Readers Place

About the Book

Starting Points for Discussion

• Heathcliff has traditionally been described as an attractive and romantic brooding hero. a) What is attractive in his character? Can you understand the reasons that Catherine and Isabella fell in love with him? b) Is he a hero?

• To what extent is this novel about Heathcliff’s revenge? What does he achieve?

• ‘A dark and passionate tale of tortured but enduring love’ Guardian Does love endure throughout the book?

• The novel has been described as a Gothic love story. Why do you think that Emily Brontë decided to use the gothic devices of the supernatural, an old mansion house and layered narratives to tell a love story? How does this change the way you read the book?

• Supernatural visions inspire strong feelings and reactions from Mr Lockwood and Catherine. Are the visions supernatural or mental constructions? 

• Wuthering Heights is full of contrasts and duality between the first and second generation of characters. Look at: a) the reasons why Cathy repeats her mother’s mistakes b) the similarities and differences between Heathcliff and Hareton c) any other parallels that you have noted between characters

• Joseph is an extremely religious but cruel man. What does this juxtaposition say about Emily Brontë’s views on religion?

• Nelly knows that Heathcliff is in the kitchen when Catherine talks about her feelings for Linton and Heathcliff. Why does she not reveal her knowledge? Can you think of other occasions when Nelly could have changed the outcome of the situation? What do her actions say about her character?

• What role does the setting of the book play? Would the novel have worked if the story was set in an urban environment rather on the Yorkshire Moors? How important are the juxtapositions of Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange?

• Jeanette Winterson says that the book is about the concept of having ‘all or nothing’. Do you agree with this statement?

• Did you find the language of the story surprising? Do you think that it is different from other classic novels that you have read?

• Is it a happy ending? Do you think the relationship between Cathy and Hareton is healthier and more promising than that of their parents?

Other Books by Emily Bronte

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  Poems

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  Wuthering Heights

  Wuthering Heights is the tale of two families both joined and riven by love…

  Reading Guide

Suggested Further Reading

• Jane Eyre ~ Charlotte Brontë – read the guide
• The Portrait of a Lady ~ Henry James – read the guide
• The Age of Innocence ~ Edith Wharton – read the guide
• The Turn of the Screw ~ Henry James – read the guide
• The Tenant of Wildfell Hall ~ Anne Brontë
• Dracula ~ Bram Stoker – read the guide
• Frankenstein ~ Mary Shelley
• Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde ~ Robert Louis Stevenson – read the guide
• The Picture of Dorian Gray ~ Oscar Wilde
• The Woman in Black ~ Susan Hill – read the guide
• The Woman in White ~ Wilkie Collins – read the guide