The impact of the Irish Famine of 1845-1852 was unparalleled in both political and psychological terms. In this scholarly new study, Melissa Fegan explores the Famine's legacy to literature, tracing it down to 1919. Dr Fegan examines both fiction and non-fiction, and provides a strong historical framework for the understanding of the contemporary Irish mentality.

"Wuthering Heights" is studied by first-year undergraduates worldwide but students often find it difficult to approach the novel's characters in a sophisticated way; typically dwelling on the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine, but without getting to grips with Bronte's complex development of these characters. Students also often forget that this novel, which is stereotyped as a novel about doomed love on the solitary Yorkshire moors, is in fact peopled with a large cast of idiosyncratic characters, each of whom plays an important part in the plot. Engaging with these characters will allow students to come to a better understanding of the themes, issues and context of "Wuthering Heights"."Character Studies" aims to promote sophisticated literary analysis through the concept of character. It demonstrates the necessity of linking character analysis to texts' themes, issues and ideas, and encourages students to embrace the complexity of literary characters and the texts in which they appear. The series thus fosters close critical reading and evidence-based discussion, as well as an engagement with historical context, and with literary criticism and theory.

"Wuthering Heights" is studied by first-year undergraduates worldwide but students often find it difficult to approach the novel's characters in a sophisticated way; typically dwelling on the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine, but without getting to grips with Bronte's complex development of these characters. Students also often forget that this novel, which is stereotyped as a novel about doomed love on the solitary Yorkshire moors, is in fact peopled with a large cast of idiosyncratic characters, each of whom plays an important part in the plot. Engaging with these characters will allow students to come to a better understanding of the themes, issues and context of "Wuthering Heights"."Character Studies" aims to promote sophisticated literary analysis through the concept of character. It demonstrates the necessity of linking character analysis to texts' themes, issues and ideas, and encourages students to embrace the complexity of literary characters and the texts in which they appear. The series thus fosters close critical reading and evidence-based discussion, as well as an engagement with historical context, and with literary criticism and theory.