Emily Bronte chose Nelly Dean as the main narrator of her novel Wuthering Heights. How far can we trust her version of events?
The Character of Nelly
Nelly Dean, also known as Ellen, is the principal narrator of Wuthering Heights. When Lockwood becomes ill and wishes to learn about the history of his landlord, Heathcliff, it is Nelly who relates the tale. At the start of the novel she is working as the housekeeper at Thrushcross Grange, but has spent much of her life living and working at Wuthering Heights, and has therefore witnessed first-hand much of the story she tells. This would seem to make her an ideal narrator, but can readers really trust everything she says?
Nelly’s Involvement in Events
As well as witnessing the characters and story she tells, Nelly is a part of it, and her actions often affect events. She is prone to interference, carrying letters between Linton and Cathy, and eventually telling Edgar of their relationship. She plays a crucial role in delivering a letter from Heathcliff to Catherine upon his return, and allows him to visit her against Edgar’s wishes.
Similarly, Nelly doesn’t always do as she is told, and hides information from other characters. She fails to tell Edgar – her master, after all, how ill his wife Catherine has become, and also neglects to inform him about Cathy and Linton’s growing relationship until it is well advanced.
Nelly’s Errors of Judgement
Nelly is not infallible. She doesn’t keep a close enough eye on Cathy, so that the child is able to sneak away and visit Wuthering Heights. She is also tricked by Heathcliff when she and Cathy travel to Wuthering Heights together, deceived into allowing the two of them to enter the house where they are then kept prisoner until Cathy has been forced to marry Linton.
Nelly’s Bias
As someone closely involved in the story, Nelly’s account is inevitably coloured by her own opinions about the characters. Having grown up with Heathcliff, Catherine and Hindley, her residual feelings of fondness and of family duty cause her to be more lenient towards them than their behaviour sometimes deserves.
Similarly, it is natural that she should remain fond of the children she has been instrumental in bringing up: she looked after Hareton for the first years of his life, and frequently refers to Cathy, whom she has acted as a mother towards for all of the child’s life, as her “angel” – although her behaviour often suggests she is anything but!
Nelly is just as quick to show her disapproval of those characters she dislikes: Linton Heathcliff merits particular scorn – “the worst-tempered bit of a sickly slip that ever struggled into his teens” (chapter 23). Nelly is unable to tell us of his marriage to Cathy, as she finds herself locked up safely out the way while it is taking place.
So while readers may enjoy Nelly’s lively and gossipy narrative style, they would perhaps be best advised to take it with a pinch of salt.
The copyright of the article Wuthering Heights: Nelly Dean in 18th & 19th Century British Fiction is owned by Elizabeth Gregory. Permission to republish Wuthering Heights: Nelly Dean in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Well, I think she does her duty as a narrator; and I don't think the bias
affects her narratoins at all. However, what you forgot to add in was that
Nelly has no idea how Heathcliff got his money or what he did throughout
the three years of his absence. That could have changed Nelly's narration
drastically. Anyway, interesting artical; I don't fully agree with it, but
I do notice the same things in Nelly's behavior and impression. I just
don't think that necessarily effects her narrating skills.
Sep 21, 2008 10:05 AM
Guest :
As a A-level student I found your comments very interesting and helpful.
Though I was a little confused as you don't explicitly note which Catherine
you are referring to.
Sep 22, 2008 10:18 AM
Elizabeth Gregory :
I'm glad you find the article useful. As far as names go, the standard
practice is to refer to the older Catherine as Catherine, and the younger
one as Cathy - this is the rule I have followed.
Feb 3, 2009 1:27 PM
Guest :
very intereresting. i found this helpful in a number of ways.i also agree
completely with the statements mentioned above. i think nelly is very bias
and this affects alot of the actions in the book.
Feb 7, 2009 9:05 AM
Guest :
I am currently studying this novel in university and it is of course true
that Nelly's bias affects her narration. It is particularly clear in her
treatment of Catherine whom she treats unfairly and often cruelly, for
example, as Catherine confides in Nelly, uttering the famous line "I
am Heathcliff", Nelly fails to warn Catherine of Healthcliff's
presence in the room. This mercilessness is seen in Nelly's attitude toward
Catherine throughout the novel but is probably at it's most vicious during
Catherine's illness when Nelly refuses to inform her husband Edgar of is
wife's deterioration. One must wonder what Nelly is gaining from tis act of
concios malice? I feel that to miss the element of Nelly's bias and the
concept of the unreliable narrator is to miss a vital and deliberate
component of Wuthering Heights.
Sep 8, 2009 2:08 AM
Guest :
I totally agree with the above comment, Nelly's cruelty is a missed element
of the novel.
Sep 28, 2009 3:31 PM
Guest :
Indeed, Nelly does have her biases. I often wondered about her decision to
not act when Catherine was almost on her deathbed and why is it that she
can refuse and call Linton "a little monkey" but she bends to
Heathcliff's will. She delivers the letter to Catherine but why? Why does
she go against her master's orders? You have said it correctly, what does
Nelly stand to gain from these interferences and non-interferences when it
seems that it is crucial that some interventions is required? Does she bear
a grudge towards Catherine? And what about not informing Catherine that
Heathcliff was listening in? Does she really have ulterior motives or is
she just a silly, interfering gossip lover who doesn't have the better
judgment that is required in certain situations. It seems that almost
everything that Nelly does turns situations where she has acted or not
acted for the worse.
