Emily Bronte’s Writing Technique in Wuthering Heights Essay Example

disovers the shocking history of Wuthering Heights through Nelly Dean's narration.

He is a gentleman from the city who has accidentally stumbled upon this fascinating and intricate world of what he considers to be uncivilized or that which resembles a cozy farm home. Unlike Lockwood's narrative style, Nelly's differs due to her first hand account therefore she can arrange a much more lively recount of their story.She utilizes one thing Lockwood cannot - character dialogue. Her narration is much more interesting and lively as it brings the characters to life.

It is quite interesting how the story basically begins with the ending. Bronte pulls her reader in by describing the eerie feeling of this place and allowing them to experience it through the first hand account of Lockwood. Allowing Lockwood to read Catherine's diary and in addition, when he sees her ghost, creates an intensity which is only understood with further reading of the novel, and therefore creates further anticipation.Having two narrators allows Bronte to move easily through different times and events within the story with ease.

I also wanted to focus on a very crucial aspect to Emily Bronte's novel - the struggle between classes. In fact it is the foundation for all hostility, conflict, and therefore action within the story. Social class is what drives and motivates the characters. The social class system at that time consisted of the working class men and women, who performed physical labor, such as carpenters, street vendors, and sailors.

Following was the middle class, whom performend mental work such as clerks, doctors and lawyers. The upper class had wealth gained from inheritance and therefore did not work. The

Earnshaws and the Lintons occupy a space in the high middle class, known as the gentry, although this class had a shifting nature. Their status could change easily. For example, though Heathcliff owned Wuthering Heights and was rather rich, which would generally be considered a Gentleman, his neighbours certainly did not think so.Generally, this would be to the man’s embarrassment but Heathcliff did not care for associations of social status.

This is demonstrated most thoroughly in his movement from poor orphan to gentleman by adoption, then to common laborer, then to gentleman again. As in Victorian England at the time, class status was crucial in decisions made by citizens just as it greatly influenced the characters motivations in Wuthering Heights. This seems to be a very common trait of 19th century women as this is paralleled in the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.For example, just as Charlotte married Mr. Collins for security so too Catherine’s decision to marry Edgar was based on being, “the greatest woman of the neighbourhood. ” Her decision was made purely for practical reasons.

The Earnshaw’s status is on more shakier grounds than that of the Linton’s, so she marries for security and social advancement. She feels it would degrade her to marry Heathcliff despite her passionate love for him. This is also seen in the romance between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, however the sexes are reversed.Class is also reflected through the different properties of Wuthering Heights and Thruscross Grange.

They both depict entirely different environments. The Grange is proper, domestic, and cultured whereas the Heights' charateristics portray a hostile environment through their lesser status. This is seen clearly

when Catherine is injured and must stay with the Linton's. There she no longer has to labour, receives manners, and becomes a lady. This marks the division of Heathcliff and Catherine's relationship and it dissolves from here as she sees herself unfit for a dirty, unmannered young boy such as Heathcliff.This sets in motion the conflict to follow for the entire story - Catherine's decision to marry Edgar.

He is rich and of higher class, whereas Heathcliff is poor and posseses no wealth. Rather then marrying based on personal feeling she does so to achieve a higher status. In the end, however, the importance of class status is diminished and harmony between the Grange and the Heights is achieved. There is no more turmoil and hostility, but resolution and reconciliation. Heathcliff's death marks the end of the ever apparent differences of class and brings Young Cathy and Hareton together.