An exploration of Anne Bronte’s novel – The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

This resource is aimed at teachers of Senior Cycle English who are considering using this novel for 'The Single Text' on the Leaving Certificate course. This sensational, hard hitting and passionate tale of marital cruelty sees a mysterious new tenant at Wildfell Hall, Helen Graham, unmasked not as a 'wicked woman' but as the estranged wife of a brutal alcoholic bully, desperate to protect her young son. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a powerful depiction of a woman's fight for domestic independence and creative freedom, whilst also putting a spotlight on Victorian society exposing its hypocrisy and unmentioned darker edges. It is a powerful, controversial and subversive masterpiece. The resource examines: Plot Structure and Narration; predominant themes including violence, education and the rights of women. There is character analysis of Helen Graham, Gilbert Markham, Arthur Huntingdon, Eliza Millward and exploration of Language and Imagery.