Emily Bronte's Life in Relation to Wuthering Heights

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Emily Bronte, on the surface, appeared to be a very withdrawn woman and is said to be reclusive throughout her entire life. She was even incredibly embarrassed when her sister, Charlotte Bronte, found her book of poetry, even though Charlotte was incredibly impressed by it. Beneath the surface lies a woman full of passion and capable of powerful emotions, though she had never felt such emotions, to write a novel that is still discussed today and is regarded as a literary classic. Novels are often regarded as a window to the souls of the authors, and Wuthering Heights is no exception. Wuthering Heights is often seen as a type of construct of Emily’s life and personality, because of the similarity of characters to people in Emily’s life, and how the events that occur at Wuthering Heights are secluded in their own right, much like Emily’s own life.
Born to Patrick and Maria Bronte, Emily Bronte, the fifth girl out of six children, would lead a short life of isolation and unhappiness. Her father was an “industrious Irish clergyman” who had been born in Ireland on March 17, 1777. He was a teacher and graduated from Cambridge with a Bachelor of Arts degree before being “ordained to curacies” (Laban). Her mother, Maria Bronte, was a Cornish merchant’s daughter.
Emily Bronte was born at Thornton in a parish in July of 1818. The family only stayed there for two years, moving to Haworth, a small village on the moors of West Riding, Yorkshire, in northern England, shortly before Maria Bronte’s death. Emily would remain at Haworth for the rest of her life, excluding occasional attempts at formal education.
When Emily’s mother died shortly after the move to Haworth, her sister, Elizabeth, moved in to help take care of the children and the ho...

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... the world would possess one less timeless classic at its disposal.

Works Cited

Laban, Lawrence F. "Emily Brontë." Critical Survey Of Long Fiction, Fourth Edition (2010): 1-4. Literary Reference Center. Web. 20 May 2014.

McLeod, Jennifer. "Emily Brontë." Magill’S Survey Of World Literature, Revised Edition (2009): 1-4. Literary Reference Center. Web. 23 May 2014.

Melani, Lilia. “Overview of Emily Bronte” Overview of Emily Bronte. 13 Oct. 2011. Brooklyn College Department of English. Web. 20 May 2014.

Melani, Lilia. "Psychological Interpretations of "Wuthering Heights"" Psychological Interpretations of "Wuthering Heights" 13 Oct. 2011. Brooklyn College Department of English. Web. 20 May 2014.

Melani, Lilia. “Religion, Metaphysics, and Mysticism” Wuthering Heights as a Metaphysical Novel. 16 Oct. 2003. Brooklyn College Department of English. Web. 20 May 2014.

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