Patrick and Maria Bronte had six children (from oldest to youngest): Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. Soon after Patrick had been appointed to a parish in Haworth, Yorkshire, his wife died, leaving the parson and the young children behind (the oldest, Maria, only seven years old). Maria, Elizabeth, Charlotte, and Emily began attending Cowan Bridge School three years after their mother's death. Tragically, Maria and Elizabeth both died of tuberculosis, which had infected the school. Patrick hastened to bring Charlotte and Emily home after learning of the deaths of his two older daughters.
Six years after the loss of her sisters, Charlotte set off for Roe Head School. She returned a little after a year later and taught her sisters. In 1835, Charlotte became a teacher at Roe Head, and Emily became a student there, but she only lasted three months. She would speak to no one except Charlotte and became very thin and pale. She was soon back at Haworth. Anne took Emily's place at Roe Head.
In the next few years, Emily became a teacher at Law Hill School. Failure was the result. Emily endured her position for six months; she disliked teaching very much, and longed for the moors that surrounded her home.
In February of 1842, Charlotte and Emily went to Brussels. They stayed at the Pensionnat Heger, where they became pupils. Madame Heger was the head of the school. The two sisters learned French, German, music, singing, writing, arithmetic, and drawing.
At home, Aunt Branwell had become very ill. Charlotte and Emily came home, only to find her dead and buried. Afterwards, Emily stayed at the Parsonage, but Charlotte went back to Brussels. She became a teacher at the Pensionnat, but she was very dissatisfied with her students. In a letter to Branwell, she said:
"I can discern only one or two [pupils] who deserve anything like regard...They have not intellect or politeness or good-nature or good-feeling..."
Madame Heger thought that Charlotte had fallen in love with her husband, and therefore became very cold and distant towards her. Monsieur Heger taught her German, but otherwise, had little to do with her. Early in 1844, Charlotte came home, but continued to write to Monsieur Heger, even though he allowed her to write to him only twice a year.
Branwell's talents seemed very promising. He was seen as the gifted one in the family. His father had hired a painting master to teach his only son, and it was also thought that Branwell could possibly turn out to be a poet or a journalist. Unfortunately, Fate dictated otherwise. Branwell was to go to London to attend the Royal Academy Schools, but he did not present himself as planned. Instead, he roamed the streets of London, wasting his money on alcohol. Later on, when he had failed at portrait painting and working on railroads, he tried his hand at tutoring (the Robinson family hired him). Branwell was dismissed because of "irregularities," as it was termed. He had been having an affair with Mrs. Robinson. Finally, at age 31, Charlotte's only brother died.
Meanwhile, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne had begun publishing their poetry and novels. Charlotte had written Jane Eyre (1846), Shirley (1849), and Villette (1853). It was not until after her death that The Professor was published in 1857. Charlotte had begun several novels, but she never finished them. Emily's novel Wuthering Heights was published in 1847. Anne's accomplishments included Agnes Grey (1847) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848). All of the Bronte sisters had contributed poems to a collection of poetry, entitled Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell (1846). Currer, Ellis and Acton were the aliases assumed by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte. The sisters lived in such times that women were not always given a fair chance in the business world. Therefore, they assumed masculine names, so that their books would have a better chance of being published.
Disaster struck in October of 1848, when Emily fell sick with tuberculosis. In December of 1848, Emily's coffin was laid in the same vault as that of her mother and brother. Anne soon followed her sister to the grave, after she was consumed by the same relentless disease that had deprived her mother, brother, and three sisters of their lives.
The only remaining members of the Bronte family were Patrick and Charlotte. Charlotte was very deeply grieved at the loss of her companions. Writing restored her energy. In Shirley, she explained her feelings:
"...who cares for imagination? Who does not think it a rather dangerous, senseless attribute - akin to weakness - perhaps partaking of frenzy - a disease rather than a gift of the mind?
