
The Brontes and Their Nature
In preparation for their forthcoming trip to Yorkshire, the members of the Year 9 Athenaeum enjoyed a presentation by Miss Elizabeth Bush about the Bronte sisters and the importance of their local environment on their writing. The session began with some brief biographical details about the sisters focussing particularly on how their family life was beset with tragedy and the challenges they faced as female authors.
The students then discussed images of the rugged Yorkshire moorland dotted with ruined buildings and discussed the significance of the setting in the novel Wuthering Heights, which was brought to life by a trailer for a recent film adaptation. A clip of Kate Bush singing the song “Wuthering Heights” played at the end of the presentation, was enjoyed by the students but also provided further insights into the themes of the novel with her mimicking the ghost of Catherine Earnshaw knocking at the window. The walk out onto the Yorkshire Moors was a highlight of last year’s trip and the weather was very sunny, which as you can see from the above is both a good and a bad thing! Further talks in preparation for the visit this year will take place in the next few weeks.
One student commented later in the day when asked about the talk, “It has inspired me to read Wuthering Heights.”