Wuthering Heights
After reading the first section of the novel, use the following questions to write ONE reflective paragraph in response to your reading. Be sure to comment on at least TWO other posts. Simply agreeing with someone’s response is NOT appropriate; your comment should contribute to the conversation–adding new insight.
What information surprised you?
What did you question or think might not be accurate? How will you/did you check to see if it is correct?
What is the most important lesson/insight/piece of information learned?
What has been the most interesting?
What do you LIKE about the Bronte’s writing style?
How can you use the information/lesson/insights revealed in her narrative in your own life?
(All responses and comments are due by 11:59 pm on Wednesday,11/26/14.)
A Skirmish of Wit 
November 24th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
🙂
December 1st, 2014 at 12:17 am
It really surprised me that Mr. Earnshaw treated a poor orphan better than his own child. Normally a parent would favor their children over others, especially the lower class orphan. I was confused and questioned some of the relationships of people and how they relate to each other so I looked at the family tree to draw in the connections. The most important aspects of the story I’ve learned so far is all of the characters and who they are and how they relate and act with one another. I found Lockwood’s dream to be very interesting. I also found parts of the dream to be confusing. I really like how the Bronte’s writing style goes out of its way to put two narrators in the story just to make bad readers confused more easily. But I was surprised that the book’s language wasn’t too bad for such an old book. I can use this information in my life not to assume someone’s personality because everyone is different.
November 24th, 2014 at 2:07 pm
It worked
November 24th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
Hi
November 24th, 2014 at 2:08 pm
🙂
November 24th, 2014 at 2:09 pm
hi
November 24th, 2014 at 2:15 pm
Hi
November 24th, 2014 at 2:35 pm
The information that surprised me was when Mr. Earnshaw brought back a sick dying child from his journey and Mrs. Earnshaw was not the least bit concerned for the child and she wanted nothing to do with it. I questioned Mr. Lockwood’s assessment of the relationships between the people he just met. In order to check the relationship’s I looked back at the family tree in the front of the book and also paid close attention to when Mrs. Dean cleared him up on the family connections. The most important thing learned is everyone’s characters. Knowing everyone’s attitudes and thoughts helps you follow the book more clearly. The most interesting part, to me, is Mrs. Dean’s explanation to Mr. Lockwood of the family’s history. I like how Bronte uses a lot of dialogue and tells the story through Mrs. Dean’s point of view. One of her evident lessons is that everyone is going to react differently and feel differently about certain situations, for example, when Mr. Earnshaw brought home the child. You can use this in everyday life by being aware that not everyone will agree with you or react the same way as you do.
November 25th, 2014 at 1:39 pm
I found it surprising that Catherine felt she shared the same soul with Heathcliff yet went ahead and married Edgar for social status. She claimed all these feelings for Heathcliff and put them aside when he was not accepted by Hindley or the Lintons.
November 25th, 2014 at 10:55 pm
It was surprising that Mrs. Earnshaw didn’t care about Heathcliff at all. It shows a huge contrast in character between Mr. and Mrs. Earshaw because Mr. Earshaw favored Heathcliff without even knowing the child. I am glad that Mrs. Dean explained the family relationships to Mr. Lockwood. It really helped me. I agree with the lesson that you pointed out.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:13 am
I was shocked to find out the Mrs. Earnshaw didn’t care about the orphan. And when Catherine married Edgar for social status even though she had all those feelings for Heathcliff. I feel like these characters personalities are the opposite of what you think they should be.
November 25th, 2014 at 12:53 pm
What surprised me was that Mr. Earnshaw, an upper-class citizen, took in a lower-class orphan and treated him more like a son than his actual son. During Mrs. Dean’s story, I kept questioning the relationships to one another. To check myself, I kept referring to the family tree at the beginning of the book and reading the character descriptions on SparkNotes. The most important lesson learned is that how you act in the future in based on how you were treated when you were younger. For example, Hindley was treated poorly when Mr. Earnshaw brought home Heathcliff so, in return, Hindley treats Heathcliff unwelcomely. The most interesting thing to me is how Mrs. Dean is able to recollect the events even 23 years later to where Mr. Lockwood and the reader could follow along and try to piece everything together. I like how Bronte tells the story through different characters perspectives letting us see how others viewed the situation. You can use the information she reveals in your own life by knowing that sometimes it is better to do what is best for you even if it is not best for everyone else.
November 25th, 2014 at 2:57 pm
I thought it was surprising that Mr.Earnshaw took in the child, as well. The family tree also helped me and I didn’t think to look at the SparkNotes. That might help me in the future. I agree with the lesson you took from the story. It is very true and most definitely can be transferred to real life.
