Guided Questions for Chapters I-IX
Why did Charlotte Bronte feel the need to write a second preface? On what grounds had reviewers criticized Emily’s work? (anonymous, unfeminine, immoral)
What explanations of her sister’s life are needed? (explanation of her solitary, unsophisticated existence) What had been reviewers' responses to the sisters' efforts?
In her earlier preface, what does Charlotte Bronte seem to believe about her sister's character? (fiercely independent, high-minded) Her book? (a work of inspired, irresistible genius)
What features does she feel the need to explain, and on what grounds? (character of Heathcliff)
What features of the novel does she admire? Would Emily have agreed with her characterizations of Nelly Dean and Heathcliff?
What may have prompted Emily Brontë to choose Mr. Lockwood as her first narrator? How is his temperament suited to inspire the reader's trust? What do we learn of his tastes and thoughts? His past behavior? (forms a contrast with the unconventional and malicious inhabitants of Wuthering Heights; like the reader, he views them from the outside)
Do any of the novel’s names carry associations?--e. g., Heathcliff or Wuthering Heights? Is it significant that the former bears no “Christian” name? What do you make of such names as Joseph and Zillow?
How does the isolation and location of the novel's northern Yorkshire setting influence the tone and events of the story? Are there symbolic elements to the descriptions of the houses and their landscapes? (e. g., guns)
What are some striking features of Lockwood's first encounter with the Heathcliff/Wuthering Heights family? Who is living there, and what forms of rudeness does each display? What unusual forms of behavior does he witness? Do they seem attached to one another?
What are advantages to the choice of Nelly Dean as the narrator of much of the family’s background? What are some of the ways in which she herself has been a participant in the tale?
To what extent is Nelly Dean a reliable narrator? A believable narrator? How does she judge some of her own past actions? At this early point in the tale, which behaviors of her employers does she favor? Does she seem fair-minded? Conventionally-minded?
What sequence of events causes Lockwood to be placed in Catherine Earnshaw Linton’s bedchamber? What are some important elements of the scene in the old bedchamber--for example, what seems the significance of the names scrawled on the windowpane? The dream in which Lockwood shatters the windowpane?
In what form does Catherine's voice enter the story? (enters through her diary--a story within a story within a story, and thus deeply true at a psychological level) What incidents and thoughts does the child-Catherine describe?
What seems the significance of the repeated forms of violence manifested by the characters?
What are some unusual structural features of the novel--its frames, multiple narrators, time gaps, and dreams? In these regards, does it remind you of other novels you have read?
Under what circumstances does Lockwood first notice that Heathcliff has shed a tear? Is this surprising, given his earlier behavior? What may have caused his pain?
How does the novel present religion? (chiefly used for purposes of repression and judgment; many references to the devil and witchcraft suggest evil rather than benign forces)
What purpose is served by the character of Joseph? What is significant about his social class and language? (speaks in Yorkshire dialect; in life the middle-class characters would also have had a regionally-inflected speech, if not as extreme a one, but their speech has been normalized, as was the custom.
What do Cathy and Hindley each desire that their father bring them from town? Are these choices symbolic? (a whip, a violin)
Why do you think Mr. Earnshaw brought home Heathcliff to his family? What does the novel indicate about Heathcliff's origins? (an orphan found in streets of Liverpool)
Do you think his account is credible? What alternate explanations could be suggested? Could Heathcliff could be an illegitimate child?
How do the other family members respond to him? (Hindley marginalizes him; Nelly mistreats him) How can you explain the negative reactions of others to him?
What do you make of the fact that he is often referred to as a "gypsy," and described as dark? Why isn’t he given a second name?
How does Nelly characterize Heathcliff’s life? (a “cuckoo’s story,” 37) What does this mean?
How does Nelly later explain her behavior to Heathcliff? Does she later change? Does she feel regret at her previous behavior?
What do we learn about Catherine’s childhood? How does she behave toward others? Who becomes her chief companion, and what do you think prompts this?
What events follow Mrs. Earnshaw’s death? (her husband dies soon after) How does the family’s life change after Mr. Earnshaw’s death soon afterwards? (Hindley marries a woman described as frail and frivolous)
How does the new Mrs. Earnshaw (Hindley’s wife) behave toward Heathcliff, and with what consequences? (deprived of education, forced to be a menial)
Under what circumstances does Catherine first visit Thrushcross Grange? Why isn’t Heathcliff permitted to enter with her? How do the Linton and Earnshaw young people respond to one another during their first visit?
What incident confirms the hostility between Heathcliff and Edgar? Who is more responsible? (Edgar first insults him; Heathcliff is first to be violent)
What does Heathcliff confide in Nelly that he regrets? What factors have caused Heathcliff's degredation? Does the novel imply that these could have been remedied? When he complains to Nelly, does she give him good advice?
