Interview with Emily Brontë
In 1824, you attended Cowan Bridge School, with your sisters. Could you tell us a bit about your and your sisters' time there?
Our life at the school was very demanding; we struggled through long lessons every day with little sleep or nourishment. Each morning, we had to wash in water that had frozen overnight due to the lack of heating in the school. My sisters and I were also subject to ridicule by the other girls; Charlotte, especially, was teased about her short-sighted vision, as, in order to read, she had to hold her face so close to the paper that her nose touched it. The school later formed Charlotte's inspiration for Lowood Institution, in her novel Jane Eyre.
Many people today associate the name Brontë with classic literature, due to the fact that you, Anne and Charlotte all become acclaimed writers. Do you feel that there was any influence over you all choosing the same career path?
I am glad that we are still remembered today for our writing; literature was a strong passion for my siblings and myself. Much of our time at home, following our removal from Cwan Bridge School, was spent writing of our imaginary worlds, Gonal and Angria. We all found this activity a very effective creative outlet, and thoroughly enjoyed watching our kingdoms flourish, as we created their history, and individual personas to inhabit them. I feel that this may have been the beginning stage of our development in writing; the first step on our journey to accomplishment in the world of literature.
Death is a main theme in much of your poetry; do you think that this is a reflection of your own experiences around such suffering you have endured?
There is no argument that death has been one of the most prominant factors affecting my life; with the death of my mother when I was only three years old and the tragic death of two of my sisters when they were just ten and eleven years old. Both of these events had a tremendous affect on my life; despite how I was only very young when they happened. I use writing as a means of expressing myself and releasing tormentous emotions. As a result, my poetry is highly personally reflective; themes of death are a part of that personal statement, drawn from my own experience.
Your only novel, "Wuthering Heights", was an extremely thought provoking composition, recieving mixed review. How do you feel about this?
When I wrote "Wuthering Heights", I felt I needed to challenge my readers to step outside their comfort zone in terms of literature. Many people were shocked and appalled by the dark, cynical plot; it was quite different from the moral fables of the time, thus was deemed unacceptable. I have always been an imaginative and independent thinker, so I tried to encourage my readers to be creative too, by expanding their vaues concerning socitey and life; too allow them to form their own interpretations and judgements, rather than being presented with a strict lesson-based novel. I am not concerned in the least about the harsh reception of "Wuthering Heights", as it has achieved what I intended it to.
Our life at the school was very demanding; we struggled through long lessons every day with little sleep or nourishment. Each morning, we had to wash in water that had frozen overnight due to the lack of heating in the school. My sisters and I were also subject to ridicule by the other girls; Charlotte, especially, was teased about her short-sighted vision, as, in order to read, she had to hold her face so close to the paper that her nose touched it. The school later formed Charlotte's inspiration for Lowood Institution, in her novel Jane Eyre.
Many people today associate the name Brontë with classic literature, due to the fact that you, Anne and Charlotte all become acclaimed writers. Do you feel that there was any influence over you all choosing the same career path?
I am glad that we are still remembered today for our writing; literature was a strong passion for my siblings and myself. Much of our time at home, following our removal from Cwan Bridge School, was spent writing of our imaginary worlds, Gonal and Angria. We all found this activity a very effective creative outlet, and thoroughly enjoyed watching our kingdoms flourish, as we created their history, and individual personas to inhabit them. I feel that this may have been the beginning stage of our development in writing; the first step on our journey to accomplishment in the world of literature.
Death is a main theme in much of your poetry; do you think that this is a reflection of your own experiences around such suffering you have endured?
There is no argument that death has been one of the most prominant factors affecting my life; with the death of my mother when I was only three years old and the tragic death of two of my sisters when they were just ten and eleven years old. Both of these events had a tremendous affect on my life; despite how I was only very young when they happened. I use writing as a means of expressing myself and releasing tormentous emotions. As a result, my poetry is highly personally reflective; themes of death are a part of that personal statement, drawn from my own experience.
Your only novel, "Wuthering Heights", was an extremely thought provoking composition, recieving mixed review. How do you feel about this?
When I wrote "Wuthering Heights", I felt I needed to challenge my readers to step outside their comfort zone in terms of literature. Many people were shocked and appalled by the dark, cynical plot; it was quite different from the moral fables of the time, thus was deemed unacceptable. I have always been an imaginative and independent thinker, so I tried to encourage my readers to be creative too, by expanding their vaues concerning socitey and life; too allow them to form their own interpretations and judgements, rather than being presented with a strict lesson-based novel. I am not concerned in the least about the harsh reception of "Wuthering Heights", as it has achieved what I intended it to.