The Wife Upstairs

Compare and contrast The Wife Upstairs with Jane Eyre. Analyze what major changes Hawkins made in her text and what these changes suggest regarding the original text.

Popular in the 18th and 19th centuries, Gothic novels included the following elements: an atmosphere of mystery or suspense, a damsel in distress, the supernatural, visions or omens, and strong emotions. Discuss how The Wife Upstairs meets this criteria. Analyze specific examples of these elements within the text.

Analyze the description of the Rochester home. How does Hawkins use this setting to exemplify the major themes of the novel? What significance does the house have in the novel as a whole?

Discuss the significance of the title, “The Wife Upstairs.” What themes does this title highlight? What is the significance of this title?

Analyze Jane’s development throughout the novel. What, if any, significant moments of growth does she experience and why?

Discuss the friendship between Blanche Ingraham and Bea Rochester. What is the significance of this relationship to the novel as a whole? How does it compare to Jane/Helen’s relationship with the “real” Jane?

How does Hawkins structure the novel? How does this structure affect its meaning? Provide specific examples of the choices Hawkins makes.

The outsider or other is a device through which literature can offer commentary on a particular society. How does Hawkins incorporate this figure in the novel? Who are the outsiders? Who excludes them? Why?