On the 160th anniversary of the death of Emily Brontë

It surely says much about the so-called Sphinx of English Literature when it is hard to find anything she said, did or wrote that isn't divided into one, two or any number of completely different schools of thought, disputed by this group or that group to prove that she was 'absolutely' on their side. And truth be told, Emily right from the start - and seemingly by her own choice - was a riddle. But 160 years after her death she is even more so - something which, of course, makes her all the more fascinating.

In some cases, Emily's personality, Emily's actions, Emily's writings seem to have gone through a series of 'Chinese whispers' in order to reach the stage where Emily's affiliation to this or that cause is 'crystal-clear'. And there's nothing particularly wrong with wanting Emily Brontë on your side - I mean, who wouldn't want a woman who was capable of separating two large, fighting dogs by spraying pepper on their muzzles on their side? - unless it goes clearly against what little we know of Emily's beliefs.

There can hardly be a better - albeit controversial - tribute to Emily Brontë than to find that everyone - or most people, anyway - wants this powerful, self-effacing woman to carry the banner of their beliefs and then to be closer to her somehow, to break the 160 years barrier.

Categories: Emily Brontë, Reminder