Weekend Writing: Celebrating Anne Bronte

"There are great books in this world and great worlds in books." - Anne Bronte 

There are very few classic British authors who have withstood the test of time quite like the Bronte sisters. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne wrote some of the most widely read works of British literature, and I believe readers will continue to cherish the sisters' writing for many decades (and centuries) to come. 

Most people know Charlotte Bronte wrote Jane Eyre and Emily Bronte wrote Wuthering Heights. Their youngest sister, Anne, is the lesser-known of the Bronte sisters, but she certainly deserves recognition for her contribution to literature. I'm celebrating her today on my blog in honor of her birthday. 

Anne Bronte (photo/Pinterest)

Born on January 17, 1820, in Yorkshire, England, Anne was the youngest of six children in the Bronte family. When Anne was a little over one year old, her mother, Maria, became sick with (what historians now know) uterine cancer, and passed away on September 15, 1821. Anne was raised mostly by her aunt, who moved in to help take care of the children. Unfortunately, she was stern and not very loving. However, Anne was her favorite child, and because of this, Anne wanted to grow up faster when she was still a young child. 

Anne knew she was beautiful and different from her family, mostly because her aunt boosted her self-confidence. She had light brown hair that fell on her neck in graceful curls. In addition, she had stunning violet-blue eyes, finely penciled eyebrows, and a clear complexion. Essentially, her aunt was grooming her to be beautiful and a proper woman. 

Anne Bronte (photo/Wikipedia)

Anne studied at home, including a focus on music and drawing, which disappointed her aunt, who felt like she should only learn how to take care of a house. Anne, Emily, Charlotte, and their brother, Branwell, were drawn to literature and read as much as they could from their father's library. Their reading inspired their creativity and love for storytelling. They created imaginary worlds that certainly fostered their love for writing and would later help grow their literary talents. 

Emily, Charlotte, Branwell, and Anne Bronte (photo/History Extra).

In 1839, after completing her education, Anne started searching for a teaching position in order to support not only herself but her father, a poor clergyman. There weren't too many teaching jobs available, so Anne found work as a governess for the Ingham family at Blake Hall. Her experience as a governess was accurately represented in her most well-known novel, Agnes Grey. The children were spoiled and disobedient, and Anne struggled with controlling them. Anne was eventually dismissed from her position because the Inghams were dissatisfied with her work. 

Anne returned home in December 1839 and met William Weightman, her father's new curate. Anne was inspired by him and their interactions, and she wrote several poems suggesting that she was in love with him. William even inspired the character Edward Weston in Agnes Grey, and Anne's heroine, Agnes Grey, finds him so appealing and engaging. 

Anne Bronte and William Weightman (photo/Pinterest).

Unfortunately, William died of cholera within a year of meeting Anne. She was deeply upset about his death and expressed her grief in her poem "I will not mourn thee, lovely one." She called him "our darling." Anne never married, but she decided to marry Agnes Grey and Edward Weston in Agnes Grey to give her heroine the happy ending she never had for herself. 

To cope with her pain, in 1840, Anne started working as a governess at Thorp Green Hall. The house inspired the setting (Horton Lodge) in Agnes Grey. While she was homesick and felt miserable, she didn't leave. She was determined to be successful and her pupils became lifelong friends. She was later joined by Branwell, and they taught the children together until Branwell was dismissed after having an affair with their employer's wife. Scandalous! 

In 1846, Charlotte and Emily wanted to make a poetry collection, but Emily insisted that they wait until Anne returned home so they could include her poetry, too. Emily was always looking out for her younger sister! Finally, the sisters published a poetry collection, Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. The pen names kept the sisters' sex as a secret (because women couldn't possibly be writers in the mid-1800s), but the names preserved their initials: Charlotte as Currer, Emily as Ellis, and Anne as Acton. 

The Bronte sisters (photo/The Independent).

The book received positive reviews, but it was a commercial failure by only selling two copies in 1846. Despite this, Anne loved writing poetry and continued selling her poetry in various magazines, including Leeds Intelligencer and Fraser's Magazine. 

Later in 1846, Anne wrote her first novel, Agnes Grey, while Charlotte wrote The Professor and Emily wrote Wuthering Heights. After receiving many rejections from publishers, Anne and Emily decided to publish their novels together in 1847. They sold well, but Agnes Grey was overshadowed by Wuthering Heights. To this day, Anne's novel is still less popular than her sisters' works. It deserves more recognition as being an insightful novel on the oppression and abuse of women working as governesses in the mid-1800s. 

Anne Bronte's 1847 novel, Agnes Grey (photo/Amazon.com).

In 1848, Anne published her second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and it sold well. It challenged the social and legal structures of Victorian England. In the book, Helen Graham left her husband to protect her son. She supports herself, and this violated the social conventions and English law of the time period. Anne challenged these customs, giving today's readers a reason to remember her as an early feminist writer. 

Anne Bronte's 1848 novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (photo/Alma Books).

Unfortunately, Anne never had the opportunity to write and publish other books. In 1848, Emily passed away after a violent cough. Anne was heartbroken over losing her sister--her closest friend. Anne's physical wealth worsened, and she turned to poetry during her final months. 

Anne finally succumbed to tuberculosis and passed away on May 28, 1849. She was just 29 years old. Following her death, Charlotte allowed reissues of Agnes Grey, but refused republications of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. She disagreed with the content in the book, explaining that the "choice of subject in that work is a mistake." Because of this, she requested more republications of her own popular novel, Jane Eyre. 

Anne might be the less popular of the Bronte sisters, but she deserves just as much recognition. She was just as important as Charlotte and Emily. Today, she is viewed as the "most radical of the sisters, writing about tough subjects such as women's need to maintain independence and how alcoholism can tear a family apart." 

Anne Bronte (photo/Britannica)

Just like her sisters, Anne wrote about the issues facing British society in the mid-1800s. Anne wrote the truth through beautiful heroines readers can identify with. In recent years, she has gained popularity. Historian Lucy Mangan wrote, "Her time has come." 

Indeed. Her time has come to be recognized for being just as talented as her sisters. She was just as gifted and reflective. The next time that you think about the Bronte sisters, remember Anne. She lived in her sisters' shadows for years, but now it's her time to shine. 

Her time has come. 

-KJL-