Probably all think it so, but those who possess - or fancy they possess - it. To hear them speak, you would believe that their hearts would be cold if that elixir did not flow about them; that their eyes would be dim if that flame did not refine their vision; that they would be lonely if this strange companion abandoned them. You would suppose that it imparted some glad hope to spring, some fine charm to summer, some tranquil joy to autumn, some consolation to winter, which you do not feel. An illusion, of course; but the fanatics cling to their dream, and would not give it for gold."
Charlotte also wrote to her publisher, when she was announcing the completion of Shirley:
"Whatever now becomes of the work, the occupation of writing it has been a boon to me. It took me out of dark and desolate reality into an unreal but happier region."
In a later letter to the same publisher, she wrote:
"The faculty of imagination lifted me when I was sinking, three months ago...I am thankful to God, who gave me this faculty; and it is for me a part of my religion to defend this gift and to profit by its possession."
During this time, her father's curate, the Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholls, had been spending a great deal of time with Patrick and Charlotte. It was not long before he proposed, and Charlotte accepted. They were married on the morning of Thursday, June 29, 1854. One year after the marriage, Charlotte died. The cause of her death was tuberculosis, and it is thought that complications in early pregnancy hastened the process.
Patrick Bronte ended up outliving his wife and six children. His only companion was Charlotte's husband, who looked after Charlotte's father, in compliance with Charlotte's last wishes. Patrick, at age 84, was the last of his family to die.
Part II: Major Works
Charlotte Bronte
- Jane Eyre (1846)
- Villette (1853)
- Shirley (1849)
- The Professor (1857)
Emily Bronte
- Wuthering Heights (1847)
Anne Bronte
- Agnes Grey (1847)
- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848)
Branwell Bronte
- The Works of Patrick Branwell Bronte : An Edition (Vol 1)
Part III: The Victorian Era
Brontë wrote during the Victorian Age of British literature, which lasted from 1833- 1901, named in connection with the reign of Queen Victoria. The social, political, and historical influences of the Victorian Age permeated its literature. At the forefront was the ever-changing role of women. In the 1840’s petitions began.
circulating for the advocation of women’s suffrage. The Married Women's Property Acts in 1882 secured women’s rights to maintain property ownership after marriage. The Industrial Revolution opened doors for lower class women to take jobs in factories, most of which paid low wages and offered terrible working conditions. The plight of the educated but impoverished woman makes Jane Eyre a reflection of the times in which it was written. The Victorian Age brought an increase in literacy, and reading novels became a popular pastime. The typical Victorian novel was directly connected to issues and concerns of contemporary society; authors strove to create realistic views of nineteenth century living. Stories were often published in serial form; readers anxiously awaited the monthly installments of single chapters. Along with Brontë, authors such as Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackery, Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, and Thomas Hardy penned works that became popular.
Part IV: Allusions in Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre has an abundance of Biblical, literary, and historical allusions. To enrich their comprehension, students might be asked to track allusions as they study the novel. A sampling of allusions, along with an explanation for each, is provided here for reference.
Bewick’s History of British Birds
A book that provides details about various species of birds, along with engraved illustrations. Jane enjoys the book as an escape from her life with her cruel aunt and cousins (7).
Nero and Caligua
Mentioned in connection with John Reed, these notorious Roman leaders were known for excessive spending and evil deeds (10).
Gulliver’s Travels
Jane requests Bessie to fetch this novel written by Jonathan Swift. The story uses the form of a traveler’s narrative to develop a satire about human nature (20).
Guy Fawkes
Jane tells readers that Abbot compared her to Guy Fawkes. As part of the famous “Gunpowder Plot,” Fawkes, along with fellow conspirators, attempted to blow up King James I and the Houses of Parliament in London in 1605. The reference is made in connection with Jane’s status as an “illconditioned child” (25).
Babel
A Biblical city in Shinar where the building of a tower is held in Genesis to have been halted by the confusion of tongues; Jane makes this reference to describe the chaos at Lowood School (46).
