Anne Brontë: the triumph of realism over subjectivity

Beatriz Villacañas Palomo

doi:10.14198/raei.1993.6.17

Abstract

The name of the Brontës has been traditionally associated with romantic fiction. However, neither the themes nor the characters of the third Brontë are the products of a romantic imagination. She shared with her sisters the same self absorbed family world and dramatic circumstances, but, unlike them, she does not project autobiography to the realm of passion and symbolism. Instead, as is plain to be seen in her two novels, Anne Brontë masters her own subjectivity and shapes it with an objective presentation of people and maners which enables her to make a radical indictment of some unjust realities of her own time.

Highlights

In most references, lessons, or criticism about the Brontes, Anne occupies, if any, a rather reduced place beside her eider sisters
A cióse survey of her two novéis may lead us to an opposite conclusión, namely, that the literary figure of Anne Bronté has been usually slighted because of the literary fame of the authoresses oíJaneEyre and Wuthering Heights
We are accustomed to relating the Brontes with romantic fiction, due to the passion and intensity of imagination that permeates the most renowned works of the eider sisters

Summary

Introduction

Lessons, or criticism about the Brontes, Anne occupies, if any, a rather reduced place beside her eider sisters. Agnes Grey's words at the end of her diary echo the modérate expectations of a woman who, like Anne Bronté herself, instead of dreaming, has come to terms with the reality of human life:

Results

Conclusion