[WH] - Why Bronte will never be a journalist

"Cathy stayed at Thrushcross Grange five weeks: till Christmas.  By that time her ankle was thoroughly cured, and her manners much improved" (page 45).

As a trained journalist I cringe at the sight of every chapter and all major events beginning with a factor of the time of day, length of the embrace or time passage since a previous event.  I could not help but think to myself that this must be important.

It did not hit me why the time and setting was important until Nelly failed to mention a time frame for me to base the timeline.

"Her husband lies in the same spot now; and they have each a simple headstone above, and plain grey block at their feet, to mark the graves" (pg 146).

The word "now" was ambiguous to me (granted this whole novel seems pretty ambiguous) because I had to decide if it was Nelly still speaking in the past sense of the word now or the present sense of the word now.  Imagine my confusion when I thought someone else died, but then imagine my joy when I realized that no one died, but that she was talking in the present sense of the word now.  While in most novels the time frame of a story is not important, Wuthering Heights requires a time piece to be present because of it's two main style features.

• The story is a frame story where Lockwood is recalling what Nelly told him.
• The story, up to now, is almost entirely a flashback as Nelly talks about her past at Wuthering Heights.

This time thing really messes with my head.  I think I need to practice telling time more.