Jane Eyre - A British Literary Classic by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, takes place in the late 18th and early 19th century in the countryside of England. Supernatural occurrences are a main theme in this mysterious love story. These supernatural occurrences take place throughout Jane's life and can be connected to her eventual marriage.

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After the death of her parents, Jane is left in the care of her uncle and his wife, the Reed's. But the orphaned Jane is mistreated by her aunt, despite Mrs. Reed's promise to her dying husband to rear and maintain Jane as one of her own. On one particular evening, Jane is unjustly banished to the very room where nine years prior Mr. Reed had breathed his last breath, on a tabernacle like bed. The cold and dark red room frightened Jane. Mysteriously, as warm thoughts of how kindly her uncle would have treated her if he were still alive, she is distracted by a white gleam of light on the wall. Could it be it a ray of light from the moon? A contortion of a child's imagination? A ghostly visit from her uncle? Or, perhaps a vision prompted by one of Bessie's, who is of Gypsy descent, evening stories? Whatever the nature of the premonition is, it shocked Jane into a state of unconsciousness.

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In late adolescence, Jane is again influenced by one of Bessie's haunting folktales, this time while walking in the solitary woods. An approaching horse reminds Jane of a North of England lone spirit called Gytrash. But the myth is broken when Jane notices the rider; Jane is charmed by the heroic gallantry of the rider who will later become her husband. Bronte's portrayal of this mystical meeting between Jane and Edward Rochester seems haunting in the moonlit woods, yet romantic as the young Jane Eyre discovers her first feelings of attraction for a man. Rochester is testy in rejecting Jane's offers of help and appears suspicious that Jane, who appears elflike to him in the gray woods, has hexed him and his fallen horse. Reluctantly, the injured Rochester leans on Jane's shoulder for guidance and mounts back on his horse. No introductions are ever made and no names are exchanged.

As an adult, Jane experiences a strange phenomenon that ultimately reunites her with her estranged love, Rochester. After agreeing to marry St. John Rivers in a distant place called Marsh Glen, Jane hears an urgent and desperate voice call her name. Under the cover of a dark and moonlit night, Jane knows it is the voice of Rochester. Perhaps the spirits, which seem to follow Jane and guide her, are stirred by this proposed union. Perhaps the spirits of her uncle and dear friend Helen Burns have intervened to allow this psychic connection with Rochester. She responds to the voice with passion and with knowledge that she will soon be in the arms of her love. Jane attributes this occurrence not to superstition, not to witchcraft, but to a heaven sent miracle.

Many of Jane's attitudes are shaped by the many supernatural occurrences that take place in her life. These experiences began in childhood and figure prominently in her unlikely reunion with Rochester. Jane ultimately marries her Master, despite his handicaps, and they live a full and happy life together.

Jane Eyre - A British Literary Classic by Charlotte Bronte

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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.

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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.

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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.

The Novels of the Bronte Sisters - Feminism in Victorian Literature

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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Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte - The Popular Victorian Writers Who Were Sisters

Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte originally published their novels under the pen names of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. They felt that book publishers and the reading public would take them more seriously if they used the names of men. The year 1847 saw the publication of Charlotte's masterpiece, Jane Eyre; Emily's singular contribution to literature, Wuthering Heights; and Anne's Agnes Grey.

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Both Charlotte and Anne's novel concerned the lives of governesses. Both sisters pointed out the plight of single, educated women in a time when women were dependent on male relatives for financial security. Employment opportunities were few and far between for an unmarried woman of those days. Without a husband or relative to depend on, Victorian women faced a life of poverty and peril. Governess jobs, or employment in a girls' school was the only avenue for success. And those jobs did not allow for Independence. A governess lived in the home of her charges while a teacher at a girls' school generally lived on the school campus.