Why do you think the author presents Lockwood’s praise of Nelly’s reading habits? (confirms her intelligence and reliability as narrator; literacy a class marker)
What fate is suffered by Frances Earnshaw? (dies in childbirth, giving birth to Hareton) Does this event seem consistent with other events in the novel? (outsiders don’t seem to thrive at Wuthering Heights) Do women seem to flourish in its atmosphere?
What are some consequences of her death? (Hindley degenerates into alcoholism and violence) How does Catherine behave during a visit from Edgar? (pinches Nelly, strikes Edgar) What do you make of these responses?
How does Edgar react? (forgives her) Are these events symbolic? (union begins with violence) Does the reader expect that this will be a happy union?
How does Hindley behave to his son Hareton? Had his father behaved in this way toward him? (no)
What sequence of events causes Heathcliff to leave Wuthering Heights? (Catherine’s lack of regard; he overhears her statement that to marry him would degrade her) What natural event occurs on his departure? (fall of a great tree)
What are Heathcliff's feelings toward Catherine, and to what extent are they reciprocated?
What does Catherine tell Nelly are her reactions to the thought of marriage to Edgar? Why does she intend to accept his proposal? Does she intend to separate from Heathcliff after her marriage? (assumes he will not leave her or marry) Does this seem realistic?
How does Nelly respond to Catherine’s confession? (impatient)
According to her speech to Nelly, what are her emotions toward Heathcliff? (“I am Heathcliff”) How would you interpret her speech in Freudian terms--does she feel love? Sisterhood? Possessiveness? Obsession?
How does Catherine respond to the news of Heathcliff’s departure? (falls sick) What sad event occurs when Catherine is taken to Thrushcross Grange to recuperate? (Mrs. Linton catches sick and dies) Does this outcome seem symbolic?
How does the novel treat themes of parenting and motherhood? (mothers seem weak and absent, fathers arbitrary and violent) Are there good parents in the novel? Which characters suffer from childhood neglect? What consequences follow harsh and arbitrary child-rearing practices?
I really enjoy this book so far. It is definitely a little confusing with all the names that are so similar to each other, but I love how dramatic it is and how these two families are so connected. I feel like the location of the novel is perfect because it is isolated, which relates to the families themselves. The family’s are very isolated, Heathcliff is described as a “solitary neighbour”, so I think the setting of the book definitely has purpose. Another thing I noticed is that I find myself constantly feeling bad for Heathcliff. Mr. Earshaw treated him with respect and care but when he died Heathcliff was treated terribly. Hindley was very mean to him and he eventually told Heathcliff he couldn’t be with Catherine ever, after their little incident at the Linton’s house, which was very hard for the two of them because they were such close friends. Heathcliff also had to watch as Catherine became closer with Edgar, which was hard for him because he had feelings for Catherine. Unfortunately there wasn’t much he could do about it because he was always left out of family gatherings. This is due to “Mrs. Linton [who] begged that her darlings might be kept carefully apart from that ‘naughty swearing boy.”. Also one time at a dinner party Heathcliff ‘misbehaved’, even though he was just sticking up for himself, and he was “locked up by the master”, Hindley. So this prevented Heathcliff from ever seeing Catherine. And later, Catherine ends up marrying Edgar, which is probably Heathcliff's worst nightmare, so he ends up running away. So throughout the book, so far, I feel terribly for Heathcliff because he was brought into a family that it giving him so many troubles. However, I am excited to read what he has been up to. Where did he go? How does he end up with Isabella?
ReplyDeleteSo far from reading Wuthering Heights, I found it to be an interesting but kind of confusing book. In the beginning when Lockwood goes to Mr. Heathcliff’s home and attempts to meet with him. However, he isn’t given very much kindness as people would normally give their guests. Later on, he was attacked by one of the dogs, but was luckily saved by the housekeeper. With all of this happening, it made me get an impression that Lockwood wasn’t exactly wanted or welcomed at the Wuthering Heights. In chapter two Lockwood meets a young woman. He is rather surprised to see her act as cold as she did. “I bowed and waited, thinking she would bid me take a seat. She looked at me, leaning back in her chair, and remained motionless and mute.” I also found it surprising at first to see that a woman would act that way especially during their time period. “She was slender, and apparently scarcely past girlhood: an admirable form, and the most exquisite little face that I have ever had the pleasure of beholding; small features, very fair; flaxen ringlets, or rather golden, hanging loose on her delicate neck; and eyes, had they been agreeable in expression, that would have been irresistible: fortunately for my susceptible heart, the only sentiment they evinced hovered between scorn and a kind of desperation, singularly unnatural to be detected there.” Lockwood finds her appearance to be appealing. The only problem he sees with her is that she isn’t as warm of a person as she could be and if she was able to show that side of herself then he see all of her features come together to show a remarkable person. Later on in the reading, when Catherine is recovering from the dog bite, she and Heathcliff are attempted to be transformed into decent people. Heathcliff rejects this idea and when he is told to shake hands he says ‘I shall not,’ replied the boy, finding his tongue at last; ‘I shall not stand to be laughed at. I shall not bear it!’ However, Catherine agrees to change her personality, but she only acts this way around Linton. When she is around Heathcliff she acts the same way she had originally. This section shows that you can’t change a person to be the way you want them to be. While Linton tried to change her, she would just put on a mask for him during that time, but once he wasn’t there she went back to who she really was.