November 25th, 2014 at 10:50 pm
It is interesting that Mrs. Dean can remember all of those details so many years later. I think that sometimes a person’s future is based on their childhood, but not always. I do agree that in certain situations it is better to put yourself first, but other peoples feelings and opinions should be considered as well. Looking at SparkNotes is a great idea.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:12 am
I agree i think it was a very interesting move by Mr.Earnshaw to take in an orphan considering his high class status. I do agree that that is a valuable lesson to learn from this book, it is important to put others before you. Another lesson from this book that i noticed would be that It doesn’t really matter what people think about you.
November 26th, 2014 at 4:01 pm
I also like how Bronte tells the story through many characters point of view, and not just one. Each person views the other people in a different way. Having a writing technique with a lot of dialogue helps make the story more interesting and easier to understand.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
It was interesting that Mrs. Dean could remember all the details for so many years. That’s a very long time to be able to tell every detail so clearly. I also think looking at sparknotes would help me to understand the story better.
November 25th, 2014 at 2:47 pm
I do not think Wuthering Heights is very interesting so far. While I do think I might enjoy it later on, I cannot relate to any of the characters right now and that makes it difficult for me to become emotionally invested in them. I think the authors writing style is unique and works well with the tone of the book.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:23 am
I agree that the author’s writing style is unique. Bronte’s writing style depends heavily on descriptive writing. This allows for her to illustrate the details of her characters’ inner thoughts and being. So far, I think Wuthering Heights has had its interesting moments, but mostly I find it not very interesting. It’s hard to keep up with the characters and know how they all fit together.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:05 pm
I agree. I find the book difficult to understand. It doesn’t help that there are so many details to keep straight. I find myself constantly checking character descriptions online, and the family tree to keep it all straight.
December 3rd, 2014 at 2:31 pm
I agree. It is very bland so far but has gradually been picking up the pace.
November 25th, 2014 at 10:40 pm
It surprised me that Mr. Heathcliff was once a homeless orphan that was taken in by the wealthy Mr. Earnshaw. Mr. Earnshaw favored Heathcliff over his own children! A lesson that could be learned from this story is to do what you feel is right and not to worry about what other people think about you, just like Mr. Earnshaw. I find the dream that Mr. Lockwood had while staying in Wuthering Heights interesting and somewhat confusing. I really like Bronte’s writing style because even though the book is around two hundred years old, it is still easy to understand. I love how Bronte puts a story within a story and uses two different narrators.
November 26th, 2014 at 9:33 am
I thought it was interesting how Mr.Earnshaw took the poor boy in, also. I found the dream a little confusing too but I think that Bronte might have wanted us to be a little confused to show how confused Mr. Lockwood is. I also like that she puts a story inside a story. It adds a twist to the book.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:08 am
I thought the Bronte’s writing was somewhat difficult to understand, But i also enjoy the fact that she uses stories within to make the book overall easier to understand.
November 27th, 2014 at 12:32 am
Yes, I agree 100%. The style and word choice threw me off at times, especially Joseph’s speaking. Although sometimes hard to comprehend, the storyline kept me going and interested throughout the story so far, as more surprising stories are unveiled and tie together.
December 3rd, 2014 at 2:34 pm
I agree as well but with time you start to get used to it.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:17 am
I also thought it was interesting how Mr. Earnshaw liked Heathcliff better than his own children. The way that Earnshaw treated Heathcliff made his own son jealous, which caused his son to treat Heathcliff poorly. I also thought the dream was confusing. I totally agree about how even though the book is older, it is still easy to follow.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
I like the message this book carries. I think we should all learn to put others first, and not care what people think sometimes.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:24 am
I as well find Bronte’s writing style easy to comprehend. Although the book is around two hundred years old, the only character that is a bit difficult to understand would be Joseph. He speaks with a Yorkshire accent that will take some reading over again to fully comprehend what he is saying. I also like how Bronte uses two different narrators. It allows for the novel to have a change in pace and it prevents the novel from falling flat.
November 26th, 2014 at 3:42 pm
I found Bronte’s writing style to be a little difficult to understand, especially when she switches narrators. I agree that you shouldn’t care what people think if you truly feel you’re doing the right thing. I feel if you do that it makes you an all around better person and things will end up working out.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:59 pm
Even though the book is difficult to understand, the story overall is entertaining when you get past the language.
