Emily Bronte and Ellis Bell
"Love is like the wild rose-briar; Friendship like the holly-tree. The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms, but which will bloom most constantly?"
-Emily Bronte
-Emily Bronte
The Life of Emily Bronte (1818- 1848)
The information received about Emily Bronte's life is from other sources. Very little is mentioned of Emily by Charlotte Bronte, Emily’s sister, who writes about the daily life in the Bronte household. Emily divulged very little about her life, only a few notes and diary passages are recorded (Spark).
Born in 1818, Emily Bronte is the fifth of the six children that were born under the Bronte name. At the age of two, she and her family move to Haworth which she spends most of her life. Her mother dies when Emily is three years-old. Mr. Bronte asks for the late Mrs. Bronte's sister (the aunt of Emily) Miss Branwell to help with the house hold.
Miss Branwell does what she could for the Bronte children, giving them elementary lessons at home, assigning tasks and chores around the house and let the children do as they please after (this, no doubt, usually includes writing). She does not try to be a tyrant nor a mother figure, which is the perfect environment for the Bronte children. During this “free time,” Emily and Charlotte write three secret plays, in 1826-1827, which are only at the disposal of the two girls (Spark).
Charlotte left the house to go to school. When Emily and her sister Anne have this time alone, they create Gondal. Gondal is the fantasy world that becomes the source and muses for Emily’s poems till very late in her life. She has been writing for some time, but daren’t show anyone because her family are all prodigious writers. It isn’t till later when her writing is discovered by Charlotte then published. When Charlotte comes back from school, she takes it upon herself to educate Emily and Anne. During the day, she would teach, then before dinner, they would walk. In July of 1835, Emily is enrolled at Roe Head in Mirfield. In November Emily becomes ill and homesick and returns home to Haworth. (Jalic Inc)
Emily begins to teach in 1837 at Law Hill School at Halifax in 1837. She only works there for six months and leaves due to homesickness. She writes to Charlotte, who is working at Roe, that the work is “dreadful” and only has one half hour for herself. But in the first three months, Emily writes fourteen poems.
October, 1845, Charlotte looks through Emily's desk and discovers Emily's work. Emily rarely if at all showed anyone her poems of Gondal and other works. These pieces come as a pleasant surprise for Charlotte. According to Charlotte, these must be published. And so they were, under the nom de plume Ellis Bell. Ellis is for Emily's Irish grandmother and Bell is after the middle name of Patrick Bronte's Irish curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls. All three sisters publish their poems in one book in 1846 under their pseudonyms. The book did poorly. Wuthering Heights is then published in 1847. The critical reviews do not look upon the novel favorably because of the mistakes in the printing. The novel becomes a masterpiece of the time, and the one of the greatest work of fiction of all time. (Spark)
Tuberculosis claims Emily in 1848. During her illness she wanted no medical attention despite Charlotte’s best efforts (Spark). Charlotte seems to be more concerned with Emily's health than her own. Even during her time of illness, Emily tries to remain active around the house as well as write. (Pykett)
Because of her stubborn goal of keeping her life "uneventful," not much is said about it with the exception of her work and her relations with her sisters. She prefers the isolation of Haworth and has her adventures at the moors. There are no records of Emily falling in love, nor having an affair, despite the fact that love was a main theme to her many of her works. Instead, her passions were in her writing, which clearly shows. (Spark)
Born in 1818, Emily Bronte is the fifth of the six children that were born under the Bronte name. At the age of two, she and her family move to Haworth which she spends most of her life. Her mother dies when Emily is three years-old. Mr. Bronte asks for the late Mrs. Bronte's sister (the aunt of Emily) Miss Branwell to help with the house hold.
Miss Branwell does what she could for the Bronte children, giving them elementary lessons at home, assigning tasks and chores around the house and let the children do as they please after (this, no doubt, usually includes writing). She does not try to be a tyrant nor a mother figure, which is the perfect environment for the Bronte children. During this “free time,” Emily and Charlotte write three secret plays, in 1826-1827, which are only at the disposal of the two girls (Spark).
Charlotte left the house to go to school. When Emily and her sister Anne have this time alone, they create Gondal. Gondal is the fantasy world that becomes the source and muses for Emily’s poems till very late in her life. She has been writing for some time, but daren’t show anyone because her family are all prodigious writers. It isn’t till later when her writing is discovered by Charlotte then published. When Charlotte comes back from school, she takes it upon herself to educate Emily and Anne. During the day, she would teach, then before dinner, they would walk. In July of 1835, Emily is enrolled at Roe Head in Mirfield. In November Emily becomes ill and homesick and returns home to Haworth. (Jalic Inc)
Emily begins to teach in 1837 at Law Hill School at Halifax in 1837. She only works there for six months and leaves due to homesickness. She writes to Charlotte, who is working at Roe, that the work is “dreadful” and only has one half hour for herself. But in the first three months, Emily writes fourteen poems.