Rasselas
An essay being read by Helen Burns; this work by Samuel Johnson contends that happiness may not always be within one’s grasp (49). Bluebeard’s castle: A fairy-tale in which a young wife has access to all the rooms in a castle except for the one that contains the bodies of her dead predecessors. Jane mentions this in connection to her lingering by a passage near the attic (108).
Dian
A Celtic deity, Jane uses this name when she refers to Blanche’s appearance with this name (175).
Eliezer and Rebecca
Rochester and Blanche Ingram dress up as Eliezer and Rebecca during a game of charades. In the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis, Eliezer, Abraham's servant, is sent to find a bride for Abraham's son, Isaac. Eliezer does not marry Rebecca, just as Rochester will not marry Blanche (186).
King Ahasuerus
The Persian king who is found in the Book of Esther and promises to give Esther what she wants, just as Rochester promises Jane (265).
Samson
From the Bible in Judges 16, Samson reveals to his lover Delilah that his hair, the source of his strength, has never been cut; she uses this secret against him to bring about his destruction (265).
Marmion
A book of Romantic poetry written by Sir Walter Scott that is read by Jane while St. John examines her drawings (377).
Medusa
Eliezer and Rebecca
Rochester and Blanche Ingram dress up as Eliezer and Rebecca during a game of charades. In the twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis, Eliezer, Abraham's servant, is sent to find a bride for Abraham's son, Isaac. Eliezer does not marry Rebecca, just as Rochester will not marry Blanche (186).
King Ahasuerus
The Persian king who is found in the Book of Esther and promises to give Esther what she wants, just as Rochester promises Jane (265).
Samson
From the Bible in Judges 16, Samson reveals to his lover Delilah that his hair, the source of his strength, has never been cut; she uses this secret against him to bring about his destruction (265).
Marmion
A book of Romantic poetry written by Sir Walter Scott that is read by Jane while St. John examines her drawings (377).
Medusa
From a Greek myth, Medusa is the mortal Gorgon who is slain when decapitated by Perseus. A person would turn to stone if looking at her. The allusion is made in connection to Jane’s demeanor after she has learned that she is an heiress (389).
Paul and Silas’s Prison
Paul, the apostle, was thrown into prison with Silas for serving Jesus. After suffering severely, they were miraculously freed. Jane makes reference to this as she reflects on the voice she had heard that seems like an inspiration (429).
Nebuchadnezzar
The proud king of the Babylonian Empire who experienced a fall. His deterioration is described in The Bible as “he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.” Jane makes a reference to Nebuchadnezzar when she returns to Rochester and finds him in seclusion (444).
Apollo
Paul and Silas’s Prison
Paul, the apostle, was thrown into prison with Silas for serving Jesus. After suffering severely, they were miraculously freed. Jane makes reference to this as she reflects on the voice she had heard that seems like an inspiration (429).
Nebuchadnezzar
The proud king of the Babylonian Empire who experienced a fall. His deterioration is described in The Bible as “he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.” Jane makes a reference to Nebuchadnezzar when she returns to Rochester and finds him in seclusion (444).
Apollo
The Greek god of sun and music. Rochester uses this reference in response to Jane’s description of St. John (449).
We're three chapters into Jane Eyre. I know, we weren't told to post any responses yet, but this feels like an emergency! Jane Eyre is constantly abused by her aunt and cousins! When John Reed catches her reading Bewick's History of British Birds, he forbids her to read any of his books, takes it, and nearly splits her skull with it! "'Wicked and cruel boy!' [she says,] 'You are like a murderer-you are like a slave-driver-you are like the Roman Emperors'"(5)! That son of a ***** deserves this roast, but Jane is placed in the red bedroom where her uncle died, where they hope she either prays for forgiveness or dies on the spot. This isn't funny whatsoever, her uncle's bedroom reminds me of the closet Carrie White was always trapped in!
