Article #969-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Brontë

INTRODUCTION

Anne Brontë serves a twofold purpose in the study of what the Brontës
wrote and were. In the first place, her gentle and delicate presence,
her sad, short story, her hard life and early death, enter deeply into
the poetry and tragedy that have always been entwined with the memory
of the Brontës, as women and as writers; in the second, the books and
poems that she wrote serve as matter of comparison by which to test the
greatness of her two sisters. She is the measure of their genius—like
them, yet not with them.

Many years after Anne’s death her brother-in-law protested against a
supposed portrait of her, as giving a totally wrong impression of the
“dear, gentle Anne Brontë.” “Dear” and “gentle” indeed she seems to
have been through life, the youngest and prettiest of the sisters, with
a delicate complexion, a slender neck, and small, pleasant features.
Notwithstanding, she possessed in full the Brontë seriousness, the
Brontë strength of will. When her father asked her at four years old
what a little child like her wanted most, the tiny creature replied—if
it were not a Brontë it would be incredible!—“Age and experience.” When
the three children started their “Island Plays” together in 1827, Anne,
who was then eight, chose Guernsey for her imaginary island, and
peopled it with “Michael Sadler, Lord Bentinck, and Sir Henry Halford.”
She and Emily were constant companions, and there is evidence that they
shared a common world of fancy from very early days to mature
womanhood. “The Gondal Chronicles” seem to have amused them for many
years, and to have branched out into innumerable books, written in the
“tiny writing” of which Mr. Clement Shorter has given us facsimiles. “I
am now engaged in writing the fourth volume of Solala Vernon’s Life,”
says Anne at twenty-one. And four years later Emily says, “The Gondals
still flourish bright as ever. I am at present writing a work on the
First War. Anne has been writing some articles on this and a book by
Henry Sophona. We intend sticking firm by the rascals as long as they
delight us, which I am glad to say they do at present.”

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Introduction by an Unnamed Author)**

This excerpt is not from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall itself but rather from an introductory essay (likely written by a later critic or editor, possibly Clement Shorter, who is mentioned in the text) that prefaces the novel. It provides biographical and literary context for Anne Brontë, situating her within the broader legacy of the Brontë family while highlighting her distinct voice. Below is a breakdown of the passage’s key themes, literary devices, and significance, with a focus on the text itself.

1. Context of the Excerpt

Source & Purpose: This introduction likely comes from an early 20th-century edition of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (first published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell). Its purpose is to:
- Humanize Anne Brontë by contrasting her "gentle" persona with her literary ambition.
- Position her in relation to her sisters (Charlotte and Emily), framing her as a measure of their genius—similar in talent but distinct in style and reception.
- Defend her legacy against misconceptions (e.g., the "wrong impression" of her portrait).
Historical Background:
- Anne was the youngest Brontë sister, often overshadowed by Charlotte (Jane Eyre) and Emily (Wuthering Heights).
- She died at 29 (1849), a year after Wildfell Hall’s publication, from tuberculosis.
- The Brontës’ early writings (e.g., Gondal Chronicles) were collaborative fantasy sagas, revealing their shared imaginative world.

2. Key Themes in the Excerpt

A. The Duality of Anne Brontë: Gentleness vs. Strength

The passage juxtaposes Anne’s "dear, gentle" demeanor with her Brontë-like resilience:
- "Notwithstanding, she possessed in full the Brontë seriousness, the Brontë strength of will."
- Example: Her childhood response ("Age and experience") is framed as precocious and almost incredulous—a trait the narrator attributes to her Brontë heritage.
- Significance: Challenges the Victorian stereotype of the "delicate" woman writer, showing Anne as both fragile and fiercely determined.

B. The Brontë Mythos: Tragedy and Genius

The romanticized tragedy of the Brontës is invoked:
- "Her sad, short story, her hard life and early death, enter deeply into the poetry and tragedy that have always been entwined with the memory of the Brontës."
- Literary Context: The Brontës were often mythologized as doomed, isolated geniuses (e.g., Emily’s wildness, Charlotte’s intensity). Anne is folded into this narrative but also distinguished from it.
- Significance: The passage both perpetuates and complicates the Brontë myth, acknowledging Anne’s shared struggles while insisting on her unique identity.

C. Literary Comparison: Anne as the "Measure" of Her Sisters

The introduction positions Anne as a foil to Charlotte and Emily:
- "She is the measure of their genius—like them, yet not with them."
- Implication: Anne’s work is less "great" but serves as a baseline to highlight her sisters’ exceptionalism.
- Critique: This framing undermines Anne’s achievements (e.g., Wildfell Hall’s feminist themes were radical for its time), reflecting gendered biases in literary criticism (Anne was often dismissed as "moralistic" compared to Emily’s "passion").

