Who is Joseph in Wuthering Heights?

Joseph is the long-serving servant at Wuthering Heights. He is known for being extremely religious, harshly judgmental of others, and difficult to understand because he speaks in a very thick Yorkshire dialect.

Throughout the novel, Joseph is a constant presence in the household. He represents a rigid, severe form of religion and often scolds the other characters. Early in the story, Lockwood encounters Joseph when visiting Wuthering Heights, and Joseph's rough manner contributes to the house's gloomy and forbidding atmosphere. He also remains at Wuthering Heights through the generations of the Earnshaw and Heathcliff families.

Although Joseph is a minor character, he helps create the novel's Gothic mood and reflects the stern, unforgiving environment of Wuthering Heights itself.