ReplyDeleteHasn't anybody noticed?
DeleteI hope she gets them to stop!
Deleteuwu
Delete^I beg your pardon?
DeleteWhen I said it felt like an emergency, I meant I couldn't resist.
DeleteWell, now that I've started this one, I don't think you can stop me. I think the reason why the Brontes always wrote about painful stuff like this is because their lives were painful. They kept losing loved ones, got kicked out of school, and couldn't get their ideal jobs.
DeleteI could conceive and Austen-Bronte collaboration. Jane Austen had a point. The Bronte sisters had points.
DeleteThey probably had many motivations in common.
DeleteJane Austen, while pointing out her impatience, was more comical, whereas the material the Bronte sisters churned out was more along the lines of film noir. But rather than choosing sides, I will support both.
DeleteI'm sorry but this has to be the most depressing story of a family I have ever read. It's very disturbing how this entire family was wiped out by a plague of tuberculosis and they seemed to be rejected and thrown around their whole lives. Entering schools only to flunk out, taking up jobs only to lose them and traveling just to be called back home because of sickness. They're clearly very bright. The sisters learned conventions and languages very easily, even if some of their social skills were a little less developed. I think literature clearly was their calling. It was a creative outlet that they were invested in and could clearly expend their creative juices on. It was a shame that they died so young. Charlotte probably had the saddest life out of all of them. She lost nearly everyone in her life and then croaked a year after her marriage. The biography and the documentary don't really go hand in hand, because the biography makes it sound like their lives are bleak and deathly; a world where it's always cloudy and gross. The documentary, on the other hand, shows a very creative and colorful life full of destiny and potential. It's interesting I guess to see these hand in hand.
ReplyDeleteIn the documentary it goes over the lives of the different Bronte’s. It goes over their lives and inspirations and vast creativity. The sisters all had very different styles of writing their books as well of different topics.They were all very different people with different interests and goals. Charlotte was the one who wanted to become famous and well known as an author. Emily became a teacher. Around 1850 the sisters works began to become published.The books had to be published under a males name to hide that they were women. Emily became sick in 1848 and died and soon after so did Anne. Charlotte died in 1855. Overall the documentary was pretty sad. Other than their novels their lives were revolved around death and disease at every corner it seemed.
ReplyDeleteWow. What these three sisters went through is unimaginable. So many deaths and and personal losses must have had a major effect on each of the Brone sisters and their writing styles and ideas. Charlotte holding so much grief and to add on to the grief she also had to manage the politics of the era and the contravercal ideas that her sister wrote while keeping their names in a good light.
ReplyDeleteI think that it's amazing that throughout their lives of hardship and being shunned by society they managed to become successful authors and well known today. I think it must have been very difficult for Charlotte to deal with the backlash at her family almost immediately after the death of her sisters. It's also very sad that none of them survived to the age of even 40 because it means that not only were their lives cut short, but with all that they had gone through it had to be chock full of tragedy.
ReplyDeleteMany people have already meantioned this, but I was extremely surprised at all of the life obstacles all the sisters had to overcome to become so successful. To me, they kind of remind me of Jane Austen as all of these women had to fight past these hard experiences, which they were then later able to use successfully in their writing. I feel like this is what made them such great authors, going through the hard times and sharing them with the world. Having the actual experience allows all of these steller authors to be able to write about it with all of the emotion they felt themselves when they went through it. Although Jane Austen's situation and the Bronte sisters' situations slightly differed in the way that women's role in society has slightly improved, I think their abilities' as a writer derive mainly from their experiences.
