NOTE: When you come to class on Wednesday, April 24th, you will be composing an in-class essay on your novel. Be prepared!
Discussion Questions
Chapters 16-22
1. In Chapter 16, Helen's aunt uses the language and imagery of military engagement to describe courtship. How consistent is Bronte with the use of this metaphor, and why do you think she uses it?
2. Helen says that she is an excellent physiognomist: someone who can determine a person's character by their looks. Do you think Bronte supports the science of physiognomy, or is she critiquing it in her novel?
3. What do we make of Helen's thought processes in the long opening paragraph that begins Chapter 18?
4. In Chapter 18, what is the significance of the fact that Helen is unable to adequately draw Huntingdon's portrait?
5. What is the significance of hunting in this part of the novel?
6. In Chapter 20, what is the significance of the part played by Helen's uncle?
7. The early stages of Chapter 22 find Huntingdon revealing that Lowborough is a recovering gambling addict. What is the significance of his description of the evening when Lowborough finally gives up gambling?
Chapters 23-43
1. What is the significance of Helen's father being an alcoholic?
2. Why is Helen deceived by the profligate Huntingdon, and yet always seems to be on her guard against the far less offensive Hargrave?
3. What analogy can be made between Helen's difficulties in checking Hargrave's advances in the chess game and her inability to draw Huntingdon's portrait (and thereby, "contain" him)?
4. The language of chess can make for all manner of innuendo and double meaning. Support this idea with reference to the chess game between Helen and Walter.
5. What are the similarities and differences between the "Two Evenings" in Chapter 33?
6. In Chapter 37, Helen is attempting to do her best to avoid Walter Hargrave's attentions. What are some of the differences between Hargrave's pursuit of Helen, and Gilbert's pursuit of her earlier in the novel?
7. Do you ever have the sense that Helen's characterization as a moral woman goes overboard--if so, is this a weakness in Bronte's writing or is there something else at work here?
8. Why does Bronte allow Hattersley to be reformed and yet makes Huntingdon pay for his profligacy with his life?
1. What is the significance of Helen's father being an alcoholic?
2. Why is Helen deceived by the profligate Huntingdon, and yet always seems to be on her guard against the far less offensive Hargrave?
3. What analogy can be made between Helen's difficulties in checking Hargrave's advances in the chess game and her inability to draw Huntingdon's portrait (and thereby, "contain" him)?
4. The language of chess can make for all manner of innuendo and double meaning. Support this idea with reference to the chess game between Helen and Walter.
5. What are the similarities and differences between the "Two Evenings" in Chapter 33?
6. In Chapter 37, Helen is attempting to do her best to avoid Walter Hargrave's attentions. What are some of the differences between Hargrave's pursuit of Helen, and Gilbert's pursuit of her earlier in the novel?
7. Do you ever have the sense that Helen's characterization as a moral woman goes overboard--if so, is this a weakness in Bronte's writing or is there something else at work here?
8. Why does Bronte allow Hattersley to be reformed and yet makes Huntingdon pay for his profligacy with his life?
Chapters 44-53
1. Chapter 45, in which Gilbert is reconciled both to Helen and her brother, reminds us that there are a great number of parallel episodes in the novel. What are the effects of some of these parallel scenes?
2. In Chapter 46, Gilbert takes a great deal of delight in nursing Mr. Lawrence back to health. What are the reasons he gives and what is to be made of the language with which he describes this experience?
3. In Chapter 50, Gilbert tells Halford--and therefore, us--what has happened to some of the other characters in the story. What is Bronte's point in having Gilbert do this?
4. What is to be made of the fact that the novel ends with Gilbert's voice and not Helen's? Is this merely what needs to happen from a purely structural point of view, or is there something more disturbing at work?
5. The field of literary onomastics examines the significance of names and naming in literature. What is the significance of Bronte's use of names in the novel?
1. Chapter 45, in which Gilbert is reconciled both to Helen and her brother, reminds us that there are a great number of parallel episodes in the novel. What are the effects of some of these parallel scenes?
2. In Chapter 46, Gilbert takes a great deal of delight in nursing Mr. Lawrence back to health. What are the reasons he gives and what is to be made of the language with which he describes this experience?
3. In Chapter 50, Gilbert tells Halford--and therefore, us--what has happened to some of the other characters in the story. What is Bronte's point in having Gilbert do this?
4. What is to be made of the fact that the novel ends with Gilbert's voice and not Helen's? Is this merely what needs to happen from a purely structural point of view, or is there something more disturbing at work?
