The Novels of the Bronte Sisters - Feminism in Victorian Literature

The Bronte sisters were the daughters of a clergyman, Patrick Bronte who lived in Haworth, Yorkshire, England in the first half of the 19th century.

These three talented sisters created several novels, written, at first, in secret, and published under fictitious names. Each sister chose the name of a man and passed themselves off as brothers when they offered their books up to book publishers.

In Victorian times, female writers were seen as less competent than male writers. The Bronte sisters also hoped to preserve their privacy by using pen names.

Charlotte wrote under the name, Currer Bell. Emily wrote using the name Ellis Bell. The youngest sister, Anne, was Acton Bell.

Their first foray into the world of publishing was a slim volume of poetry. They had hoped to establish their own school at Haworth, but when their plan failed, turned to writing as a means of earning an income. When Charlotte read some of Emily's poems, she saw great literary merit but not enough poems to fill a volume. So, Charlotte and Anne included their own poems when they approached a publisher.

The book of poetry did not earn the sisters the money they had desired, so they attempted to create novels, even then, a more lucrative endeavor.

Publishers accepted three novels by the Bronte sisters. Charlotte's novel, The Professor was published but was not a success. Publication of the novels by Emily and Anne were put on the back burner. But, the publishers, Smith and Elder wrote Charlotte encouraging letters who then wrote Jane Eyre which appeared and was well received by critics and the reading public.

The success of Jane Eyre encouraged the publication of Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Agnes Grey, by Anne Bronte. Neither of these books met with the same success as Jane Eyre.

Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights offended reviewers who described it as an unnatural tale. One reviewer wondered how a person could have written such a disturbing story without committing suicide. It was not until years after her death at the age of thirty, that Emily Bronte's novel was seen as an important novel that would ultimately become a classic of English literature.

The novels of the Bronte sisters center on the difficulties faced by women due to the social expectations and mores of Victorian England. Women of that time had few employment opportunities and were dependent on the men in their families or the men who employed them. Most of these novels can be seen as early expressions of early feminism where the protagonists struggle to gain independence and self-reliance. The characters who are unable to stand up for themselves, or to gain some modicum of strength suffer greatly and are held up as models of failure and depicted with pity.

While Emily's sole novel was Wuthering Heights, Charlotte and Anne published several others. Following is a list of the books by the Bronte sisters:

Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Bronte is a complex and disturbing tale of desire, vengeance, and dysfunctional family relationships set in the English moors.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte is an orphan's struggle to gain economic stability and respect in a time when personal freedom and self-reliance was difficult for women. Jane becomes a governess for the intelligent and troubled Mr. Rochester with whom she falls in love.

The Professor, by Charlotte Bronte was republished in 1857 after her death. The story centers on the orphaned William Crimsmith and his struggle to free himself from the clutches of his abusive brother. He hopes to leave the trades and enter a life of academia.

Shirley by Charlotte Bronte (1849) is set during a time of industrial unrest in England. Shirley is an independent woman of means in search of some significance in her life. Charlotte based the main character on her sister Emily.

Villette, by Charlotte Bronte (1853) was Charlotte's last novel, the tale of Lucy Snow, an independent minded young woman who takes a job at a girls' school in a foreign country.

Ages Grey by Anne Bronte (1847) centers around the dreary life of a governess in Victorian England and the problems faced by young women in need of earning a respectable living.

The Tennant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (1848) was better received than Agnes Grey. The protagonist, Helen, flies in the face of convention when she stands up to her abusive husband and speak up with a frankness unusual in a time when meekness was the mode for a respectable woman.

An in depth article on the life of Emily Bronte including pictures and other helpful links.
http://hubpages.com/hub/EmilyBronte-theFreeSpiritAndVisionaryGeniusWhoWroteWutheringHeights

http://www.bronte.org.uk/

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Victorian Literature

The Victorian era or the Victorian period refers to the period of June 1837 to January 1901, as it was the period when Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire. The Victorian era is known as a period of prosperity and development for the British Empire. The period was marked by industrial development, rise of a larger stronger, as well as more educated middle class.

The era was preceded by the Georgian period and succeeded by the Edwardian period. A major feature of the Victorian period however has been the development in the field of art and culture. This period is characterized by intense and prolific adventurism in the field of literature, especially by novelists and poets.

The 19th century was witness to the growth of the novel as the leading form of literature, as far as the English language was concerned. Pieces by pre-Victorian writers like Walter Scott and Jane Austen, had mastered both closely-observed social satire, as well as adventure stories. Popular works were able to set up a market for novels amongst the reading public. The 19th century is many a time considered to be a high point in British literature, along with other countries like the United States of America, France, as well as Russia. Books, along with novels in particular, became omnipresent, and the Victorian novelists were able to churn out masterpieces, with continuous appeal.

Some of the most illustrated and talented Victorian novelists include Robert Browning, Christina Rossetti, Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lewis Carroll, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Benjamin Disraeli, George Eliot, George Meredith, H. G. Wells, Bram Stoker, Elizabeth Gaskell, George Gissing, Thomas Hardy, A. E. Housman, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Louis Stevenson, Philip Meadows Taylor, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Anthony Trollope, George MacDonald, G.M. Hopkins, Oscar Wilde and William Thackeray.

Victorian novels, used to be influenced by the large extensive novels of responsiveness of the preceding age. As it is, they often were more of idealized portraits of the difficult lives, where hard work, perseverance, love and luck would win out in the end. They portrayed a scenario, where virtue would be rewarded and the evil would be suitably punished. This formula was a striking feature of the earlier Victorian fiction. The situation, however, became more complex, with the progress of the century. By the 1880s and 90s, books became more realistic and at times even grimmer.

As it is, the Victorian age continues to be a major chapter in the long and illustrious history of the English language. The works of the period are often very relevant in contemporary times.

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Literature of the Victorian Era - 4 General Characteristics of Victorian Literature

The literature of the Victorian age entered in a new period after the romantic revival. The literature of this era expressed the fusion of pure romance to gross realism. Though, the Victorian Age produced two great poets Tennyson and Browning, the age is also remarkable for the excellence of its prose.

The discoveries of science have particular effects upon the literature of the age. If you study all the great writers of this period, you will mark four general characteristics:

1. Literature of this age tends to come closer to daily life which reflects its practical problems and interests. It becomes a powerful instrument for human progress.

2. Moral Purpose: The Victorian literature seems to deviate from "art for art's sake" and asserts its moral purpose. Tennyson, Browning, Carlyle, Ruskin - all were the teachers of England with the faith in their moral message to instruct the world.

3. Idealism: It is often considered as an age of doubt and pessimism. The influence of science is felt here. The whole age seems to be caught in the conception of man in relation to the universe with the idea of evolution. Tennyson's some immature works seem holding doubtful and despairing stains but his In Memoriam comes out as a hope after despair.

4. Though, the age is characterized as practical and materialistic, most of the writers exalt a purely ideal life. It is an idealistic age where the great ideals like truth, justice, love, brotherhood are emphasized by poets, essayists and novelists of the age.

If you wish to read the literature of the Victorian age, the names of Tennyson, Browning, Dickens, Thackeray, Macaulay, Arnold, Carlyle and Ruskin will come before your mind's eye. Tennyson, like Chaucer, was a national poet whose reading will please you by his employment of melody in expression.

Rakesh Patel has taught English literature for the five years and now writes on education and English literature. and If you wish to learn romantic movement in literature and enjoy appreciating poetry, visit http://typesofpoetry99.blogspot.com

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