First Online Journal for Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights: narrative technique for chapter 1-3

There were mixed techniques used by Emily Bronte. Bronte uses scenic technique through dialogues while panoramic technique was used to explain the setting of the novel. Within the first three chapters, first person narration was used to explain the settings and to characterize characters. In the first chapter, Lockwood, the narrator had explained the environment and informed readers that he was in England. From meeting Heathcliff in chapter one, Lockwood briefly describes the appearance of Heathcliff. In chapter two, Lockwood uses flashback to tell the story about the night he went over to Wuthering Heights and met Isabella. The description of Isabella was about her physical features along with the mysterious and hard to understand feeling she gives off. Chapter three the narration of Lockwood describes the room of Catherine which in a way, characterizes her as well.  The diary that Lockwood finds and reads switches the narration from Lockwood to Catherine’s first person narration.