Raised under a Christian standard in what is now known as East Riding of Yorkshire, England, Emily Brontë grew up to become a talented writer and poet whose works are well celebrated today. Along with her talented sisters, she went on and published some impressive collections of poems along with her monumental – and only – novel ‘Wuthering Heights.’
Life Facts
- Her birth given name was Emily Jane Brontë
- Born in Thornton, Yorkshire, to Patrick Brontë, a Christian preacher of the Anglican community.
- Her mother, Maria Branwell Brontë, passed from cancer barely nine months after giving birth to Anne – Emily’s junior sibling. Emily was just two years old at the time.
- Her aunt, Elizabeth, moved in with the family to take care of the Brontë children.
- At six years old, she and her sisters attended a clergy school but were later withdrawn a few years after following the death of her two eldest sisters, Elizabeth and Maria.
Interesting Facts
- Emily’s father, Patrick, was also a very talented creator, authoring several works himself during his hay days.
- After being withdrawn from school, Emily and her sisters – including Barnwell, their brother – would often spend time together making up stories and building imaginations, some based on toy gifts from their father.
- By September 1837, Emily tried tutoring at a school but left the position shortly afterward. She then traveled to Brussels with Charlotte to work as a governess, but their stay was cut short by the news of their aunt Elizabeth’s passing.
- Due to widespread cultural prejudices against women, Emily and her sisters – Charlotte and Anne – assumed a masculine name as they published their first pieces of literature, and in December of 1847, Emily published her would-be popular book, ‘Wuthering Heights,’ under the same pseudonym as her first works.
- She was considered a far better poet than Charlotte and Anne
Famous Books By Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë was a prolific author who wrote several literary pieces, most of which were lyrics and poems. However, despite her consistent production, Emily only has one novel to her name, and that is ‘Wuthering Heights,’ which was born to harsh reviews and criticisms. Sadly, the author didn’t live to see her book’s success in the later years.
Aside from ‘Wuthering Heights,’ Emily did author more than two hundred pieces of poetry – including those she co-authored with her sisters, Anne and Charlotte. Of the Brontë sisters, Emily was always considered a far better poet, and she began exhibiting her superior ability from a very tender age, even though she struggled to get her first, earliest works published and ultimately lost most of them.
‘Wuthering Heights’ is a book based on animosity, a search for revenge, and the longing for a love that isn’t meant to be. It follows Heathcliff’s undying love for his half-sister, Catherine, his craving for revenge on Edward for marrying the woman he ever loved, and on Linton and his half-brother for dehumanizing him.
The book portrays several strong themes and proved too controversial for the time that it was published. This led to a series of bad reviews and public rejection.
Early Life and Education
Emily Brontë was born on July the 30th, 1818, to Patrick and Maria Brontë. Her birthplace was Thornton, Yorkshire. Emily was the fifth child – and the fourth daughter – of the total six Brontë children, which included: Elizabeth, Maria, Charlotte, Branwell – the only son, Emily herself, and Anne – the baby of the house.
Three years after Emily’s birth, the family relocated to Haworth, and shortly afterward, their mother, Maria, passed away – only a few months after the last child, Anne, was born. The Brontë children had a fairly decent childhood with their aunt, Elizabeth, sacrificing everything to move in with them and serve as a mother figure.
In terms of education, Emily and her sisters attended an all-girls school but were later withdrawn after her two elder sibling-sisters – Elizabeth and Maria- fell sick and passed away. A few years later, she and Charlotte traveled to Brussels for studies, but their trip was cut short by the news of their aunt Elizabeth’s passing.
Literary Career
Emily Brontë’s literary career began at an early age, with little Emily often fond of spending a lot of time alone, binge reading, creating fictional characters, and writing out make belief stories. Sometimes she did this with her siblings as they built characters and imaginations using toys bought by their father.
Emily her young adulthood, Emily had quite a catalog of poems and a tremendous stock of fictional characters, several of which she had misplaced and forgotten. She didn’t, however, take these seriously up until Charlotte found out and convinced her that her works were publish-worthy. Shortly afterward, and after several rejections from publishers, Emily put out her first set of works – of poetry – in an anthology that included the works of Charlotte and Anne, her sisters.