Nelly Dean as Narrator
Nelly Dean is the narrator employed by Emily Bronte that helps in linking the present events of Wuthering Heights to that of their history since she is an eye witness, the first person participant narrator of the events that took place in the past. Hence, most of her accounts can be counted as credible. However, in several accounts, her apparent dislike for Catherine Earnshaw is witnessed and hence, her accounts of the past events is normally seen through colored glasses. Nelly's apparent dislike for Catherine Earnshaw is apparent in chapter 9 of volume 1. Here, readers witness a distraught Catherine in distress with her face streaked with tears and 'her lips half asunder as if she meant to speak'. However, irregardless of her subservient position as a servant, Nelly dismisses Catherine's disconsolation and replies sarcastically that it is 'a pity' that Catherine still 'can't be contented' with 'so many friends and so few cares' upon Catherine's remark that she is 'very unhappy'. Nelly's dislike for Catherine reveals many gremlins in her narration. Firstly, her unsympathetic nature in regard to Catherine clouds the revelation of the true extent of how Catherine is feeling a
Furthermore, readers may not be given the full details as to the events taking place as the narration is subjected to every whim of Nellys'. Also, her contrasting pragmatic character against that of the wild and passionate characteristics of both Catherine and Heathcliff provides a stationary frame of rationality amidst all the unpredictable and erratic nature of the inhabitants and allows readers to relate to her. However, Bronte's use of Nelly as a motherly figure and confidante allows readers into the intimate world of the lives of the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights and hence, readers also get the true feelings and confessions of Catherine and Heathcliff. Nelly's tendency of absolving all the blame from herself reveals an unreliability in her narration despite her being a first person participant narrator because her narration is one-sided and hence, there is nothing the readers can obtain information from about the reliability of her narration. It is through Nelly that Catherine reveals her decision for marriage to Edgar and her misplaced choice is starkly contrasted against the practical and rational Nelly who questioned if Catherine really 'loved' Edgar. Also, Nelly's lack of regard for her status is linked to her being a motherly figure to the participants of Wuthering Heights and this allows for her to further narrate the intimate events that take place in Catherine and Heathcliff's life. Her motherly figure allows for readers to access to the inner thoughts of Catherine as Nelly is also portrayed as a confidante in this episode. Hence, readers are unable to fully comprehend the extent and depth of their relationship. Also, she described Catherine, after having reunited with her true love Heathcliff, as 'directly insensible'. Nelly's incapability to understand the raw, uninhibited emotions between Catherine and Heathcliff, which at the same time reiterates her pragmatism, makes her a more distanced narrator in terms of narrating the emotions between the two lovers. Here, Catherine is seen 'kneeling down' by her and begging for Nelly 'to keep a secret' for her. This is evident when Nelly describes herself as a 'cool spectator' and the reunion as a 'strange and fearful picture'. In conclusion, I feel that Nelly's stark contrast in character with both Catherine and Heathcliff not only shows the extent of the love between them since most of the time, Catherine and Heathcliff goes against the normalcy of society and Nelly's pragmatism is the symbol of society's stand, but also reveals flaws in her narration as she hardly approves of their relationship and hence, her narration may be seen through colored glasses. Unlike Catherine, Nelly believes that love should be the true motive for marriage and she is right when we see the torture Catherine undergoes later on in the novel when she yearns for Heathcliff.
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