The Narrators of Wuthering Heights

Author(s): Carl R. Woodring

Source: Nineteenth-Century Fiction, Vol. 11, No. 4 (Mar., 1957), pp. 298-305
Published by: University of California Press
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 The Narratorsof
Wuthering
He,ig ts
CARL R. WOODRING

SINCE THE SEMINAL STUDY by C. P. Sangerin I926, the struc-

tureof Wuthering Heightshas been further illuminedby a host
of laudatorycritics,notablyPaul M. Fulcher(I929), Lord David
Cecil (I934), BorisFord (I939), G. D. Klingopulos(i947), Mel-
vin R. Watson (I949), Mark Schorer(i949), Royal A. Gettman
(I950), BruceMcCullough (I950), DorothyVan Ghent (I952),
B. H. Lehman (I955), and V. S. Pritchett (I956). Reprintings of
the OxfordWorld'sClassicseditionpreservean olderview in H.
W. Garrod'sresoluteassertions, datedI930, thatthestory, suffering
from"inferior technique,"is in parts"uncertainly conceived"and
"in generalill constructed." Althoughmostlaudatorycriticshave
noticedthedebtowedbythestructure ofthenoveltoitsuse oftwo
presumednarrators, moreremainsto be said about the utilityof
Lockwood and Nelly Dean.
The earlierscholar,learnedin Gothicromancesand talesfrom
Blackwood's,foundin Nelly'snarrative withinnarrative themis-
fortuneof inheritedinconvenience; the latercritic,familiarwith
selectedmasterworks, hails the use of contrasting narratorsas a
wonderof creativeintuition.Let us acceptthe methodas bor-
rowedfrominferior tales,butchosenratherthaninherited. What
of Wisconsin,has been
Carl R. Woodring,assistantprofessorof English,University
GuggenheimFellowand FordFellow,I955-56.

L298 1

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 ofWuthering
Narrators Heights 299
othermethodcouldhavebetterprovidedthereaderwiththeinter-
locking of familiardetails concerningtwo generationsand a
stranger's astonishment overthe beginning,the middle,and the
end ofHeathcliff'sstory?Nellyalone,Heathcliff himselfas Jame-
sian or Austenianregister,omniscient author,a seriesof actorsor
servantsspeaking independently-noneof these as narrative
authority could have providedthe union of intimacy,intensity,
interpretation,and detachedadmiration thatEmilyBronteneeded
and achieved.Lockwood,thestranger, sharesthereader'swonder
at the charactersand events;Mrs. Dean, the intimate,has long
suppedwithwonders;stranger and intimatecombinetocertify the
generalfacts.
The doublenarrationis a convention and mustbe acceptedas a
convention.Much in WutheringHeights,includingcharacters
as well as techniques,restsupon transformed conventions. Swept
with the surge of demonismand quieted with purgationand
reposeat the end, the readerneed not be disturbedbecausethe
conventionsallow Nelly to lingeroverlongat variousdoors or
Lockwoodto reportwhatNellysaid Zillah said the secondCath-
erine said to Hareton. If, however,the criticalreaderbecomes
disturbed, ifhe demandsa logicin thedeviousness bywhichsolil-
oquies reach him, he has no justification for exclaimingthat
LockwoodmusthavememorizedIsabella'sunlikelylettertoNelly
verbatim.The logic he unnecessarily demandslies in this: ulti-
matelyall thewordscometo us fromLockwood.As afteraccept-
ing the illusionof memoryin a flashback, we may believeon
criticalreflection
thattheletterfromIsabellaas readbyNellycon-
taineda briefersummarythanLockwood reportsto us. Like his
creator,Lockwoodunderstands thevalueoffirst-personnarrative;
afterI784 in the eventsrelatedby Nelly,he continuesthe story
"in her own words,onlya littlecondensed."That the eventsoc-
curred,theirimpactmakes us believe; Lockwood'sintervention
can accountforsimilarities betweenthe stylesof Nelly,Isabella,
and Zillah throughwhich the eventsmake theirimpact.If we

