Emily Brontë

Emily Brontë
Portrait of Emily Brontë Portrait of Emily Brontë
Born	(1818-07-30)30 July 1818 Thornton, West Yorkshire, England
Died	19 December 1848(1848-12-19) (aged 30) Haworth, West Yorkshire, England
Occupation	Novelist, poet
Notable works	Wuthering Heights
Signature	File:Emily Brontë signature.svg

Emily Jane Brontë (30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet, best known for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. She was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between her sisters Charlotte and Anne.

Early Life

Emily Brontë was born in the village of Thornton, near Bradford in Yorkshire, to Patrick Brontë, an Irish Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Maria Branwell. In 1820, the family moved to Haworth, where Patrick had been appointed Perpetual Curate. After the death of their mother in 1821, the Brontë children were largely left to their own devices, and they created imaginary worlds to entertain themselves.

Education

In 1824, Emily and her sisters Charlotte and Maria were sent to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge, but the poor conditions there affected their health, and they were brought home. Emily continued her education at home, where she had access to her father's library and was encouraged to read widely.

Literary Career

Emily Brontë's literary career was brief but impactful. In 1846, she and her sisters published a joint collection of poetry under the pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Emily's contributions to Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell were well-received, though the collection did not sell well.

Wuthering Heights

Emily's only novel, Wuthering Heights, was published in 1847 under her pen name, Ellis Bell. The novel is a complex tale of passion and revenge set on the Yorkshire moors. Initially, it received mixed reviews due to its stark depiction of mental and physical cruelty, but it has since become a classic of English literature.

Personal Life

Emily Brontë was known for her reclusive nature and strong attachment to her home and family. She rarely left Haworth and was deeply connected to the moorland landscape that inspired much of her writing.

Death

Emily Brontë died of tuberculosis on 19 December 1848, at the age of 30. Her death came just a year after the publication of Wuthering Heights and was a great loss to English literature.

Legacy

Emily Brontë's work has had a lasting impact on literature and has inspired numerous adaptations in film, television, and theatre. Her novel Wuthering Heights is studied in schools and universities around the world and continues to captivate readers with its intense emotional depth and innovative narrative structure.

See Also

• Charlotte Brontë
• Anne Brontë
• Branwell Brontë
• Patrick Brontë

References

• Barker, Juliet. The Brontës. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1994.
• Gaskell, Elizabeth. The Life of Charlotte Brontë. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1857.