Joseph in Wuthering Heights?

Question

Can someone please help me by

explaining Joseph's importance to the storyline in Wuthering Heights?

Answer 1

Joseph's character goes hand in hand with Hareton Earnshaw, whom is is the son of Hindley Earnshaw; he is adopted by Heathcliff when Hindley dies.

For dark reasons of his own, Heathcliff raises Hareton to be little more than an illiterate servant, even having him 'till the fields'; Heatcliff was treated this way by Hindley, so I suppose ti was retrobution, though deferred. (odd) Despite this terible treatment, Hareton is unflinchingly loyal to Heathcliff earning, much respect from his peers.

Joseph is a servant of the Earnshaws and later Heathcliff. He is best described as  bully and a bit sothful and disrespectful. He hates Heathcliff with a passion but also is bound to serve out of an odd sense of duty he feels to Hareton, who he calls 'the true master'.

The man's religious fervor is intense and often creepy; he appears to place himself on the self-righteous pedestal at regular intervals and thusly the folks around him, especially his peers, view him with a contemptuous eye, though none are really jealous of him, more they find him sorely irritating.