Anne Bronte is one of the three sister writers of England who has become a true classic of Victorian literature.
Childhood
Ann's parents came from different classes and had a different income. Father - Patrick Bronte - was the son of a poor Irish farmer. He did not put up with his position, independently learned to read, write, and then even received a good education. When his children were born, Patrick already worked as the vicar of the chapel in Thornton.
Mother - Mary Brenwell - was the daughter of a grocer and always lived in abundance. After the death of her parents, she moved to her aunt in Hartshead to help her at school. It was there that she met Patrick, and in 1812 they got married.
Anne was the youngest of six children. She was born in January 1820. A year after her birth, the family was visited by the first tragedy - Maria died of the disease. Her sister Elizabeth came to look after the patient, but after her death she remained to devote herself to raising her nephews.
Aunt Elizabeth was very strict and did not win over her, she behaved alienated with older children, but Ann adored and even allowed her to sleep in her room.
In 1825, two older sisters, Maria and Elizabeth, die from tuberculosis. This tragedy united the family very much. All the children switched to home schooling, which was attended by their father and aunt. And heathlands became their playground for games, which in the future will find their place in the sisters' novels.
Education
Anne Bronte’s homework was reading books. Favorite were the works of Milton, Shakespeare, Virgil, Byron. Aunt tried to teach the girls how to do housework, but ran into a wall. They preferred to sit at the books.
The music was taught by an organist from the church. Drawing - Mr. John Bradley, who lived next door.
At the age of fifteen, Ann Bronte went to Road Head School, where her sister Charlotte taught. The girl studied there for two years, received a medal for exemplary behavior, but health problems and a conflict with the local Anglican clergy forced Ann to return to her home.
Governess Work
Since the family was not wealthy, the girls had to look for money. At that time, an educated but poor woman had only one way out - working as a governess.
At nineteen, Ann got the opportunity to prove herself by becoming a governess in the Ingham family. However, she did not work there for long. Her pupils were too spoiled and naughty, and her parents did not want to pay attention to it. Already by Christmas of that year, Ann was at home, fired by the Ingham family.
However, work in Blake Hall was not in vain. All events and a description of the area are reflected in the works of Ann Bronte.
Returning home to Howorth, the girl meets a young man there by the name of William Waitman. He worked in the parish until 1842. According to Charlotte, her younger sister was in love with William. They talked for a long time and discussed literature. However, William did not distinguish the younger Bronte from the rest, he communicated with everyone in a friendly manner.
Anne Bronte, whose poems during this period reflected her feelings, began to devote more time to creativity. She devoted several of her poetic works to a young man.
In 1840, the girl got a job in the Robinson family, where she worked for five years. She had four pupils: the eldest Lydia was fifteen, the youngest Edmund was only eight years old. With Robinsons, Ann traveled to Scarborough annually and loved this resort very much. Since 1843, Brother Branwell worked with her, educating Edmund.
Miss Bronte quit her job because of her brother, who managed to have an affair with Mrs. Robinson. After that, she and her older sister Emily embarked on a journey through England.
Creation
After returning home, Anne surrendered to creativity. Charlotte, who learned that her sisters had some good poems, invited them to publish a joint poetry collection. So that no one could judge their poetry biased, the girls took on themselves male pseudonyms.
The collection was published in 1846. The poems were welcomed by critics.
In parallel, the sisters worked on novels, each on their own. Anne worked on Agnes Gray. They also sent manuscripts together to publishing houses in London.
The novels of Ann and Emily were accepted for publication by Thomas Newblie, and Charlotte's work “The Teacher” was refused. However, the girl had a second book ready - Jane Air, which in the end was printed faster than Agnes Gray and Wuthering Heights. The novels of the older sisters were more dramatic and almost completely overshadowed the success of Anne's book.
At that time, there were many female novelists who made the governesses the main heroines of their works. This was also Ann Bronte. Agnes Gray, which reviews could not be called laudatory, was one of many unremarkable books.
But the second novel of the younger Bronte was a resounding success. It went on sale in 1848. The first edition was sold out in record time.
Of all the sisters' novels, critics called the best work of Anne Bronte the best. The Stranger from Wildfell Hall, whose reviews were simply enthusiastic, was even compared to the works of the brilliant Charles Dickens.
Illness and death
In 1848, the Bronte family suffered heavy losses. The first was Brother Branwell, who died of progressive bronchitis. The next was Emily, who refused to accept any medical care. She died of tuberculosis.
The death of her beloved sister crippled Ann's health. After Christmas, she fell ill with the flu, and the arriving doctor diagnosed the same tuberculosis. A few months after the treatment, the girl felt better and decided to go to Scarborough, closer to the sea.
Charlotte accompanied her. However, the road is very exhausting poor thing. Anne Bronte died on May 28, 1849. She was not even thirty years old.
Value
Anne Bronte, whose books are part of the golden collection of English literature, is a pioneer of its kind. She became the first author to create a feminist novel.