The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

There are various forms of communication, both private and public, used in the novel: letters, community gossip, a private diary. What role do these modes of communication play in illustrating some of the novel’s key themes? How do they aid in characterization?

Compare the various marriages in the novel. What does the novel suggest is the true basis for romance or intimacy? What are the characteristics of a bad marriage? How do men and women respond to marital expectations in the novel?

How is addiction depicted in the novel? How do different characters deal with, or respond to, addiction?

Charlotte Brontë attests that Anne was a “very sincere and practical Christian” (159). How are Christian values defined and depicted in the novel?

Consider the evolution of Gilbert Markham as a character. What does the novel imply about masculinity and gentlemanly behavior in Gilbert and in his foils such as Arthur Huntingdon, Frederick Lawrence, or Walter Hargrave? What is “true” masculinity in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall?

Analyze the role of art in the novel. How does Helen's painting provide insight or structure in terms of the novel’s narrative, characterization, symbols, and/or themes?

While The Tenant of Wildfell Hall has been praised for its realistic depictions of addiction and abuse, it also contains traces of Romanticism—a literary movement that strongly influenced the Brontë sisters. What elements of Romanticism appear in the novel? How do these elements provide contrast with the novel’s realism? What purpose do these elements of Romanticism serve?

Although both Helen and Millicent experience abuse and end up happy at the close of the novel, they arrive at their happy conclusions in different ways. How do their experiences contrast with one another’s? Does Hargrave’s reformation reinforce or complicate the novel’s ideas about marriage, responsibility, and/or redemption?