Zillah in Wuthering Heights

Zillah, a character in Emily Brontë’s seminal novel Wuthering Heights, serves as a minor yet significant presence within the turbulent world of the Earnshaw and Linton families. Introduced as the housekeeper of Wuthering Heights during the latter portion of the narrative, Zillah provides a semblance of order in an otherwise chaotic household. Zillah’s interactions and observations offer a unique lens through which readers can analyze the dynamics of this isolated environment.

While the primary focus of Wuthering Heights is on the intense and often destructive relationships between the main characters, Zillah’s perspective as a servant offers a contrasting viewpoint on the events unfolding within the household. Unlike Nelly Dean, the main narrator with a more personal connection to the families, Zillah maintains a degree of emotional distance. However, her role in providing a dispassionate account of the narrative’s later events is limited, as the novel relies more on Nelly Dean’s narration to piece together the story’s developments.

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1. Zillah Character Analysis

Zillah’s role as a servant and her interactions provide unique insights into the intricate web of relationships that define the tempestuous lives of the characters residing at Wuthering Heights.

Zillah’s Role at Wuthering Heights

Zillah, a servant at Wuthering Heights, plays a pivotal role in maintaining the household during tumultuous times. She is not introduced solely through the eyes of Mr. Lockwood but is mentioned earlier in the novel. Zillah’s relationship with the principal family, the Earnshaws, and the Lintons shows her as a figure who maintains order amidst the unfolding drama, though she is not a central player in the narrative.

• Affiliation with residents: Employed by Heathcliff, she performs her duties without showing particular loyalty to any individual.
• Baseline demeanor: Pragmatic and maintains professionalism, detached from the emotional upheavals of the household.

Interactions with Major Characters

Zillah’s interactions with key characters reveal much about the class dynamics and personal relationships at Wuthering Heights. These interactions, though limited, highlight her as a contrast to the passionate and often irrational behavior of her employers and their kin.

• Heathcliff: As Heathcliff’s servant, she is aware of his mercurial nature but her detachment is more a result of her professional role.
• Lockwood: Zillah provides Lockwood with guidance about the estate, but her role in helping him understand the complex web of relationships is not as prominent as that of Nelly Dean.
• Nelly Dean: The novel does not delve deeply into the relationship between Zillah and Nelly Dean, so their interaction is not explicitly defined.
• Cathy Linton and Hareton Earnshaw: Zillah’s observations of Cathy Linton and Hareton Earnshaw‘s evolving relationship are implied rather than explicitly stated.

By performing her duties at Wuthering Heights, Zillah represents a sense of continuity in the household, amidst the volatile and often destructive nature of love, obsession, and vengeance in the lives of characters like Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff.

2. Themes and Motifs in Zillah’s Presence

Zillah provides critical insights into the novel’s social and supernatural themes. Her interactions and observations affect the novel’s atmosphere and interpretation of domestic life and otherworldly elements.

Domestic and Social Structures

Zillah is introduced to readers as a figure embodying the domestic and social structures of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She offers a contrasting perspective to the passionate turmoil in the house. Her attitude toward family dynamics and class differences is pragmatic, and she often maintains the position of an observer rather than a participator. Zillah’s presence reflects the rigidity of social classes, as she neither challenges her status nor the chaotic order presided over by Heathcliff. Her role is more as a housekeeper maintaining order rather than actively underscoring class distinctions.

• Class Hierarchy: Clear distinctions between social classes in the Georgian and Regency periods. Zillah serves as a moderate stabilizing force within the Heights’ domestic sphere.
• Domestic Servitude: Dependence on servitude for household management in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Zillah acts as an intermediary between household chaos and societal norms.

Supernatural Elements and Gothicism

Zillah contributes to the supernatural elements and Gothicism prevalent throughout Wuthering Heights by providing a grounded perspective. When characters experience events akin to nightmares or encounter elements such as the storm that typically carries dark, gothic undertones, Zillah remains grounded in reality. Her skeptical nature toward these occurrences adds a layer of complexity to the novel’s treatment of the paranormal, although her role in this aspect is relatively minor.

• Supernatural: Themes of ghosts and haunting are central to the story. Zillah is skeptical and provides a grounded counterpoint to other characters experiences.
• Atmosphere: Stormy weather heightens tension and emotions. Zillah witnesses these elements without surrendering to the gothic atmosphere.