ReplyDeleteThis family has a very interesting but also very sad life. I thought it was weird how the brother was seen as not a very good artist, because after seeing some of his works in the film, they were all very good in my opinion. However I have to say that some of his sister’s works were probably just as good as his. It was also said that the brother did some poetry and other writing, I wonder if these works are good as well? Overall I think the whole family is very talented, it was just unfortunate that Branwell didn’t make the right decisions. Besides all the family deaths, I thought one thing that was very sad was that one of Charlotte's goals was to become famous with her writing, but unfortunately no one at that time was accepting of her work or the idea of woman publishing books. So the one thing that was very important to her was not achievable at all. I also think that, while Charlotte lived the longest, she had the saddest life. She had many struggles, one being that when the girls published their first books, the publisher didn’t allow hers to be published (and she was the one who wanted it most). Also when all of her family members died she was left with her father, so she felt lonely. She also had to deal with all the hate from people at that time who didn’t like her and her sister’s books. Although, some would argue that she had a better life because she got to live longer, and she got to marry. However the marriage only lasted a year before she died. Overall I think they all lived a sad life with underappreciated accomplishments.
ReplyDeleteTheir pain is heavily reflected in their books. Hang in there.
DeleteI found it really interesting that these threes girls go through almost all the same life experiences and come out with three distinct personalities. Even the things they draw on for their famous novels are so different, it's incredibly hard to compare their lives because what they drew on was so different; and yet their experiences were the same. It's so hard to understand how people can go through almost identical lives and still have different ambitions, personalities, stories, etc. In addition, something I picked up on throughout the documentary though was how everyone seems to believe that they knew exactly what the Bronte sisters thought and felt; I noticed this when we were learning about Jane Austen too. I just hate how we basically tell the world how these women felt when truly there is no way to know; they had their own brains, secrets and to tell the world we know how they felt just because we have their letters and novels. I think inferring into their world is fun and interesting, but stating we *know* how they felt makes me feel uneasy.
ReplyDeleteIn Night, Elie Wiesel pointed out that if you don't experience something, you don't know it, and understanding is the next best thing. "Only those who experienced Auschwitz would know what it was. Others will never know. But would they at least understand?" This principle applies in all positions, be there joy or agony.
DeleteBut I'm sure the Bronte sisters had several ideas in common with Jane Austen. Therefore, I could conceive collaboration between them.
DeleteNo wonder these books are so descriptive and heart-wrenching! These girls were forced to go through unimaginable circumstances that would obviously create emotions in them that would transfer to their works. Even Charlotte admitted that writing took her out of her harsh reality and placed her into a happier position (despite the terrible positions characters endure in the books based on the descriptions). I find it interesting to compare her to Jane Austen because although she had hopeful beginnings as a teenager, the end of her life was obviously depressing and obviously affected her writing (Persuasion). It's interesting how different circumstances can generate such completely different styles and themes of writing. Lastly, I'm still amused that their brother painted himself out of the portrait and that even him doing that didn't turn out that amazing either.
ReplyDeleteIts so sad to see that the Bronte family had many downs during their time, especially since the Victorian era was very taboo of women being in control of themselves. I couldn't even imagine the amount of hardship, shame, and pain they had to go through, in order to write something they're really passionate about and then get a lot of backlash for their work once people realized that these women were literate and pursuing that. I felt bad for Charlotte because not only is she and her sisters were going through the criticism in the public eye, but also having to lose family members at a fast rate is so painful and lonely. And sadly, that was part of what life was like during the Victorian era because of the mortality rates were higher back then. But, there were some highs in their lives, such as being able to have these creative minds, venture into their own fantasy wold and be able to express their ideas towards each other and in their writing, which made them have a big success for a short period amount of time. As I get to read one of the sisters novels, I'm anticipating dynamics between the characters and the atmosphere of the book and how that might affect the plot, and what part of their life was interpreted in their books, such as Jane Eyre going to an all girl school and the conditions Jane was in.
ReplyDeleteThe family circumstances of the Bronte sisters were undoubtedly unfortunate. Pretty much everyone in the family died young due to disease. Even Branwell who had the highest expectations ended up as a failure. It surprises me that 3 sisters could emerge from this adversity and become successful writers. Perhaps the challenges may have actually benefited their development of expression in writing. It may have been that push or motivation that lead them to succeed. They also lived short lives and it makes me wonder how many other works they could have wrote and what the novels would be like as their skills matured further.
