A picture perfect setting: a mother standing over the dinner table, her husband at the head of it, an array of children all sitting on either end, hands full as she sets the table, a smile on her face despite her being on her feet all day. This type of a setting is typical for society to paint for a woman with a family; a woman serving her husband and children hand and foot, day in and day out. In reality, many families today do not have a mother like that to tend for them; many children today are more accustomed to a stay at home father figure or even a nanny to care for them. In the case of the characters in Wuthering Heights, many of them never had the picturesque, comforting environment that a typical mother would bring. This is perhaps
…show more content…
She did become a good companion to the children, as she was available to them for advice when they had problems. For instance, when Catherine bursted into the home and exclaimed that, “I want to know what I should do. Today, Edgar Linton has asked me to marry him, and I’ve given him an answer” (Brontë 79), she made Catherine go through everything she loves about Edgar to ensure she is making the right choice of choosing him over her other lover, Heathcliff. Nelly also sympathized with Heathcliff as she understood the evilness in his behavior as a cry for help. Bearing witness to the actions of Hindley and Mrs. Earnshaw’s neglect to him, Nelly was the only one to understand why Heathcliff was the way he …show more content…
Growing up alongside her siblings in complete isolation from society, they had to rely on each other in the absence of their mother. This sense of camaraderie is more of what Nelly offered to those she raised; instead of spending countless hours by the children’s side and becoming completely immersed in their lives, she was their companion available when they need guidance and advice. Bronte was not able to create an actual mother figure, alive for more than a few years after her child was born, since that was not how she grew
She did become a good companion to the children, as she was available to them for advice when they had problems. For instance, when Catherine bursted into the home and exclaimed that, “I want to know what I should do. Today, Edgar Linton has asked me to marry him, and I’ve given him an answer” (Brontë 79), she made Catherine go through everything she loves about Edgar to ensure she is making the right choice of choosing him over her other lover, Heathcliff. Nelly also sympathized with Heathcliff as she understood the evilness in his behavior as a cry for help. Bearing witness to the actions of Hindley and Mrs. Earnshaw’s neglect to him, Nelly was the only one to understand why Heathcliff was the way he …show more content…
Growing up alongside her siblings in complete isolation from society, they had to rely on each other in the absence of their mother. This sense of camaraderie is more of what Nelly offered to those she raised; instead of spending countless hours by the children’s side and becoming completely immersed in their lives, she was their companion available when they need guidance and advice. Bronte was not able to create an actual mother figure, alive for more than a few years after her child was born, since that was not how she grew