Saturday 7 June 2008

Sabrina the Teenage... Brontëite?

Well, anti-Brontëite, perhaps. She doesn't seem to be very fond of Wuthering Heights.
However, Aunt Zelda liking it is... to be expected, I suppose. Yay for her.

Sabrina: I can't get through 'Wuthering Heights'. Can someone please tell me what happens so I can write my book report?

Zelda: Oh, honey, don't take a shortcut. You need to discover the love between Catherine and Heathcliff on your own.

Sabrina: You're right.

She picks the book up again and considers the amount of unread pages to those she's read.

Sabrina: Aunt Hilda?

Hilda: Sorry, never read it. Emily Brontë bugged me. She was in my English class and she always thought she was so brilliant.

Sabrina: I know a way I can find out on my own.

She stands.

Sabrina: Take me into the book, knowing what happens would be heaven. Flip ahead to page two-eleven.

She points at herself activating the spell and in a swirl of sparkles vanishes.

Ext. A dark and misty night on the desolate moors. A petite blonde in a flowing white gown slogs through the mire.

Sabrina: Heathcliff! Heathcliff! Dang, these moors are cold!

Int. Spellman living room. Another swirl of sparkles and Sabrina's back in her white gown shivering, rubbing her arms and blowing on numb fingers.

Sabrina
: All right, you're right. I'll read the book. Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Long and Winding Short Cut, originally aired 30/4/99.
This was probably the earliest exposure to the Brontës that I ever had, if I'm honest.
...I'm slightly bothered by Hilda's reference to Emily being in her English class, though - I very much doubt that would've happened, considering Emily's limited schooling.
Other than that, yay for unexpected Brontë references and unexpected Brontëite characters... in an American show.

...For the record "page two-eleven" (211) in my edition of the book puts me at Kenneth announcing Hindley's death to Nelly.

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