Biography of the English writer Charlotte Bronte. Biography of Charlotte Brontë: a small woman with a huge soul
A book is a gift, a book is a dream for fans of the Bronte sisters, Jane Austen, and Thomas Hardy. "Jane Eyre" has long been a household name.
The book touches on the theme of fate and the inevitability of such a feeling as love.
Experiencing a difficult childhood, the already adult Jane Eyre is hired to work as a teacher by the wealthy Mr. Rothchester, who subsequently falls in love with her, but wants to fully understand Jane’s modest nature and torments her with jealousy and makes fun of her.
Jane challenges him, and after confessing her feelings, there is no doubt that Jane is also in love. There will be a wedding. A relative of Mr. Rotchester’s now existing wife, who is locked in the tower of his huge estate due to her madness, appears at the hasty wedding. Jane's heart is broken, she decides to run away until she falls into the hands of kind people who turn out to be her relatives. Having received a considerable inheritance as a dowry, Jane divides it between her sisters and brother, gets a job as a teacher at a local school, but her heart is restless.
She hears rumors that the estate from which she fled burned down, and the fate of the owners is unknown. Driven by instinct and love, Jane returns, torn by a bad feeling. The picture that appeared to her did not frighten her. She sees a lonely blind and crippled man on the bench, but the power of the surging happiness does not prevent her from rushing into his arms.
This is how Jane Austen’s “deskmate”, Charlotte Bronte, interprets the great love story for us, who knows how to touch the tender strings of the soul, which does not leave us indifferent to such stories.
Icon of virtue and modesty.
I think there is no book lover who has not read this book. Eternal classic. This is exactly what this piece is about. I cannot describe in words all the feelings and emotions that I experienced while reading this book. This is simply a masterpiece. I first read it several years ago, but since then I have re-read it more than once. And for the hundredth time in tears and with a clenched heart. The main character is an icon of virtue and modesty, and the main character is a true gentleman. I advise everyone to read it. I promise that you will never forget this book and will recommend it to anyone and everyone.
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An immortal novel for all time
I remember how my mother gave me, then a very young schoolgirl, Charlotte Bronte’s novel “Jane Eyre.” The book impressed me immensely, touched me, and made me cry with sadness and joy. Perhaps it was this novel that marked the beginning of my sentimentality and my sincere expectations of great happiness and love in a life. For the first time I realized that love is an infinitely pure feeling in which not everything is easy and simple and which sometimes requires a struggle to possess it! Since then I have matured a little, but I love this book so much that I re-read it again and again with great pleasure.
"Jane Eyre" is a book-song, a book-ode, a book-revelation. This is a kind of immortal fairy tale about Cinderella, who found long-awaited happiness. This is an all-time classic novel.
I am very impressed by the characters - Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester. Jane is an unprepossessing gray mouse, a sincere, touching, gentle, kind, modest, very strong personality. Mr. Rochester for me is an unhappy type, despite his apparent prosperity; but love works miracles - he will find a treasure in his life when hope for happiness seems to no longer exist.
"Jane Eyre" is a worthy work by a wonderful author, awakening in the reader feelings the existence of which, perhaps, he did not even suspect. This novel is a belief in miracles, and after reading it we want to become better for the people close to us.
Eternal book
The book is rightfully considered a masterpiece of world literature. This novel has been published and filmed many times. No matter how old he gets, he will attract the attention of readers. "Jane Eyre" will forever remain unchanged. Why?
It touches on the eternal theme of love, trials, and sincerity. And most importantly, the difficult path to your own happiness is described. The story is so heartfelt and beautiful that it simply cannot but delight the reader. The life of a girl is so difficult, filled with constant injustices and trials. You constantly want to shelter, preserve and protect poor Jane from all this evil, from all this dirt that surrounded her. You empathize with her feelings, it’s as if you do everything together with her.
Romance novel. What feelings and associations do these words evoke in you? Personally, I imagine a pink, naive, purely female story that I don’t even want to read. But "Jane Eyre" dramatically changed my associations. This is also a love story. But what! Simply incomparable to the stereotype of a women's novel. It describes the most real feeling - true, sincere, eternal. I want to believe in this kind of love.