5. The field of literary onomastics examines the significance of names and naming in literature. What is the significance of Bronte's use of names in the novel?
1. Helen says that she is an excellent physiognomist: someone who can determine a person's character by their looks. Do you think Bronte supports the science of physiognomy, or is she critiquing it in her novel?
ReplyDeleteA physiognomist means a person who judges others based upon their appearance and how they present themselves to the world. Helen describes herself as a physiognomist because she can’t help but judge someone based on looks. I think Bronte is warning against this because we see later in the book that just because someone is handsome, Mr Huntington, it doesn’t make their handsome as well. Bronte uses Peggy as the voice of reason reminding Helen that one should “first study; then approve; then love. Let your eyes be blind to all external attractions,... If you should marry the handsomest and most accomplished and superficially agreeable man in the world, you little know the misery that would overwhelm you, if, after all, you should find him to be a worthless reprobate, or even an impracticable fool.” I think Helen grows as a character and learns from her mistakes with Mr. Huntington, so she is later guided to Gilbert by his values and less his looks.
2. Why is Helen deceived by the profligate Huntingdon, and yet always seems to be on her guard against the far less offensive Hargrave?
I think Helen has begun to not trust her instincts on men and thus is not so ready to trust Mr. Hargrave. Hargrave has to win her admiration and trust, unlike Huntington who just said a few words and got her to fall in love with him. Helen has made a shift from a young girl desperate for love to a woman that has to protect her heart in anyway possible. She is also still her Christian self and loyal to husband to a fault, so she is able to see when Mr. Hargrave’s intentions are more malevolent than godly. When he begins speaking ill of Huntington, Helen immediately ends their friendship because she is finally able to see his true character: “‘You may rely upon it, if the assurance can give you any pleasure. And is it possible, Mrs. Huntingdon, that you can rejoice at his return?’ he exclaimed, attentively perusing my features again. ‘Of course, Mr. Hargrave; is he not my husband?’ ‘Oh, Huntingdon; you know not what you slight!’ he passionately murmured. I took up my baby, and, wishing him good-morning, departed, to indulge my thoughts unscrutinized, within the sanctum of my home. And was I glad? Yes, delighted; though I was angered by Arthur’s conduct, and though I felt that he had wronged me, and was determined he should feel it too.”
3. In Chapter 50, Gilbert tells Halford--and therefore, us--what has happened to some of the other characters in the story. What is Bronte's point in having Gilbert do this?
I think Bronte is taking from Austen in this aspect because sometimes Austen doesn’t close up her side character’s stories like (Lydia and Wickham’s marriage) and the Bronte sisters would’ve been reading her novels in their childhood and learned from her faults (even if they had those of their own) they tried to fix some of Austen’s missteps. So Gilbert tells the Halford maybe not so much as the character actually cares about these storylines, but the readers needed that closure. It also seems like a list because each paragraph is finishing another characters story: “When Lawrence came… Some time before Mr. Huntingdon’s death Lady Lowborough eloped… If you are at all interested in the fate of that low scoundrel, Grimsby… As for Mr. Hattersley…” It’s like Anne created a list of characters to give an ending to and just went down the list giving them one paragraph to wrap their stories up for the readers.
This book has such an interesting story line! The second half of the book was actually quite comedic looking back on it. Helen falls in love with Mr. Huntingdon at her first sight of him. Literally after she meets him for the first time, “ he is always in [her] thoughts and in [her] dreams”. And despite the fact that everyone around her told her not to marry him, she still fights to protect him. For example, when Milicent talked to Helen about this ill match-up. Milicent told Helen, “you are so superior to him in every way, and there’s something so bold and reckless about him” and Helen tells her “that’s no fault of his”. This advice from Milicent was surprisingly ignored by Helen despite the fact that it came from one of her closest friends. Then a few months after her marriage with Arthur Huntingdon, she realizes that he is not that man she expected to marry and really begins to regret her decisions. I found it interesting that it only took Helen 4 months to reflect on Arthur’s behavior and realize that for once she is wrong and everyone why tried to advise her from this match-up was right. What’s even funnier is that later when Walter, an actual decent man, tries his luck with her, she rejects him! It’s like she only likes the bad guys. Then, finally in chapter 36, she admits to herself that they need break up. She confesses that she enjoys “a temporary relief from his presence” whenever he goes hunting with friends. Honestly, Helen’s needs and wants throughout this entire book is messed up and it was really interesting and somewhat comical to read about how she went through those moments and how she coped.
