How Does Emily Bronte Introduce a Character? :: Free Essay Writer

How Does Emily Bronte Introduce a Character? In the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, we are introduced to a number of characters. The first two main characters that are introduced in detail however, are Joseph and Hindley. Joseph is introduced in chapter one. His description is given to us through the words of Lockwood, and we are given the impression that Joseph is an ill-tempered, stubborn, old man: â€Å"Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man: very old, perhaps, though hale and sinewy.† However, Lockwood, who we already have the impression of a pompous, ignorant young man; is the one who gives this introduction. This therefore leads us to feel that he is unreliable as a narrator, and so we as the reader are given the choice to either believe Lockwood’s interpretation of Joseph, or make our own decisions about him due to his dialogue. Through the way in which Bronte uses Lockwood to introduce Joseph, we see that she does not provide a great deal of physical description. This means that it is up to the reader to imagine the appearance of the characters, and also shows that Bronte does not allow characterisation to interrupt the pace of the novel. The absence of conventional visual description is the central method used by Bronte to describe her characters, and it causes us to think more deeply about the character. Another point to mention is that Bronte uses a powerful emotional force to establish the character. This can be shown through Hindley’s introduction. Hindley is first described to the reader as a â€Å"detestable substitute† and then his bullying behavior towards Heathcliff is described. This automatically makes us feel negatively about Hindley, and sympathise with Heathcliff. Here, we see Hindley through Catherine Linton’s eyes. In contrast to our opinion of Lockwood, we trust Catherine more as a narrator, due to the fact that after being given access to her diary by Lockwood, we see her as a child –innocent and honest. This leads on to the next technique that Bronte uses, which is the way in which she uses convincing characters with a dominant trait to let us see life from their point of view.