The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Gilbert Markham is deeply intrigued by Helen Graham, a beautiful and secretive young woman who has moved into nearby 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 ahs left behind emerge. Told with great immediacy, combined with wit and irony, The Tenant of Wildfell Hal l is a powerful depiction of a woman's struggle for domestic independence and creative freedom.

In her introduction Stevie Davies discusses The Tenant of Wildfell Hal as feminist testament, inspired by Anne Bronte's experiences as a governess and by the death her brother Branwell Bronte, and examines the novel's language, biblical references and narrative styles.