ReplyDeleteI really like this book and it gave me a deeper understanding of what an abusive relationship is like even if there is no actual physical abuse and having someone in your like that is an alcoholic. Some part were so hard to read as she just forgave him time and time again even though in her heart I think she knew things were probably not going to change but She loved him with all her heart and that is why she still helped him when he was dying and all hope was gone. It was because she loved him, he was the father of her child and her husband. I think this is realistic to what it is like to like with an acholic and Anne knew that from personal experience. Though I have never had a person like that in my life so I can't know what it is like but it seems accurate. When you have an alcoholic person in your life as a bystander you feel that they are doing this to themselves and they don’t see why a person would stay but again it because they remember all the good times all the times they were the person they want them to be again. And why some wives protect their husband even if they are being abusive. It was even harder to get away at that time because there was no divorce, little way for a woman to make money on her own. This book was a super revolutionary book for talking about these things.
ReplyDeleteTell the middle in the begin made you know what was going to happen again so even in the begin I didn't trust Arthur. When Helen said “I have such confidence in him, aunt, notwithstanding all you say, that I would willingly risk my happiness for the chance of securing his. I will leave better men to those who only consider their own advantage. If he has done amiss, I shall consider my life well spent in saving him from the consequences of his early errors, and striving to recall him to the path of virtue—God grant me success!”(17) to her aunt, I was like there is no way this is going to be good. And I was right Arthur became a horrible husband and abusive. You can see how her opinion of hin start to change in this line “How little real sympathy there exists between us; how many of my thoughts and feelings are gloomily cloistered within my own mind; how much of my higher and better self is indeed unmarried—doomed either to harden and sour in the sunless shade of solitude, or to quite degenerate and fall away for lack of nutriment in this unwholesome soil!”(30) Helen says to Arthur. And in the end, loses all hope and even when she finds out her husband is having an affair she excepts this. “Two years hence you will be as calm as I am now—and far, far happier, I trust, for you are a man, and free to act as you please.”(38) Helen tells Lord Loughton about the affair of Annabelle and Arthur. She leaves only because of Arthur’s influence on their son. Even after he dies she still does not want to remarry with Gilbert but says they will meet in heaven “It gives me little consolation to think I shall next behold you as a disembodied spirit, or an altered being, with a frame perfect and glorious, but not like this! —and a heart, perhaps, entirely estranged from me.”
“No, Gilbert, there is perfect love in Heaven!”
“So perfect, I suppose, that it soars above distinctions, and you will have no closer sympathy with me than with any one of the ten thousand angels and the innumerable multitude of happy spirits round us.” Gilbert does not want to, this shows how much she is relying on faith even after all of this. Finally, she gets married to Gilbert. Gilbert I feel did get some growth but still, I can’t forgive him for some of the stuff he did I just don't want someone like Arthur again. I am protective, I wish he got more of a redemption arch. Overall I really like this book and I was happy I chose it. If this is the little book I wonder how dark the others are(her sisters).
2. Helen says that she is an excellent physiognomist: someone who can determine a person's character by their looks. Do you think Bronte supports the science of physiognomy, or is she critiquing it in her novel?
ReplyDeleteBronte cannot be completely supporting physiognomy because Helen sucks at it for a good chunk. In reviewing Arthur she says, "by Mr. Huntingdon’s, that he was neither a fool nor a knave, though, possibly, neither a sage nor a saint" which ends up being pretty wrong on the knave part to say the least. Knave meaning a "dishonest or unscrupulous man." She is critiquing physiognomy alongside love. That love blinds even the imperfections into seeming as smaller flaws than they are in physiognomy. Helen justifies Arthur's "laughing blue eyes" at first because he has done her favors and he is handsome already and she's already on her way into "falling in love" with him.
5. What are the similarities and differences between the "Two Evenings" in Chapter 33?
They are similar in that Arthur treats Helen and Annabella the same in each. He tells Helen to "Run away, do!" when she comes outside to kiss him. The next night when she finds out the truth he tells Annabella in the same spot to "Run, Annabella, run!" He treats girls one in the same, conning them or not. As for differences, the first Helen is on top of the world. Talkative, social, bright as a creature. The second night she is terribly woeful, calling on God as she is so sad from finding her husband's infidelities and loss of love for her.
2. In Chapter 46, Gilbert takes a great deal of delight in nursing Mr. Lawrence back to health. What are the reasons he gives and what is to be made of the language with which he describes this experience?