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300 Nineteenth-Century
Fiction
hesitate tobelievethatNellyremembers whatHeathcliff saidthe
Lintonssaidto eachothersometwenty-five yearsago (Chapter
vi), we can believethatLockwoodhas suppliedtheappropriate
words.To a protest thattheauthorclearly thought ofeachscene
as resting on theauthority ofitsoriginalnarrator, theansweris
thateach scenedoesstillso restand thatno justification exists
forhanging critically
suspended between thesenarratorsandLock-
wood,whois characterized by theauthoras a manwhodid in
factcomposethebookas we haveit.The self-taught Nellymay
mimicJoseph; so mayIsabella;alwaysitis thetenant ofThrush-
crossGrangewhorecords Joseph's dialect.
Lockwoodis an educateddiarist fromthecitywhorecords in
coursetheremarkable eventsofhisfirst twodaysamongmoors
andboors.Bydreaming in Cathy's paneledbed,he comestopur-
suelesspalpablewilds.EmilyBronte mayseemtoallowhimfour
daysto transcribe thefirstninechapters, a dayforChapterx,
fourweeksaltogether (ill as he was) tohearandrecordthestory
throughChapterxiv,anotherweek to reportthe urgencyof
Chapters xv through xxx,and at lastthe leisureof a possible
threemonthsto composethe subdueddescentfromChapter
XXXII to the finalmeditation over"the sleepersin thatquiet
earth."A qualification seemsnecessary. Withouthesitation the
authorsacrifices strictconsistency forimmediate butLock-
effect,
wood'sdiaryentries, as in ChaptersIII, X,x, Xxv, and xxxi,
especiallytheboredremarks in thepresent tense,maybe taken
as his immediate recordduringillnessand convalescence when
he resisted theappealof violentrusticity. We maysupposethat
increased understanding and physicaldistancefromthemoors
greatly stimulated his memory of thenarrated detailsand per-
mittedlengthy insertions whenthestory becamemeaningful to
him. Observe the tenses in the following in
passage Chapter x:
I am too weakto read;yetI feelas if I couldenjoysomething
interesting.
Whynothaveup Mrs.Dean to finishhertale?I can recollectitschiefinci-
dents,as faras she had gone.Yes: I remember herherohad runoff,and

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Narrators Heights
ofWuthering 301
neverbeen heard of forthreeyears;and the heroinewas married.I'll ring:
she'll be delightedto findme capable of talkingcheerfully.
Mrs. Dean came.

Atfirst
Lockwood paradesbeforeusas a brittleironist;slowly
hisironymellows andfinallydissolves.Quotedagainst himself,
he hasbeencalledmisanthropic.He is not.A reticent man,he
comestoThrushcross embitteredbecause reticence
hischilly has
costhimtheloveofanattractive girl.In anunsociablemood, he
nonetheless
finds disgustingly
Heathcliff Sogregarious
unsociable.
ishethathesooncravesconversation
withhisunpromising house-
keeper,Mrs.Dean.Ifhe seems inane,
he suffers
from the inanity
hisauthorattributes
to theaverage Londonreader intowhose
handsherbookwillfall.In hisintroduction totheRinehart Col-
legeEdition,MarkSchorer followsGarrodin interpreting the
planofthenovelas theedification
original and
ofa sophisticated
sentimental
prig,
Lockwood, inthenatural human valuesofgrand
passion. Lockwood
Rather, reactsforthenormal skepticalreader
waysat eachstageofthestory
in appropriate anditsunfolding
theme.Withintheaction, he playsa moreindividual role.As
actor,
hetries
toprotecthis"susceptibleheart" (ChapterII) from
byMarch(Chapterxiv),
to thewidowedCatherine;
attachment
he feebly resists
thefascinationofhereyesbecausehe fearsa
"second edition"ofhermother.Bysuchself-restraint
hethinks to
"extractwholesome from
medicines Mrs.Dean'sbitterherbs."He
revealsin Chapter xxvthathe hasfallen,hehasaskedthather
portraitbehungoverhisfireplace, toactprecip-
buthehesitates
lestCatherine
itately notreturnhis Here
love. the authorintends
Lockwood Lintonin thereader's
to replace mindas theactive
rivalofHareton. The suspense is to imbueMrs.
ofthisrivalry
"
Dean'slastwordsin thespring:... I can see no remedy, at
present,unlesssheshouldmarry again;andthatscheme it does
notcomewithin myprovince to arrange"(Chapter xxx).Al-
Lockwood
waysthesentimentalist, feels
painwhenCatherine fails
to perceivethevalue of diningwithhim insteadof with"clowns
and misanthropists" (Chapter xxxi). In September,he reports,