And the heroine is also for all times. The one you need to be like. Jane is who she is. She's not trying to seem different; she is sincere. Yes, maybe not beautiful on the outside, but beautiful on the inside. The main thing is to discern this beauty hidden in all her words, actions, and thoughts.
The book is eternal. And definitely a must read. "Jane Eyre" will teach you a lot and make you think.
A novel for the ages
Jane Eyre is a magnificent love story that will never be forgotten.
Many generations of romantic girls grew up reading this work, which instilled in them faith and hope about true love.
The story of a strong, kind, pure girl who overcame many obstacles before becoming happy.
The book has rightfully entered the golden fund of world literature.
The beautiful, light, pleasant style of narration allows you to read the work for a long time without looking away from it, because you don’t feel a bit of fatigue.
"Jane Eyre" shows that external beauty does not have the same power as internal beauty. And if external beauty fades over time, then internal beauty remains forever.
Bronte Charlotte (04/21/1816-03/31/1855) - English writer and poet. An outstanding novelist, a prominent representative of English realism and romanticism.
Early years
Charlotte was born in West Yorkshire. In addition to her, the family had six children, among them one boy; Charlotte was the third eldest. Her father Patrick was a clergyman of Irish descent. Mother Maria died of cancer in 1821. The family moved to the village of Howerth in West Yorkshire.
In 1824, Charlotte went to a special school for clergymen's daughters in Cowan Bridge, where her three other sisters were studying. This establishment became the prototype for Lowood in Jane Eyre. The school practiced punishing female students by beating them in front of everyone and wearing shameful signs.
So Charlotte became the oldest child and immediately felt the burden of responsibility for raising others. She was fragile in appearance, had short stature, wore glasses, but was distinguished by great strength of spirit, integrity, and was ready to defend her own opinion. She loved to draw and do crafts.
All four remaining children were fond of writing various stories about fictional worlds and poems. They were raised and trained by their father and aunt.
From 1831, Charlotte was educated at Row Head (a school in Dewsbury), where after leaving school she worked as an art and French teacher. She moved her younger sisters there and paid for their education. But she didn’t like the work, she didn’t have enough time to do what she loved, and in 1838 the sisters left Dewsbury.
First attempts to be noticed and teaching career
Brontë discovered her literary gift as a child and has always strived for her calling. In 1836, she sent her poetic works to the eminent poet R. Southey, who appreciated them and exchanged a couple of letters with Charlotte. After this, the girl decides to start writing prose and take a pseudonym. Brontë begins to write the novel “Ashworth” and in 1840 sends several chapters to the poet H. Coleridge, who makes it clear to her that publishers will not accept this work.
During this time, she worked as a governess for English families, following her mother's wishes. This activity bothered her, and she decided to open her own school together with her sisters. Aunt Branwell was ready to provide financial support for the planned business, but Charlotte suddenly abandoned the idea. She was fascinated by the thought of moving abroad.
In 1842, she went with Emily to Brussels to study at the school of C. Heger. After the first half of the year, they were offered to work there in order to pay for their studies through labor. But after the death of their aunt, the girls went home.
In 1843, Charlotte returned to Belgium and became an English teacher. But at that time she was haunted by a sense of a waste of time, reinforced by homesickness and unrequited feelings for Constantin Eger, and by the end of the year she returned to Hoerth. His stay in Brussels was reflected in the works “Town” and “Teacher”.
At home, in order to provide for her family, she again attempts to organize a boarding school for girls, but the opportunity was missed. The aunt died, the father fell ill, and the sisters could not leave him. There weren't enough funds. In addition, the remote area in which their house was located was not popular due to deplorable sanitary conditions and close proximity to a cemetery, and there were no people willing to send their daughters to this school.
Literary success
The date and place of S. Bronte's first publication have not been established; it is only known that these were anonymous poems in one of the magazines. In 1846, she and her sisters published poems under the male names of the Bell Brothers. They made no impression on the public, and only two collections were sold.
The sisters did not despair and continued to work. Under the same pseudonyms, they are looking for publishers for three novels. T. Newby invites the sisters to invest money in the publication of Wuthering Heights and Agnes Gray and promises to return them from the sale of books. Despite the fact that the entire edition was sold, the funds were not returned to the sisters.
S. Bronte no longer wanted to invest in the publication of her own works and continued to search for publishers for the novel “Teacher”. But she was rejected because the plot was not exciting enough. Then in 1847 she sent a new novel, Jane Eyre, to Smith, Edler and Company (under the pseudonym Currer Bell). The work was immediately published and was a huge success. This work gave rise to the feminist literary movement thanks to the persistent character of the main character, similar in nature to Charlotte. The writer had a romantic relationship with the publisher Smith, which, however, led nowhere.
In 1848, when the novels of Charlotte's sisters began to be attributed to C. Bell, the writer revealed her pseudonym and became a well-known figure in literary circles. In 1849, the novel Shirley was published. The last book, “Villet” (sometimes the title “Town”) dates from 1853. The action of the novel takes place in a tragic atmosphere, reflecting the mood of the author. Bronte possessed the so-called secret of genius (according to Goethe): she was easily imbued with the characters of strangers, and could surprisingly vividly convey her own vision and emotions. Her works are characterized by the spirit of romanticism and realism.
Events in the family and recent years
In 1848-1849, one after another, Bronte's brother and sisters died from lung diseases. Charlotte continues to lead an active literary life, but tries to leave her native village less often and not leave her old father alone for long.
The writer was offered marriage more than once, but she always found reasons to refuse. In 1844 she met a priest, a colleague of her father, Arthur Nichollson, whom she married ten years later. Six months after the wedding, Charlotte’s health deteriorated greatly during pregnancy. By the end of the term, she was severely exhausted and died, according to documents from tuberculosis, the true cause of death is unknown. Among biographers, the most likely versions are considered to be complex toxicosis and typhus, from which Charlotte’s maid recently died. The last representative of the Brontë family was buried next to her family in the family crypt in Howerth.
Bronte Family House Museum, Howerth
- The writer left behind a huge number of works, the earliest of which required serious efforts to decipher. She wrote her first stories at the age of ten. The most popular of youth works are legends and stories about Angria.
- After the death of S. Bronte, a number of unfinished works remained, including “Emma,” completed later in two versions by K. Savery and K. Boylan.
- Jane Eyre is ranked in the top ten of the BBC's top two hundred books. The novel has been filmed many times over the years.
- A crater on Mercury is named after the writer.
- Charlotte is featured on English stamps (1980, 1997).
- The town of Hoert is currently a popular visiting place for tourists and fans of the Bronte sisters' work; here is their home and museum, Charlotte's favorite places that have become landmarks (Bronte Falls, Bronte Path, Bronte Bridge, etc.). In 1964, a chapel was built in the village at the church in honor of the Bronte family.
Charlotte Bronte is a famous English writer, a supporter of the feminist movement in literature. The author of the cult novel “Jane Eyre”, beloved by readers all over the world, based on the plot of which a well-known film was made. The writer also created the novels “Town”, “Shirley”, “Teacher” and “Emma”.
Childhood and youth
The future novelist was born on April 21, 1816 in West Yorkshire, a historic county in the north of England, which is replete with high mountains, endless fields and exceptional fertility. Charlotte was the third child in the family. The writer's father, Patrick Bronte, an Englishman of Irish descent, served in the church, and his mother, Maria Branwell, was a housewife.
During the Enlightenment, medicine was not developed. The incidence of scarlet fever, diphtheria and cholera increased throughout the world, and infant mortality also progressed. But the children of Patrick and Mary miraculously survived. Charlotte was brought up in a large family, in which, in addition to her, five girls and one boy grew up.
The youngest, Anne Brontë, became a writer who authored Agnes Gray and The Stranger of Wildfell Hall and composed a number of poems, but did not receive the same fame and fame as her older sisters. The fifth daughter - - also chose a creative path and became the author of the only, but significant novel, Wuthering Heights.
The only son in the family, Patrick Branwell, also became addicted to writing, but later preferred brushes, oil paints and canvas to an inkwell and pen. Thanks to this artist, modern readers have an idea of what novelists really looked like, because Patrick painted numerous portraits of his famous female relatives.
In 1820, the Brontës moved to the village of Hoert, located in West Yorkshire. Patrick was appointed to the position of vicar at the Church of St. Michael and All Angels. On September 15, 1821, an irreparable grief happened in the house: Maria died of uterine cancer, so the hardships and troubles of looking after children fell on the men’s shoulders.
