Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë – perhaps you are familiar with these three women whose works have charmed many readers and greatly influenced 19th-century literature.
The Brontë sisters were born in England, in the family of a poor pastor. The girls did not have an easy childhood because their mother died when they were very young. Soon afterward their father sent Charlotte and Emily to a Clergy Daughters’ School along with their older sisters Maria and Elizabeth, who got infected with typhus and died there(Charlotte depicted this story in her famous romance Jane Eyre).
When talking about the Brontë sisters, we must not forget their pseudonyms that almost ruined their careers. Ironically, the girls probably chose to write under men’s names to protect their careers: female writers were not favored by 19th century English society, especially considering the sensitive topics (abuse, hardships of women’s lives, gender equality, etc.) Brontë discussed in their books.
In 1845-46, Charlotte wrote her very first romance The Professor, but the publishers returned the story to the young author. Robert Southey, at the time a successful English writer, even sent her a letter, suggesting she give up on writing, since, according to him, women were not cut out for this profession. But fortunately, Charlotte did not listen to his advice and instead published an autobiographical romance Jane Eyre under a male pseudonym – Currer Bell. The book turned out to be an instant success and it was followed by Emily’s famous Wuthering Heights, which was also very successful. Also, in 1847, Anne Brontë published Agnes Grey. Later, in 1848, Anne wrote her second and final novel The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, which is considered to be a distinctly feminist novel.
After publishing Jane Eyre, a rumor was spread that all three pseudonyms belonged to one person. At first, the girls did not pay any attention to the rumor, but after it became a socially upheld belief, Charlotte and Anne decided to go to London and prove their innocence.
There is a well-grounded doubt that the Brontë sisters chose to write under male names because of Charlotte’s dialogue with Robert Southey. The aspiring writer asked the English poet laureate his opinion about her poems. Southey told the girl she was undoubtedly talented, but there was no use in pursuing her passion because “more [a woman] is engaged in her proper duties, the less leisure will she have for it.”
It is interesting what other writers think of the Brontë sisters and their work. A 20th-century feminist writer – Virginia Woolf has written a short commentary on Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. Intriguingly, Woolf esteems Charlotte’s novel but says: - When we think of Charlotte Brontë, we have to imagine a person who is not very sophisticated in the modern world. We have to cast our minds back to the ‘fifties of the last century, to a parsonage, surrounded by Yorkshire moors, wherein sadness, poverty, exaltation, and loneliness, she’ll (Charlotte) forever remain.' Woolf definitely appreciates Charlotte’s work but emphasizes her outdated points of view and morals, which is not unexpected, after all, Virginia Woolf lived in the 20th century and had an even more progressive mindset than the English society of the time.
Woolf compares Charlotte and Emily and claims that Emily was a better writer because, unlike Charlotte, her work wasn’t inspired by personal trauma and experience. Emily managed to unite her audience by conveying the troubles and concerns of women in general, by saying what all women wanted to say, but couldn't. Charlotte wrote about her tragedy, but her sentiments are still relatable and easy to understand for modern readers.
Although all three sisters have had their fair share of success in literature, Charlotte is considered to be the most successful Brontë. That is not surprising, because Jane Eyre became famous almost immediately after publication, unlike Emily’s Wuthering Heights which was not so popular during the author's lifetime. As for Anne, she was judged because of her "radical" beliefs, since the concept of gender equality did not exist back in her time, but Anne tried to put forth exactly that idea. The concept was unacceptable for society because usually people criticize what they don’t understand.
I personally believe that all three sisters were talented writers. Their novels have exceptional characteristics as well as flaws. But there is one thing they have in common – they all can enchant the readers and transport them into a different world. I guess that is exactly what we all desire: to forget reality and live by fictional characters’ lives, even for just a little while...
Author and translator: Tekla Dolenkishvili
Editors: Ana Tvaladze and Mariam Beshidze