An Analysis of Nelly Dean in Wuthering Heights

英美文学期末论文

An Analysis of Nelly Dean in Wuthering Heights

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英美文学期末论文

Abstract

Ellen

's novel, Wuthering

Heights. She is the main narrator for the story, and gives key eyewitness accounts as to

what happens between the characters. She not only acts as the narrator, but she also

serves as a confidant for the other characters, a trait that makes it easier for the reader

to understand the different personalities.

Nelly herself, however, does not fulfill the qualifications of a developed character.

Instead of a character, she is used as a literary device. Bronte does not disclose an

excess amount of personal information, history, or physical appearance of Nelly.

But what if Nelly is in love with Heathcliff or Hindley and subsequently altered

how she told the story? You do find Nelly to be coincidently involved in many key

scenes throughout the text. What if she isn't the good guy most readers assume she is?

Key Words:

Nelly Dean; key eyewitness; influential; confidant; literary device;

alter

i

英美文学期末论文

Contents

Abstract

.

................................. .................................................. .........................................i

1.

Introduction ............ .................................................. ................................................

1

2.

Wuthering Heights: Nelly Dean ......... .................................................. ....................

2

2.1

The Character of Nelly . .................................................. .....................................

2

2.2

Nelly’

s Involvement in Events

................................ ..............................................

2

2.3

Nelly’

s Errors of Judgement

............................. .................................................. ..

2

2.4

Nelly’

s Bias

.... .................................................. .................................................

2

3. onclusion

.

............................. .................................................. ......................................

4

References .... .................................................. .................................................. ...............

5

ii

英美文学期末论文

1.

Introduction

Nelly

is

an

archetype

of

the

unreliable

narrator,

as

is

Lockwood.

The

nesting

narrative

betrays

the

innocence

of

both

as

unbiased;

the

former

being

too

close

to

events,

whilst

the

latter

was

not

involved

at

all.

She

insists

that

she

does

not

love

Catherine Earnshaw because of her

her death. Nelly nurses both Cathy and Hareton, although it is the former whom she

truly

raises

and

forever

adores.

Little

is

known

of

Nelly's

life,

and,

although

she

is

called

However, it is not made clear whether Ellen is a wet nurse to the children. When seen

from a Marxist point of view, Nelly takes on the role of society. Lacking to mention a

husband would be indicative of the social and professional pressures on a woman who

to

mind

her

place

Nelly

had

a

job

and

a

house

to

keep.

Although

Nelly

constantly

complains

about

the

Earnshaws

and

Lintons,

she

never

once

ceases

to

pursue

her

wish

to

finally

bring

peace

to

both

Wuthering

Heights

and

Thrushcross

Grange.

Nelly often hints at being in love with Hindley

Earnshaw: she dislikes Frances,

she cries bitterly at his death, she does not want to leave Wuthering Heights, she loves

his son, Hareton, like a mother, and is shattered when he snubs her.

When

a

figure

is

not

described,

is

distinguished

as

simple

among

extremely

complex individuals, and does not directly alter the plot, it can be concluded that that

figure

is

not

a

developed

character,

but

is

being

used

as

a

literary

device.

This

is

especially

true

in

the

case

of

Mrs.

Ellen

Dean,

who

was

being

used

as

a

narrator

in

Wuthering Heights. Nelly’s presence is certainly important, however. She serves as a

narrator, but since she is also in the story, she has the ability to present a story that is

more

personal,

realistic,

and

interesting.

The

use

of

Nelly

as

a

literary

device

was

necessary

to

the

story.

However,

presenting

Mrs.

Dean

as

a

complex

and

developed

character was not.

1