ReplyDeleteI think that although the book is very difficult to follow and accompanied by a tumultuous family tree, the events of the book are very raw and full of themes that speak to the entire novel and nature of humans as well. I think readers like myself understand how much weight and wisdom this novel contains and this truth is the driving force keeping us trudging through the pages, eager to not only finish, but to understand each page. In Chapters 1- 9, Lockwood shows a great curiosity to the establishment Wuthering Heights and although his treatment while he is there is less than welcoming, he leaves each time with more than enough pieces of information about Heathcliff and his family, to keep him intrigued in unraveling the truth of Heathcliff's past. One moment that I felt was particularly important for both Heathcliff and Lockwood during his visit, was during the time when Lockwood was staying over at Wuthering Heights after being chased by the hounds and getting a bloody nose. In the area where he sleeps, he gets a nightmare and is awoken by a branch that is tapping the window. When Lockwood attempts to break the branch with his hand, he finds a ghostly hand instead, that greabs his hand and he hears a sobbing voice crying the name, "Catherine Linton." The voice demands to be let in. In an attempt to stop the ghost, Lockwood tries to block the window with some books, but when that fails, Heathcliff enters the scene and is angry at Lockwood (who now believes that the room is haunted) and then cries out the window himself, begging Catherine to return. I think this "ghost hand" in the room where Lockwood slept, is the preserved scene from the past of Heathcliff's life. It is assumed that Catherine (Heathcliff's lover) has passed away and I believe this ghost of her might have been displaying the circumstances at which the tragic event occurred. The fact that the weather is so aggressive atop Wuthering heights and that Catherine was willing to make her way through the landscape of the moors is un -explainable and it truly speaks to the obsession that existed between Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship. Also, because Heathcliff was able to "see" Catherine in the window, shows just how much he too was obsessed with her and is even throwing his principles of life and death out the window just so he can make himself believe that she was there. This is why instead of telling Lockwood to go to sleep, he shouts out the window in a desperate attempt to bring Catherine back. However, although this explanation for Heathcliff's behavior is believable, I am still unsure about why Lockwood was able to see Catherine's ghost even though he shared no prior relationship with her that would make him cling to life ( like Heathcliff.) A possible explanation for this, could be that the the blizzard that killed her in real life swallowed her soul the day she died and now, whenever the the blizzard returns, it brings the life of Catherine along with it. Once I continued with this idea while I continued reading the book I applied the eeriness of Wuthering Heights to the presence of this ghost of Catherine and I named her the cause of all of the dreary and unsettling features about the establishment. I also considered her as a theme and symbol to Heathcliff and the book. Catherine's ghost represents guilt and regret found in Heathcliff and that guilt visits and hangs over the house to drive guests away and to drive Heathcliff insane.
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ReplyDeleteIn the first couple of chapters in the book, Mr Lockwood arrives in Wuthering Heights but is not welcomed nicely by the landowner, Mr Heathcliff, and his family. Heathcliff did not like Lockwood at first, and ended up locking him in a room with snarling dogs. Lockwood is attacked by the dogs again after one of the servants believes Lockwood is stealing a lantern. This happens because no one helps him when he asks for a guide home in the middle of a blizzard. I am beginning to notice that Wuthering Heights is not a very nice or welcoming place, especially after Lockwood encounters a ghost in the middle of the night. The people seem to be very odd and suspicious. When Lockwood meets a beautiful young woman and tries to introduce himself, she responds coldly and rudely. He assumed this woman was Heathcliff's wife but finds out it is rather his daughter-in-law. “I bowed and waited, thinking she would bid me take a seat. She looked at me, leaning back in her chair, and remained motionless and mute.” Lockwood finds her very attractive but is surprised by her behavior towards him. However, as the novel carries on, we are given a glimpse into the past of the Wuthering Heights' inhabitants and the reasons for this strange behavior.
ReplyDeleteDespite the complex writing style with multiple narrators, I'm thoroughly enjoying this reading. I'll admit it is tough at times (with all the Catherines in the story and the insane family tree), but aside from that, it's a really unique story. Though, it does have some parts that are a bit out of left field. Like the bleeding ghost scene. It was so absurd and out of the blue that I couldn't help but laugh out of sheer confusion. It was very well written, though. Heathcliff also reminds me of Darcy with his cold manner and very taciturn attitude towards everyone. I was reminded of our old pal Darcy during the reading and couldn't help but laugh at that as well.
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