November 26th, 2014 at 9:43 pm
I also found the dream that Lockwood had at Wuthering Heights very confusing. It wasn’t until the end of the dream that I finally understood what was going on. I still don’t really understand the part about Lockwood and Joseph going to the church.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:05 am
I was surprised by the amount of information that Mrs. Dean reveals about Mr. Heathcliff. I didn’t know who Catherine Linton was, so i checked my family tree in my book. The most important thing i leaned in this first section was how everyone is related along with their characters. Also the history of the house and people in it seemed to be important. To me the dream was really interesting and the writing on the window in Lockwood’s bed room.I enjoy the different points of view in Emily Bronte utilizes to help us understand the book better. I can use the lessons in this book in my own life to know that i should never sleep in a house that old, and never to judge the relationships of others as Lockwood did.
November 26th, 2014 at 9:45 pm
I also really like how everyone in the book relates to each other in some way. Once you figure out who is who and who knows who the story is a lot easier to understand.
November 26th, 2014 at 11:02 pm
I like how connected the characters actually are the novel. Its like a puzzle, I keep learning about the relationships and gathering more information about each one. Determining how Cathy portrays herself was realistically overwhelming.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:10 am
I was surprised how Heathcliff was a homeless orphan that Mr. Earnshaw had brought home and treated more like a son than his own children. I questioned Mr. Lockwood’s assumptions of the other’s relationships. In order to check if the relationships were correct or not, I went and checked the family tree in the front of the book and Mrs. Dean also cleared up the family relationships. I learned that you can’t assume someone’s attitude/character. For example, Mr. Earnshaw was welcoming and warm to Heathcliff, while Mrs. Earnshaw didn’t show much sympathy towards him. I found it interesting how Mr. Earnshaw’s son treated Heathcliff. Yes, it is normal to be jealous, but you should take in consideration what the other person has been through or doesn’t have. I like how Bronte’s writing is easy to follow considering she wrote this book in 1847. I think I can use her lessons in my life by being thankful for what I have, and not be jealous about what I don’t have because others aren’t as fortunate.
November 26th, 2014 at 6:43 pm
I was surprised about the same thing! It was very odd for Mr. Earnshaw to do that, no parent today would do that.
November 27th, 2014 at 2:30 pm
I also questioned Mr. Lockwoods because he was constantly getting all the relationships wrong, so now I try to check what he is saying before I accept it as absolute truth.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:21 am
What I found to be the most interesting, I also found surprising. I was surprised to find out that Mr. Heathcliff was taken in my Mr. Earnshaw. It shows that people have a heart. Mr. Earnshaw, an upper-class citizen, taking in Mr. Heathcliff, an orphan, and raising him like one of his own shows that no matter who you are on the outside, what matters most is who you are on the inside. He did what he considered to be the right thing to do at the time. The only thing I kept questioning was which characters belong together. By using the family tree at the beginning of the book and Sparknotes, I found it easy to keep up with which character is what. What I like about Bronte’s writing style is that it is unique and easy to comprehend even for the time period in which the novel was written. You can use the information revealed in Bronte’s narrative in your own life by doing what you know is right even if people consider it to be wrong.
November 26th, 2014 at 3:59 pm
I agree that is was interesting that Earnshaw took in Heathcliff as his own son. Mr. Earnshaw could have easily left Heathcliff. Instead, Mr. Earnshaw treated Heathcliff better than his own kids, which was very surprising.
November 27th, 2014 at 12:30 am
I included this in my comment, as well. This part struck to me. Mrs. Earnshaw should’ve reacted the same, as her husband actually took on the fatherly part and treated Heathcliff as his own. It was amazing.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:01 pm
I also found it interesting that Earnshaw took in Heathcliff. I also found her writing style to be relatively easy to understand considering the time period which it was written.
November 26th, 2014 at 3:56 pm
The information that surprised me was when the Linton’s started making visits to Cathy, and Cathy started treating Heathcliff badly. Cathy and Heathcliff were childhood friends, and got into mischief with each other. I cannot see how she can just treat her best friend mean after all they have been through. I was questioning who Mr. Earnshaw was when Nelly was telling the story. Mr. Earnshaw is now Hindley because his dad died and he now has taken over. I had to re-read the beginning of Nelly’s story to see who Mr. Earnshaw was. The most important information I learned is about each character and how they treat one another, because this treatment changes throughout. The most interesting part has been when I figured out that Hindley has a wife and they have a child. I was surprised when Hindley started being mean to his family and child after his wife died. Bronte uses conversations in her writing which keeps me easily engaged in the reading. The lesson in this book is that everyone can change in life, but you have to make the best out of every situation.
November 26th, 2014 at 6:41 pm
It is interesting how Cathy treats Heathcliff badly even though they did grow up together.
