2

Chapter 2

Bronte uses pathetic fallacy in the beginning of chapter two to craft the novels dark, brooding and ultimately ‘Gothic’ atmosphere: the weather surrounding Wuthering Heights appears ‘misty and cold’- the mist signifies the element of mystery surrounding ‘Wuthering Heights’ and it’s residents. The ‘cold’, ‘heath and mud’ that surround the house acts as the elements warning Lockwood away from the premises, reflecting the occupant’s bitter reception to his company; he is obviously not wanted. Lockwood continues to describe the ’hard … black frost’ that falls on the house; Bronte turns the traditionally white snowflakes to ‘black’ to further her Gothic imagery, replacing the notions of ‘innocence’ linked with the colour white with more Gothic, ominous, feelings related to ‘black’- death etc.

Lockwood suggests that he and Heathcliff are similar in their need for social isolation, however, in wishing to attend Wuthering Heights in order to eat with Heathcliff, he contradicts himself; it is Lockwood who searches for company and wishes to indulge in social conventions while Heathcliff remains comfortable in his seclusion. This ultimately shows how Lockwood makes bad judgments, at least not entirely precise, judgments of his own character- rendering him an unreliable narrator.

Lockwood remarks that, although eating between twelve and one, he requested  ‘that I might be served at five’; his preference to dine later than the other characters shows his distance from them, he does not belong to their world. Bronte uses this to show Lockwood as marginalized, and outsider, that his segregation may cause him to misinterpret and misunderstand the characters. – As he goes on to do (assuming ‘Mrs. Heathcliff’ – judging Hareton). This is furthered by Lockwood’s inability to comprehend Joseph’s discourse.

The introduction of colloquial language visually creates a divide between the characters, regarding class and status; as Joseph has a thick, broad, Yorkshire dialect we can assume he would be of low stock, acting simply as a worker/keeper of Wuthering Heights for Heathcliff. Thus, we begin to focus more on the better speaking characters within the novel- particularly on Heathcliff and ‘Mrs. Heathcliff’.

I could argue that Lockwood subconsciously uses animalistic language when describing Hareton: ‘My name is Hareton Earnshaw’ growled the other ‘and I’d counsel you to respect it’. This is because of his appearance and dialect, visually ragged and sporting a thick Yorkshire accent, Lockwood presumes him to be of a lower class. Holding the same views on class as the original Victorian readership, Lockwood then uses animalistic language as he realizes Hareton as an animal, at least lower than his upper class English sensibilities. Earnshaw ‘laughs internally’ at Hareton’s defense; viewing him simply as a ‘common labourer’ he has no respect for him, because of his class, and so mocks him.