Gilbert nurses Lawrence to recover his own guilt while trying to make up for Helen by Lawrence being a vicarious substitute. Gilbert literally proves this in saying "I was a very constant and attentive visitor to him throughout the whole period of his illness and convalescence; not only from the interest I took in his recovery, and my desire to cheer him up and make the utmost possible amends for my former ‘brutality,’ but from my growing attachment to himself, and the increasing pleasure I found in his society—partly from his increased cordiality to me, but chiefly on account of his close connection, both in blood and in affection, with my adored Helen. I loved him for it better than I liked to express: and I took a secret delight in pressing those slender white fingers, so marvellously like her own, considering he was not a woman, and in watching the passing changes in his fair, pale features, and observing the intonations of his voice, detecting resemblances which I wondered had never struck me before." He just desires any connection possible to Helen since he will not go near her himself. Next best thing is her brother with features similar enough that he can reminisce on the memories by looking at him occasionally. His language is kinda weird, as he's being a little too honest in my opinion, and treating Lawrence closer than he should, given that he hasn't been on his best behavior with him until after learning the truth. But he's doing that because of the connection to Helen and yada yada so unsurprisingly that is the result.
I want to start off with saying that I really enjoyed this book and it is definitely one of my favorite reads from this class so far this year. This novel was very enthralling and I really wanted to continue reading to figure out what would happen. Even though I could predict what would happen, the way in which Anne Bronte work this book and told this story really kept me engaged with the story and wanting to know what would happen next, particularly with her use of cliffhangers at the end of some chapters. When I was reading the chess scene in Chapter 33 between Helen and Walter, I immediately recognized that this scene was not only a game of chess between acquaintances, there was an underlying conversation taking place. In this scene, Walter begins by setting up the board and saying “‘You are a good player, but I am a better: we shall have a long game, and you will give me some trouble; but I can be as patient as you, and in the end I shall certainly win.’ He fixed his eyes upon me with a glance I did not like, keen, crafty, bold, and almost impudent.” This line actually made me flinch because you can easily sense the meaning running through those words that Walter will beat Helen in the end, not necessarily just in chess, but by some other action, like marrying and claiming her from her abusive husband. At first glance, it seems as if Walter is a nice man who has strong feelings for Helen, yet he feelings entitled to her because of these feelings, and accept any refusals from Helen to spend time together. During this chess match, Walter’s true selfish, entitled, and odious personality somewhat come to light as Helen begins to see through his nice guy façade. When he beats Helen, since he is a superior chess player but a considerably worse person, he cries “‘Check,’… I sought in agony some means of escape. ‘Mate!’ he added, quietly, but with evident delight. He had suspended the utterance of that last fatal syllable the better to enjoy my dismay.” Walter wants to see Helen’s pain, to see how he beat her, how she could not control him. This scene was indicative of Walter’s actions later when he confesses his ‘love’ for Helen and tries to force himself upon her (really a quality guy right) since he feels she should be with him instead of Arthur.
ReplyDelete(see next post for continuation, there were too many characters)
There were clear parallels between Walter and Gilbert in their pursuit of Helen and in their personalities. They both appear to be good men who are just interested in a woman and want her attention. However, they both show their bad qualities when Gilbert viciously attacks Mr. Lawrence out of misplaced jealousy and when Walter forces himself on Helen despite her not consenting. Both of these men made many attempts earlier in their pursuit to see her whenever possible, converse with her, and do whatever they could to make her feel the same love that they felt. Yet Walter was trying take advantage of Helen’s terrible abusive, alcoholic, cheating husband and make his move on Helen to get her for himself. Meanwhile, Gilbert wasn’t trying to steal Helen away from another man, rather just desperately wanted her to reciprocate his love, but he never forced himself on her and listened to what she wanted for him to do. Overall I am not a big fan of Gilbert because he seems a tad obsessed with Helen, whom he had known for very long whatsoever, and I just feel like something is off about him. Nonetheless, he is far superior to Walter who was a terrible person who tried to deceive Helen into running off with him. Gilbert does seem to genuinely love Helen and wants the best for her, even if that were to not have him in her life which he demonstrates in saying to Helen, “I would have done [written], but I did not know your address, and did not like to ask your brother, because I thought he would object to my writing; but this would not have deterred me for a moment, if I could have ventured to believe that you expected to hear from me, or even wasted a thought upon your unhappy friend; but your silence naturally led me to conclude myself forgotten.” He did not want to impose himself on Helen if she did not wish for him to be a part of her life, unlike Walter who tried to force himself into her life and stake his claim on her which she did not want at all. In general, I loved this book and I am so happy I chose to read it because it was such an enjoyable book to read that also had important underlying issues included like alcoholism while being captivatingly written.