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302 Fiction
Nineteenth-Century
"I bitmylip,in spite,at havingthrown awaythechanceI might
havehad" (Chapterxxxii),and at theveryend he admitsto
grumbling at thecomplacent loveofCatherine
andHareton. The
authormanipulates andtoleratesLockwoodmuchmoreforstruc-
tureandplotthanfortheme.
Prefiguring Conrad'suseofMarlow,Nelly'sorallanguagesets
itself
offfromLockwood's prosebysuchsimplephrasesas "really,
youknow,Sir"and "well,Mr. Lockwood."Againan adequate
convention, productive of immediatecredibilityand pleasure.
Verisimilitude of narration givesway,happily,beforebinding
detail.Cathyreturned fromherfiveweeksatThrushcross Grange
a neatlittlelady:"I wasall overflourmakingtheChristmas cake,
anditwouldnothavedonetogivemea hug;and,then, shelooked
aroundforHeathcliff" (Chaptervii).
As judge,Nellypronounces a "blackvillain"and
Heathcliff
"evil beast";Cathya "wild,wickedslip" who "meantno harm";
and Josephthe "wearisomest, self-righteouspharisee."Cathy,she
decrees,mustbe "chastenedintohumility."As interpreter, Nelly
a cuckoo'sstory-althoughshe avoidsassigning
calls Heathcliff's
such a label to the laterspiritualcuckoldry.As chorus,she lays
aside superstition to proclaimhappinessin the tranquillityof
Cathy'sdeath-chamber. In interviews,as attorney,she asks ques-
tionsthereaderwantsasked.As in The Brothers Karamazov,the
intensityof thepassionlendscredibility to thecompulsiveconfes-
sions;Nellyis thenaturalrecipientof naturaland unnaturalcon-
fession.
She also acts.Attentivewitness,narrator, and elucidatorof past
events,Mrs. (that is, Miss) Dean not only plays an activerole
economically designed,butalso commandsinterest as a personality
considerably beyondany of Thackeray'sjustlyadmiredservants.
Alert,observant, prying,gossipy,slightlysuperstitious,
bold,saucy,
tolerant,motherly, she has a verysuspiciousarrayof traits.Firm
at thecenter,hercharacterseemsconveniently amorphousat the
periphery.EvenmorethanLockwood's,heractionsand utterances

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 ofWuthering
Narrators Heights 303
fitthe immediateneedsof the situationbeforethereader;she is
no Mrs. Gamp to steal eitherattentionor consistency fromthe
centralcharacters. This malleabilitymakesher seem morecom-
plex. Heathcliffmust be complex; Nelly may merelyseem so.
Superstitious enough to foreshadowwith presentiments, she is
skepticenough to acknowledgeher superstition. She remainsa
credibleand cannywitnessbydoubtingthesupernaturalness ofthe
charactersand eventsthat certainlyare, she has convincedus,
supernatural. With placid disapproval,she can feel and commu-
nicatethebasicdistinction,expoundedbyHeathcliff and hisCathy,
betweendemonicloveand civilizedemptiness.
In Nelly,EmilyBronteingeniously producedtheexactlyneeded
combinationof servant,companion,and saucyantagonist.With
personaldignity, shekeepssecrets;as a respected
nurse,shetattles;
she interceptslettersbetweenyoung culprits;she scolds; she
watchespots; she dances with the ungentlegentlefolkwhen
needed (Chapter VII). Her removalin 1783 fromWuthering
Heightsto Thrushcross Grangehad to be conceivedbeforecom-
positionbegan;perception ofherwonderful capacitiesas a catalyst
could not have been long delayed.As witnessand chorus,she
must take part in nearlyeveryscene in the book. We become
accustomedto herinterference fromthe timeshe admitsputting
thewaifHeathcliff on thelandingto encouragehisrunningaway
(ChapterIV). Soon decidingto scrubhis personand manners,
she plantsin him the germinalsuggestionthathe mightbe an
Orientalmogul,able to buy WutheringHeights (ChapterVII).
She provokesCathy to show violencebeforeEdgar (Chapter
VIII); she unloadsHindley'sgun (ChapterVIII); afterher tat-
tlingto EdgarofHeathcliff's insolentactsresultsin an openclash,
she lies to avoid furtherviolence(ChapterXI). Yet even when
she combinesinstigationof acts with explicitjudgmentof those
acts,her authorscrupulously preventsNelly'sactionsfromseem-
ing to modifyin anyway eitherthepersonalities of themoreim-
portantcharactersor the major directionsof the plot. NeIly is

