Topic > Wuthering Heights' Unreliable Narration

Emily Bronte's literary skill heightens both the inhumanity and passion of her lurid story, as she doesn't tell it herself. Rather, it is the act of telling a story through Lockwood and Nelly's words that serves as the basis for the intricate discourse of Wuthering Heights. The fact that every sentence of the novel is expressed by the words of a character causes Bronte to put readers in a state of prolepsis, but readers are constantly kept in suspense due to the unreliability of the narrators. However, along with the numerous perspectives of other characters, in the form of diaries or letters, Bronte uses such narrative structure as a vehicle through which he creates an exigency of his characters' pasts. The plot, divided into two parts - the second overlapping the first - creates a sense of claustrophobia within the novel; so, like Lockwood himself, the reader is left in a mass of confusion, shock and mystery, but above all he continues reading with excitement for the narrative to unfold. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The reader does not initially find himself drawn into the novel's seductive and dangerous world, as presented through Lockwood's foolish eyes. There is an explicit criticism of the class system that permeates 18th century England, as, despite being the most cultured character in the novel, Lockwood proves to be the poorest judge of character. The reader is asked to question his reliability from the first page, as he paradoxically deems Heathcliff to be a "great guy", despite having written that he speaks with "closed teeth" - Bronte's obvious allusion to the violence simmering beneath the " Heathcliff's gentlemanly dress and manners. . His inability to distinguish cats from dead rabbits, to show an understanding of time, or even to decipher the relationships of those in Wuthering Heights, reinforces his reckless nature: all these incidents fail to arouse any enthusiasm in the reader. Yet Lockwood's encounter with the supernatural is central to altering this impression. As the ghost of young Cathy begs to enter the sanctuary of her childhood, she evokes from him - perhaps one of the most harmless characters in the entire novel - acts of the most merciless brutality, as he "rubbed" his hand against the shattered glass" until the blood dripped and soaked the sheets.” The fact that he never writes about waking up from his “sleep” challenges the claim that he is simply dreaming; rather, it reinforces the realism of the paranormal within the novel . This episode elicits a sense of excitement in the reader. It is the postmodern narrator that Bronte uses not only to make moral judgments about her characters, but also to advance her narrative and to the reader by calling it a “story,” which he could tell in “half a dozen words.” Through such sentences, Bronte reminds readers that the story within his “story” is also a construct; based on Nelly's personal biases and prejudices, through which the reader is invited to form unique perceptions of the narrative. Perhaps it is because, despite being the narrator, Nelly is as present in the story as any other character and, contrary to popular belief, is responsible for much of the tragedy that occurs in the novel. He fails to inform Edgar of his wife's declining health or hunger, and betrays his mistress's trust in revealing to Edgar the news of Heathcliff's regular visits to Thrushcross Grange to "poison the lover against" him. The cry,.