Introduction
Famous quotes are often used to accurately convey the essence of human emotions, which can point to the quote’s author’s profound understanding of human nature. People often say that “whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same“ to describe the depth of their connection with their romantic partner (Brontë 66). The full quote takes on a different meaning in the context of Wuthering Heights. However, the widespread use of the quote in a romantic context fully captures Emily Brontë’s ability to verbalize human emotions in a form that leaves a deep impression on the reader.
Emily Brontë is one of the most well-known writers in British literature. Brontë’s writing intertwines the themes of human desire and passion while seamlessly incorporating them with the author’s appreciation of nature’s beauty. Thus, Brontë’s unique writing style profoundly influenced many subsequent generations of novelists in the past, and it will undoubtedly continue inspiring authors in the future.
Brontë’s Biography
Firstly, the Brontë family’s tragic history and societal position significantly influenced Emily Brontë’s writing. Emily Jane Brontë was the second youngest sister among the four surviving Brontë siblings (Hanson). Brontë’s family was of Irish descent; therefore, even though Brontë’s family was not poor, its immigrant origin implied limitations on the children’s opportunities and societal position.
In 1821, when Emily was three years old, her mother died of cancer, which left a significant imprint on all family members (Mehrtens). When Brontë was six, she and her older sisters attended the Clergy Daughters’ School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire at their father’s insistence, who highly valued the importance of education (Mehrtens). However, due to unsanitary conditions in the school, two of Brontë’s sisters died from tuberculosis one year later, and the surviving siblings spent a long time together at home.
The years of isolation included such activities as reading books collected by their father and crafting their own stories. Thus, from a young age, the surviving Brontë siblings, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne, became interested in writing (Harris 532). The siblings’ stories focused on Angria’s mystical realms and the imaginary land Gondal (Mehrtens). In their works, the Brontë siblings were inspired by Romantic writers, such as Walter Scott, Percy Shelley, and William Wordsworth (Mehrtens). Therefore, exploring the history of Emily Brontë’s family and education explains the factors that influenced her works and writing style.
Furthermore, the three Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne, all published their works under male pseudonyms since writing was considered a predominantly male profession. The joint collection of sisters’ poems was published in 1846 under the names of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell at the authors’ expense, but the collection remained unknown to the public for a long time (Hanson).
Brontë’s Fame
After publishing previously written poems, Emily Brontë focused on writing the Wuthering Heights novel. The novel was published in 1847 as a part of a three-volume set with Anne’s novel Agnes Grey, but Emily’s name did not appear on the title page until 1850 (Hanson). The novel did not receive significant popularity, and shortly after its publication and brother Branwell’s funeral, Emily Brontë died from pulmonary tuberculosis.
While the initial reception of Wuthering Heights was mixed, and the novel did not receive attention from the public long after the author’s death, the discovery of Emily Brontë’s early poems significantly influenced modern poetry. Thus, Emily’s strong connection with the imaginary land of Gondal contributed to the development of romantic, idealistic ideas and lyrical style in her works. According to Blowfield, the Wuthering Heights protagonist’s connection to nature and earth and rejection of heaven presents an example of Brontë’s extraordinary way of thinking (135).
Brontë’s Influence on Modern Poetry
Considering the author’s Christian upbringing, the ideas in her poems and novels can be perceived as unconventional for society in the past yet relevant in modern reading. Furthermore, the sisters’ views on gender inequality were reflected in their novels. While in real life, Brontë struggled to acquire an equal position with male writers, female fictional characters in her works were stronger and more rebellious than other literary characters of the Victorian period. Therefore, the extraordinary modern ideas and the unique poetic Gondal style in Emily Brontë’s works inspired many future writers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay explored the history of Emily Brontë’s life to define the factors that influenced her writing. Thus, the essay determined that Brontë’s interest in writing developed from reading many books and writing fictional stories with her siblings. The experience of creating an imaginary land with her sibling contributed to the development of the author’s unique romantic and lyrical writing style. Next, the themes of violence and social class differences in Wuthering Heights were inspired by the author’s experience of living in an immigrant family and losing family members. Lastly, Brontë’s feminist ideas were sourced from her experience competing with men in the writing profession.
Therefore, Emily Brontë’s unique writing style and coverage of the feminine perspective during the Victorian period inspired many novelists. While tragic losses punctuated Brontë’s life, it enabled her to capture human emotions through deep introspection. Thus, the author’s ability to understand and convey the depth of human emotions explains why Emily Brontë’s poems and Wuthering Heights are still popular among modern readers.
Works Cited
Blowfield, Christine. “Emily Brontë and the Strategic Art of Social Distancing.” Brontë Studies, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 132-145. Web.
Brontë, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Smith, Elder, and Company, 1870.
Hanson, Marilee. “Emily Brontë.” English History, 2021. Web.
Harris, Bethany. British Literature. 3rd ed., BJU Press, 2019.
Mehrtens, Michelle. “The Making of Emily Brontë.” Smithsonian Magazine, 2023. Web.