‘A good heart will help you to a bonny face, my lad…if you were a regular black.’ Nelly Dean in 'Wuthering Heights'
As well as telling wonderful, unforgettable stories, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights explore a wealth of fascinating ideas, such as the Romantic notion of the outsider, and a challenge to 19th-century assumptions around class and women’s experiences.
At times controversial though, is the idea that Emily and Charlotte were also tapping into the disquiet felt around the legacy of slavery, through the characters of Bertha Mason and Heathcliff.
March’s Thursday Talk looks at the historical context for this disquiet and argues that far from being a recent interpretation of the novels reflecting modern preoccupations, this is a reading that’s been part of our understanding of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights for many years.
This talk will be given by Susan Newby, Learning Officer at the Museum.
Thursday Talks occur twice on the day: once at the Museum and once online.
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