ReplyDeleteThe Tenant of Wildfell Hall was quite intriguing, far more than I thought it would be. I find this novel quite interesting because unlike Emily Bronte, Anne Bronte doesn't romanticize the brutally of the male protagonist. She wrote it from a more realistic perspective and really portrayed the truth about domestic abuse and alcoholism. Helen says that she is an excellent physiognomist: someone who can determine a person's character by their looks. Helen has a certain appreciation of Huntingdon's complexion, liking him primarily for his outer beauty rather than his inner beauty. Milicent a friend of Helen sees what Helen can't, “people say he’s handsome, and of course he is, but I don’t like that kind of beauty; and I wonder that you should.” In Chapter 22, we find that Huntingdon reveals that Lowborough is a recovering gambling addict. This is significant because it really shows a lot about his character and how he is entertained by other people's suffering. That evening when Lowborough finally gives up gambling, Huntingdon and the rest of his friends tried to force Lowborough back to drinking, portraying that the bonds between all of them is formed over gambling and excessive drinking, “Do let me alone, Huntingdon! Do be quiet, all of you! I’m not come to join you: I’m only come to be with you awhile, because I can’t bear my own thoughts.” And he folded his arms, and leant back in his chair; so we let him be. But I left the glass by him; and, after awhile, Grimsby directed my attention towards it, by a significant wink; and, on turning my head, I saw it was drained to the bottom. He made me a sign to replenish, and quietly pushed up the bottle. I willingly complied; but Lowborough detected the pantomime, and, nettled at the intelligent grins that were passing between us, snatched the glass from my hand, dashed the contents of it in Grimsby’s face, threw the empty tumbler at me, and then bolted from the room." Overall, I feel like this novel a powerful work of literature that seems to be overlooked. even though it does have some of its flaws I think that more people should read this novel since it is a very much enjoyable book.
ReplyDeleteEven though it took me a long time to get through the book, I thought the plot was enjoyable and not difficult to understand. A difference I could see early on between Austen and Brontë is the formation of the plot. In Austen’s novel, the outcome was already known that Elizabeth and Darcy would get married, but we were ALWAYS on the edge of our seats of how we’d get to that point. She threw us major curveballs and forced us to question the outcome of the novel. Although Brontë does this to an extent, we often can predict what will happen next, most likely because undertones and themes in the novel are used in present day novels. It was obvious that Helen had a traumatic experience with alcohol in the beginning of the novel. It was obvious that Helen wasn’t going to be in Wildfell Hall for long. It was obvious that Gilbert and Helen would get together in the end. It was obvious that Lawrence had greater significance than he was credited in the beginning. The predictability was frustrating, however, I was caught off guard when Gilbert was alerted that Helen was getting married. I was close to the end of the book and I was confused to that plot twist because it was almost too late to implement. It was disappointing to not get the Darcy-Elizabeth conversation at the end that ties it together and proves any final suspicions.
ReplyDeleteIt frustrated me that Huntington had unrealistic expectations of Helen’s affections with the way he treated her. “‘The cases are different,’ he replied. ‘It is a woman’s nature to be constant—to love one and one only, blindly, tenderly, and for ever—bless them, dear creatures! and you above them all; but you must have some commiseration for us, Helen; you must give us a little more licence, for, as Shakespeare has it.’” He has no right to expect Helen to love him blindly when he consistently treats her as inhumanely as he does.
One part I did laugh at because I predicted it at the end of Volume 1. When Helen gives Gilbert her diary, she rips out a page. I predicted that the page she ripped out described her affections for him. At the end of Volume 2, her diary ends, “November 3rd.—I have made some further acquaintance with my neighbours. The fine gentleman and beau of the parish and its vicinity (in his own estimation, at least) is a young . . . . * * * * * Here it ended. The rest was torn away. How cruel, just when she was going to mention me! for I could not doubt it was your humble servant she was about to mention, though not very favourably, of course.” Gilbert seemed annoyed that it ended so early so he had to talk to Helen to discover how she really felt about him.
Finishing this book was frustrating because although I wanted to find out what happened next, the way Mr. Huntington treated Helen upset me and I’d have to put the book down. I don’t understand why we had to endure 25 chapters of learning Mr. Huntington’s character when it was decided and discovered within 5. The sad part is that Anne obviously took inspiration from her own life with her brother, which is saddenning because it’s almost autobiographical, much like Jane Eyre. I think the Brontë’s had no choice but to write such autobiographical novels because they did endure such tragedies. I think it was there way of coping with their life. Much like Austen and Persuasion, I think they were giving themselves the happy endings they wish they had.