Objectives

• Analyse how Brontë constructs the Gothic atmosphere of Wuthering Heights through narrative framing, setting, and imagery in Chapters 1–3.
• Explain how Heathcliff's arrival and social displacement in Chapters 4–7 establish the novel's critique of class and property.
• Analyse how Brontë presents the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff in Chapters 9 and 15, using close reading of specific speeches and stage directions.
• Evaluate how the theme of revenge functions across Chapters 11, 17, and 21–24, tracing its consequences for Hareton, young Cathy, and Heathcliff himself.
• Write a sustained, evidenced analytical essay that constructs an argument about one of the novel's central themes, selecting and embedding quotations from across the text.

The sequence

1. Lesson 1: Gothic Framing and First Impressions: Chapters 1–3

   60 min · ch. 1, 2, 3

   Do now

   Take a glance at the carved inscription 'Hareton Earnshaw 1500' above the door of Wuthering Heights (Chapter 1). In two sentences, consider what a reader might anticipate from a house that boldly displays its name in stone, and which single word from the opening paragraph of Chapter 1 most effectively conveys the mood Brontë is creating? You don't need your book—just rely on your memory or intuition.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the window scene in Chapter 3, where Lockwood dreams that the child-ghost Catherine scratches at the glass and he rubs her wrist across the broken pane. Focus on one move: how Brontë layers the uncanny by making the Gothic intrusion feel physically real. For instance, 'the fir-bough repeated its teasing sound' before the hand appears, grounding the supernatural in the natural. Show students how to write a sentence that identifies this technique, quotes the relevant word or phrase, and then explains its impact on a reader unfamiliar with Catherine's story.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write an analytical paragraph of about 150 words in response to the following question: How does Brontë employ the narrative frame of Lockwood's visit in Chapters 1–3 to evoke a sense of Gothic unease? Each student must incorporate at least two quotations—one from the description of the Heights’ exterior in Chapter 1 (for instance, 'narrow windows… deeply set in the wall') and another from the ghost scene in Chapter 3. Additionally, students should explain how Lockwood's perspective as an outsider, who misinterprets what he observes, influences the reader's experience of dread. The completed paragraphs should be submitted at the end of the lesson for written feedback.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, explain why Brontë chooses to begin the novel with Lockwood's visit rather than with Nelly's account of Heathcliff's childhood — what does this ordering do to the reader's understanding of Heathcliff before we know his history?

2. Lesson 2: Outsider, Servant, Rival: Heathcliff's Origins in Chapters 4–7

   60 min · ch. 4, 5, 6, 7

   Do now

   Read this sentence from Chapter 4, where Nelly describes the young Heathcliff as 'a dirty, ragged, black-haired child' who speaks 'some gibberish that nobody could understand.' Write down three questions a Victorian reader might immediately have about this child, and then write one question a modern reader might ask that a Victorian reader likely wouldn't.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the moment in Chapter 7 when Catherine returns from Thrushcross Grange, visibly changed, and Heathcliff is forced to stand aside because Hindley orders him to 'stand behind' while the Linton children enter. Pay attention to the spatial language Brontë employs—Heathcliff is literally pushed to the margins of the room—and guide students in connecting this physical staging to the novel's themes surrounding class and property: Hindley's cruelty is not arbitrary but systematic, stripping Heathcliff of his name, education, and now, his social space.

   Independent task

   Students should compose an analytical paragraph of around 150 words that addresses this question: How does Brontë illustrate Heathcliff's social displacement in Chapters 4–7 as both a personal and structural issue? To support their argument, students need to quote from at least two of the following moments: Mr. Earnshaw's account of discovering Heathcliff in Liverpool (Chapter 4); Hindley's decision to stop Heathcliff's lessons and demote him to 'the rank of a servant' (Chapter 6); and the scene in Chapter 7 where Heathcliff is told to stand away from Catherine and the Lintons. Additionally, students must clearly discuss how the coverture and inheritance system of early nineteenth-century England influences Hindley's exercise of power. The paragraphs will be collected for written feedback.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence that completes this argument: Heathcliff's displacement in Chapters 4–7 is not only the result of Hindley's personal cruelty but also of a social system that defines belonging through ________, because Brontë shows us that ________.

