that she has been torn between Heathcliff and another lover, explaining why the room is kept secret as it was her room, Bronte once again adding more excitement and mystery to the novel on who Catherine Earnshaw really…
- 980 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
In volume 1 chapter 3, Mr Lockwood is sleeping in the room in which Cathy lived as a child. He is awoken by a scratching on the window and awakes the household by screaming loudly. Heathcliff enters the room to investigate first, rather than a servant, which suggests that he hoped to see an apparition of Cathy. His desperation to see Cathy is described later on in the chapter as he “wrenched open the lattice, bursting, as he pulled at it, into an uncontrollable passion of tears”. The violence of these actions-such as “wrenched”, “bursting” and passion”- all highlight that his need to see Cathy is uncontrollable, and is the force that keeps him going. It also suggests that Heathcliff has been repressing his emotions, and the hope of seeing Cathy has unlocked them. It also infers the amount of control Cathy still has over Heathcliff, even twenty years after her death. Furthermore, this display of emotion is a contrast to the coldness Heathcliff displays when Lockwood and Heathcliff are first introduced. Lockwood mentions at the beginning of the novel that he had “no desire to aggravate his impatience” which suggests to the reader that is it clear upon meeting Heathcliff that he is a very controlling person and is easily wound up. This makes Heathcliff’s later behaviour…
- 2950 Words
- 12 Pages
Best Essays -
Although the story is told as a flashback, the fact that Lockwood interacts with the other characters already calls his objectivity into question; the reception he received at Wuthering Heights was certainly not the most promising.…
- 437 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Wuthering Heights centres around the story of Heathcliff. Nelly’s story begins with his introduction into the Earnshaw family, his vengeful machinations drive the entire plot, and his death ends the book. The desire to understand him and his motivations has kept countless readers engaged in the novel. She admits that at his introduction to the family, she took an immediate disliking to him. This is revealed when she says, “but Hindley hated him, and to say the truth I did the same”. This makes it clear that Heathcliff did not give off a good first impression through the verb “hated”. The first paragraph of the novel provides a vivid physical picture of him, as Lockwood being the narrative voice describes how his “black eyes” withdraw suspiciously under his brows at Lockwood’s approach. The description of “Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire...” Heathcliff's appearance reveals both his ambiguous racial background through the adjective “dark skinned” and his attempt to elevate himself socially through the use of the nouns “manners” and a “gentleman” suggesting his attempt of fitting within the society. The phrase “Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living” highlights that fact that he acquires the property, he can never change his…
- 1134 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
2. Why does Lockwood return to Wuthering Heights uninvited, and how do the results of his visit affect the remainder of the novel?…
- 2830 Words
- 12 Pages
Good Essays -
Here, Lockwood attempts to define him by use a seemingly oxymoronic statement with the two opposing ideas of a “gyspy” and a “gentleman”. Bronte employment of Lockwood as a narrator is successful because it allows the reader a companion when trying to comprehend such a complex novel. It is Lockwood’s, as well as the reader’s, first time of meeting Heathcliff. However, Lockwood’s first interpretation of Heathcliff seems slightly facetious once Heathcliff’s history is revealed, he is far from a “gentleman”, taking delight in vengeance. Lockwood’s label as a “misanthropist” is also wrongly placed. He feels he can understand Heathcliff “by instinct” but this turns out to be largely untrue. If a character in the novel who is directly involved with Heathcliff can be erroneous in his judgement then how is the reader, who is learning about Heathcliff through Lockwood, suppose to be any better? This creates a stronger bond between narrator and reader as both attempt to understand Heathcliff as a person. On the other hand, however, Lockwood’s mistakes are a warning to the reader not to rely on their “instincts” by emphasising how easily Heathcliff’s complex character can be misread.…
- 941 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
What I learned about the Doctrine of God is God’s existence, first of all. God existence is definitely taken for granted in the Bible. The writers of the Old and New Testament knew God existed so they thought it pointless to put it in there. Jacobi said, “A God capable of proof is no God at all.” So if God had to prove He existed, then that would take all of the power out of God Being God. So, in the Bible God existing is an understood matter.…
- 1185 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
The concept that almost every reader of Wuthering Heights focuses on is the passion-love of Catherine and Heathcliff, often to the exclusion of every other theme–this despite the fact that other kinds of love are presented and that Catherine dies half way through the novel. The loves of the second generation, the love of Frances and Hindley, and the "susceptible heart" of Lockwood receive scant attention from such readers. But is love the central issue in this novel? Is its motive force perhaps economic? The desire for wealth does motivate Catherine's marriage, which results in Heathcliff's flight and causes him to acquire Wuthering Heights, to appropriate Thrushcross Grange, and to dispossess Hareton. Is it possible that one of the other themes constitutes the center of the novel, or are the other themes secondary to the theme of love? Consider the following themes:…
- 276 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays