Painting of Emily Brontë by George Richmond
Emily Brontë is one of the greatest and most tragic figures of the 19th century and because 2018 marks her 200th anniversary, we decided to explore the extraordinary relationship she had with her dog Keeper.
The Beginning:
Emily’s father, Patrick, was very protective and cautious man. He got Keeper, a mastiff cross-breed, as a guard dog. It quickly grew on Emily and became her personal companion.
The Stories:
Emily was a known animal lover, but there is one story that can shock everyone. One day a maid went to Emily and informed her that Keeper was sleeping on one of the beds, something that was not allowed. Emily went and indeed found the dog on one of the beds.
According to Letty McHugh who lives in Brontë country and has studied the family’s history, Emily repeatedly punched him in the eyes to punish him. Then she stayed up all night treating the wounds. “It is a weird kind of duality, says Letty.
Other historical accounts from the Brontë Parsonage Museum say that some villagers complained about her dog attacking other dogs on the streets. Ouch.
Her Writing:
In Wuthering Heights there is a scene where Catherine’s dog loses a fight and she is ashamed of it. Many people think that represents Emily’s life.
There is also the part when Heathcliff hangs Isabella’s dog with a handkerchief. In one of her letters, Emily talks about the resentment of lap dogs which women had at that time and that is the sort of dog Isabella has.
Emily:
According to Letty, Emily was expressing her rebellious side through the dog. Her the relationship with Keeper was very important because she wasn’t very good with people.
The End:
One of the last things Emily did was feeding the dog the night before she died. She got up from her bed, went down the stair to the kitchen and fed the dog. She died the next morning.
Pavlena Todorova