The biography of Emily Bronte is very concise. She remains enigmatic because so little is known about her, and what is known is contradictory. She only produced one novel and a little bit of poetry, which gives one very little upon which to build. Most of how Emily is seen is through the eyes of her sister, Charlotte, another well known author. From the information available, her life seemed to be of “dreary conformity. ”
In some ways, Emily led an ordinary life of a nineteenth century emale, attending boarding school for a bit of education and learning domestic skills at home. In other ways, her life was unusual and even eccentric, which contributed to the originality of her great novel. Emily Jane Bronte was born on July 30, 1818 in Thorton, Yorkshire. She was the fifth child and fourth daughter of Reverend Patrick Bronte and Maria Branwell Bronte. When she was two years old, the family moved to Haworth which remained Emily’s home until she passed away in December of 1848 at the age of thirty.
Both of Emily’s parents had the literacy leanings – her mother published one essay, and her father wrote four books and a little poetry. None of the literacy attempts were successful, but the urge for written expression was present. In 1821, Maria died of cancer, leaving Emily and her four siblings motherless. Her sister, Elizabeth, came to live as a housekeeper and was responsible for training the girls in the household arts. The village of Haworth was very isolated and intensely Yorkshire.
The people were blunt, practical, stubborn, sparing of peech, vigorous and very harsh. They were the products of the moors – the tracts of rocky land, where the north wind shrieks mercilessly, and the only softening influence is the sheep, the purple heather, and the ferny bracken. It was these moors that built the spirit of the Bronte’s and filled their souls with love and liberty. This was especially true for Emily… In 1824, the four eldest daughters… The rest of the paper is available free of charge to our registered users. The registration process just couldn’t be easier. Log in or register now. It is all free!
