Wuthering Heights Volume 1 Chapter 1

 Wuthering Heights begins with the narrator, a Mr. Lockwood, visiting his landlord, a Mr. Heathcliff, at his house, Wuthering Heights. We are given a rather vapid description of the building's outward appearance before Mr. Lockwood is ushered inside the old house. Once inside Mr. Lockwood describes the inside of the dwelling before first drawing our attention to a nursing mother dog and her litter of puppies, and then to Mr. Heathcliff himself. Mr. Lockwood briefly tells of his own reputation and how undeserved it is. Mr. Lockwood then tries to pet the nursing dog, and is surprised when it growls at him, and then he proceeds to make faces at some already upset farm dogs, and is surprised when they make to attack him. Mr. Heathcliff returns from the cellar to see Mr. Lockwood standing on his hearth with a poker surrounded by dogs trying to attack him, and appears utterly unsurprised. After the dogs are taken care of by a servant, our chapter comes to a close after Mr. Heathcliff and Mr. Lockwood share a glass of wine, and Mr. Lockwood returns to his home. 

The first chapter of Wuthering Heights is told in a manner that comes off as mournful regardless of where, when, or why, you read it. This first chapter was very unremarkable the first time I read it through, and even- though less so- the second. It wasn't until I sat down to read it the third time that I realized that it was meant to sound so dreary. I can't yet see why the author would want to set such a mood for the first chapter of her book, but time shall tell. The overall style of writing fits with the mood the chapter sets, where even the dog attack is told in a toneless manner where you don't feel exited when reading it, but rather like you where reading the description of Wuthering Heights. This first chapter is unremarkable by way of content, but fascinating when you think about mood and writing and I hope that this style continues in the book.