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THE BRONTË SISTERS -Angie J  Above: A portrait of the three Brontë sisters (Anne, Emily, and Charlotte) painted by their brother, Patrick Branwell c. 1834. He had initially included himself in the portrait, but later painted himself out (his shadow remains between Emily and Charlotte).

THE BRONTËS

The three Brontë sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Anne) are celebrated English novelists from the mid-1800's. Their novels caused a sensation when they were first published in the 19th century, and they continue to intrigue and attract readers to this day. Though their work was few in number, the Brontës have established themselves as among the most important and beloved writers from the Victorian Era. The three sisters grew up in and lived in one home in the town of Hawford, West Yorkshire in England, where the nearby South Pennine moors inspired the setting for some of their most famous work, such as Emily Brontë's //Wuthering Heights//. Charlotte (1816-1855), Emily (1818-1848), and Anne (1820-1849) were reportedly very close companions, and their family's social situation was unique in that they were far wealthier than the average servant, yet their income and home were quite small compared to landowners in more affluent regions of England. The sisters wrote for their own pleasure throughout their youth, and in 1846, they came up with a work of poetry under the male pen names of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell, due to the prejudice against women writers at the time. Having found meager success in poetry (their work was published, but at their own expense, and only sold two copies), the sisters returned to writing prose. The next year (1847), each sister completed one novel, and after a long search for publishers, were all printed: Charlotte's //Jane Eyre//, Emily's //Wuthering Heights//, and Anne's //Agnes Grey//. They were received with mixed reviews and some scandal, as it was unusual for novels to be so candidly passionate and intense, and for women to be writing novels at all. However, they did receive critical attention and became bestsellers. Unfortunately, their success was marred by the sisters' ill health. Emily died the following year with only one novel to her name, Anne the year after, and Charlotte also died young just eight years later.

The Brontës are remembered as the rare incident of finding multiple, talented female writers during this time, especially all in one family; Charlotte and Emily are ranked among history’s top novelists, and Anne’s work also shows great depth and power. Their position as Victorian women in a modest, middle-class family provided a rare and fascinating insight into the lives of the common people, especially the lives of women. In addition, their rather blunt and candid style of writing coupled with their shocking, often immoral characters and plots produced some of the greatest novels ever written to audiences from the 19th century to the 21st.

Above: The three novels the Brontë sisters are best known for: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, and Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë, all published in 1847.  CITATIONS

Branwell Brontë, Patrick. //The Brontë Sisters//. 1834. National Portrait Gallery, London. //National Portrait Gallery Primary Collection//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010

“Brontë Parsonage Museum - Who were the Brontës?.” Brontë Parsonage Museum & Brontë Society. Web. 12 Feb 2010.

“Bronte Sisters - Haworth.” Haworth Village.org.uk. Web. 12 Feb 2010.

Saint P. //Brontë Novels//. 2004. //Flickr.com//. Web. 22 Feb. 2010 

FOR FURTHER RESEARCH  [|Brontës] at Haworth Village.org (http://www.haworth-village.org.uk/brontes/bronte.asp)  -> This is the official, non-profit website of the village of Haworth, West Yorkshire, the village where the Brontës grew up, and was made famous by descriptions of its moors in the Brontës' novels. It features an entire section on locations such as the Brontës' home, rooms, and nearby halls and estates which inspired the scenes and locations in their novels. As it is the village's official site, there are plenty of primary sources including photographs of local settings and the inside of the Brontës' home, as well as inscriptions on graves and houses. The site's purpose is to be a portal into the world of the Brontës village as it has been maintained since their death, and since their primary method is showing through photographs rather than telling through narratives, the primary sources are reliable.

[|The Brontë Parsonage Museum and Brontë Society] at www.bronte.info (http://www.bronte.info/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=26)  -> This is the official website of the Brontë Parsonage Museum that is located within the aforementioned village of Haworth, West Yorkshire. Its validity is shown through the multiple photographs and exhibits it has for public viewing, including photos of the Brontë home, the clothes, rooms, and possessions of the Brontës, their family tree, and by excerpts from real letters, diary entries, and correspondences between the Brontës and their friends and family. The Brontë Parsonage Museum is supported by the Brontë Society, a registered charity (#529952) in the UK, and the site is updated regularly with news and updates.