EMILY BRONTË
And if I pray, the only prayer
That moves my lips for me
Is, ‘Leave the heart that now I bear,
And give me liberty!’

from “The Old Stoic” by Emily Brontë

  •     Biography    
  •     Wuthering Heights    
  •     Essay from my Blog    

Biography

Emily Bronte was born on July 30th 1818 at Thornton, Bradford in Yorkshire, fifth child of the six children. Her mother died of cancer in 1821. In 1824 she attended the newly opened Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge. While there along with her sisters Maria, Elizabeth and Charlotte they suffer the harsh regime, cold and poor food. In June 1825 Emily and her sisters were finally taken away from the school for good.

Emily and Anne write poetry and stories for their imaginary world of Gondal. Few survive, but they worked together on poems and the Gondal sagas into the 1840's

In July 1835 she enrolled at Miss Wooler's school at Roe Head Mirfield which lasted for 3 months, returning to Haworth in October.

In February 1842 Charlotte and Emily left Haworth for the Pensionnat Heger at Brussels. While there they learnt French, German and Music. In November 1842 Emily returns to Haworth with Charlotte.

In September 1845 Charlotte inadvertently discovers Emily's poems. Emily is angered by the intrusion into her private writings. Her sister convinced her to collaborate on a book of poems. About this time it is thought Emily started to write Wuthering Heights.

In May 1846 under the Pseudonym of Currer Ellis and Acton Bell, a book of Poems was published, Emily contributed 21 poems.

In July 1847, the publishers; Thomas. Cautley. Newby accept Wuthering Heights which is published in the December.

In November 1848 Emily's health was poor. Charlotte Bronte writes that her sister has difficulty in breathing and pains in her chest. On 19 December 1848 Emily Bronte died at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. She was 30 years old. On 22 December she is laid to rest in the family vault in Haworth church.

December 1850 new edition of Wuthering Heights is printed with selected poems and a preface written by Charlotte.

Wuthering Heights : an abridged version

The following table contains my adaptation of the book, as well as an audio version, narrated by me, for a pre-intermediate level.

Part # Opening Text File Podcast
1 Let me introduce myself: my name is Mr Lockwood and have just moved into Thrushcross Grange, a house that I have rented in a remote part of the Yorkshire moors....
2 There was very little furniture in the room. By the light of my candle I saw some books on a shelf. I opened one and found written : “Catherine Earnshaw”, “Catherine Heathcliff” and “Catherine Linton”. It was a diary....
3 Wuthering Heights was built by the Earnshaws in the 16th century. My mother was Hindley Earnshaws’ nurse and I grew up there and often played with him and his sister Catherine....
4 Mr Earnshaw sent him away to college. I was very happy because I thought life would be more peaceful. Cathy was a wild young girl with a mind of her own and she was very pretty....
5 They did not like the look of him. He watched through the windows as they washed Cathy, dressed the wound on her foot and gave her clean clothes. Then he went home to tell me what had happened....
6 “Do you love him?”
“Of course I do.”
“Why?”
“Well, because he is good-looking and pleasant to be with.”....
7 She refused to change her clothes. She sat by the fire all night. In the morning she had a high temperature and was delirious. We thought she was mad....
8 She and Edgar looked so peaceful, sitting by the window that I was sorry. There would be no more peace for Cathy now.....
9 One day Catherine said she was going to call the doctor. “ I’m not ill” retorted Isabella. “I’m unhappy because you are so unkind to me".....
10 Then she locked herself in her bedroom where she remained for three days and nights, refusing all offers of food. At last she appeared, asking for food and water as she believed she was dying....
11 It was spring when a letter arrived from Iasbella. It was addressed to me....
12 I told him he could never come near the house. "Another meeting with you and another quarrel between you and your husband could kill her"....
13 Before the funeral, I gave Heathcliff the opportunity to say goodbay to.....

Wuthering Heights : an essay from my Blog

These are some articles from my "etinkerbell's blog" about Wuthering Heights.



Date Title and abstract Link
January 31, 2013

Yorkshire dreams

“Do you ever dream queer dreams?” asks Catherine to Nelly Dean at a crucial moment of Wuthering Heights. Nelly startles and doesn’t want Cathy to proceed, because she is convinced that dreams may foreshadow some imminent catastrophe.......
January 23, 2013

Heathcliff the villain

A villain is the evil, immoral guy of a story. The etymology of the word villain comes from the Latin “villanus” meaning “farmhand“. He is antagonist to the knight not only for his low social status but for those moral values of chivalry: faith, loyalty, courage and honour that do not seem to affect his world........
January 17, 2013

Catherine’s Sehnsucht

Wuthering Heights is the novel about Sehnsucht, but in one of its most extreme and pathological form. Even if the dialogues of the two protagonists, Heathcliff and Catherine, seem to express a kind of deep, absolute love (” he is more myself than I am” Catherine will confess) that may foreshadow some Romeo and Juliet actions, they actually will never succeed in staying together, at least in this world........