The Brilliant & Bizarre Brontës

In this program in his Writing Wonders Series, Dr. Elliot Engel relates the unusual background of the Brontë family and how it contributed to the early development of the Brontë children and to their outstanding, but brief, writing careers. Beginning with the marriage and professional pursuits of Mr. Brontë, Professor Engel sets the stage for the tragic story of Charlotte (Jane Eyre), Emily (Wuthering Heights), Anne, and Branwell. We learn of the impact of the death of the two eldest daughters, the move to the family home at Haworth, and the creative play of the children that so influenced all of them and inspired their brilliant literature. With Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë is credited with creating the first realistic heroine in English literature and the novel is still on the bestseller list today in the classic fiction genre. Emily Brontës Wuthering Heights was originally hated by critics and received very negative reviews because it was considered to be immoral. This view changed with time and the book is considered today to be one of the greatest novels in the English language.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Brontës
• Emily
• Charlotte
• Professor Elliot Engel
• Dr. Engel
• English education
• literature