The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

 Synopsis

Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham, a beautiful and secretive young woman who has moved into nearly Wildfell Hall with her young son. He is quick to offer Helen his friendship, but when her reclusive behaviour becomes the subject of local gossip and speculation, Gilbert begins to wonder whether his trust in her has been misplaced. It is only when she allows Gilbert to read her diary that the truth is revealed and the shocking details of the disastrous marriage she has left behind emerge. Told with great immediacy, combined with wit and irony, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman's fight for domestic independence and creative freedom.

Loved

• Helen. Helen is probably the most saintly protagonist one could wish for- she is ever charitable, forgiving, compassionate, and sticks to her virtue and values through the stickiest and most painful of situations. I know you're already worried that she's a total doormat and/or has no personality-- she does have personality, a great one in fact. She has her own wit and cleverness that she uses to her advantage, and which is rarely appreciated by others. She also has a quiet strength and dignity that elevate her above everyone else in her influence, and her goodness clearly sets her apart from her circle.

• Helen's girl power. Now this is not the kind of girl power we think of today, where the girl is an assassin and takes down 30 guys without breaking a sweat, then walks away swaggering her amazingly perfect hips (I'm looking at you Scarlet Johansson . . . ) This is a much more refined, pure and diligent girl power. This is Helen standing up to her best friend's drunk husband as he abuses her, Helen shutting the door in her husband's face as he tries to control her, Helen deciding to escape and face a life of loneliness and poverty instead of be subject to the heartache of un unfaithful and narcissistic husband. Much of this book was painful to read because Helen is treated so disgustingly, but watching her keep her dignity and goodness about her as she handles the situations is downright inspiring. She reminded me of the Bishop in Les Mis with her desire to follow Christ and treat others as He would.

• The romance. The beginning of this story gives major Pride and Prejudice vibes, and I was totally here for it. The present-tense of the story is told from Gilbert's perspective, and who doesn't love a romance from the man's view? If the book was only about their romance, this book would probably be a lot more popular and would be rivaling Jane Eyre. However, that would undermine the whole point of the story, and clearly Anne Bronte did not mean for this to be a fun, light love story.

• The writing. I've heard some people say that Charlotte was the best author of the three Bronte sisters, but I loved Anne's writing. As far as classics go, it was so easy to read, seamless, and engaging. Her writing is clear and precise, without a lot of whimsy or poetic imagery- which fit the story. The story is heavy, but the writing carries the reader through quickly.

• The characterization. Anne Bronte is so skilled at helping readers understand the characters by showing what they are like, not telling us. Especially with Mr. Huntington- he is such an interesting villain because of the subtle hypocrisies and manipulations that eventually grow to become abusive. I think he is especially disturbing to read about because all of us know someone like him and she brings him to life so accurately.

• Motherhood. I'm sure this has everything to do with my being a new mother, but I really loved the theme of motherhood and watching Helen fight for her child. Little Arthur raised the stakes so much in this situation, much more than if it had just been Helen. As a new mom, I related so much to Helen and felt heartsick thinking about her (and so many real women's) situation with an abusive husband and a small child to raise and try to teach, love, and protect. I also like how this played into her romance with Gilbert, because it makes the story so relatable to many women's situations.

Didn't Love

• The suffering. This is necessary and the whole point of the book, but it's not a very fun story to read for much of it because Helen suffers so much and there's no light at the end of the tunnel for her. Knowing she escapes her situation makes it bearable to read but it is so painful watching her get treated so awfully. But it's the whole point of the story, so I shouldn't complain :)

• The ending. The ending is good, and I won't spoil too much. But it did feel really drawn out with miscommunication and assumptions that were very frustrating. I felt like after all Helen's suffering, the ending should just be clean cut and happy, but it was long, drawn out and almost as painful as her history. But it ended well and I was happy- I just wish it hadn't taken so long.

Content

• Language: 
• A few uses of "damn" and "hell."
• Mr. Huntington calls his wife a "slut."

• Sexual content: 
• Lots of references to an affair going on between two married people.
• A little innuendo.

• Violence
• Domestic violence- a man hurts his wife while drunk.
• A man hits another man over the head with a whip handle and causes serious injury.
• Other themes:
• Domestic abuse- mostly emotional and verbal, some physical and sexual implied.
• Alcohol- Debauchery is one of the main themes of this book and much of the story shows Mr. Huntington and his friends getting drunk and becoming violent, mean and unfaithful.

Overall Thoughts

The beginning of this story had me completely riveted and excited about the Pride and Prejudice- feeling romance, but then the whole middle of the story is so painful with Helen talking about her marriage. The whole tone of the book changes and it becomes very heavy, but cleverly, Anne gives us hope through it since we know Helen eventually escapes. This part wasn't fun to read because it was so sad and frustrating- but also inspiring as Helen handles everything with so much grace, goodness and dignity. Helen is one of my favorite protagonists I've ever read about and so easy to root for. Although the story is heavy, the writing is seamless and pushes the story along, keeping us engaged and interested. Overall, I loved this story. I loved watching Helen fight for her status as a woman and loved her tenderness as a mother. The romance alone is worth reading the story for, then add some dignified but jaw-dropping girl power and Anne Bronte nailed it. If you already love classics, definitely read this one. If you don't love classics, I would start with Jane Eyre, and then move on to this one. But for classics and Bronte fans, this is not to be missed!