I’m not even kidding.
All four of the Bronte children grew up creating their own imaginary worlds of Angria (Branwell and Charlotte) and Gondal (Anne and Emily) where they used an amalgam of real people and their made-up counterparts. They wrote stories, poems, but they also literally played these characters. There are letters existing that talk about how Anne and Emily once spent an entire train journey as their characters–as adults.
One of Emily’s first major characters was Julius Brenzaida, a dark, warlike emperor who was an outcast and imprisoned at times, and married for ambition while loving another queen. Brenzaida, and characters like him, became a sort of signature for Emily.Like, it’s the equivalent of me always playing the ranger in an RPG.
Later, in one of her diary papers, she talked about her writing and mentioned she was working on the ‘Life of Emperor Julius’, which seems to have been subsumed into the first draft of Wuthering Heights.
Also: she signed many of her poems (a lot of which were based in Gondal and were about Brenzaida and his many loves) E.J.B. Which could, of course stand for Emily Jane Bronte, but also: Emperor Julius Brenzaida.
I just HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS about this, okay?
Oh hey, look at who’s reblogging this so fast!
Though really Charlotte was the one who was in love with her own rp character. And Emily liked to troll her a lot. .
…Emily is pretty cool. 😀
I LOVE EMILY SO MUCH. (In case anybody missed that.)
Also, yes, Emily spent a lot of time taking the piss out of Charlotte, I think, and Charlotte DID NOT APPRECIATE IT. 🙂
Oh my gosh, just look at Charlotte’s Preface to Wuthering Heights. “My sister was a little weird… But it was only because she was strong! I know this isn’t proper girl stuff. And you’re probably going to judge. Believe me, I judged her, too! She’s just, uhm, really tough. So read this. Even though she’s weird. I mean, she’s not weird!” Poor Charlotte, who was at least reasonably proper!
I DON’T KNOW WHERE EMILY GOT THOSE HORRIBLE IDEAS. (Branwell? No, I don’t remember anyone named Branwell.)
…Time to embark on a reread.
from Tumblr http://ift.tt/1nj27Pp