ReplyDeleteI think the Bronte sisters were very ahead of their time. The eldest Bronte sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, died at a very young age due to tuberculosis. That left Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell. Unfortunately for the Bronte sisters, they grew up in the Victorian Era, where ordinary women really did not have any opportunity. That is why it's amazing they were able to actually publish a few of their books, even though they needed to use men names as a disguise. Each of the sisters had different dreams and aspirations, despite being held back by the lack of women's rights in the time period. However, the Bronte sisters were not able to fulfill those dreams; with Emily, Anne, and Charlotte passing away at the young ages of 30, 29, and 39, respectively. Also, I found it interesting how all of the female Bennet's died very young because of the same disease, tuberculosis, while their father Patrick and brother Branwell lived much more prolonged lives.
ReplyDeleteBennets, what Bennets? These were the Brontes.
DeleteAnne Bronte was the youngest of the sisters. She and Emily found success with their first publications, Anne's being Agnes Grey. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is usually diminished in society's eye in comparison to Charlotte and Emily's works, but Anne has just as much standing. Writing as Acton Bell was sad to me, because she couldn't really claim her work as her own. I feel bad for Anne as the youngest and the only one to die away from home. She passed at the age of 29, and could not survive long enough to go back to their home. I also feel bad because Anne did not really have a great love interest the way we believe Charlotte did with her master as a student in Germany. It's sad that they all died to tuberculosis aka TB aka consumption aka the White Plague. It's like a curse. Though I don't agree with how Charlotte carried on and overwrote Anne and Emily as "unlearned" I understand the loneliness she felt, and I pity her end and her unborn child's end. But had Anne lived, I'm sure she would be the revolutionary feminist pioneer that the woman in the documentary claimed.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the lives of the Bronte sisters were happily lived, as well as they could during that time. They pursued their dream job and were massively successful, even though that success was prevailed more so after their deaths. The ending for Charlotte was very heartbreaking, dying soon after her first marriage and before she could give birth to her first born.
ReplyDeleteI think that these girls are incredible and what they did is outstanding, especially for the time that they had done it in. It was not easy for women to get recognized back then, and I think its crazy how two of the sisters made relatively popular novels, and when the third sister's novel flunked she produced by far the most popular novel that any of them had produced. It was incredible how gifted all three of these children were born, and makes me think of how a lot of NBA players have brothers in the league, and how some sorts of talent seem genetic.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how Charlotte, Emily, and Anne were such good writers given that they did not seem to enjoy going to school or teaching. Particularly with Emily, she did not enjoy school or teaching whatsoever, in fact while she was at school, she would only talk to her sister Charlotte and being quite pale and thin. I also find it surprising that they do not include more loss in their books since they lost two of their sisters at a young age as well as their mother, brother, and later more of their sisters. The fact that their father outlived his wife and all of his children was very shocking to me, especially since he lived to 84, while his daughter Charlotte who lived the longest out of his children, died just before turning 39. It is also quite interesting that almost all of his children seemed to die of tuberculosis, yet with TB, one way to treat it is to spend more time outside breathing the fresh air, which will help with the inflammation of the lungs. So it is likely that if they had spent more time outside, they symptoms may have been better. It was also interesting that their brother Branwell was considered to be the gifted one of the family, not Charlotte, Anne, and Emily who were actually very gifted at writing. However, in the end, the sisters became renowned authors with their works thought of as masterpieces of literature, while Branwell never amounted to much.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the Bronte sisters lived a life which was worth living. All of them had grown up to be strong in imagination and creativity and they were able to use this opportunity in their lives. Especially since in their time period it was difficult for women to be able to express what they think and be able to control their own lives. I find it saddening that Anne and Emily died at such an early age seeing as the amount of potential they had if they were able to live longer. Charlotte also died at a rather young age but she was able to use the fuel from her grief over her family's death to inspire herself and be able to create more writing pieces. I was interested by the fact that the son who was naturally given the favoritism from the parents and was expected to be the greatest family member, to end up having such a rough life and falling down to such a dark place. However, after all of their tragedies, the Bronte sisters still ended up producing some of the greatest books in literature.
