Charlotte Bront

Author Picture
born: died: occupation: genre: influences:
21-Apr-1816 31-Mar-1855 Novelist, Poet Gothic Fiction, Romantic Fiction William Wordsworth, Lord Byron, Sir Walter Scott

Introduction:

Charlotte Brontë, born on April 21, 1816, was an English novelist and poet, best known for her classic novel "Jane Eyre." A prominent figure in the literary world of the 19th century, Brontë's works are characterized by their exploration of social issues, gothic elements, and the psychological depth of her characters.

Literary Career:

Charlotte Brontë's literary career gained recognition with the publication of "Jane Eyre" in 1847 under the pen name Currer Bell. This novel, with its strong, independent heroine and exploration of societal constraints, became a significant contribution to Victorian literature.

Notable Works:

"Jane Eyre" (1847): Brontë's most famous work, "Jane Eyre," follows the life of the titular character, an orphan who becomes a governess and navigates themes of morality, love, and social class.

"Shirley" (1849): This novel addresses social and economic issues of the time, particularly the impact of industrialization on the working class.

"Villette" (1853): Set in the fictional town of Villette, this novel explores themes of isolation, identity, and unrequited love.

Themes and Writing Style:

Charlotte Brontë's writing is characterized by its exploration of morality, feminism, and the complexities of human relationships. Her works often feature strong, independent female protagonists grappling with societal expectations.

Influence and Philosophy:

Charlotte Brontë's writing was influenced by the Romantic and Gothic movements. She admired the works of William Wordsworth, Lord Byron, and Sir Walter Scott, and their influence is evident in the atmospheric settings and emotional intensity of her novels.

Legacy:

Charlotte Brontë's legacy is enduring, with "Jane Eyre" remaining a classic of English literature. Her contributions to the novel, especially in the portrayal of complex female characters, have left an indelible mark on literary history.

Quotes.Network's Collection of Brontë's Literary Wisdom:

Quotes.Network proudly presents a curated collection of Charlotte Brontë's insightful quotes, capturing the depth, passion, and wisdom that define her literary legacy. Explore her quotes to experience the rich and nuanced world of Charlotte Brontë's novels.

" Where my soul went during that swoon I cannot tell. Whatever she saw, or wherever she travelled in her trance on that strange night she kept her own secret; never whispering a word to Memory, and baffling imagination by an indissoluble silence. She may have gone upward, and come in sight of her eternal home, hoping for leave to rest now, and deeming that her painful union with matter was at last dissolved. While she so deemed, an angel may have warned her away from heaven's threshold, and, guiding her weeping down, have bound her, once more, all shuddering and unwilling, to that poor frame, cold and wasted, of whose companionship she was grown more than weary.I know she re-entered her prison with pain, with reluctance, with a moan and a long shiver. The divorced mates, Spirit and Substance, were hard to re-unite: they greeted each other, not in an embrace, but a racking sort of struggle. "
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Charlotte Bront
Soul
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" At that time, I well remember whatever could excite - certain accidents of the weather, for instance, were almost dreaded by me, because they woke the being I was always lulling, and stirred up a craving cry I could not satisfy. One night a thunder-storm broke; a sort of hurricane shook us in our beds: the Catholics rose in panic and prayed to their saints. As for me, the tempest took hold of me with tyranny: I was roughly roused and obliged to live. I got up and dressed myself, and creeping outside the basement close by my bed, sat on its ledge, with my feet on the roof of a lower adjoining building. It was wet, it was wild, it was pitch dark. Within the dormitory they gathered round the night-lamp in consternation, praying loud. I could not go in: too resistless was the delight of staying with the wild hour, black and full of thunder, pealing out such an ode as language never delivered to man - too terribly glorious, the spectacle of clouds, split and pierced by white and blinding bolts. "
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Charlotte Bront
craving
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" And as for the vague something --- was it a sinister or a sorrowful, a designing or a desponding expression? --- that opened upon a careful observer, now and then, in his eye, and closed again before one could fathom the strange depth partially disclosed; that something which used to make me fear and shrink, as if I had been wandering amongst volcanic-looking hills, and had suddenly felt the ground quiver, and seen it gape: that something, I, at intervals, beheld still; and with throbbing heart, but not with palsied nerves. Instead of wishing to shun, I longed only to dare --- to divine it; and I thought Miss Ingram happy, because one day she might look into the abyss at her leisure, explore its secrets and analyse their nature. "
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Charlotte Bront
analysis , abyss
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