The Guardian has an article on the female gaze on screen and on paper. Do you voraciously read the pages of steamy romantasy bestsellers by Sarah J Maas or Rebecca Yarros? Or flood your group chat with breathless recaps of the latest goings-on in TV series such as Heated Rivalry or Bridgerton? Or even immerse yourself in the divisive and challenging cinematic worlds of Emerald Fennell? If so, you surely can’t have failed to notice that in pop culture, the female gaze – storytelling that highlights the meandering, textured, sublimely messy inner worlds and wants of women – is enjoying an explosion. On TV, you can see it everywhere, in the interior lives and desires taken up by Big Little Lies, Sirens or Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington’s Little Fires Everywhere. Romantasy harbours it in the shape of powerful maidens and sex in fae (fairy) realms, while Fennell’s Wuthering Heights and Promising Young Woman are marketed with the promise of converting women’s experiences into dark beauty on the big screen. (Deborah Linton)
Instead of excavating the forgotten story of a heroic woman from history, Natasha has built a new story that fictionalises 1950s and ‘60s Hollywood and rests it on the foundations of Jane Eyre. The orphaned heroine is Aria Jones, and she, the modern iteration of Jane, has been transported from gothic England to the Chateau Marmont during the Hollywood studio era. This new setting is no less confining than 1800s rural England, and plenty of menace lurks behind the hotel’s many doors, from ghostly apparitions to sleazy film directors. Natasha’s characters are undeniably contemporary. The young women who fill the Chateau fizz with ambition, potent beauty and unmet potential. Their stories are inspired by real stars who once graced the hotel, including Marilyn Monroe and Natalie Wood. Aspiring actresses Calliope (who cannot be called beautiful because the word is “wholly inadequate”) and Flitter, who is “chasing beauty but hasn’t caught it yet” are tools for Natasha to explore the treatment of women under the studio system, and to show how they used what meagre power they had to take control of their own fates. A teenage Aria is welcomed into their shared bedroom where she finds sisterly love and advice amid cosy pyjama-parties and mint juleps ordered from Schwab’s. The Chateau itself is almost a character. It observes and sighs and welcomes Aria, who was orphaned at the age of 13 after her parents are killed in a gas station inferno. The reason she has come to the chateau is that it is where her aunt, the washed-up actress Miss Devine Rey, lives. The narrative shifts back and forth between young, newly arrived Aria, and a more mature Aria who has taken on the role of being a sort-of governess to Adele, the daughter of the new owner of the Chateau, gruff rock star, Theo Winchester. Like Edward Rochester, Theo has a history of excess, and a mysterious, checkered past. Though he’s more conventionally attractive than the original. [...] Aria’s goal in taking a job as Adele’s carer is to save enough money to one day break free of the Chateau. Just as Jane Eyre yearns to see the world beyond the English hillside, Aria dreams of the ocean. She is haunted by apparitions of fire, which foreshadows the inevitable fate of the building. The Chateau on Sunset is not a re-telling, however, it is a re-imagining, and Natasha has allowed herself to create new fates for the characters. There is a distinct shift in tone after the famous woman-in-the-attic-scene, with plenty of surprises as the story barrels towards its ending. (Genevieve Gannon)
Donegal Daily features Charlotte Brontë and Jane Eyre for Charlotte's birthday tomorrow. AnneBrontë.org celebrates Ellen Nussey's birthday, which is today.
Brontë-related research in Africa:
Ouana Alassane Sekongo, University Félix Houphouët-Boigny, Côte d’Ivoire Revue des Arts, Linguistique, Littérature & Civilisations, Vol 2, Mars 2026
In nineteenth-century England, Victorianism was an ideology based on the principle that men are more rational than women. As such, it divided the society into two distinct spheres, which were the private sphere for women and the public sphere for men. This paper aims to highlight that Brontë coins the character Jane, an educated and defiant girl who subverts these social norms and works hard to enter the public space just as men. In addition to textual evidence, the article relies on Judith Butler’s (1990) theory of deconstructing gender norms in order to demonstrate how Brontë’s novel questions the Victorian gender system and opens doors for women to express themselves and reveal their talents. The study concludes that after defying the ideology of Victorianism, Jane has not only got access to formal education, but also worked in the public sphere as a teacher. She, therefore, stands as a resilient and an emergent girl, serving as a role model for 21st century women.
