Charlotte Brontë
This Victorian governess unleashed Jane Eyre, a novel of fiery passion and moral integrity that forever changed the English novel.
1816–1855 (age 39)·English novelist and poet·Birthday: April 21
Biography
Charlotte Brontë grew up in the stark isolation of the Yorkshire moors, a landscape that would seep into the very fabric of her writing. Educated at a harsh boarding school that claimed the lives of her two elder sisters, she later returned as a teacher, experiences that directly informed the Lowood section of her greatest work. With her sisters Emily and Anne, she ventured into publishing under the masculine pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, a necessary shield for women writers of the era. 'Jane Eyre' exploded onto the literary scene in 1847, its first-person narrative of a plain, passionate governess challenging social class and gender conventions with unprecedented force. The novel's success was immediate and controversial, its blend of Gothic mystery, social critique, and deeply personal voice creating a new template for the novel of interior life. Brontë's later works, like 'Villette,' continued to explore themes of loneliness and desire, but it is Jane's defiant cry for equality and connection that cemented her creator's place in history.
#1 When Charlotte Was Born
The biggest hits of 1816
Charlotte's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1816Born
1821Started school
1829Became a teenager
1832Could drive
1834Could vote
1837Turned 21
1846Turned 30
1855Died at 39
Key Achievements
- Published 'Jane Eyre' in 1847 under the pseudonym Currer Bell, creating one of literature's most enduring and independent heroines.
- Successfully published poetry with her sisters in 'Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell' (1846), their first commercial work.
- Became a literary sensation in London, eventually revealing her true identity to her publisher and a select few in the literary world.
- Wrote two other major novels, 'Shirley' (1849) and 'Villette' (1853), which further explored the constraints on women's lives.
Did You Know?
She wrote her first known story at age 13, beginning a series of elaborate fantasy tales set in the fictional kingdom of Angria.
She turned down at least two marriage proposals before finally accepting that of her father's curate, Arthur Bell Nicholls, in 1854.
She was the last surviving child of the Brontë family, outliving all five of her siblings.
Her novel 'The Professor' was written before 'Jane Eyre' but was published posthumously.
““I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.””
