Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of child abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What emotions did you experience while reading Wuthering Heights? How do these compare to your reactions to other Gothic romances, like Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre?

2. How does the novel’s frame narrative structure—with Lockwood and Nelly Dean as narrators—affect your understanding of the events? Which narrator did you find more reliable and/or relatable, and why?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Have you ever witnessed a relationship that seemed to bring out both the best and worst in two people? How does this compare to Catherine and Heathcliff’s dynamic?

2. Consider how social class affects the characters’ choices and relationships. When have you observed social expectations influencing important life decisions?

3. How do you relate to the theme of revenge versus forgiveness that runs throughout the novel? Have you experienced situations where you had to choose between these paths?

4. The younger generation ultimately breaks free from their parents’ destructive patterns. What do you think enables some people to overcome difficult family histories?