In the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte brilliantly uses narrative plot to tell a story within a story. The character of Ellen Dean, known formally as Nelly, narrates the past and present from her first-person perspective, to the visiting Mr. Lockwood. He describes events as he recalls them occurring during his years at their respective homes, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. He talks about the past as he remembers it, and also from what he sees, hears, or discovers through the words and actions of other characters. Although Nelly bases the characters solely on her own interpretation, she is a fairly reliable source, having grown up with the first generation of characters and caring for the second. She grew up on the moors and her life revolves around the Earnshaws and the Lintons, which she serves in more ways than one. Nelly's devotion and criticism allow her to be a faithful servant over the years, as well as a sounding board for the other character's problems. This allows her to narrate with some credibility because she has witnessed and been involved in private moments between these two intertwined families her entire life. Without his account of the events that occurred on the Yorkshire moors, everything would be a mystery. In Wuthering Heights, Bronte describes Nelly as the servant, confidant and mother figure and without her narration the story would not be as plausible. Nelly Dean's position as a long-time servant for both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange allows her easy access to the personal lives of these two dysfunctional families. Nelly was brought to Wuthering Heights by her mother, who was a nanny for Hindley Earnshaw. She grew up around E...... middle of paper ...... she was able to interpret the events of her life and for the first time tell a visitor everything that happened. Because Nelly's life has not been personally plagued by regrets, like those of Catherine and Heathcliff, she is able to recite the past and present clearly and rationally. Lockwood believes his story and is so intrigued by all the terrible events that have taken place throughout his life on these Yorkshire moors. From the outside it may seem like the Earnshaws and Lintons were just a private family living their own lives, but no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors except the help, our Nelly. This is why its narrative is crucial and without it the story of Wuthering Heights might still exist, but it wouldn't be as believable. Works Cited Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. 1847. Ed. Richard J. Dunn. 4th ed. New York: Norton, 2003.