In 1824, Patrick sent his daughters to study literacy at Cowan Bridge School. The future writer was not a child prodigy, but teachers said that the eight-year-old girl was much smarter than her age. However, her knowledge was fragmentary: Charlotte could not count and knew nothing about grammar and ethics.
Charlotte later recalled that the boarding house had poor conditions that undermined the already fragile health of her older sisters. In the winter of 1825, Mary contracted tuberculosis, and three months later Elizabeth was taken to bed from consumption. At that time and until the 20th century, tuberculosis was considered a deadly and practically incurable disease. The girls were unable to recover and soon died. Patrick, concerned that the epidemic would affect his other daughters, took Emily and Charlotte to Howherth.
Around the same time, while at home in Hohert Parsonage, Charlotte, Emily, Anne and Branwell began writing in order to dilute the gray everyday life with bright colors. In their free time, the sisters sat down at the table and came up with Byronic adventure stories that took place in imaginary magical worlds and kingdoms. Charlotte and her brother wrote a work about a fictional English colony in Africa and came up with a utopian capital - the Glass City. And Emily and Anne became the authors of a series of stories called “The Chronicles of Gondal”, but this cycle has not survived. There is an opinion that the Brontës destroyed the manuscripts shortly before their death.
In 1831–1832, the future novelist continued her studies and entered Row Head School, where she showed her best side. The post of director of this educational institution was occupied by Miss Margaret Wooler, with whom Brontë maintained friendly relations until the end of her life, although conflicts also occurred between the ladies. Charlotte also became friends with two friends, Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor, with whom she carried on numerous correspondence.
After receiving her diploma, Charlotte began to earn her living through hard work as a teacher. But the girl did not like the path of a teacher, which contrasted with the imaginary worlds created by her brother and sisters. The writer did not consider the mundane profession of a teacher as something unusually bright that could provide background for flights of imagination and creativity. Brontë tried to sharpen her pen, but there was absolutely not enough time for literary activity. Therefore, only a small part of the poems and excerpts of works were written then, which were created in the short weeks of school holidays.
It is worth saying that Charlotte cared about the education of her sisters. After consulting with her father, she brought Emily to school with her and paid for her education out of her own pocket. But the girl was unable to get along in a place far from home with different laws and morals. Ultimately, Emily decided to head back to Howerth. Then Anne took her place. Later, Row Head School moved to the seedy town of Dewsbury Moor, where a gloomy and unhealthy atmosphere reigned. Under the pretext that the new area was affecting their health and state of mind, Charlotte and Anne left the educational institution.
Literature
Once said:
“A truly serious attitude towards writing is one of two indispensable conditions. The second, unfortunately, is talent.”
Charlotte possessed these qualities in full from early childhood: Brontë wrote her first poem as a 13-year-old girl (her first prose was written at 10). Feeling a natural gift, the future novelist began to act. The girl sent several debut poems to the eminent English poet, prose writer and representative of the “lake school” Robert Southey. This master of the pen is famous for the fairy tale about the girl Goldilocks, who visited the three bears (thanks to the translation, the Russian reader knows this work as “Masha and the Three Bears”).
Unfortunately, Charlotte's manuscript, sent to the master, has sunk into oblivion. Therefore, biographers do not know which of the poems the girl submitted to the writer for trial. But thanks to Robert’s answer, which has survived to this day, it can be assumed that Charlotte’s lines were full of exaltation and pretentiously sublime phrases. Saunty advised the aspiring poetess to cool down. In his opinion, Charlotte was overwhelmed with enthusiasm, and this feeling is harmful to mental health. Robert also believed that for young ladies, typical female duties should come before creativity.
The master's answer had a positive effect on Bronte: the girl stopped writing poetry and turned to prose, and also preferred realism to romanticism. In 1833, Charlotte Brontë wrote her early novel, The Green Dwarf. On Robert's advice, the girl hid her true name from the public eye and used a non-trivial pseudonym - Lord Charles Albert Florian Wellesley. This work, which is designed in the Gothic style, shows the influence of the founder of the historical novel -. Charlotte's manuscript is a kind of allusion to the master's work, which is called “Black Dwarf”.
Despite her young age (Charlotte was 17 at the time), Brontë uses a complex literary device and writes a “story within a story.” The plot of "The Green Dwarf" is built around a certain Lord Charles, immersed in the exciting story of his friend - Mr. John Bud, who at one time served as an officer. The events taking place take place in the world of the Glass City, invented by the Bronte sisters. Some critics agreed that the novel cannot be correlated with Charlotte's youth cycle "Legends of Angria", although "The Green Dwarf" is included in the collection.
In 1840, the writer conceived the plot of the novel “Ashworth” (which remained unfinished). The work was to be based on the biography of Alexander Ashworth, who is a reflection of the saying “there are still devils in still waters.” Alexander is neat and smart, but he has an obstinate disposition. The young man does not get along with his father, so, like a prodigal son, he leaves home away to roam the expanses of London.
Charlotte Brontë's novels "The Teacher" and "Shirley" It would seem that Charlotte's story could grow into a popular book, but the writer Hartley Coleridge, to whom Brontë wrote a letter, criticized the beginnings of the work to smithereens. Charlotte agreed with the opinion of the writer and completed work on the book. The Teacher is Brontë's debut serious novel, published posthumously in 1857. The writer tried to sell this work to editors, but her attempts were in vain, because the publishers stated that the work lacked fascination.
Charlotte Bronte's book "Jane Eyre" Charlotte's life was full of scribbled drafts and literary ups and downs. But this writer went down in history thanks to the world famous novel “Jane Eyre,” which was published in 1847. This book tells the story of a little orphaned girl, Jane, who is thrown to the margins of life. The heroine’s only relative, Mrs. Reed, does not like her niece and tries to find an opportunity to punish the “offending” girl.
Soon Eyre goes to school, her relationship with the students is developing well, but a typhus epidemic is progressing in the educational institution. Thus, Jane's best friend dies. The plot of this novel is trivial and tells about the life of a little man. But Bronte was not used to using the classic clichés that the novelists of the Enlightenment were guilty of. For example, Jane never reconciled with her dying aunt.
Personal life
As you know, the white streak of life is replaced by a black streak in the blink of an eye. It would seem that Charlotte achieved success and became a recognizable writer, but irreparable grief happened - she lost her brother and two sisters. Emily and Anne died of tuberculosis. Branwell was a heavy drinker in the last years of his life. This habit only worsened his physical condition. The young man died of bronchitis. In the end, Charlotte and Patrick were left alone.
In the writer’s life there were many gentlemen who sought to offer her their hand and heart. There were enough such proposals in Charlotte's life, but she was in no hurry to get married. One day Bronte met the assistant priest Arthur Bell Nicholls, who became Charlotte's chosen one. Initially, the writer's future husband made a far from pleasant impression on her. Brontë wrote in her diary that Arthur had a narrow mind and a limited outlook. The wedding took place in the summer of 1854. The couple had no children.
Death
In the winter of 1855, the novelist took to bed, her condition deteriorated sharply. The doctor assured that the malaise was due to signs of pregnancy. Charlotte experienced nausea every day and was unable to eat, causing her to develop signs of anorexia.
In the spring of that year, Charlotte Bronte died. The true cause of death of the great writer has not been established. There is an opinion that Charlotte died from tuberculosis, toxicosis or typhus, which her elderly maid suffered from.
Bibliography
- 1833 - “The Green Dwarf”
- 1840 - "Ashworth"
- 1846 - “Poems of Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell”
- 1846 - “Teacher”
- 1847 - "Jane Eyre"
- 1849 - "Shirley"
- 1852 - “Town”
- 1860 - "Emma"
British novelist.
In the short biography of Charlotte Brontë, which you will find below, we tried to outline the main milestones in the life and work of the writer. Read Akhmatova's biography to give your own assessment of her work.
Charlotte Bronte began to engage in creativity in her early years. The future writer was the third child of her parents. Patrick and Mary had four more daughters and a son. When the youngest daughter Anne was born, her mother became seriously ill. Doctors discovered she had an end-stage malignant tumor of the uterus. Mary's death was very painful. She passed away at the age of 38. The children remained in the care of their father. Soon Aunt Branwell came to see them. She supported her nephews morally and financially.
Studies
The biography of Charlotte Brontë is entertaining and arouses admiration for Brontë's nature. When the future writer was 8 years old, her dad sent her to study at Cowan Bridge. The older sisters were already there. Their names were Maria and Elizabeth. After some time, Patrick brought Emily there, who was 6 years old. You could say Cowan Bridge was the worst place for the younger generation. Boarders spent whole days in rooms that were poorly heated. Almost every day they were forced to eat rotten food. However, the girls did not express their indignation. If they committed any mistake, even the most insignificant, they were punished with rods.
A short period of time after arriving at school, the future writer’s older sisters were diagnosed with tuberculosis. When dad found out about this, he immediately came and took Mary and Elizabeth. But this did not save them. Soon after arriving home, the sisters died. They were buried with their mother. Charlotte remembered Cowan Bridge for the rest of her life. Many years later, she captured the image of this hated “educational institution” in her work “Jane Eyre.”
The writer's debut and other events in the biography of Charlotte Brontë
Returning to their father's house, the children began to draw knowledge from the home library and write their first works. Thus they had a chronicle of the kingdom of Angria. When the writer gained popularity, her children's works also began to be published. Many literally read “Legends of Angria”. When Charlotte turned 15, dad sent her to a good paid boarding school. This gave her the opportunity to teach. The future writer gave almost all her money to educate her sisters. A few years later, Charlotte and Emily went to a Brussels boarding house. Their goal was to master the French language. Since the girls were unable to pay for their studies, they began teaching English to the younger boarders.
When the sisters returned home, they decided to open their own boarding house. However, they didn't succeed. What parent would want to send their child to a poor house located almost in a cemetery? Therefore, after some time, the sisters were left without any money and were forced to give up the dream of their own enterprise. They had no choice but to start working as governesses again. Charlotte could not like the current state of affairs. First, she persuaded Emily and Anne to publish a collection of poems. And then she insisted on resolving the issue of publishing the novels. The three of them already had a “masterpiece”. Anne wrote Agnes Gray, Emily wrote Wuthering Heights, and Charlotte wrote The Teacher. The first two works were accepted, but the third was rejected. However, Charlotte did not lose the desire to be creative. Soon the girl wrote the novel “Jane Eyre”.
It is worth noting that Charlotte was not a beauty, but, as you might guess, appearance was not the key factor in the biography of Charlotte Brontë. For example, representatives of the stronger sex admired her intelligence. She often received marriage proposals. The novel "Jane Eyre" gained great popularity, and is still read with pleasure by millions of readers. The novel was also successfully filmed in modern times (read more about film adaptations in the article About film adaptations in general). This gave the writer financial independence. She was freed from the need to earn a living by teaching. Charlotte Brontë would most likely have written even more works. However, tragic events occurred every now and then in her life. First, her beloved brother died of tuberculosis. A short time later, Anne and Emily passed away. They got infected from their brother when they were caring for him. Dad began to rapidly lose his sight. Charlotte looked after him constantly.
Brief happiness of the writer
And now the writer turned 37 years old. She created wonderful stories about sublime feelings, but she never managed to meet her soul mate. Then she was proposed to by Arthur Bell Nicholls, who played such an important role in the biography of Charlotte Bronte. This young man served for many years in the parish of Charlotte's father, Patrick, but the father really did not want his daughter to get married, because he was afraid of losing her. However, the girl inspired him that after the wedding she would stay in his house. Then her father allowed her to get married.
Charlotte Brontë found her happiness in marriage, but it was short-lived. The writer passed away a year after the wedding. Pregnancy took all her strength. She was buried with her relatives.
If you have read the biography of Charlotte Brontë, you can rate this writer at the top of the page.
In addition, in addition to the biography of Charlotte Brontë, we suggest you visit the Biographies section to read about other popular writers.
A girl born into the family of a village priest on April 21, 1816, Charlotte Bronte, stood out among her peers from childhood thanks to her colorful imagination. She invented her childishly ideal universes in order to hide at least for a moment from the harsh, gray and ordinary reality.
But even then, Charlotte, who later became popular in the literary world under the pseudonym Currer Bell, did not think that her abilities would open doors for her to a completely different world. What mysteries and secrets are hidden in the life of Charlotte Bronte, an ordinary girl from West Yorkshire, her biography will tell.
