Joseph and Hindley: A Character Analysis

[Aragoth]

I have just finished reading the novel Wuthering Heights, and while I wasn't impressed, I must admit, I enjoyed it more than Jane Eyre. However, I was constantly irritated by Joseph and his abominably difficult to interpret Yorkshire accent. What is his purpose throughout the novel, other than to annoy readers who do not enjoy the game Mad Gab?

Hindley is an interesting character, who acts as a foil for Heathcliff, and thereby for Catherine. What is his purpose in the novel other than acting as a foil, and what does Hindley show about Heathcliff, other than Heathcliff's burning desire for vengeance?

Any help is vastly appreciated.

[monellia]

I think Bronte's publishers wished for her to replace Joseph's lines with normal speech, but she insisted on leaving it phoenetical. Joseph's accent serves as a reminder of a cultural context that is ever-present but often overlooked in the novel. The Heights/moors are associated with a wild, uncivillized emanation, an emanation that is reflected in Joseph's solecistic dialect.
Joseph is furthermore a device of Bronte's to strengthen the thematic diversity of the novel in that he provides the humour