November 26th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
It was very surprising to me that Mr. Earnshaw treated an orphan better than he treated his actual real kids. I questioned the odd relations from Mrs. Dean’s story. To check to see if it was correct I used the family tree to line up the characters. I learned that judging people to quickly can give you a false interpretation of someone. The most interesting was the part was when the old man sent the dogs to attack Lockwood, it was funny. I do not really enjoy Bronte’s writing style to be honest. I can use the information from this story to know that everyone is different and not to assume everyone will act normally.
November 27th, 2014 at 2:35 pm
I also am not the biggest fan of her writing style; I don’t know if its the time gap or what it is but i find it difficult to follow at times.
December 1st, 2014 at 12:19 am
It also surprised me that Mr. Earnshaw favored the ophan over his own kid. That just doesn’t make sense.
November 26th, 2014 at 9:38 pm
I think Bronte’s writing style is a little confusing to understand. However I like how she tells different stories told by different people throughout. To me it makes the book easier to understand. The part that surprised me the most would have to be when Mr. Earnshaw brings home Heathcliff. It shows that Mr. Earnshaw is more of a loving character and that he is willing to take on responsibility of an orphan who he has no connection with whatsoever. It also surprised me when Mr. Earnshaw treated Heathcliff better than he treated his own son, normally it would be the other way around.
November 26th, 2014 at 9:58 pm
It surprised me that Heathcliff was an orphan taken in by Mr. Earnshaw who treated him better than his own child. I questioned the relationships among those in the story and had to periodically check the family tree in the front of the book. A lesson that could be learned is if you feel that something is the right thing to do, you should do it regardless of what others may say. I found the dream Mr. Lockwood had to be interesting. I like that Bronte switches narrators to give the reader more than one view of the situations. The lesson learned could be used in anyone’s life.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:09 pm
I like the book so far, even though I am finding it a little confusing. I am having to use sparknotes, and the family tree to keep everyone and the relationships straight. I found it very interesting that Mr. Earnshaw and Mrs. Earnshaw are so different. He is caring, and so willing to help the orphan, and she doesn’t seem to care at all. I’m still unsure on whether or not I like Brontes writing style.
November 26th, 2014 at 10:52 pm
I really like Bronte’s writing style; I didn’t expect to like the novel because it’s really old but it’s really interesting because I can’t predict anything! I like how most of the characters behave in ways that people in this generations don’t normally do like Mr. Earnshaw and Healthcliff’s relationship. Society doesn’t approve of what is happening in the novel because it’s not the norm but sometimes you should do what you think is right.
November 27th, 2014 at 12:28 am
Mrs. Earnshaw’s personality did not seem like it should whenever Mr. Earnshaw brought home a poor orphan, she didn’t care about it one bit. This surprised me quite a bit. Also the fact that Mr. Earnshaw, with his big status and all, actually took in this orphan as his own. This was the most interesting part to me, as well. I did not expect her reaction as so, and that intrigued me to keep reading. Although Bronte’s style of writing confuses me at times, once the story moves along, it begins to make more sense and clarifies itself a bit more. The conversations get deeper and the storyline behind to unfold as true characters are revealed, such as Hindley and his child, the Earnshaws, and Heathcliff.
November 27th, 2014 at 2:25 pm
I found it surprising that Mr.Heathcliff lived in a small house (Wuthering Heights) even though he owned Thrush Cross Grange. I thought that the characters might not be very accurate because Mr. Lockwood constantly was telling us the wrong thing like people who were married who were not.So Iused Google to see what characters where what to each other so I could get a better understanding of who was whom.I think the most important information learned is how Catherine, Heathcliff, and Hindley relationships with each other are.I think the most interesting thing is all the things Hindley does to Heathcliff because he hates him so much.The thing I like Bronte’s writing is how the characters all have very strong characteristics to them. The lesson i can apply to my own life is that some people may like you but refuse to be with you because of social status.
December 1st, 2014 at 12:24 am
I also thought the hateful relationship between Hindley and Heathcliff was interesting. The the things Hindley does to Heathcliff makes the book more fun to read.
December 3rd, 2014 at 2:30 pm
Bronte’s writing style is very different and unique. Its definitely something to get used to and can even be a hassle at first but once you get used to the way shes writes, you’ll be able to clearly transition from character to character.
December 9th, 2014 at 2:05 pm
It surprised me when Mr. Earnshaw adopted Heathcliff and treated him better than his own son, Hindley. I would question the relationships between the characters but I would refer back to the family tree in the beginning of the book. Bronte’s writing style is actually easier to read than I thought it would be, since the book was written so long ago.