A Family Forged in the
Furnace of Change
The Brontë family emerged during a pivotal epoch in
the history of the United Kingdom: the early Victorian era (the first half of
the 19th century). This period was defined by rapid industrialisation, immense
social upheaval, and the rigid constraints of moral and religious convention.
These societal trends—particularly the harsh realities of the poor and the
restricted position of women—would later serve as the potent, often bleak,
subject matter of their literary masterpieces.
The patriarch of the family, Patrick Brontë
(1777–1861), was an Irish-born clergyman, serving as the Rector of St Michael
and All Angels’ Church in Haworth, a remote village high on the Yorkshire moors
in the north of England. Patrick was a man of learning, an amateur poet and
sermon writer, and possessed a strict, intellectual temperament, dedicating
himself diligently to his parish and his own literary pursuits.
In 1812, Patrick established his family when he
married Maria Branwell (1783–1821), a woman from a well-to-do family in
Cornwall, noted for her education and delicate nature. The couple had six
children. The first two daughters, Maria (b. 1814) and Elizabeth (b. 1815),
preceded the three literary giants: Charlotte (b. 21 April 1816), Emily Jane
(b. 30 July 1818), and Anne (b. 17 January 1820). Their only son, Patrick
Branwell (b. 26 June 1817), was a talented portraitist and painter with great
ambitions, but he tragically succumbed to alcoholism, bringing profound
disappointment to the family.
Tragedy and the Birth of a Literary World
Family life was marked by early tragedy. In 1821,
following Anne's birth, the mother, Maria, died. Her sister, Elizabeth
Branwell, the children’s aunt, stepped in to help raise the young family. The
widowed Patrick Brontë, immersed in his work, sent his daughters (with the
exception of the infant Anne) to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge.
The harsh, puritanical regimen, poor sanitation, and insufficient diet proved
fatal: the two eldest, Maria and Elizabeth, contracted tuberculosis and died in
1825. This shattering loss profoundly impacted the remaining siblings.
Following the deaths, their father brought Charlotte
and Emily home. From then on, the Brontë children spent the vast majority of
their childhood in the isolated, often bleak atmosphere of the Haworth
Parsonage, surrounded by the wildness of the Yorkshire moors. This landscape
became a perennial source of inspiration for their most famous novels.
The children possessed extraordinary imaginations,
quickly developing sophisticated fantasy worlds: Angria and Gondal. These
creative games, shared with their brother Branwell, filled their lonely
existence and formed the bedrock of an intense collaboration and early literary
experimentation.
Branwell, the artistic brother, contributed through
his drawing and painting. However, the siblings' temperaments were markedly
different. Charlotte was determined and practical; Emily was fiercely reclusive
and defiant, possessing a deep attachment to the Haworth countryside; and Anne
was quiet, gentle, and deeply religious. All three girls yearned for education,
despite the considerable limitations placed upon women of their era. Their
studies, mostly self-directed or overseen by their father, included French,
music, and drawing. Intellectual pursuit, constant reading, and the act of
writing became an inseparable part of their daily routine.
In essence, the Brontë childhood was defined by
solitude, the austere Haworth environment, devastating family losses, and an
incredibly rich inner life. These formative circumstances—early self-reliance,
an intellectual atmosphere devoid of typical social life, and relentless
creativity—moulded the young women who would later astound the world with their
bold, intense writing, reflecting both the beauty and the cruelty and hypocrisy
of the Victorian age.
The article continues below with an individual
examination of each sister’s life and work.
Charlotte Brontë: Ambition and Passion
Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855), the eldest of the three
famous sisters, possessed a resolute but complex character. Unlike the
intensely private Emily, Charlotte was more open to social engagement, though
she often felt shy and uncomfortable in large company. Within the family, she
adopted the role of older sister and, at times, mother, being both practical
and responsible. Yet, her internal life was one of passion, idealism, and
intense intellectual curiosity. Charlotte was governed by a strong moral compass,
valuing education and work. She harboured a deep ambition for professional
success and recognition, unusual for a woman of her time.
Her relationships were intense. She shared a strong
emotional and creative bond with Emily and Anne, rooted in the fantasy realms
of Angria and Gondal. However, she was often sharply critical of her brother
Branwell’s failures and shameful conduct. Her personal life included
unsuccessful stints as a governess and later, passionate, unrequited feelings
for her married principal in Brussels, Constantin Heger, which inspired her
novel Villette.
Charlotte, like her sisters, wrote not just from
artistic necessity but to secure financial independence. She first published
under the male pseudonym Currer Bell. Her breakthrough came with Jane Eyre,
published in 1847. Written swiftly after the failure of the siblings' joint
poetry collection, the novel was characterised by an intense, first-person
narrative, a departure from the literary conventions of the time. She later
authored Shirley (1849) and Villette (1853).
The key features of her work include: Deep
psychological introspection and intense emotionality. The analysis of social
and moral limitations, particularly the plight of women in Victorian society. The
use of Gothic elements to build an atmosphere of romantic love and mystery.
