January 17th — Happy Birthday, Anne
Celebrating Anne Brontë’s 201th birthday
Anne Brontë, born on January 17th 1820 as the youngest of all the Brontës, also happens to be the most forgotten Brontë of them all. The writer behind orphic novels Agnes Grey and A Tenant of Wildfell Hall, her unflinching description of male violence and manipulation were in bright contrast against her sisters.
And as you read on, you will see how she paid dearly for it.
Being Anne’s 201th birthday today, I would like to share three lesser-known facts about her short yet vibrant life.
The Land of Gondal — the Idyll of Anne and Emily Brontë
While Charlotte and Branwell Brontë worked on the mystical land of Angria in their youth, Emily and Anne created the magical realm of Gondal. According to the little surviving information, the setting was situated on a large island in the north Pacific, dotted with all terrain from mountains to lakes, bay to lagoon.
This imaginary world was the harbour of the sisters, as all four surviving Brontë children relied on fiction to cope with the deaths of their elder sisters Elizabeth and Maria. Perhaps this was what allowed Anne to develop such a keen eye on morality and small details, but also a broad, sweeping vision.
Acton, Ellis and Currer Bell — Poetry of the Three Sisters
Anne and her sisters wrote under the pseudonyms of Acton, Ellis and Currer Bell. With the first letter of each pen-name corresponding to their real ones. Together they published their first ever piece of literature titled Poetry by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell.
Some of my favourites by Anne herself include Fall Leaves Fall, and Remembrance. I could see how Anne was one who contemplated the large questions without losing connection to her daily life. Sadly, their poetry was still a flop, as it sold only two copies around its first release.
Charlotte Brontë Prevented the Publishing of ‘A Tenant of Wildfell Hall’
Wildfell Hall, she opined, was “hardly … desirable to preserve.” The book’s “choice of subject is a mistake,” Charlotte argued, one that was not consistent with Anne’s “gentle” nature.
Anne Brontë’s description of the prejudice against women in a man’s world was clearly demonstrated and reinforced with strength and vigor. In contrast against her sisters’ more romantic description of brooding men, Anne’s characters feel more raw and realistic…
Personally, I love Wildfell Hall and will write a story for the strong classic in the future.
In the end, Anne’s legacy was just as important as Charlotte’s and Emily’s. She represents a forgotten side in the literature of her era — a facet that is still being polished and understood even now.
Happy Birthday Anne
