Love Lessons from Emily Brontë
By Margot Carmichael Lester
Wuthering Heights
is an epic tale of passion, social issues and revenge written by Emily
Brontë in 1847 that, despite being more than 150 years old, is still
relevant to young lovers today. Its story has been adapted into film,
television, ballet, opera and theatrical productions, musicals, and even
provided the title and theme for British
songstress
Kate Bush’s internationally successful debut single. What about this
novel, then, has made it resonate and endure throughout the years? “In Wuthering Heights there is sex, angst, and remorse enough to upstage an entire season of Gossip Girl,”
laughs Elissa Krasner, a senior English major at the University of
Massachusetts with a minor in British women’s literature. “But there are
also some tough truths that reach across the ages to speak directly to
today’s dating hopefuls.”
In honor of Brontë’s birthday (July 30), we asked scholars to identify
love lessons from the book that are still relevant today. Click here for five
you’d be wise to learn.