D. Childhood Creativity and the Gondal Chronicles

The collaborative imagination of the Brontës is emphasized:
- "Anne and Emily were constant companions... shared a common world of fancy."
- Gondal Chronicles: A fantasy saga the sisters wrote from adolescence into adulthood, featuring Byronic heroes, political intrigue, and poetic fragments.
- Significance:
  - Shows Anne’s early literary ambition (e.g., writing "Solala Vernon’s Life" at 21).
  - Contrasts with her later realism: While Gondal was escapist, Wildfell Hall is gritty and socially critical, suggesting Anne’s evolution as a writer.

3. Literary Devices Used in the Excerpt

Device	Example	Effect
Juxtaposition	"Dear, gentle Anne Brontë" vs. "Brontë seriousness, Brontë strength of will"	Highlights the complexity of Anne’s character—soft yet strong.
Anecdote	The story of 4-year-old Anne asking for "age and experience"	Humanizes her and reinforces the Brontë myth of precocious genius.
Metaphor	"She is the measure of their genius"	Frames Anne as a standard for comparison, subtly diminishing her while elevating her sisters.
Allusion	References to Gondal Chronicles and "tiny writing"	Connects Anne to the Brontës’ private creative world, adding depth to her literary development.
Irony	"If it were not a Brontë it would be incredible!"	Suggests that Brontë exceptionalism is expected, reinforcing their mythic status.
Contrast	Anne’s imaginary islands (Guernsey) vs. her later realistic fiction	Shows her shift from fantasy to social realism.

4. Significance of the Excerpt

A. For Anne Brontë’s Legacy

Defensive Tone: The passage pushes back against Anne’s underrating (e.g., the protest against her "wrong" portrait).
Ambivalence: While praising her, it also reinforces her as "lesser" than her sisters, reflecting 19th/early 20th-century biases against women writers who were moralistic or "domestic" in theme.

B. For The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

The novel is often overshadowed by Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, but this introduction hints at its boldness:
- Anne’s realism (e.g., depicting alcoholism, marital abuse, female independence) was shocking for 1848.
- The Gondal reference suggests that her early imaginative play informed her later narrative experimentation (e.g., Wildfell Hall’s frame narrative).

C. For Brontë Scholarship

The excerpt reflects early critical trends:
- Biographical criticism: Linking Anne’s life (gentleness, illness) to her work (moral themes).
- Comparative analysis: The habit of measuring Anne against Charlotte/Emily persists in criticism, though modern scholars (e.g., Juliet Barker) argue for Anne’s distinct feminist voice.

5. Close Reading of Key Lines

"Dear, gentle Anne Brontë"
- Connotation: "Dear" and "gentle" are affectionate but patronizing, framing her as non-threatening—a contrast to Emily’s "wild" reputation.
- Effect: Softens her radical themes (e.g., Wildfell Hall’s critique of male tyranny).
"The Gondals still flourish bright as ever." (Emily’s quote)
- Tone: Playful, collaborative, and immersive—shows the sisters’ shared creative passion.
- Contrast with Anne’s later work: Gondal was escapist; Wildfell Hall is unflinchingly realistic.
"She is the measure of their genius—like them, yet not with them."
- Ambiguity: Is this praise or dismissal? It acknowledges her talent but positions her as secondary.
- Modern Reinterpretation: Contemporary critics (e.g., Lucasta Miller) argue Anne was ahead of her time in addressing gender and class.

6. Connection to The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

While the excerpt is biographical, it foreshadows themes in the novel:

Female Resilience: Like Anne, Helen Graham (Wildfell Hall’s protagonist) is gentle but strong, escaping an abusive marriage.
Realism vs. Romance: Anne’s shift from Gondal’s fantasy to Wildfell’s realism mirrors the novel’s rejection of Byronic heroes (e.g., Arthur Huntingdon) in favor of moral integrity.
Authorship & Identity: The novel’s frame narrative (a man recounting a woman’s diary) reflects Anne’s struggle for artistic recognition in a male-dominated field.

7. Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

This introduction is more than a biography—it’s a critical lens through which Anne Brontë has been remembered, misunderstood, and reclaimed. It:

Humanizes her but also confines her to the "gentle" Brontë stereotype.
Highlights her literary ambition (Gondal, Wildfell Hall) while subtly diminishing it via comparison.
Sets up The Tenant of Wildfell Hall as a bold, realistic counterpoint to her sisters’ more romanticized works.

Modern readers might challenge its framing—Anne was not just a "measure" of her sisters but a pioneer in feminist literature. Yet, the excerpt remains valuable for understanding how Victorian and early 20th-century critics grappled with her complex legacy.