Lockwood continues to make mistake after mistake. First, he expects politenesses from the lady of the house. Then he refers to a cushion full of cats – which are dead rabbits. He assumes Catherine is Heathcliffe’s wife and then Hareton’s wife. He assumes that Hareton is Heathcliffe son and then suspects he is a servant. Finally, he assumes that Joseph’s remark to Cathy was directed to his own mother. The purpose of these misconstrued perceptions is to disclose to the reader the complexity of the close family relations within the Heights.
In addition, it again reveals Lockwood’s inadequacies and impotence. By the time Lockwood is ready to leave the house after his first visit he has provoked the occupants into an aggressive shouting match. The reader is drawn into the usual violent state of affairs at the Heights.
We are first introduced to Catherine as Lockwood reads her diary during his overnight stay at Wuthering Heights. The various names on the ledge and the intensity of the child’s diary provoke Lockwood with “An immediate interest kindled” (p32). The reader, like Lockwood is drawn into the past with curiosity aroused to learn more of the mysterious Catherine. As Lockwood reads further into the account written in the margins of the bible he discovers her open loathing of Joseph’s form of morality. She threw the “good book” into the dog kennel and “vowed” her “hate”. (P33) Heathcliffe followed her lead. Bronte aims to create sympathy for the protagonists.
Lockwood’s first dream of “Branderham’s sermon” signifies Catherine’s disillusionment with religion and Heathcliffe’s lack of morality. The sermon, taken from Mathew Chapter 21-2 teaches of love and forgiveness’. The ironic relevance is apparent, as Catherine and Heathcliffe are unable to forgive each other’s mistakes. Nor are they able to forgive their neighbours at Thrushcross Grange. Lockwood’s struggle with Jabes Branderham is an indication that he is confused over the non-conventional morality at the Heights. The violence in the church goes beyond Lockwood’s comprehension. His well-ordered life is further put into confusion as he loses his way in the grounds of the Grange during the next day’s snowstorm.
In Lockwood’s second dream Catherine appears as a child ghost. (Who may or may not be a figment of Lockwood’s imagination) The ghost grips his hand. In his anguish to be free he scrapes the hand across the windowpane until the blood flows. This is all the more shocking because the reader does not expect this violence from the civilised and cultural Lockwood.
The purpose is to demonstrate that anyone is capable of violence regardless of social standing. We are again made aware of the similarities between Lockwood and Heathcliffe. It is worth noting that the child ghost identifies herself as Linton. This is the introduction to one of the central themes in the novel, that of uncertain identity and belonging.
Lockwood is intelligent and perceptive. His eye for precise detail is used to create the subtle changes in both the situation and characters. For example, when Lockwood first visited the Heights he commented on the chained gate, while at the end of the novel he noticed, “both doors and lattices were open” (p255) Changes in character are also hinted at by Lockwood’s eye for detail. Lockwood once described Cathy as “the little witch”, by the end of the book he observes she now has “a voice as sweet as a silver bell” Hareton, described in the opening chapters as a “boor” and a “clown” has now become “a young man respectably dressed” with “handsome features”. Lockwood’s role as detached observer brings a dimension to the novel that is quite different from the perceptions provided by Nellie.
Nellie’s style differs from Lockwood’s. Her lively colloquial language brings the character’s alive for the reader. Both Nellie and Lockwood facilitate the means in which the reader can enter the vivid world of Wuthering Heights.
Nellie takes up the account in chapter 4 and Lockwood reacts to her narrative as a fantastic romance unconnected to his own life. Due to his inadequate dealings with the opposite sex, Lockwood cannot relate his own rational experiences with that of the passionate lives of the protagonists. However he admits that “Nellie is on the whole a fair narrator and I do not think I could improve on her style”(p139) Her narrative has not only drawn Lockwood, and the reader, into the story but into the lives of the characters. She describes the events not only with extraordinary detail but also with breathless energy and rapid excitement.
“ It did not need the medium of a flogging to produce that effect on the master. He tried to wrest the key from Catherine’s grasp, and for safety she flung it into the fire; Whereupon Mr Edgar was taken with nervous trembling, and his countenance grew deadly pale. For his life he could not avert that excess of emotion; mingled anguish and humiliation over-came him completely. He leant on the back of the chair, and covered his face” (p108)
From this quote we are not only drawn into the physical sensations of the action, but we can also feel Edgar’s “deadly pale” anguish and “nervous trembling” The language is direct, active and energetic. Nellies down to earth language and use of words such as “flogging” and “flung” give the passage its verve.
Nellie’s narrative brings us close to the intimate affairs of the Heights and the Grange and in one way she has been deeply involved in the events. Her close involvement as the surrogate mother to Catherine and Hareton and her position as housekeeper has kept her interest largely practical. She relates the events in a commonsensical way. Nellie’s morality and her aptitude as a natural busybody, causes her to act responsibly and in the best interest of her master and mistress, she has little time for personal feeling. Her morality has a positive influence on her charges. She has instilled into those she has been mother figure a common sense version of decency. Her influence on Catherine is sometimes wasted. However, this does not stop her from trying to instil some of her rational morality. Nellie is aware of Catherine’s financial and social reasons for wanting to marry Edgar. So when Catherine asks of his proposal “whether it was consent or denial” Nellie prudently replies”, I might say it would be wise to refuse him”
Joseph is the servant at Wuthering Heights. He is a local and his language is a crude form of the Yorkshire dialect. His pious form of morality has a negative effect on the inhabitants at the Heights. He is continuously judgemental and ready to throw biblical quotations at the other members of the Heights. For example, during Lockwood’s first visit to the Heights Joseph accuses Catherine of idleness. For this sin, Joseph assures her she will “goa raight tot’ devil, like yer mother afore ye!”(P28) Nellie’s integrity is a contrast to Joseph’s sanctimonious religious principles.
