Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë is a gothic novel about the destructive love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff. The story is set in the Yorkshire Moors and explores themes of love, revenge, and social class.
Reading and Writing Workshop: Exploring Wuthering Heights through a literary, historical, and thematic lens.
Begin by reading the work either in groups or as a class. If group reading, divide the work into sections and assign each group a section. As groups, they will read their section, write a summary of each chapter, and then each group reports on their chapters sequentially. As students read, they should complete the Novel Tracker. After reading and reporting on the entire novel, the workshop might consist of a single session or more. The goal is to engage participants in an exploration of life in an American religious colony through primary sources, and writing exercises that foster a deeper understanding of concepts such as English society, cultural norms, conflict, and resilience.
Objective: This workshop is divided into structured sessions, each focusing on reading, discussion, and writing activities to support student learning and context. The workshop incorporates public domain primary resources to deepen understanding and inspire creative expression. Students will also 1) Analyze the themes and character dynamics of the novel, 2) Examine primary sources to contextualize the novel's setting and societal norms. and 3) Develop creative writing pieces inspired by the novel and its historical context.
Session 1: Introduction to Wuthering Heights
Session 2: The Byronic Hero and Romanticism
Session 3: Social Class and Gender Roles
Session 4: Nature and the Sublime
Session 5: Revenge and Psychological Depth
Session 6: Ghosts, Hauntings, and the Gothic Legacy
Session 7: Narrative Style and Unreliable Narrators
Final Writing Project: Creative Response to Wuthering Heights
Public Domain Primary Resources Summary
Begin by reading the work either in groups or as a class. If group reading, divide the work into sections and assign each group a section. As groups, they will read their section, write a summary of each chapter, and then each group reports on their chapters sequentially. As students read, they should complete the Novel Tracker. After reading and reporting on the entire novel, the workshop might consist of a single session or more. The goal is to engage participants in an exploration of life in an American religious colony through primary sources, and writing exercises that foster a deeper understanding of concepts such as English society, cultural norms, conflict, and resilience.
Objective: This workshop is divided into structured sessions, each focusing on reading, discussion, and writing activities to support student learning and context. The workshop incorporates public domain primary resources to deepen understanding and inspire creative expression. Students will also 1) Analyze the themes and character dynamics of the novel, 2) Examine primary sources to contextualize the novel's setting and societal norms. and 3) Develop creative writing pieces inspired by the novel and its historical context.
Session 1: Introduction to Wuthering Heights
- Discussion Topics:
- Overview of the novel’s structure, setting, and themes.
- Understanding dual narrators and frame storytelling.
- Public Domain Primary Resource:
- On the Supernatural in Poetry by Ann Radcliffe (1826) – a foundational Gothic text.
- Activities:
- Read the first three chapters of Wuthering Heights.
- Reflect on how Brontë establishes atmosphere.
- Writing Exercise: Describe a setting that evokes an emotional response using gothic elements.
Session 2: The Byronic Hero and Romanticism
- Discussion Topics:
- Characteristics of the Byronic hero.
- How Heathcliff embodies or challenges this archetype.
- Public Domain Primary Resource:
- Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage by Lord Byron (1812) – a model of the Byronic hero.
- Activities:
- Compare Heathcliff’s traits with Childe Harold.
- Debate: Is Heathcliff a hero, villain, or something in between?
- Writing Exercise: Create a monologue from Heathcliff’s perspective reflecting on his love for Catherine.
Session 3: Social Class and Gender Roles
- Discussion Topics:
- Class structure and its impact on character choices.
- Catherine’s conflict between love and status.
- Gender expectations in the 19th century.
- Public Domain Primary Resource:
- A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft (1792) – argues for women’s independence.
- Activities:
- Analyze Catherine’s decisions in light of Wollstonecraft’s ideas.
- Discuss how class and gender influence the characters' destinies.
- Writing Exercise: Write a diary entry from Catherine’s perspective, reflecting on her internal struggle.
Session 4: Nature and the Sublime
- Discussion Topics:
- The role of the Yorkshire moors.
- How nature reflects characters’ emotions.
- Public Domain Primary Resource:
- Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1798) – captures the beauty and terror of nature.
- Activities:
- Identify passages where nature mirrors Heathcliff and Catherine’s relationship.
- Writing Exercise: Compose a Romantic poem inspired by the moors in Wuthering Heights.
Session 5: Revenge and Psychological Depth
- Discussion Topics:
- The theme of revenge and its effects on Heathcliff.
- Psychological motivations behind the characters’ actions.
- Public Domain Primary Resource:
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1844) – a novel of calculated vengeance.
- Activities:
- Compare Heathcliff’s revenge to that of Edmond Dantès.
- Discuss: Is Heathcliff justified in his actions?
- Writing Exercise: Write an alternate scene where Heathcliff makes a different choice.
Session 6: Ghosts, Hauntings, and the Gothic Legacy
- Discussion Topics:
- Supernatural elements in Wuthering Heights.
- The significance of Catherine’s ghost.
- Public Domain Primary Resource:
- The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (1764) – the first Gothic novel.
- Activities:
- Compare the supernatural themes in Wuthering Heights and Otranto.
- Debate: Is the ghostly presence real or psychological?
- Writing Exercise: Write a ghost story inspired by Wuthering Heights.
Session 7: Narrative Style and Unreliable Narrators
- Discussion Topics:
- The novel’s use of multiple narrators.
- How Lockwood and Nelly shape the story.
- Public Domain Primary Resource:
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818) – a novel with multiple narrative frames.
- Activities:
- Compare Nelly and Lockwood’s reliability as narrators.
- Writing Exercise: Rewrite a key scene from a different character’s perspective.
Final Writing Project: Creative Response to Wuthering Heights
- Choose One:
- Modern Retelling: Reimagine Wuthering Heights in a contemporary setting.
- Epistolary Storytelling: Write a series of letters between Heathcliff and Catherine.
- Alternate Ending: Rewrite the novel’s conclusion with a different outcome.
Public Domain Primary Resources Summary
- On the Supernatural in Poetry by Ann Radcliffe
- Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage by Lord Byron
- A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
- Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge
- The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
- The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley