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Anne Brontë: The Quiet Revolutionary of Feminist Fiction

Most of us know about Charlotte Bronte, after all, Jane Eyre is considered by many as one of the great novels of all time, but do you know much about Anne Brontë, the youngest member of the family?

Anne was born on January 17, 1820, in Thornton, United Kingdom. She was the daughter of Maria and Patrick Brontë. After her mother’s death in 1821, Anne was raised by her strict aunt, Elizabeth Branwell.

Educated at home with access to their father’s library, the Brontë children developed a love for literature and created intricate imaginary worlds.

To avoid the societal prejudice faced by women writers during the 19th century, Anne published under the pen name Acton Bell, releasing a collection of poems with her sisters, followed by two novels. Her debut novel Agnes Grey appeared in 1847 alongside her sister Emily’s As Wuthering Heights. Her second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, is regarded as one of the first feminist works of fiction, challenging social norms and legal constraints on women–which, one has to consider was her way of addressing the society they lived in. At that time, female authors were often dismissed or criticized for writing anything perceived as serious or controversial. Another reason to adopt male names, was it could allow Anne to bypass gender-based assumptions and ensure her work would be judged on its own merit. The choice also granted her a degree of privacy and freedom to explore themes that might have been considered inappropriate for women, such as the harsh realities of marriage and social inequality addressed in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.

Anne also had an early career as a governess which began in 1839 at Blake Hall. There she faced challenges with undisciplined children and unsupportive employers. Her experiences informed the narrative of Agnes Grey. She later worked at Thorp Green Hall, gaining the trust of her charges despite difficulties, but her brother Branwell’s scandalous affair with their employer’s wife led to her resignation in 1845. These experiences also shaped her understanding of social inequities, which became central themes in her writing.

In 1846, Anne collaborated with her sisters to publish Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, funding it with their own money. Although it received little commercial success, the sisters persisted with their novels. Agnes Grey and Wuthering Heights were eventually published together, though Anne’s work was overshadowed by Emily’s. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, released in 1848, portrayed the harsh realities of marriage and women’s lack of autonomy. Anne defended her unflinching descriptions, asserting the importance of truth in literature to prevent ignorance and suffering.

Although Anne Brontë passed away at the young age of 29, likely from tuberculosis, her novels are recognized as classics of English literature, thanks to her commitment to realism and her progressive views on gender and morality.

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