TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
1. Based on his reactions to his treatment by the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights, what kind of society is Lockwood used to?
2. Lockwood smugly accounts for Heathcliff’s behavior by implying that Heathcliff is just like Lockwood himself. Does Lockwood “read” his host accurately?
3. Why does Lockwood give such a thorough description of Wuthering Heights?
4. Is Hindley’s strong aversion for Heathcliff justified?
5. Emily Bronte is careful to emphasize the contrasts between Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange. Aside from the obvious surface differences, what are the deeper implications of these contrasts?
6. Catherine Linton is particularly delighted when Hareton learns to read. What does her attitude toward his education imply?
IDEAS FOR REPORTS AND PAPERS
1. A major obstacle to Heathcliff and Cathy’s romance is their lack of financial security. Report on the economic prospects for women in late eighteenth-century England.
2. The moors play a role in Wuthering Heights almost as important as that played by the Characters. Give a detailed description of the characteristic environmental conditions of a moor.
3. Several of the Themes of Wuthering Heights (for example, the powerful influence of the environment on human beings) are evident in Emily Bronte’s poems. Read some of her poems in Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell, and compare the Themes of the poems to those of the novel.
4. Compare and Contrast the Characters of Cathy Earnshaw and her daughter, Catherine Linton.
5. Catherine Linton tells Heathcliff that he is a “cruel man” but not a “fiend.” Trace the development of Heathcliff’s character in the novel and support or refute young Catherine’s assessment of Heathcliff.
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