Jane Eyre initially received a controversial
reception. While many acknowledged her literary talent, the resolute and
passionate personality of Jane Eyre and her open expression of emotion were
deemed "unladylike" or even "immoral". The protagonist's
frank desire for equality and recognition was particularly scandalous. Although
some critics softened their views after the author's true identity was
revealed, Charlotte’s work, especially Jane Eyre, quickly found a vast
readership and became a bestseller.
Later in life, Charlotte finally found personal
happiness. In 1854, she married her father's curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls.
Sadly, the marriage lasted only nine months. Charlotte Brontë died on 31 March
1855, at the age of 38. Her death is attributed to either tuberculosis (the
disease that claimed all her siblings) or complications from an early
pregnancy, possibly hyperemesis gravidarum.
Today, Jane Eyre is considered an undisputed classic
of English literature and a landmark Victorian novel. Charlotte Brontë is
celebrated as one of the first writers to explore deeply and openly the female
quest for individuality, self-respect, and independence, challenging the social
and gender norms of her time.
Emily Brontë: The Unconquerable Moorlander
Emily Jane Brontë (1818–1848) was the middle of the
three writer sisters and arguably the most mysterious and elusive personality.
Her character was fiercely strong, stubborn, and independent. She was intensely
private, shunned social interaction, and felt profound discomfort around
strangers. Charlotte famously described Emily as "stronger than a man,
simpler than a child." Her life was almost entirely tethered to the
Haworth Parsonage and the Yorkshire moors, where, in the wild, isolated landscape,
she felt most free and found her greatest inspiration.
Emily shared a close relationship with her sisters,
especially Anne, with whom she developed the fantasy world of Gondal. However,
she was the most attached to home and the most reclusive. She had an
extraordinary affinity for nature and animals, reportedly managing wild dogs
with ease and showing deep loyalty to her pets. Her intense attachment to
Haworth made any prolonged absence an immense hardship.
Like her sisters, Emily briefly attempted to work as a
teacher and attended the school Charlotte had established in Brussels, the
Pensionnat Heger. However, she was utterly unsuited to life away from Haworth.
Her sojourns away from home were brief and filled with longing. Once back, she
devoted much of her time to domestic chores, alongside her poetry and prose.
Her poetry, discovered by Charlotte, was unusually powerful, metaphysical, and
explored universal themes of love, death, and the divine, far surpassing the
literary trends of the period.
Emily published her sole, world-shaking novel,
Wuthering Heights, in 1847 under the pseudonym Ellis Bell. The novel tells the
devastating, passionate, and impossible love story between Catherine Earnshaw
and Heathcliff on the Yorkshire moors. It stands out for its double narrative
structure, brutal emotional energy, and utter disregard for Victorian moral
conventions.
Early critical reception was shocked and negative. The
book was deemed too violent, uncivilised, bleak, and immoral. Critics were
baffled by "Ellis Bell's" choice to depict such raw aspects of human
behaviour and portray Catherine and Heathcliff without moral qualifiers.
Nevertheless, the novel possessed a singular power. Following Emily's death,
Charlotte defended the work and ensured its reprinting under her sister’s real
name, highlighting its genius while acknowledging its "rude and unpolished"
nature.
Today, Wuthering Heights is recognised as a towering
achievement of Romantic and Gothic literature. Its key features include: The
fusion of nature and passion (the moors acting as a third, vengeful character).
The unstoppable force of love and hatred. Experimentation with time and
narrative structure.
Absolute moral ambiguity. Emily refused to provide the
reader with a clear moral lesson, allowing her characters to face the
consequences of their own passions.
Sadly, Emily's life was as short and shadowed as some
of her novel’s themes. Following her brother Branwell’s death in September
1848, she caught a cold and fell ill. Upholding her independent spirit to the
last, she refused all medical assistance or treatment. Emily Brontë died of
tuberculosis on 19 December 1848, aged just 30, leaving behind one unparalleled
and eternally perplexing literary masterpiece.
Anne Brontë: The Quiet Social Reformer
Anne Brontë (1820–1849) was the youngest of the famous
writing sisters. Her personality and life often remained in the shadow of
Charlotte and Emily, yet her work is distinguished by its moral rigour,
realism, and sharp social critique. Anne was of a quieter, gentler, and more
pious disposition. She adhered closely to the Anglican faith, and her strong
moral compass and compassion were evident in both her life and her writing.
Nevertheless, beneath her gentleness lay a steely will and a determination to
expose the harsh realities faced by women of her era.
Anne shared an especially close bond with Emily,
sharing the Gondal fantasy kingdom. She was also the only sister to maintain a
close, compassionate relationship with her brother Branwell during his darkest
struggles with alcoholism and addiction. Although dependent on her family, she
was also driven to achieve financial independence. She was the only sister to
work successfully as a governess for the longest period, serving two different
families. This professional experience provided her with invaluable, critical
material about the lives of the upper classes and domestic servants.