3. Lesson 3: 'More Myself Than I Am': Catherine and Heathcliff in Chapters 9 and 15

   60 min · ch. 9, 15

   Do now

   Catherine's statement to Nelly in Chapter 9 that Heathcliff is 'more myself than I am' suggests a deep, intrinsic connection between her and Heathcliff, implying that he embodies aspects of her identity that she may not fully recognize or embrace herself. A word that Brontë might use to challenge or complicate that claim could be "obsession," indicating that their relationship transcends mere romance and delves into a more complex, possibly unhealthy dynamic.

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of Catherine's speech to Nelly in Chapter 9, which begins with “My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods,” and compare it to “my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath.” Focus on how Brontë uses the simile structure itself—not just the images—to create this contrast. The foliage simile is decorative and seasonal, while the rock simile is stripped of ornamentation. This approach will help students analyze sentence form alongside content, linking it to the Romantic tradition of discovering the sublime in landscapes.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write two interconnected analytical paragraphs totaling around 200 words that respond to the following question: How does Brontë depict the relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff as both transcendent and destructive in Chapters 9 and 15? The first paragraph should concentrate on Catherine's confession to Nelly in Chapter 9, incorporating the rock-and-foliage passage and discussing what the natural imagery reveals about Catherine's understanding of her own identity. The second paragraph should focus on the reunion scene in Chapter 15, particularly Heathcliff's accusation, "you have killed yourself," and Catherine's response, "I shall not be at peace." This paragraph must argue how Brontë illustrates through this final encounter that the relationship ultimately destroys both characters while simultaneously defining them. Both paragraphs should be submitted together for written feedback.

   Exit ticket

   In one sentence, explain what the shift in setting — from the kitchen at Wuthering Heights in Chapter 9 to the parlour at Thrushcross Grange in Chapter 15 — contributes to the meaning of each scene, and why that shift matters for how we judge Catherine.

4. Lesson 4: Revenge, Inheritance, and the Second Generation: Chapters 11, 17, and 21–24

   60 min · ch. 11, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24

   Do now

   In this moment from Chapter 11, Heathcliff teaches Hareton to curse Hindley, gaining a sense of power and control over his adversary. Meanwhile, Hareton loses a part of his innocence and the potential for a healthier relationship with Hindley. This act raises the question: is it simply revenge, or does it serve a deeper motive for Heathcliff?

   Teacher input

   Model a close reading of the passage in Chapter 21 where Heathcliff tells Nelly that watching Hareton is 'a source of great amusement' because Hareton is 'gold put to the use of paving-stones.' Focus on one move: Brontë uses a metaphor that highlights Heathcliff's intelligence, his disdain for the class system that once devalued him, and his own moral decay — he has become the one who stifles potential. Guide students to consider this single metaphor as a lens for interpreting the entire trajectory of Heathcliff's quest for revenge, linking Chapter 21 back to his own decline in Chapters 4–7.

   Independent task

   Students are required to write two connected analytical paragraphs totaling around 200 words, addressing the question: How does Brontë depict Heathcliff's revenge in Chapters 11, 17, and 21–24 as both triumphant and self-defeating? The first paragraph should concentrate on Heathcliff's methodical destruction of Hindley and Hareton, incorporating quotes from Chapter 11 (the cursing scene) and Chapter 17 (Isabella's description of Hindley's death and Heathcliff's takeover of the Heights). It should argue how Brontë illustrates revenge as a reflection of the initial injustice. The second paragraph must analyze Chapters 21–24, focusing on Heathcliff's manipulation of young Cathy and Linton Heathcliff to gain control of Thrushcross Grange. It should argue that the forced marriage in Chapter 23 reveals the coverture system that Heathcliff takes advantage of. Students need to make a clear evaluative statement about whether Brontë portrays Heathcliff as a villain, a victim, or a combination of both. The paragraphs will be collected for written feedback.

   Exit ticket

   Write one sentence explaining why Brontë has Heathcliff save the infant Hareton from falling in Chapter 9 — an act of instinctive kindness — and then spend the next fifteen years deliberately degrading that same child: what does this contradiction reveal about how Brontë constructs Heathcliff's character?

5. Lesson 5: Synthesis Essay: Haunting, Obsession, and the Cost of Revenge

   60 min · ch. 9, 15, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

   Do now

   Read the last paragraph of Chapter 25, where Nelly mentions that locals have spotted Heathcliff and a woman on the moors, just as Hareton and young Cathy prepare to leave Wuthering Heights for Thrushcross Grange. In two sentences, explain what has been resolved by the novel's conclusion and what Brontë has intentionally left open-ended — consider why that sense of incompleteness could be significant.