Atmospheric Perfumes " for anyone who secretly wants to live in a Brontë novel" on BuzzFeed: The moors provide a staggering wealth of sensory inspiration. There is the visual poetry of purple heather and bright yellow gorse, but the true magic lies in the air itself: the scent of peaty, rain-soaked earth, moss-cloaked stones, and the sharp, ozonic chill of an approaching storm. Beyond the wilderness lies the atmospheric indoor world of the Heights and Thrushcross Grange: the smoldering woodsmoke of a centuries-old hearth, the bitterness of kitchen herbs, aged tobacco, and the sweet, golden comfort of honey and oats. If you've ever wished to carry the essence of the moors with you, I've curated a list of 12 niche and indie fragrances that capture the very heart of the Brontë sisters' world. From photorealistic rain to gothic smoke, here are the scents that will make you feel as though you've stepped directly into the mist: (Savannah)
Of course, if you don't know which one to try, BuzzFeed conveniently publishes a Wuthering Heights Quiz "To Discover Which Atmospheric Perfume Matches Your Gothic Heart".
A letter sent to the Craven Herald in 1914 shed light on author Charlotte Bronte's links with Craven. It also revealed some other fascinating snippets, writes Lesley Tate. Novelist Charlotte Bronte spent a short time as a governess for a family at Stone Gappe, on the Skipton side of Lothersdale. And 112 years ago, a "correspondent" for the Craven Herald wrote of her connections with Craven and her apparent dislike of children. Charlotte, the eldest of the three Bronte sisters who survived into adulthood, lived at Haworth where she wrote her masterpiece, Jane Eyre, under the name of Currer Bell. Trained as a teacher, she spent a few years, between 1839 and 1841 as a governess, including to the Sidgwick family at their summer resident, Stone Gappe in Lothersdale. Charlotte was employed by the Sidgwicks in 1839, but did not take kindly to children, according to the Herald of 1914. On June 8, 1839 in a letter to her sister, Emily, she wrote: "The country, the house and the grounds are divine. . . The children are constantly with me, and more riotous, perverse, unmanageable cubs never grew." The Herald's correspondent of June, 26, 1914, a few weeks before Europe was plunged into war, wondered what Charlotte would have thought of the modern "enfante terrible". "Surely, most children answer to her description at some period of their lives, and is it not only healthy that they should?" they asked. Charlotte, who stayed for just a month at Stone Gappe before moving on, wrote in the same letter to her sister about Mr Sidgwick. "Mr Sidgwick walked out with the children, and I had orders to follow a little behind. "As he strolled on through the fields with his magnificent Newfoundland dog at his side, he looked very like what a frank, wealthy, Conservative gentleman ought to be. He spoke freely and unaffectedly to the people he met, and though he indulged his children, and allowed them to tease himself far too much, he would not suffer them grossly to insult others." It may be that Mr Sidgwick was the inspiration for Edward Rochester in Jane Eyre, published in 1847. Mr Rochester, who employed the young Jane as his governess, also had a large Newfoundland dog. It has also been suggested that one of the Sidgwick's children, John, who at one time threw a bible at Charlotte, was the inspiration for John Reed, who in Jane Eyre, throws a book at the young Jane, his step-sister. The Herald pointed out Charlotte's use of the word Conservative, and explained it was then almost a new word when applied to politics. "The good old word 'Tory' is now only used as a catchphrase by our political opponents, " said the correspondent, who left readers in no mistake as to their political leanings. Charlotte appeared to have little success as a governess, the correspondent continued, passing from post to post very rapidly. Another sister, Annie Bronte, wrote in her diary: "Charlotte has left Mrs Wooler's, been a governess at Mrs Sidgwick's, left her, and gone to Mrs White's". The extract was dated 1841, which, bearing in mind Charlotte was born in 1816, showed that she had been a governess with at least three families before she was 25-years-old. Charlotte wrote under the name of Currer Bell, and there were two popular theories about the origins of her pseudonym. One was that she had been inspired by Currer Hall, near Beamsley. But the Herald's correspondent favoured a different theory. "It is more probable that it was then in honour of the family of Currer, who then lived at Kildwick Hall. The Currers possessed a magnificent library, the greater part of which is now at Eshton Hall, " said the correspondent. There was also connection to a former headmaster of Skipton Grammar School, a Dr Cartman, who was described as a "great friend" of Charlotte's father, Patrick Bronte. A letter from Charlotte written when she was in London in June, 1851, to her father begins: "Dear Papa - I am glad to hear that you continue in pretty good health, and that Mr Cartman came to help you on Sunday." The Rev Patrick Bronte died in June, 1861 and the Bradford Review in describing the funeral at Haworth, mentions that Dr Cartman, of Skipton, was one of the bearers. The Craven Herald of June, 