Nellie has a positive effect on those she is surrogate mother to. She not only was a mother figure to Catherine, but also Hareton and the younger Cathy. She has even tried to impose some integrity upon Heathcliffe as he once asked of her “Nellie make me decent, I’m going to be good”(p59)
Nellie sometimes has an air of righteous superiority and she is frequently abrupt with her fellow servants.
“’Oh dear, dear! What mun we have next? Master, master our young lady-‘
‘Hold your noise!’ cried I hastily, enraged at her clamorous manner.
‘Speak lower Mary- what is the matter?’ Said mister Linton. ‘What ails your young lady?’”(P121)
She feels privileged to be mixing with the gentry. When Lockwood says to her “excepting a few provincialisms of slight consequences, you have no marks of the manners which I am habituated to consider peculiar to you class” (p65) Nellie laughs in pleasure, pleased that he has congratulated her on her linguistic ability and noticed she is different than others of her class.
She does not share the regional dialect of the other servants and proudly announces her education to Lockwood telling him “You could not open a book in this library that I have not looked into, and got something out of also;”(p62)
Nellie is an incorrigible snoop. She frequently oversteps the mark. She controls what and what not to reveal to her masters. She has an irresistible need to manipulate the relationships of her charges. Her behaviour toward the younger Cathy when she found she was exchanging love letters with Linton is testament to this. She has the evidence of the letters long before she does anything about the situation. She takes them from their hiding place and “examines them at her leisure”. Her curiosity is still not sated and before she decides to confront Cathy or Edgar, she intercepts one more of the letters Cathy has written to Linton.
Nellie’s overwhelming desire to pry and interfere sometimes overcomes her morality and she is capable of downright lies. When Catherine begins to confess her feelings for Edgar and Heathcliffe, she fails to disclose the hidden presence of Heathcliffe. When he begins to leave, Nellie bids Catherine to be quite.
“ ‘Why?’ she asked, gazing nervously round
‘Joseph is here’, I answered, catching opportunely the roll of his cartwheels up the road” (p80)
If Nellie had told the truth, Catherine may have gone after Heathcliffe in time to prevent the misunderstanding that drives Heathcliffe to leave the Heights.
Nellie’s most damaging untruth occurs during Catherine’s illness. Nellie interprets the illness as a temper tantrum and misjudges the seriousness of her attempt to starve herself. She fails to inform Edgar of the gravity of her illness until it is to late. When Catherine asks her how Edgar is reacting she lies and gives the impression that Edgar is indifferent, even though Catherine challenges her: “are you speaking the truth about him now? Take care”(p120) When Edgar discovers the severity of his wife’s illness, Nellie begins to defend her actions. As soon as Edgar starts to admonish her she does not see why she should take the blame: “ I began to defend myself, thinking it too bad to be blamed for another’s wicked waywardness”(p127)
Although Nellie is the most levelheaded character in the novel we must be aware that she is not totally unbiased. Heathcliffe is one the shrewdest judges of her character and has made reference to her prying. On one occasion he laughs at her voracious need to interfere:
“I’m not putting the question through idle curiosity, but’
‘You are putting the question through idle curiosity’ he interrupted with a laugh”(p325)
The ending of the novel comes full circle. Lockwood returns to the Heights and Nellie brings the story into the present. Heathcliffe is dead. Catherine and Hareton are to be married leaving the Heights for the Grange. Lockwood’s shrewd eye immediately notices the difference in the atmosphere upon his approach to the Heights. The door is unlocked and this he notes “is an improvement” He goes on to notice further improvements “by the aid of my nostrils: a fragrance of stocks and wallflowers wafted on the air from amongst homely fruit trees.” (p255) As Lockwood records his impressions we are aware that he has not changed. He again reveals his inadequacy and inexperience with the opposite sex.
“I could have bit my lip in spite, at having thrown away the chance I might have had of doing something besides smiling at its beauty”(p256)
He then rather cowardly “skulked round to seek refuge in the kitchen” Despite his knowledge of the inhabitants of the Heights Lockwood remains the outsider.
The ending is left open to interpretation and is ambiguous. Does the novel end happily? In one sense it does as Catherine and Hareton have found happiness with each other. They found it in a cultured way and move from wild uncivilised Heights to the rich and affluent Grange. The evidence from the locals indicates that Catherine and Heathcliffe have found happiness in the spirit world. Joseph claims to have witnessed both Catherine and Heathcliffe “looking out of his chamber window”. In addition, a distressed Shepard boy recounts to Nellie “there’s Heathcliffe and a woman, yonder, under t’ nab,”(p278) Even Lockwood entertains the idea of the Heights being inhabited by ghosts. However, Nellie’s common sense seems to be at odds with her superstition as she ambiguously replies “I believe the dead are at peace; but it is not right to speak of them with levity”(p279)
Footnote (1) Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights, Penguin Popular Classics (1994) Published by Penguin books
Bibliography:
Rod Mengham, Penguin Critical Studies (1989) Published By Penguin Books
Claire Jones, Wuthering Heights York Notes (2001) Published By York Press
WWW.ClassicNotes.com/ClassicNotes/titles/wutheringheights/fullsumm.html (Accessed December 2002)