ReplyDeleteI find it incredibly remarkable to how concentrated the creativity in this family was distributed. Based on the talents these girls possessed, it is easy to claim their abilities as a result of some trait that ran in their family and gave them all the ability to create world in their heads. However, at home practices of the girls in their early lives (writing, drawing, playing with soldiers) and in their adult lives (writing and discussing plots across a table to each other) make it impossible to ignore the dedication these girls required develop their creativity. Though these girls lived a very full life I believe, I was also surprised at how much they (especially Emily) are able to depict in their stories without ever have experienced most of it in their real lives. In this way, I believe that they have a gift of being able to see humanity in its rawest form and translating the truths they understand in the words of their profound novels. I was also surprised at the tragedy of the Bronte history. To learn that all but Charlotte Bronte were left alive after Consumption took the rest of her family (her friends), I myself felt a pit in my stomach at the image of someone being so alone in the world. However, not to take away from the sympathy I have for Charlotte, I find it interesting that the sister who managed to live the longest, was the one who had in her life been the only one among them that actively sought fame and celebrity from her and her sisters writing. I assume, after her family was gone, Charlotte lost her desire for fame, once her life had -so tragically -put things into perspective for her. This may be why Charlotte decided to burn Emily's book: because she decided that she did not care for the world to read it, as long as her sister was not with her. All in all, I think the documentary helped us to put the voices of the Bronte sisters into context and I believe that the information we learned will only further enrich the theme behind all the books by the Bronte sisters.
ReplyDeleteThe Bronte sisters were incredibly bright for their place in society, from the time they were young they all had creative minds, including their brother, Branwell. They planned to make their own school while they were in their 20’s. They stayed in Brussels for a while, at the time it was cheaper to live in than Paris, Charlotte adored the women’s fashion there. Her teacher Monsieur Heger helped Charlotte’s writing skills and was the inspiration for The Professor a story of an affair between a professor and his pupil. Charlotte wrote multiple love letters to Monsieur (who had 5 children and a wife) once she had returned home, none of which were returned. She did however, get married later on in life but she passed away at 38 while pregnant. Branwell was once the golden child but later in life was not so successful and turned to alcohol and drug abuse. Emily and Anne both died young due to tuberculosis.
ReplyDeleteI think the three sisters had a lot that they could pull from in their lives as inspiration for their stories. For instance, two of the sisters dying from tuberculosis definitely cause Charlotte to write about this in her book. I also find it kind of funny that they all had to put on pseudo names, they wanted to be seen as equal, not different. They didn't want to stand out because they were female but instead because they were good.
ReplyDeleteHaywood
DeleteIt is actually quite intriguing how these three sisters were different as strangers, yet they shared many experiences in their past lives that influenced their writing. It’s sad to think that such brilliant women lived horrible tragic lives, and not only did the Bronte sisters live like that but so did their family. Maria and Elizabeth were both sent to boarding schools that were in very dangerous conditions, but were sent back home due to the sickness going around. Very shortly after they BOTH died of Tuberculosis and left Charlotte, the youngest sister, alone. Charlotte Bronte is actually my favorite sister because of how interesting she was. Indeed she was a horrible governess due to her stubbornness, but I believe she was in fact the best writer from her sisters and had the idea herself that they should write novels rather than be a governess. It is really unfortunate how their lives turned out to be, but their writings are truly astounding and could possibly be one of the best written pieces of literature in the English language!
ReplyDelete