Kathy Hamilton Put down your copy of Jane Eyre and look beyond Wuthering Heights. Because you need to read Anne Bronte. She has languished in obscurity for too long. The youngest Brontë wrote books which shook the foundations of Victorian morality. In fact, her work was even suppressed after her death by Charlotte Brontë who found its unflinching honesty too brazen. Today, her work is finally being recognised.
The Women Writers Club
When you think of famous female authors you probably think of Jane Austen, then maybe Charlotte and Emily Brontë and possibly Virginia Woolf. And with good reason, these authors feature in almost every ‘books you need to read’ list.
But the canon of great women writers is far larger than this small group and finally, it’s starting to expand as publishers readdress the balance. Anne Bronte is one of the authors who is finally stepping out of the shadows to claim her place as one of the great writers of the 19th Century.
Stepping out of the shadows
For too long, Anne has languished as ‘the lesser’ Bronte. Although that’s starting to change (thankfully). However, it’s easy to see why her contemplative novels, compared to the unbridled passion of Emily Bronte and Charlotte Bronte’s works, seem restrained at first.
However, the joy of reading Anne Bronte comes when you look beneath the surface and discover that what, at first glance, seemed to be a smooth running stream, is, in fact, a fast flowing whirlpool. It is only then that Anne emerges from behind the shadow of her sisters. And proves herself to be every bit their equal.
A strong voice emerges
Anne quietly and unassumingly produced two works of fiction. She became the first Bronte sister to publish a novel. And, counter to society’s expectations, her work reveals more about this reality of early Victorian life for middle class women than any other.
In Agnes Grey, for example, her description of a governess’ life strips away romanticism to reveal the way women were forced to repress their own hopes, joys and dreams in order to earn their keep. In Victorian society, marriage was considered a woman’s ultimate calling but for middle class women who needed to earn their keep, the options were slim.
Anne Bronte’s masterpiece
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall stands out as Anne Bronte’s masterpiece. Her writing is matter of fact yet lyrical. Her subject matter deals is scandalous by Victorian Standards and fascinating by ours. While Charlotte champions the free and independent will of Jane Eyre, it’s important to remember that here eponymous heroine remains single throughout the majority of the novel.
In contrast, the Tenant of Wildfell hall takes a look at what happens after the marriage vows. Anne’s conviction that moral right overrides societal expectations leads her heroine (Helen) to escape a brutal marriage for the good of her son.
It was published to instant critical acclaim in 1848 and perfectly challenges the readers assumption of what is right. It’s important to remember that in leaving her husband, Helen violates not only social conventions, but also the early 19th century English law. In Anne’s lifetime, this was earth-shattering. Even Charlotte Brontë could not condone the message Anne gave in The Tennant of Wildfell Hall. “that work” she wrote, “to me hardly seems worth preserving.”.
Despite Charlotte’s misgivings, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is now considered one of the first feminist novels. In 1913, Author, May Sinclair, declared that the slamming of Helen’s bedroom door against her husband reverberated throughout Victorian England.
What If…
Like her sisters you can’t escape thinking ‘what if’ with Anne Brontë. What if she hadn’t died before her prime, what if she’d continued to publish.
I find Anne Brontë’s unflinching determination to present realism in her writing to be her greatest achievement. It may seem, to a modern reader at least, that writing about a woman who leaves an abusive husband is the right course of action. This is one of main reasons I would love you to read Anne Bronte.
In Agnes Grey, she takes tentative steps towards literary greatness. In The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, she proves herself more than worthy of that honour. I can’t help but wonder what else she would have achieved had she continued to hone her craft. There’s no doubt about it though, you need to read Anne Bronte today.