1853, which was then a monthly publication, described the consecration of St Mary's Church, Embsay, in which the name of the Rev A B Nicholls was included. Mr Nicholls, then curate to Patrick Bronte at Haworth, was eventually to be married to Charlotte, but according to the Herald at the time, it was not a relationship approved of by Charlotte's father. "It was in December, 1852, that Mr Nicholls proposed to Charlotte, " said the correspondent. "Her father, who appears to have been of a violent temper, would not hear of the match. His relations with Nicholls afterwards became so strained that the latter had no alternative but to leave." Mr Nicholls departed Haworth in May, 1853 - some ten days after the consecration of Embsay Church. "It is now a matter of history that Charlotte eventually married Mr Nicholls, who survived her by many years, " said the correspondent, who writing a 100 years ago, added he had died just a few years earlier. Mr Nicholls left his portrait of Charlotte to the National Portrait Gallery, London. (Lesley Tate)
Back in the village, stop by Harrington’s butcher and deli for what locals say are “the best quiches this side of Manchester,” or enjoy a pint at The George, the 16th-century inn where a young Charlotte Brontë once stayed and found inspiration for Jane Eyre. (Vaishnavi Pandey) Well... and we have this. On the BBC: A curlew conservation campaigner will spread his wings across Yorkshire's Three Peaks on Sunday for his latest fundraising challenge. Matt Trevelyan will attempt to scale Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough in under 12 hours - dressed as his feathered friend Cathy the Curlew - a 10ft (3m) long home-made costume. Trevelyan will be joined by his partner Claire, who will bring a touch of romance to the trek as Cathy's curlew companion Heathcliff. (Samantha Whelanand and Georgey Spanswick)
The New Indian Express wonders where the rom-com movies have gone. We wonder where fact-checking's gone in view of the blunder: And even if they get it wrong like Emerald Fennell's heavy breathing adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's Wuthering Heights, at least they tried. (Kaveree Bamzai) Brontë research everywhere. From Nepal: Sushil Ghimire, Balkumari College, Chitwan, Nepal Mindscape: A Journal of English & Cultural Studies, 4(1), 107–116
This study examines Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights (1848) and Parijat’s Blue Mimosa (1965), two debut novels written more than a century apart, in different worlds, yet connected by a shared portrayal of women’s suffering under patriarchal authority. The research explores how Catherine Earnshaw and Sakambari embody experiences of oppression, discrimination, and premature tragedy as consequences of deeply rooted gender hierarchies. The study adopts a qualitative approach, guided specifically by de Beauvoir’s concept of woman as the “Other” in The Second Sex (1949). According to de Beauvoir, patriarchal societies construct women as secondary, subordinate beings defined in relation to men. Applying this framework, the analysis explores how Brontë and Parijat represent their heroines as trapped in gendered hierarchies yet simultaneously striving for selfhood and autonomy. The findings reveal that although Brontë was writing in nineteenth-century England and Parijat in twentieth-century Nepal, both texts depict strikingly similar patterns of female marginalization, particularly within family structures. Catherine and Sakambari resist patriarchal expectations in distinct ways-Catherine by questioning marital conformity and Sakambari by refusing to conform to prescriptive feminine norms-thereby asserting women’s agency while highlighting the universality of patriarchal oppression. By situating Wuthering Heights and Blue Mimosa in a cross-cultural and transnational dialogue, this study contributes to comparative feminist literary scholarship. It demonstrates how women writers, despite temporal and spatial distance, articulate parallel experiences of oppression and resistance, affirming the role of literature as a powerful medium for feminist critique and consciousness.
From Iraq: Asst. Lect. Mohsin Kamil Shlaka, Imam Al-Kadhum College I.K.C Wasit Journal for Human Sciences, 22(1), 1363-1352.
This study focuses on the central role of the natural environment, particularly harsh weather and storms. It reveals how nature in the novel embodies an active force that shapes characters' emotions and choices, reflects their inner conflicts, and sustains a constant tension between the human and natural worlds. From this perspective, Brontë offers an early vision of modern environmental thought by highlighting the profound connection between human experience and the surrounding environment. The research methodology employs a descriptive-analytical approach using textual analysis within an eco-critical framework. The procedures include a meticulous reading of the novel to extract natural symbols, environmental allusions, and images of the relationship between humanity and nature, followed by analysis in accordance with the principles of ecocriticism. This textual analysis and the ecocritical framework aim to provide a deeper understanding of the environment's role in shaping the narrative discourse and the characters' psychology.
