‘Wuthering Heights & the Brontës’ Revolutionary Fiction
Speaker: Charlotte Jones, Education Officer
Date: Tuesday 24th February 6:30pm
Location: Bronte Birthplace, 72-74 Market Street, Thornton, BD13 3HF
Step into the turbulent world of the Brontë sisters and explore why their novels shocked, unsettled, and enthralled 19th‑century readers with our Education Officer, Charlotte Jones. This talk examines how Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall challenged Victorian expectations around morality, gender, class, religion, and emotional restraint.
Filled with passionate heroines, morally complex characters, and unflinching portrayals of desire, anger, and independence, the Brontës’ novels were seen by many critics as dangerous, improper, or even immoral. Why did reviewers struggle to believe such bold, transgressive stories were written by women—and what anxieties did these books provoke?
With the release of the new Wuthering Heights film, this talk offers the perfect chance to look beyond the screen and return to the fierce, unsettling novel that inspired it. We’ll explore how Emily Brontë’s original vision compares with modern interpretations, why filmmakers continue to be drawn to its wild emotional landscape, and what the latest adaptation reveals about the story’s enduring power. Whether you’re coming fresh from the cinema or revisiting the book, this session opens up the raw, radical heart of Wuthering Heights in a whole new way.
Ticket Price: £10