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Biographical Notes on the Pseudonymous Bells
Charlotte Brontë's 'Biographical Notes on the Pseudonymous Bells' provides a fascinating insight into the lives of the Brontë sisters and their collaborative work under the pseudonyms of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. Through detailed analysis and historical context, Brontë explores the motivations and influences behind the sisters' decision to use male pen names in the male-dominated literary world of the 19th century. The book delves into the themes of gender identity, societal expectations, and the struggles faced by female writers during that era. Brontë's writing style is poignant and introspective, drawing readers into the world of the Brontë sisters and their literary endeavors. This book is a must-read for literature enthusiasts interested in the works of the Brontë sisters and the challenges faced by women writers in the Victorian period. It sheds light on the complexities of gender politics in the literary world and offers a unique perspective on the Brontë sisters' creative process.
- GenresClassicsNonfictionEssays
34 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1997
1 person is currently reading
95 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Brontë
2,059 books18.6k followersCharlotte Brontë was an English novelist, the eldest out of the three famous Brontë sisters whose novels have become standards of English literature. See also Emily Brontë and Anne Brontë.
Charlotte Brontë was born in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, the third of six children, to Patrick Brontë (formerly "Patrick Brunty"), an Irish Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Maria Branwell. In April 1820 the family moved a few miles to Haworth, a remote town on the Yorkshire moors, where Patrick had been appointed Perpetual Curate. This is where the Brontë children would spend most of their lives. Maria Branwell Brontë died from what was thought to be cancer on 15 September 1821, leaving five daughters and a son to the care of her spinster sister Elizabeth Branwell, who moved to Yorkshire to help the family.
In August 1824 Charlotte, along with her sisters Emily, Maria, and Elizabeth, was sent to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire, a new school for the daughters of poor clergyman (which she would describe as Lowood School in Jane Eyre). The school was a horrific experience for the girls and conditions were appalling. They were regularly deprived of food, beaten by teachers and humiliated for the slightest error. The school was unheated and the pupils slept two to a bed for warmth. Seven pupils died in a typhus epidemic that swept the school and all four of the Brontë girls became very ill - Maria and Elizabeth dying of tuberculosis in 1825. Her experiences at the school deeply affected Brontë - her health never recovered and she immortalised the cruel and brutal treatment in her novel, Jane Eyre. Following the tragedy, their father withdrew his daughters from the school.
At home in Haworth Parsonage, Charlotte and the other surviving children — Branwell, Emily, and Anne — continued their ad-hoc education. In 1826 her father returned home with a box of toy soldiers for Branwell. They would prove the catalyst for the sisters' extraordinary creative development as they immediately set to creating lives and characters for the soldiers, inventing a world for them which the siblings called 'Angria'. The siblings became addicted to writing, creating stories, poetry and plays. Brontë later said that the reason for this burst of creativity was that:
'We were wholly dependent on ourselves and each other, on books and study, for the enjoyments and occupations of life. The highest stimulus, as well as the liveliest pleasure we had known from childhood upwards, lay in attempts at literary composition.'
After her father began to suffer from a lung disorder, Charlotte was again sent to school to complete her education at Roe Head school in Mirfield from 1831 to 1832, where she met her lifelong friends and correspondents, Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor. During this period (1833), she wrote her novella The Green Dwarf under the name of Wellesley. The school was extremely small with only ten pupils meaning the top floor was completely unused and believed to be supposedly haunted by the ghost of a young lady dressed in silk. This story fascinated Brontë and inspired the figure of Mrs Rochester in Jane Eyre.
Brontë left the school after a few years, however she swiftly returned in 1835 to take up a position as a teacher, and used her wages to pay for Emily and Anne to be taught at the school. Teaching did not appeal to Brontë and in 1838 she left Roe Head to become a governess to the Sidgewick family -- partly from a sense of adventure and a desire to see the world, and partly from financial necessity.
Charlotte became pregnant soon after her wedding, but her health declined rapidly and, according to biographer Elizabeth Gaskell, she was attacked by "sensations of perpetual nausea and ever-recurring faintness." She died, with her unborn child, on 31 March 1855.
Charlotte Brontë was born in Thornton, Yorkshire, England, the third of six children, to Patrick Brontë (formerly "Patrick Brunty"), an Irish Anglican clergyman, and his wife, Maria Branwell. In April 1820 the family moved a few miles to Haworth, a remote town on the Yorkshire moors, where Patrick had been appointed Perpetual Curate. This is where the Brontë children would spend most of their lives. Maria Branwell Brontë died from what was thought to be cancer on 15 September 1821, leaving five daughters and a son to the care of her spinster sister Elizabeth Branwell, who moved to Yorkshire to help the family.
In August 1824 Charlotte, along with her sisters Emily, Maria, and Elizabeth, was sent to the Clergy Daughters' School at Cowan Bridge in Lancashire, a new school for the daughters of poor clergyman (which she would describe as Lowood School in Jane Eyre). The school was a horrific experience for the girls and conditions were appalling. They were regularly deprived of food, beaten by teachers and humiliated for the slightest error. The school was unheated and the pupils slept two to a bed for warmth. Seven pupils died in a typhus epidemic that swept the school and all four of the Brontë girls became very ill - Maria and Elizabeth dying of tuberculosis in 1825. Her experiences at the school deeply affected Brontë - her health never recovered and she immortalised the cruel and brutal treatment in her novel, Jane Eyre. Following the tragedy, their father withdrew his daughters from the school.
