One of the first techniques that I noticed the author using in Wuthering Heights is mystery. In the beginning of the story, when Mr. Lockwood was spending the night at Wuthering Heights, he noticed three names carved on his bedpost; those names were: Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Linton, and Catherine Heathcliff (24, 25). The name carvings left me to wonder who Catherine was, who carved her multiple names, and why. When Mr. Lockwood arrived back at Thrushcross Grange, his housekeeper, Nelly, informed him of who Catherine was in a series of stories (41). Suspense was used as well when Heathcliff locked Catherine Linton and Nelly in Wuthering Heights until Catherine would marry Linton (342). This scene was so suspenseful because Catherine wanted to return home to her dying father (347) and if she did marry Linton, it would change the rest of her life. I was not sure if Catherine might try to find a way to escape, marry Linton, or refuse. I also felt suspense when Catherine Earnshaw died because it was unclear how he would react to his best friend and love's death. Finally, there was also suspense when Heathcliff vanished for three years after hearing Catherine say that she would not marry him (115). During which time, no one knows if Heathcliff had moved far away, made a fortune, or even died.
Bronte, Emily, Wuthering Heights. David Daiches. London: Penguin, 1985
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