Anne published her work under the pseudonym Acton
Bell. Her debut novel, Agnes Grey, was released alongside Emily’s Wuthering
Heights in 1847. Based on her own governess experience, it is a realistic
account of a young, poor, and moral governess confronting the cruel, arrogant,
and spoiled behaviour of the gentry, criticising the moral degradation of the
wealthy and the servants' plight.
Her second and most famous novel, The Tenant of
Wildfell Hall (1848), caused a major scandal. This novel tells the story of a
woman who flees her alcoholic and abusive husband with her son to protect
herself and the child. It boldly and openly depicts the destructiveness of
alcoholism, physical and emotional marital abuse, and a woman's right to escape
a bad marriage—themes that were taboo in Victorian society.
Critics relentlessly condemned The Tenant of Wildfell
Hall for its "brutality" and "indecency." Charlotte even
attempted to prevent the novel's reprinting after Anne's death, believing it
was too "coarse" and damaging to the family's reputation.
Nevertheless, the novel became a bestseller, presenting the uncomfortable truth
about marriage, morality, and women’s rights.
The key characteristics of Anne’s work include: Social
realism and a rigorous moral perspective. A strong critique of relationships
and marriage in the Victorian context. A pronounced emphasis on female
independence. She used her writing as a platform for spiritual and social
reform.
Anne Brontë, like her siblings, did not live long. Her
health declined after nursing her dying brother. She suffered severely from
tuberculosis and died on 28 May 1849, aged just 29. She passed away in
Scarborough, where she had travelled hoping the sea air would improve her
condition. She is the only sister not buried in Haworth.
Today, Anne Brontë is increasingly valued as an early
feminist realist, whose work, particularly The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, is
recognised as revolutionary for its thematic boldness and uncompromising
realism. Although she lived briefly and was often compared to her more forceful
sisters, her work remains vital as an undeniable piece of social and moral
commentary, reflecting the painful reality of Victorian women.
Intriguing Brontë Facts
Charlotte first attempted to publish another novel,
The Professor, but it was rejected by publishers. It was only after receiving a
negative reply for this manuscript that she sent Jane Eyre to Smith, Elder
& Co., which accepted it and swiftly brought her fame. The Professor was
published posthumously.
Emily was reportedly incredibly strong and resilient.
A well-known story recounts that her bulldog-mastiff, Keeper, chewed a rug.
Emily, refusing to administer a mild punishment, reportedly beat him severely
with her fists until the dog's defiance was completely broken. This illustrates
her fierce, almost wild, character.
Anne, unlike Charlotte, had a longer tenure with the
Robinson family. It was there that she observed the behaviour of the young
Edward Richmond, who became the inspiration for the character Huntingdon in The
Tenant of Wildfell Hall. She realistically depicted the destructive nature of
neglectful parenting and a lack of discipline.
The sisters decided to reveal their true identities
after the success of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre led the publishing house
to believe that all three "Bells" were one person. In 1848, Charlotte
and Anne travelled to London to meet their publisher to prove they were three
separate individuals, thereby defending each one’s authorship.
All the siblings—Maria, Elizabeth, Branwell, Emily,
Anne, and finally Charlotte—died from tuberculosis (or related complications)
within a short decade, making the Brontë family saga one of the most tragic in
English literary history. The damp, cold environment of the Haworth Parsonage
was notoriously unhealthy.
On Screen: The Brontës in Film
Les Sœurs Brontë (The Brontë Sisters, 1979): This
classic French biographical drama by director André Téchiné focuses on the
tragedy of the entire family, emphasising not only the creative nature of the
three sisters but also their complex relationship with their only brother,
Branwell. Starring French cinema legends (including Isabelle Adjani), the film
portrays a melancholic, dark atmosphere, highlighting the family's isolation at
the Haworth Parsonage and the inevitable fate of all its members.
To Walk Invisible (2016): This BBC television drama
offers one of the most authentic and detailed portraits of the sisters' lives,
concentrating on the crucial years between 1846 and 1848. The film depicts not
only the sisters' secret resolve to publish their works under pseudonyms but
also Branwell's difficult journey with addiction. The production stands out for
its realistic portrayal of the poor, bleak life in Haworth, demonstrating how
the sisters managed to become writers despite their harsh environment.
Emily (2022): This film opted for artistic licence to
fill the gaps in the life of the reclusive Emily Brontë. While not a strict
biography, the movie powerfully portrays Emily’s wild spirit, her rejection of
social norms, and her intense connection to the Yorkshire moors. Director
Frances O'Connor created a visually stunning and passionate story of love and
loss, which, although fictionalised, offers an imaginative explanation for the
genesis of a powerful, sombre book like Wuthering Heights.
Devotion (1946): This early Hollywood attempt to adapt
the Brontë sisters' lives is more of a romantic melodrama than an accurate
biography. The film heavily romanticises the sisters’ love stories and presents
a simplified, and at times completely inaccurate, version of their lives,
reflecting the cinematic trends of the 1940s. While an interesting cultural
artefact, it is not a reliable source for information on the sisters' true
lives.
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