At home in Haworth Parsonage, Charlotte and the other surviving children — Branwell, Emily, and Anne — continued their ad-hoc education. In 1826 her father returned home with a box of toy soldiers for Branwell. They would prove the catalyst for the sisters' extraordinary creative development as they immediately set to creating lives and characters for the soldiers, inventing a world for them which the siblings called 'Angria'. The siblings became addicted to writing, creating stories, poetry and plays. Brontë later said that the reason for this burst of creativity was that:
'We were wholly dependent on ourselves and each other, on books and study, for the enjoyments and occupations of life. The highest stimulus, as well as the liveliest pleasure we had known from childhood upwards, lay in attempts at literary composition.'
After her father began to suffer from a lung disorder, Charlotte was again sent to school to complete her education at Roe Head school in Mirfield from 1831 to 1832, where she met her lifelong friends and correspondents, Ellen Nussey and Mary Taylor. During this period (1833), she wrote her novella The Green Dwarf under the name of Wellesley. The school was extremely small with only ten pupils meaning the top floor was completely unused and believed to be supposedly haunted by the ghost of a young lady dressed in silk. This story fascinated Brontë and inspired the figure of Mrs Rochester in Jane Eyre.
Brontë left the school after a few years, however she swiftly returned in 1835 to take up a position as a teacher, and used her wages to pay for Emily and Anne to be taught at the school. Teaching did not appeal to Brontë and in 1838 she left Roe Head to become a governess to the Sidgewick family -- partly from a sense of adventure and a desire to see the world, and partly from financial necessity.
Charlotte became pregnant soon after her wedding, but her health declined rapidly and, according to biographer Elizabeth Gaskell, she was attacked by "sensations of perpetual nausea and ever-recurring faintness." She died, with her unborn child, on 31 March 1855.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 16, 2012
This is worth reading if you like the Brontes. It is Charlotte's response to the debate about the novels of her sisters. It is actually rather moving to read her comments not on the novels but also on her sisters.
June 14, 2020
Insightful
The introduction about her sisters gives us the wider perspective of how to view the works of the other Brontë sisters and especially the introductory note about Wuthering Heights sets the stage and tone about the angle from which the story must be read.
The introduction about her sisters gives us the wider perspective of how to view the works of the other Brontë sisters and especially the introductory note about Wuthering Heights sets the stage and tone about the angle from which the story must be read.
Read
January 15, 2025Narrated by Sara Nichols.
March 8, 2025
"I may sum up all by saying, that for strangers they were nothing, for superficial observers less than nothing; but for those who had known them all their lives in the intimacy of close relationship, they were genuinely good and truly great."
cried a GREAT DEAL. they were girls together. they were her sisters. her familly. she loved their minds and souls.
cried a GREAT DEAL. they were girls together. they were her sisters. her familly. she loved their minds and souls.
February 1, 2021
A very interesting look at the dynamics and relationship between the 3 Bronte sisters. Very raw writing. Charlotte bares her soul and talks openly of her sister’s talents and flaws. I enjoyed it and found it insightful, despite not having read any of the 3 women’s works.
June 10, 2018
This was very interesting for me. I haven't read a lot of the Bronte sisters' works, but they are on my TBR, and reading this was an interesting insight into the sisters themselves.
March 29, 2020
Charlotte Brontë writes on her and her sisters’ writings. Short and interesting.
January 5, 2014
This is a short document featuring two of Charlotte's introductions to Brontë novels.
The first is taken from the 1950 edition of 'Jayne Eyre', in which Charlotte confirms that Acton, Ellis, and Currer Bell are not the same author using different pen names. She goes on to confirm the true identities of the 'Bells' are really Anne, Emily, and herself.
I found it interesting to read Charlotte's points of view on her siblings and their work. The only thing I totally disagree with her on is her negative opinions regarding Anne's 'Tenant of Wildfell Hall', essentially because it's my favourite work of fiction.
The second intro is for an edition of 'Wuthering Heights'. Charlotte discusses elements of the story and its characters and, of course, its author.
The first is taken from the 1950 edition of 'Jayne Eyre', in which Charlotte confirms that Acton, Ellis, and Currer Bell are not the same author using different pen names. She goes on to confirm the true identities of the 'Bells' are really Anne, Emily, and herself.
I found it interesting to read Charlotte's points of view on her siblings and their work. The only thing I totally disagree with her on is her negative opinions regarding Anne's 'Tenant of Wildfell Hall', essentially because it's my favourite work of fiction.
The second intro is for an edition of 'Wuthering Heights'. Charlotte discusses elements of the story and its characters and, of course, its author.
July 9, 2010
An interesting, quick read; having not read a lot of the Bronte sisters' works, or studied the time period, it wasn't of huge interest to me anyway, but it was definitely interesting to learn more about the 3 sisters and how they approached becoming 'authoresses'.
Want to read
March 12, 2013I have not started yet. I just want to remember how great is serendipity
August 25, 2015
I read this from my classics collection on a dell axim.
December 31, 2016
For some reasons, Charlotte was unable to understand her sisters' ideas and motifs. Despite this she was a loving sister.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews