Nelly Dean

In 1847, writer Emily Brontë published Wuthering Heights under the pseudonym Ellis Bell. Brontë published her novel during the 19th century when women were treated unfairly and never given the chance to be taken seriously. Brontë wanted her novel to be read and judged the same as any man’s work, so she chose to be ambiguous to eliminate biased criticism. Many critics despised Brontë’s novel, but others praised her imagination. Her work is filled with vivid imagery, supernatural elements, intense passion, and a complex narrative structure. Although Brontë elaborately describes the events and dialogue in the novel, the accuracy of the events are questionable. The main story-line is told by Nelly Dean, the housekeeper, through Lockwood’s narration. Brontë chose to use Nelly to give the reader a sense of energy and exciting action. Written with dramatic dialogue and energetic tone, every page told by Nelly Dean is invigorating, interesting, and at times hypocritical. Nelly’s closeness to the Earnshaw family, desire to be presented in a positive light, and knowledge of all conversations verbatim reveals to the reader that Nelly may have altered the truth of the events.

In the beginning of the novel, Nelly Dean informs Lockwood of her close relationship with Heathcliff and the Earnshaw family. Nelly Dean becomes familiar with the family because of her mother’s job, which is to nurse Mr. Earnshaw’s son, Hindley. Nelly Dean learns a great deal about the family by being a housekeeper at an early age and watching the Earnshaw children and Heathcliff mature. When Nelly is asked about Heathcliff’s life, she is proud to say that she “know[s] all about it” (36). In the beginning Nelly sympathizes for Heathcliff because of his poo...

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...mbrance of the slightest movements even now. Not only does Nelly’s diction seem too precise but it reflects the style of someone who is of higher class than a housekeeper. Most people of higher class had nothing better to do except gossip about other people in society, and her dialogue mimics someone of that stature, who has nothing to do except “sit and chat” (30).

Brontë’s choice for a complex narrative structure in Wuthering Heights not only adds depth to the reading, but gives a new meaning to the plot. The novel elaborately describes the events and dialogue in the novel, but Nelly’s closeness to the family, desire to be presented well, and precise story telling may cause the reader to think twice about how much truth is really intended to be in Brontë’s novel.

Works Cited

Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. New York, NY: Tom Doherty Associations, LLC, 1989