The Brontës and Their Nature
In preparation for their forthcoming trip to Yorkshire, the members of the Year 9 Athenaeum enjoyed a presentation by Mrs Natalie Whittaker on the Brontë sisters and the importance of their local environment to their writing. The session began with some brief biographical details about the sisters, focusing particularly on how their family life was beset by tragedy and the challenges they faced as female authors. The students then discussed images of the rugged Yorkshire moorland, dotted with ruined buildings, and considered the significance of the setting in the novel Wuthering Heights. This was further brought to life by an eminent historian discussing walking on the moors.
A clip of Kate Bush singing the song “Wuthering Heights” was played at the end of the presentation and was enjoyed by the students, while also providing further insight into the themes of the novel, with Bush 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 this year’s visit will take place over the next few weeks.
Last year, one student commented later in the day, when asked about the talk, “It has inspired me to read Wuthering Heights.” I am sure the same inspirational effect will be felt by this group of students.
