What Is Brontë's Restrictions Of An Intellectual?

3237 Words13 Pages

Restrictions of an Intellectual Emily Jane Brontë was an English novelist and poet who is now considered a classic in English literature. As Brontë grew up, she was profoundly influenced by the Victorian Era and its surroundings. By reading her poetry and acclaimed novel, Wuthering Heights, the heightened sense of rebellion she possessed is expressed. A very crucial issue highlighted during the Victorian Era (and even existent in present day) was the oppression of women and concept of “polarized genders” (Women as “the Sex” During the Victorian Era). Brontë did not appreciate the contrasting roles of the two genders and held no respect for the lack of female opportunities in most occupations. As a result of her unusual use of romanticism throughout …show more content…

Classicalism, defined, is essentially the pursuit of rationality and intellectuality. A duly noted shift from Romanticism to Classicalism was observed as the Victorian Era matured. The relevant question that follows is how was Romanticism portrayed? The answer is not a transparent characterization, but a varying charisma of art. In current day, “Romanticism” elicits romance and love, but there is and always has been so much more than just “love” encompassing this ideology. Charles Baudelaire, a French poet, noted that, “the word Romanticism is to say modern art - that is, intimacy, spirituality, color, aspiration towards the infinite, expressed by every means available to the arts” (Romantic Quotes). The idealized nature and secure religious belief or the emphasis on the individual and products of the human mind all were traits of this romantic trend. The newfound faith in sensitivities and vivid imagination were explored through melancholy figures and bitter representations. Moreover, Romantic writers focused on incorporating emotion and relationships as a crucial aspect of development in their works. Focusing on a deepened admiration for beauty, Brontë placed strong emphasis on allowing her world to be expressed through literary and poetic exploration of emotion and the …show more content…

Emily Brontë’s, Wuthering Heights, is a favorable example. Wuthering Heights deeply accentuates its female characters and their assorted conflicts with their male counterparts. There are glimpses in the novel where these female characters are represented as a positive aspect to the development of the storyline, exploring their varying traits of courage, intelligence, and wit. However, Brontë also pays attention to their negative qualities, highlighting their immature behavior and disproportionate, ostentatious side. This negative behavior could have been affiliated with the treatment of women during this specific time period. Similar to a select number of women Brontë grew up with or who held an influential allure over her, Brontë wrote about her female characters decisions and priorities by acknowledging their capacity to break free and scrutinize their confined “box”. As Catherine and Heathcliff began to grow up, they become inseparable and assembled a profound, personal bond. They grew up with each other and over time came to terms with their developing, romantic, recalcitrant relationship. Catherine’s father remarks that, “She was much too fond of Heathcliff. The greatest punishment we could invent for her was to keep her separate from him,” (Brontë Wuthering 35). Brontë first depicts the women of her time period here. Despite Catherine’s conspicuous love

Open Document