The beginning of life and creative path
The famous poet and prose writer of the 19th century, the Englishwoman Charlotte Bronte, whose biography is described in detail in this article, was born in a small village. Her father, Patrick, was a parish priest, and her mother, Maria, was a housewife. In total, there were six children in the Brontë family, Charlotte was born third:
- Mary.
- Elizabeth.
- Charlotte.
- Patrick (who received his mother's maiden name at birth - Branwell).
- Emily Bronte.
In the Bronte family, the mother was the only one doing housework. But when she died in September 1821, this responsibility passed to the eldest daughter Mary. Patrick Bronte, being a reserved man who devoted himself entirely to the service of the church, devoted little time to raising his children. Therefore, all six children were mostly left to their own devices.
Of course, Charlotte Brontë's childhood was not very bright and cheerful. And her only entertainment was inventing fairy tales, the world of which was strikingly different from the bleak reality of the world around her. Captivated by her ideas, Charlotte captivated the rest of her family, and they all began to invent fantastic stories.
The closed and dull life of the girl Charlotte in 1824 was “diluted” by a new event, which became significant for all members of the Brontë family. It was this year that the older Brontë sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, entered school. The impressions they shared with little Charlotte were reflected in her novel Jane Eyre.
A few months after the death of his eldest daughter, Mary, Patrick Brontë also buried Elizabeth. Then the role of the mistress of the house had to be taken on by a nine-year-old girl who lived in the world of her fantasies and fictitious stories - Charlotte Brontë. She not only ran the household and looked after her younger brother and sisters, but also homeschooled in order to be able to get out into the world.
"Coming out"
Thanks to her skills and abilities, the matured 19-year-old Charlotte decides to get a job as a governess. But her health soon forces her to give up living in someone else's house, and she returns home.
To do this, the Bronte sisters go to Brussels. Charlotte and Emily were trained there from 1842 to 1844. This trip and course of study were partly paid for by their aunt, Elizabeth Branwell, who looked after the orphaned children after the death of their mother, Mary.
While studying the exact sciences, Charlotte simultaneously learned about the world that had opened up to her, so new and amazing, as well as the characteristics of other people and the surrounding nature, and carefully observed social life, which was still unknown to her. Returning from Brussels two years later, the sisters began active work in the literary field.
- Charlotte presented her story entitled “The Professor” to the public.
- Emily wrote the story "Wuthering Heights".
- The youngest of the sisters, Anne Bronte, wrote the story “Agnes Grey”.
It is worth noting that only two of the three works were approved for publication - the stories of Anne and Emily Bronte. But Charlotte's work was rejected by the publisher. Looking ahead, it should be said that the story “The Professor” will be published after the death of the writer.
Over the next few years, the novel “Jane Eyre” will be translated into several foreign languages, including Russian. By the way, it was a work that created a real sensation in the literary world thanks to its bright and clear images of characters, realistic settings and disregard for all conventions.
Charlotte Brontë's next work is a novel called "Shirley", which was also an undoubted success among the reading public. Throughout the storyline, writer Charlotte maintains readers' interest by describing life's truth as it is.
At that time, Charlotte Bronte's personal life was marked by far from joyful circumstances. In just two years, Charlotte lost almost all of her family members. First she had to bury her brother, Patrick Branwell-Bronte, followed by Emilia Bronte, and then Anne.
Late period of creativity
It is there, in an old building in Haworth, that Charlotte writes her latest novel. Published under the title “Villette” in 1853, this novel was not inferior to other works by the English writer. However, according to critics, it was not written as well in terms of plot construction as Miss Brontë's previous stories and novels.
Charlotte Brontë's books are still widely popular all over the world. Being a very impressionable person, Charlotte was able to reveal to her readers the world she saw with her own eyes. Despite the fact that her horizons were very limited for most of her life, she was able to convey all her sensations and observations with amazing clarity.
Like the works of the other Brontë sisters, Charlotte's books reflect her rich imagination and are at the same time quite realistic. These works were loved by the public and were appreciated. A biography of the English writer, along with her writings and the stories of the other Bronte sisters, was published in 1875 in the form of a complete collection. Author: Elena Suvorova