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The Bronte sisters understood these problems first hand. The knew that if their preacher father would die, they would be left penniless and homeless. All three sisters attempted employment in the above mentioned fields. Emily had the most difficult time. She became homesick and pined for her 'liberty,' as she called her time spent alone on the moors. Indeed, Emily was a recluse and spent little time away from home. Charlotte Bronte bemoaned the drudgery of her employment and felt that the dull routine stifled her mind.

Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte decided to open a girls school, hoping for the intellectual challenge of being in charge, as well as creating a place for themselves to work and prosper after the death of their father. The school project failed. Charlotte urged her sisters to write novels and the three of them produced their books in secret, in the dining room of the Parsonage at Haworth.

It was not until after the death of Emily that Charlotte and Anne revealed their true identifies to their publisher. Anne died shortly after, leaving Charlotte alone, to deal with the legacy of the Bronte Sisters.

Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte - The Popular Victorian Writers Who Were Sisters

Check out this fun site about the Bronte Sisters. The popularity of these three talented writers encouraged me to create an article with a bit of humor. Including pictures (one sketch of Anne by Charlotte), great links, videos, and places to buy Victorian costume patterns, as well as books and biographies. http://hubpages.com/hub/TheBronteSistersBuyEverythingBronteOnlineFromBookstoVictorianDressPatterns

This article is about Charlotte Bronte and her masterpiece Jane Eyre, a novel of social conscience and feminism in Victorian times. "Social convention is not morality" - Charlotte Bronte http://hubpages.com/hub/Charlotte-BronteandJaneEyreSocialConscienceandFeminisminVictorianLiterature

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Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - 5 things you should know.

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Well, six actually if you include the fact that there are now four different Jane Eyre audio books you can download. This is a great way to learn Jane Eyre quotes and get to know the characters and how they pronounce the Victorian English, especially the fully dramatized version which features Claire Bloom and Sir Anthony Quale.

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There was a lot of tragedy in the life of Charlotte Bronte.

Charlotte was only five years old when her mother died in 1821. Four years later in 1825, when Charlotte was nine, two of her older sisters died - Maria aged eleven, and Elizabeth aged ten. She had three other siblings - Patrick, who died in 1848, aged 31 - Emily, who also died in 1848, aged 30 - and Ann, died in 1849, aged 29. Charlotte outlived all of her siblings and died at the early age of 39, in 1855. The fact that the three Bronte sisters are acknowledged as being among the greatest novelists in the English language is remarkable when you consider their short lives.

The character of Jane Eyre has many similarities to the life of the author.

Charlotte Bronte lived in a bleak moorland near Haworth, her father was a clergyman and the family lived on a meager salary. Her formative years were filled with loss. After the death of her mother, Charlotte was brought up by a strict aunt. In the Jane Eyre novel, Mrs. Reed seems to resemble Charlotte's aunt and the other aspects of her childhood are also evident.

Jane Eyre is often referred to as one of the best love stories in the English language.

The story revolves around a young strong willed woman's search for love and compassion. Jane is offered the job as governess to a ten year old girl and finds herself falling in love with her employer, Mr. Rochester. There is a parallel here to Charlotte Bronte's time in Brussels, where she went in 1842 to improve her grasp of the French and German languages. Whilst there, she stayed in a small hotel owned by Constantin Heger, a married man, with whom she falls in love, sadly without reciprocation.

Charlotte Bronte struggled to have her work published.

Her first novel 'The Professor', a novel about her life in Brussels, was rejected by her publisher and only saw the light of day after her death. Even, her major work, Jane Eyre, was published under a pseudonym Currer Bell.

Charlotte Bronte was influenced by the emerging romantic authors and poets of Victorian England.

These include William Wordsworth, Lord Byron and Sir Walter Scott. The Bronte sisters also wrote poetry and were very supportive of each other.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Ross Gill is a published author and Internet Marketer. His first novel is a political thriller entitled 'The Patriot Committee' and is available on Amazon.com. Ross has recently entered the audio book market and his main site can be found at http://www.best-audiobooks.com/Title.aspx?titleId=7550 His blog is at http://www.classaudiobooks.com

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