   Teacher input

   Model the construction of an essay introduction using the question below. Teach students to craft an opening sentence that asserts a claim rather than simply rephrasing the question. Show them how to incorporate a quotation from Chapter 25 — Heathcliff's admission to Nelly that "I have lost the faculty of enjoying their destruction" — into a sentence that supports the argument instead of just illustrating it. Additionally, guide them on how to indicate the essay's structure in a sentence without mechanically listing points. On the board, demonstrate how the same quotation can be used to support opposing viewpoints, and help students choose a stance and fully commit to it.

   Independent task

   Sure! Here’s a humanized version of your text:

   ---

   Write a full essay of 500–600 words that responds to the question: 'In Wuthering Heights, Brontë shows that revenge ultimately consumes the avenger more than it harms their victims.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Your essay should: start with a clear argument that takes a stance on the question; develop that argument over at least three paragraphs, each making a separate point; reference evidence from at least four chapters, including Chapter 9 (Catherine's confession and Heathcliff's departure), Chapter 15 (the final meeting), at least one of Chapters 21–24 (the second-generation plot), and Chapter 25 (Heathcliff's death and the haunting); include at least five quotations, each followed by an analysis of specific word choices or structural effects; and conclude by assessing how far the novel supports, complicates, or challenges the claim in the question. Essays should be written in full under timed conditions and submitted at the end of the lesson.

   ---

   This version maintains the original meaning and structure while sounding more natural.

   Exit ticket

   Read back your opening sentence: does it make a claim that could be argued against, or does it simply describe what happens in the novel? Write one sentence explaining how you would strengthen your argument if you had ten more minutes — which quotation would you return to, and what would you say about it that you did not manage to say in the essay?

Activities

Assessment

• Lesson 1 exit ticket: student can articulate why narrative ordering — Lockwood before Nelly — shapes the reader's experience of Heathcliff, demonstrating understanding of narrative framing.
• Lesson 2 paragraph: marker checks whether the student connects Hindley's personal cruelty to the structural conditions of inheritance and coverture, not just retells events.
• Lesson 3 double paragraph: marker checks whether the student analyses the form of Catherine's similes — not just their imagery — and whether the second paragraph makes a genuine argument about the reunion scene rather than summarising it.
• Lesson 4 double paragraph: marker checks whether the student makes an explicit evaluative claim about Heathcliff as villain, victim, or both, and whether evidence from at least three chapters is integrated rather than listed.
• Lesson 5 exit ticket: student identifies a specific quotation they would return to and articulates what further analysis they would add, demonstrating metacognitive awareness of their own argument.

Standards covered

Common Core 11 12

• RL.11-12.1 — Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
• RL.11-12.3 — Analyse the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama — including where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed.
• RL.11-12.5 — Analyse how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
• W.11-12.1 — Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

AP Literature

• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1) — Explain the function of word choice, imagery, and syntax in a literary text.
• Figurative Language (FIG-1) — Explain the function of a specific figure of speech in a literary text.
• Character (CHR-1) — Explain the function of a character, including their role in the development of the narrative.
• Narration (NAR-1) — Explain the function of point of view, including the reliability of the narrator, in a literary text.
• Literary Argumentation (LAN-1.B) — Develop a thesis that makes a defensible claim about an interpretation of literature.

AQA

• AO1 — Read, understand and respond to texts; maintain a critical style and develop an informed personal response; use textual references, including quotations, to support and illustrate interpretations.
• AO2 — Analyse the language, form and structure used by a writer to create meanings and effects, using relevant subject terminology where appropriate.
• AO3 — Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written and received.
• AO5 (Language) — Communicate clearly, effectively and imaginatively, selecting and adapting tone, style and register for different forms, purposes and audiences.

Edexcel

• AO1 — Articulate informed, personal and creative responses to literary texts, using associated concepts and terminology, and coherent, accurate written expression.
• AO2 — Analyse ways in which meanings are shaped in literary texts, with reference to language, form and structure.
• AO3 — Demonstrate understanding of the significance and influence of the contexts in which literary texts are written and received.
• AO4 — Explore connections across literary texts.

IB Lit

• Criterion A — Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the text and its context, including how context shapes meaning.
• Criterion B — Analyse the ways in which the author's choices of language, structure, technique and style shape meaning.
• Criterion C — Organise ideas into a sustained and coherent argument with a clear line of reasoning supported by textual evidence.