The Artistic Split between the Exterior Narration and the Interior Material in Wuthering Heights

This essay investigates the way Emily Bronte manipulates the artistic split between the exterior frame,the hostile naration of Nelly and Lockwood,and the core story of Catherine and Heathcliff.As noticed by the literary critic,Armold Krupat,while Nelly and Lockwood narrate the protagonists'story,they remain emotionally detached from them.Expanding and commenting upon Krupat's argument and observation,this essay will argue that Bronte intentionally makes Nelly's and Lockwood's attitudes towards the protagonists strangely repressive and unsympathetic.In doing so,Bronte spotlights and dramatizes social mores'contaminating influence on Catherine's relationship to Heathcliff.In the 19h century England,people could not be respected unless theywere wealthy and had refined and elegant manners.Though falling in love with Heathcliff deeply,Catherine abandons her authentic will and marries the wealthy Edgar Linton.In this sense,echoing the way social norms control the fates of Catherine and Heatheliff,Nelly and Lockwood also antagonistically control their fates.In contrast to the exterior narrators,the protagonists in the interior story are always passive and remain subjected to outer forces.

This essay investigates the way Emily Bront?manipulates the artistic split between the exterior frame, the hostile narra-tion of Nelly and Lockwood, and the core story of Catherine and Heathcliff. As noticed by the literary critic, Arnold Krupat, whileNelly and Lockwood narrate the protagonists’story, they remain emotionally detached from them. Expanding and commenting up-on Krupat’s argument and observation, this essay will argue that Bront?intentionally makes Nelly’s and Lockwood’s attitudes to-wards the protagonists strangely repressive and unsympathetic. In doing so, Bront?spotlights and dramatizes social mores’contami-nating influence on Catherine’s relationship to Heathcliff. In the 19thcentury England, people could not be respected unless theywere wealthy and had refined and elegant manners. Though falling in love with Heathcliff deeply, Catherine abandons her authenticwill and marries the wealthy Edgar Linton. In this sense, echoing the way social norms control the fates of Catherine and Heathcliff,Nelly and Lockwood also antagonistically control their fates. In contrast to the exterior narrators, the protagonists in the interior sto-ry are always passive and remain subjected to outer forces.