Nelly Dean

Ellen "Nelly" Dean is a female character in Emily Brontë's novel, Wuthering Heights. She is the main narrator for the story, and gives key eyewitness accounts as to what happens between the characters. Ellen is for the most part called "Nelly" by all characters.

A tenant named Lockwood visits the household of Wuthering Heights at the beginning of the story, and is overcome with shock when he believes he has seen the ghost of Catherine Earnshaw at a window in one of the chambers of the Heights. Eager to know the story of the master of the Heights, Heathcliff, Lockwood returns to Thrushcross Grange, his temporary residence, where he asks Nelly, the housekeeper, to tell him all that she knows.

Nelly's mother was a servant at the Heights, and helped raise Hindley Earnshaw; Nelly was thus a foster sister and servant to Hindley and his sister, Catherine Earnshaw, at Wuthering Heights. Nelly is the same age as Hindley, about six years older than Cathy. When an orphan boy named Heathcliff is brought to live at the Heights, Nelly is witness to the misfortunes that he brings with him, the affection that Mr Earnshaw has for him (which leads to Hindley's bitter jealousy) and, above all, the childhood companionship between him and Catherine which eventually blossoms into a passionate love.

When Edgar Linton of Thrushcross Grange asks Catherine for her hand in marriage, Catherine confides in Nelly, explaining her distress. As a result, Nelly is the only witness to Catherine's famous "I am Heathcliff" speech, which has become iconic in literary history. Nelly's own reaction to it, though, is derisive and incredulous.

An arguably more significant event witnessed by Nelly, however, is the rapid loss of health and sanity of Hindley, which leads her to nurse the infant Hareton Earnshaw after his mother dies of consumption.

After Catherine marries and Heathcliff mysteriously disappears for three years, Nelly goes with the former to Thrushcross Grange. She is thus witness to Heathcliff's ominous return and his quest for revenge on both Hindley and the Linton family. She is also present for Catherine's maddening illness and psychological delusions, as well as Cathy's final meeting with her soul mate Heathcliff.

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