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304 Nineteenth-Century
Fiction
allowed,nottoadviseCathyon acceptingorrejecting
Edgar,but
to catechize
heraftertheacceptance
(ChapterIX). Her ownad-
missionsofguiltyresponsibility
makethereaderthemoreready
todistribute
blameamongtheprincipals.
LockedinsideWuthering
Heightsin Augusti8oo, she uttered
and thenwithdrew a con-
fession:
in a chair,and rocked,to and fro,passingharshjudgment
I seatedmyself
on mymanyderelictions of duty;fromwhich,it struckme then,all the
of all my employers
misfortunes sprang.It was not thecase,in reality,
I
am aware;butit was,in myimagination, thatdismalnight;and I thought
Heathcliff
himself lessguiltythanI (Chapterxxvii).

Mostscenesin thenovelreceivesomeimprint fromNelly's

character or position.Her catalytic
instigations
gatherstrength
almostimperceptibly fromthemanytimeswhenheractionshelp
buildportraitsofherselfandoftheprincipalsbutotherwisemerely
providea wayof stating whatoccurred, as whensheinnocently
supplieslittleCatherinewithprovisionsfora rideto Wuthering
Heights(Chapterxviii). The frequency withwhichherchar-
acterhelpsto determine thenatureof immediate actshelpsto
supporttherareroccasions whensheinfluences theactionwithout
motivation,as whenheroneprolonged illnessmakespossible the
meetings betweenCathyand Linton(Chapterxxiii). Occasion-
allyshe actswithinadequatemotiveto gainand communicate
information forherauthor;moreoftenadequatemotives impel
her.Shesoftens towardHeathcliffthewaifbecausemeaslesmake
himquietandleadhimtopraiseherfornursing him;soon,there-
Heathcliff
fore, candeceiveherbyhissilenceatmistreatment from
Hindley(Chapteriv). It is a condition
ofbothrespectabilityand
forehandedness thatshechaperon thefinalmeeting ofHeathcliff
withCathy, whois aboutto diein childbirth.Thattheunearthly
loversshowawareness of herpresence merelyemphasizes their
undiminished passion(Chapterxv). Even hereNellyis up to
herusualtrick:byherownactions, in characteror crediblefor
themoment, sherevealsthecharacterofothers.

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 ofWutheringHeights
Narrators 305
Acknowledgedas narratorsand interpreters, Mrs. Dean and
Lockwood have been slightedas actorsin the plot. Lockwood
does not merelyhear thetale in a tavernin Leeds; he dreamsin
thepaneledbed besidetheghostlywindowand himselfthreatens
tointerrupt
thefinalpurgation and thehappy-ever-after.As Heath-
cliffintrudesfromsome netherworld, Lockwood intrudesfrom
the city.Mrs. Dean belongs.From the timeshe takesHindley's
knifebetweenherteeth,sheperfects thesymbols.She interweaves
hair withEdgar's forCatherine'slocket; at the end
Heathcliff's
she combsthehairof thedead Heathcliff and closesthewindow.

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