Since we’ve done a marry, date or dump about the Bronte sisters, but never about the heroes they created. So today we are going to travel back into Gothic literature, so you can tell me how you would rank the following Bronte male leads: the brooding Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre, the even broodier Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, the probably unknown Gilbert Markham from Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. I can’t wait to see who people choose. I had an English teacher tell me once that people were either Jane Eyre people or Wuthering Heights people, but I’m not so sure. I like both! And The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is actually my favorite of three. So I’m excited to see who you pick in the comments.
Here’s a bonus comic from Hark A Vagrant about the Bronte sisters:
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Alison Doherty 
I would dump Heathcliff like yesterday’s news. He’s intense, but I consider him a bit of a creep. I never liked Wuthering Heights. I’m definitely a Jane Eyre fan. I love me some Gilbert Markham though (The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was awesome), so I’d marry the dude. I would want to marry Rochester, but only if his crazy wife wasn’t in the picture. 🙂
I am pretty much in line with you. I’d marry Gilbert Markham (so happy to see another Tenant of Wildfell Hall fan!) date Mr. Rochester, and dump Heathcliff.
I actually haven’t read Jane Eyre or The Tenant of Wildfell Hall but I do love Wuthering Heights. What can I say? I’m a sucker for any love story without incredibly flawed and broken men 😉
I think that is a totally valid perspective. Heathcliff and Cathy definitely have one of the most popular love stories of all time.
Definitely a Jane Eyre fan here too – never understood the attraction of Heathcliff – so I would marry Mr. Rochester, go on a blind date with Gilbert Markham because I have never met (or read) him but people whom I trust are setting us up and dump Heathcliff.
I thought you’d go for Mr. Rochester. I remember you giving me a lecture about how stupid Heathcliff was when I read Wuthering Heights in the 11th grade. It was so funny how serious you took our literary taste in men (i.e. when we liked Charlie from Rose in Bloom you said you failed as a mother).
Ah, I haven’t read The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, so I don’t even know what Gilbert is like! I just think he’d have to be better than the two other choices… So I’d marry him blindly. Oops? Hope he doesn’t turn out to be horrible!
I’d date Mr Rochester until I’d find out he’s a Creepy McCreep who already has a creepy wife. I’d dump Heathcliff in a sec, that guy is not healthy company. Yay, let’s frolic in a sea of resentment and lost possibilities together! Yeah…. no, thanks. Sorry, Heath.
Trust Gilbert is by far the least dubious of these three. Your comment about Heathcliff is cracking me up. Thanks for commenting!
Dump Edward Rochester. Rochester’s personality is a huge turn off. His life of privilege has left this youngest son spoiled and selfish and completely without any moral scruple. I loathe Jane Eyre — the book and the character — for loving such a person.
Date Markham. He starts out rather a rough sort, but he grows as a person.
Marry Heathcliff. Heathcliff’s deprived background — a gypsy boy picked up as a stray on the street — and continued mistreatment by his “brother” make it almost heroic that he can love. His only real flaw was he loved and never wavered from that love.
Had Catherine married him (as she’d wanted), none of what followed would have. Even so, at the end of their story, a servant boy tells Nelly he’s seen the ghosts of Heathcliff and Catherine walking the moors together.
I don’t know if that means they are both damned, but they finally have each other and the other characters in the book say the lovers are now at peace. Heathcliff’s love conquered even death. Presuming a mutual love, to marry Heathcliff is be loved literally forever.
Really good defense of Heathcliff. I love that we have so many different opinions this week!
You know what? I think I’d go for Heathcliff– since I wouldn’t be ashamed of him, he wouldn’t need to be an ass, and we would have a wild, passionate love affair.
You might be on to something with this theory. The takeaway from Wuthering Heights might not be don’t fall in love with a crazy man, but don’t act ashamed of the person you love. Brilliant!
Always dump Heathcliff. Of all the douche-y fictional men, Heathcliff takes the crown. He does have some great quotes, though!
Agreed!
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