The Daily Cougar vindicates the public school system and curriculum in front of the ones that want to create a society of "competent" (aka docile idiot serfs for our technofeudal pseudolords) people: In one survey, the average American felt that they used “just 37 percent of the information they learn in school.” Some of the information that Americans found “most useless” included the Pythagorean theorem, the number pi and social activities like making paper snowflakes. Respondents expressed a desire for more practical instruction, such as how to file taxes or perform car maintenance. (...) When a student is forced to write an essay about “Jane Eyre,” they are really practicing writing a persuasive argument and articulating their thoughts into words, which is useful in law, business and everyday conversation. (Maria Krylova)
Now, this film was never supposed to be a remake or a direct adaptation of the novel, and the film’s director made that clear in interviews while explaining that is why the title remains in quotes. She has stated that it is how she remembers the book from the first time she read it as a teenager. While I can appreciate that this is how her teenage self read the book, even calling this an interpretation is a disservice to the original story. Emily Brontë is rolling in her grave. Despite my qualms with the film from a literary standpoint, I actually enjoyed it. Cinematically, it is a beautifully produced film. It is visually pleasing to watch, with intricate set designs such as the walls in Catherine’s room — which were modeled after Margot Robbie’s skin and included moles, veins and even hair. The costumes and hair for this piece, while albeit not the most historically accurate, are stunning and the overall attention to detail is impressive. (Jeni Nance)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë A pioneering feminist narrative, Jane Eyre blends romance, mystery, and emotional independence in a deeply character-driven story. (Dikshant Sharma)
The fashion and beauty section of The Sunday Times (South Africa) concludes that this is the year of yearning and you know why?: From windswept cheeks to just-bitten lips; the runways are overtaken by yearning. (...) The inspiration: Wuthering Heights, romance-novel yearning, feral, flushed skin, wind-beaten cheeks As seen at: Chanel, Chloe, Ann Demeulemeester, Ermanno Scervino, and Simone Rocha When we first saw butt-grazing princess hair at the 2024 Met Gala, we were inclined to think it was a fleeting phase. But it seems that the sighting was only the beginning of what would be a resurgence of all things romantic. In 2026, romance makes a triumphant return to the runways, red carpets, TV and film, with this year’s most heart-racing film, Wuthering Heights, based on Emily Brontë’s tragic romance novel, sweeping the world up in a surge of skin-flushing romance. Dubbed the ‘year of yearning’, it seems that the runways’ response to the world’s current state of conflict and war is one of unadulterated displays of love and feral human emotion, sparking a romance resurgence that can only be described as utterly joyful. (Nokubonga Thusi)
Hello! Magazine sells the wonders of a paritcular Yorkshire Dales hotel like this: The Coniston Hotel & Spa has a touch of Wuthering Heights magic from the scenic hills and offers some extra thrills onsite as well... After watching Wuthering Heights and dreaming about being swept into the Dales in Jacob Elordi's arms, a staycation to the Yorkshire Dales suddenly seemed very appealing. Except, of course, there was no Jacob Elordi (no shade to my boyfriend), and my stay was perhaps a little more "indoorsy" than running around the hills like Cathy. However, the Coniston Hotel & Spa did offer a sprinkle of Wuthering Heights magic with its hilly backdrop and moody, Gothic charm... (Iona MacRobert)
Sprinkles of Wuthering Heights magic... ok. Whatever. Ipshita Nath, author of the forthcoming Diseased Empire: How Faith, Medicine, and Race Shaped British India writes in Scroll.in about Catherine as a ‘consumptive chic’ example: In contemporary popular discourse, Heathcliff and Catherine’s relationship is viewed as toxic and codependent, but deeper psychoanalytic interpretations of their behaviour become critical in studying the horrific dimensions of human attachment and desire. The themes of power, psychological disintegration and self-destructive trauma imbued in the narrative demand deeper engagement because while the characters are flawed to the point of appearing villainous, they are poignant for the fate that meets them in the end. In this, Catherine emerges as perhaps one of the most haunting Victorian heroines, progressing from a wild and untamed young woman, to an obsessive and reprehensible heroine – an antithesis to an idealised Victorian lady – finally transmuting into a spectral apparition after her death. Her character arc resists any closure as her long sickness and prolonged suffering do not end in death, but assume unheimlich proportions as she comes back to haunt Heathcliff, disturbing the ontological boundaries between life and death. Indeed, in the liminal space between life and death, Catherine is shown to be clinging to the past and then suffering endlessly due to it. Her despair, feelings of guilt and entrapment, progressive physical disintegration take on physical symptoms of fevers and anorexia that slowly wither her away. She becomes a tragic Gothic heroine not only for what happens to her in her dysfunctional relationships, but also for her emotional and sexual weaknesses that attenuate her in the end. For this reason, Catherine’s physical and emotional deterioration needs to be studied as a product of a distinctly Victorian trend and aesthetic that valorised and eroticised weakness and suffering in women. She physically embodies the cultural idea of the “consumptive chic” who is fevered, emaciated and dying, as she becomes both victim and perpetrator – the haunted and the haunting.
A video of The Huffington Post, with some AI-generated deep dives explores the Charlotte Brontë "dislike" of Jane Austen's prose. The House of Brontë publishes a video on Heathcliff, man or monster? The Brontë Sisters UK makes a graveyard exploration in Haworth that reads the stones of ordinary villagers who shared their world with the Brontës — tracing stories of loss, scandal, and survival in nineteenth-century Yorkshire. More Recent Articles
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