First Impressions In Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights

First impressions are made when people encounter each other (or things) for the first time. They set the tone for the relationship that will follow. It only takes a few seconds for someone to develop an impression. Once an impression has been made, it can be very difficult to change. Whether it is the first impression made during a job interview, while greeting a customer at work, or the first time seeing a new doctor, a person’s first encounter will usually be remembered. The same concept is applied to writing. If the first chapter of a book is dry and boring, the reader may decide not to continue with the book. For this reason, writers often introduce key concepts in the first chapter of their work to draw the reader in and get them excited

The novel is about a man who meets with a potential landlord in his home. Mr. Heathcliff and Mr. Lockwood are the primary characters, the dogs are secondary characters, and Joseph is tertiary character. The landlord’s home becomes the setting, and it is described by the following quote. “The floor was of smooth, white-stone; the chairs, high-backed, primitive structures, painted green: one or two heavy black ones lurking in the shade.” (Bronte 369) Once the tenant arrives, he is greeted by Mr. Heathcliff’s dogs, in a not-so-friendly manner. Mr. Heathcliff is the potential landlord in the novel. Mr. Lockwood, who is the potential tenant, reaches down to pet the dogs to ease the tension between himself and the dogs. The conflict of the novel is between Mr. Lockwood and Mr. Heathcliff, and it is about the dogs. Mr. Heathcliff tells Mr. Lockwood that his dogs are not meant to be treated as pets and feels a sense of disrespect when Mr. Lockwood tries to pet them. Mr. Heathcliff is perceived as a strange, grim man in the novel, whereas Mr. Lockwood seems to be more “normal”. Bronte uses a mix of the two characters personalities to create an eerie, dark tone. (Bronte, E.