Bob Dylan’s song Lily Rosemary, and The Jack of Heartsis my second favorite story telling song of all time after Jay Z’s Meet The Parents. Much has been debated and discussed about Dylan’s songs’ complicated plot, but I believe the characters in the song could be partially based on Emily Bronte’s novel Wuthering Heights. Lets look at the main character first.

Bronte’s Heathcliff =Dylan’s Jack Of Hearts

In Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff is a mysterious character. He appears on the scene without ever getting any real knowledge of his past. Throughout the story he is the major catalyst for many of the major plot points, yet continues to remain very mysterious; for example, we never really learn how he accumulated his fortune. Despite of or because of Heathcliff’s mysterious and dark nature, 2 major female characters in the novel fall in love with him Catherine and Isabella. The Jack of Hearts is a similar character. He comes into town in a mysterious way and little is ever revealed about his background. Like Heathcliff, Jack’s mysterious nature and ability to act 2 faced wins him the affection of the 2 major female characters in the song Lily and Rosemary. Furthermore, The Jack of Hearts is the vehicle that drives the plot twists in the song.

Bronte’s Catherine=Dylan’s Lily

Both women are torn between 2 men. In Catherine’s case she is torn between Heathcliff and Edgar Linton. In Lily’s case she is torn between The Jack Of Hearts and Big Jim. In addition Lily is described by Dylan as being "a princess," "fair-skinned" and "childlike" having a "certain flash" and "coming from a home with lots of strange affairs" which are things that are associated with Catherine. Below are lyrics from the Dylan song that show an interaction between Lily and The Jack of Hearts that is written a lot like some of the interactions we see with Catherine and Heathcliff:
"Lily's arms were locked around the man that she dearly loved to touch,
She forgot all about the man she couldn't stand who hounded her so much.
"I've missed you so," she said to him, and he felt she was sincere,
But just beyond the door he felt jealousy and fear.
Just another night in the life of the Jack of Hearts."

Bronte’s Edgar Linton=Dylan’s Big Jim

Edgar Linton plays the foil to Heathcliff just as Big Jim plays the foil to the Jack of Hearts. Edgar Linton is also a wealthy man which is one of the main reasons that Catherine marries him. This parallels Big Jim who we know is wealthy from owning the town’s only diamond mind and we can suppose this is one of the reason’s that Lily is drawn to him and "has his ring." Dylan points out though that Big Jim is no match for The Jack of Hearts even with his "bodyguards and suger cane." Edgar Linton is also no match for Heathcliff despite Edgar's wealth and the bodyguards that he had with him at times.

Bronte’s Isabella=Dylan’s Rosemary

Both of these characters are integral to the story line and have relationship with the 2 main male characters in each of the respective tales. Both characters however are somewhat underwritten in both Bronte and Dylan’s tales.