Emily Brontë

Introduction

Emily Bronte

Emily Brontë’s innovative writing style conveys energy, emotion, and even violence—all of which show up to great effect in her famous novel Wuthering Heights. She also uses natural and mystical elements to draw readers into the world she has created. It is unfortunate, however, that these literary characteristics were not well received during her lifetime. Perhaps her father’s liberated teaching style lent itself to Emily’s flare for poetry and fiction, as he allowed his children to read whatever they chose and treated them as equals. She and her sisters, Charlotte and Anne, formed an early bond wrapped tightly around language and imagination. Although much of the author’s life remains a mystery, it is certain that Emily Brontë did not live long enough to show the world her full potential.

Essential Facts

1. While Emily and her siblings were homeschooled, they all became very close, especially she and her sister Anne. It is said that the two sisters were almost like twins, companions unable to be torn apart.
2. Emily finally returned to school at the age of seventeen; however, after only three months, she returned home, unable to handle life away at school.
3. After revealing their poetry to each other, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne published a collection titled Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, pseudonyms each sister chose.
4. Wuthering Heights, Emily’s only published novel, was not well received at first. It is now considered a classic of English literature.
5. After Emily’s death, Charlotte, the only surviving sibling, edited Wuthering Heights and had it republished under Emily’s full name. It had previously been published under the pseudonym Ellis Bell.