Wuthering Heights Ellen "Nelly" Dean Quotes

"Were I in your place, I would frame high notions of my birth; and the thoughts of what I was should give me courage and dignity to support the oppressions of a little farmer!" (7.44)

Since he doesn't know where he is from, Heathcliff may as well imagine a noble and exotic background for himself. This piece of advice represents one of a handful of Nelly's attempts to provide useful guidance for Heathcliff. It also tells us that she likes a little fiction.

"We don't in general take to foreigners here, Mr. Lockwood, unless they take to us first." (6.7)

Isolated villagers like to remain just that. What's telling about this statement is that "foreigners" seem to be anyone not from Gimmerton. It's not like Frances or Heathcliff are from another country; these people just aren't too fond of difference.

"You're fit for a prince in disguise. Who knows but your father was Emperor of China, and your mother an Indian queen, each of them able to buy up, with one week's income, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange together? And you were kidnapped by wicked sailors and brought to England." (7.44)

With her love of stories, Nelly Dean inadvertently plants ideas in Heathcliff's head. Here are the seeds of his revenge against Hindley and Edgar.