Enacting the art of moral influence: religion and social reform in the works of Anne Brontë

Abstract

This article analyzes the development of Anne Brontë's project of moral reform. It proposes that rather than being hindered by her supposedly conservative religious beliefs, Brontë uses her religious convictions to defy convention by exposing her readers to the reality of evil and by turning to the idea of universalism to find hope for a sinful society. Throughout her works, Brontë illustrates the dangers of allowing children to mature without spiritualguidance and shows the need for moral guides to rescue individuals from spiritual despair. She also advocates moral responsibility, emphasizing that individuals must reform themselves so that they may break the cycle of faulty education. Brontë recognizes, however, that individuals may not have the power to transform the world completely. While she advocates active moral reform, her “secret hope” is that even if she and others like her fail to influence people, God will ultimately succeed.