October, 1845, Charlotte looks through Emily's desk and discovers Emily's work. Emily rarely if at all showed anyone her poems of Gondal and other works. These pieces come as a pleasant surprise for Charlotte. According to Charlotte, these must be published. And so they were, under the nom de plume Ellis Bell. Ellis is for Emily's Irish grandmother and Bell is after the middle name of Patrick Bronte's Irish curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls. All three sisters publish their poems in one book in 1846 under their pseudonyms. The book did poorly. Wuthering Heights is then published in 1847. The critical reviews do not look upon the novel favorably because of the mistakes in the printing. The novel becomes a masterpiece of the time, and the one of the greatest work of fiction of all time. (Spark)
Tuberculosis claims Emily in 1848. During her illness she wanted no medical attention despite Charlotte’s best efforts (Spark). Charlotte seems to be more concerned with Emily's health than her own. Even during her time of illness, Emily tries to remain active around the house as well as write. (Pykett)
Because of her stubborn goal of keeping her life "uneventful," not much is said about it with the exception of her work and her relations with her sisters. She prefers the isolation of Haworth and has her adventures at the moors. There are no records of Emily falling in love, nor having an affair, despite the fact that love was a main theme to her many of her works. Instead, her passions were in her writing, which clearly shows. (Spark)
Responses to Ellis Bell/Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights
When Emily Bronte's first and only novel was published in 1847, it received harsh reviews due to the multiple mistakes in the printing. In Douglas Jerrold's Weekly Newspaper, January 15, 1848, it is written: "There seems to us great power in this book but a purposeless power, which we feel a great desire to see turned to better account. We are quite confident that the writer of Wuthering Heights wants but the practiced skill to make a great artist; perhaps, a great dramatic artist. His qualities are, at present, excessive; a far more promising fault, let it be remembered, than if they were deficient. He may tone down, whereas the weak and inefficient writer, however carefully he may write by rule and line, will never work up his productions to the point of beauty in art."
Later on, after many re-prints, it is discovered that her writing is original, moving and far from the non-existent positives for the novel. A critic acclaims, "A breathtaking story of obsessive love AND hate. Two tortured souls divided by social structure. This book will leave you as chilled as the wind on the Yorkshire moors but in complete awe of the power of love!! (Huckfeldt)." This is a complete 180 degree turn around from then to now.
The reputation of Wuthering Heights has changed dramatically. The reputation of the tragic love story changes from a "purposeless power" to one of the greatest novels of all time. One of the reasons for this change is because of the deeper investigation of the work and its themes. The dramatic now has purpose. Each detail has been critically analyzed and people are liking what they see because of the intricate details. There are themes of love and passion, revenge, violence, nature, class conflict and the supernatural. All these are looked upon again and again.
Later on, after many re-prints, it is discovered that her writing is original, moving and far from the non-existent positives for the novel. A critic acclaims, "A breathtaking story of obsessive love AND hate. Two tortured souls divided by social structure. This book will leave you as chilled as the wind on the Yorkshire moors but in complete awe of the power of love!! (Huckfeldt)." This is a complete 180 degree turn around from then to now.
The reputation of Wuthering Heights has changed dramatically. The reputation of the tragic love story changes from a "purposeless power" to one of the greatest novels of all time. One of the reasons for this change is because of the deeper investigation of the work and its themes. The dramatic now has purpose. Each detail has been critically analyzed and people are liking what they see because of the intricate details. There are themes of love and passion, revenge, violence, nature, class conflict and the supernatural. All these are looked upon again and again.
What is in Print Today?
All of Emily Bronte's works are in print. The most recent search on Amazon.com shows an edition of Wuthering Heights in 2008. A complete work of her poems is also on Google.com's shopping site that was published in the year 2007.
Emily Bronte's writing is timeless. The main theme used in any of her writings is love, therefore it will remain in the hearts of many for years to come.
There are critical editions of Wuthering Heights which tend to have biographies of Emily Bronte. These biographies only explain her life when she is writing which can be beneficial to understanding her writing style.
Emily Bronte's writing is timeless. The main theme used in any of her writings is love, therefore it will remain in the hearts of many for years to come.
There are critical editions of Wuthering Heights which tend to have biographies of Emily Bronte. These biographies only explain her life when she is writing which can be beneficial to understanding her writing style.
Ellis Bell/Emily Bronte's Writing
Poems:
A Little While, A Little While
A Daydream
A Death-scene
Anticipation
Death
Encouragement
Faith and Despondency
Honour's Martyr
Hope
How Clear the Sun Shines
Last Words
Loud Without the Wind Was Roaring
Love and Friendship
My Comforter
No Coward Soul is Mine
Plead for Me
Self-Interrogation
Shall Earth No More Inspire Thee
Song
Stanzas
Stars
Sympathy
The Bluebell
The Elder's Rebuke
The Lady to Her Guitar
The Night-wind
The Old Stoic
The Philosopher
The Prisoner
The Two Children
The Visionary
The Wanderer From the Fold
To Imagination
Warning and Reply
Novels:
Wuthering Heights
A Little While, A Little While
A Daydream
A Death-scene
Anticipation
Death
Encouragement
Faith and Despondency
Honour's Martyr
Hope
How Clear the Sun Shines
Last Words
Loud Without the Wind Was Roaring
Love and Friendship
My Comforter
No Coward Soul is Mine
Plead for Me
Self-Interrogation
Shall Earth No More Inspire Thee
Song
Stanzas
Stars
Sympathy
The Bluebell
The Elder's Rebuke
The Lady to Her Guitar
The Night-wind
The Old Stoic
The Philosopher
The Prisoner
The Two Children
The Visionary
The Wanderer From the Fold
To Imagination
Warning and Reply
Novels:
Wuthering Heights
"I cannot express it: but surely you and everybody have a notion that there is, or should be, an existence of yours beyond you."
-Emily Bronte
-Emily Bronte
