and June of 1848 when she and her two
surviving sisters, Emily and Anne, emerged quite suddenly as
successful novelists.
At the time, literary society in England was a very small
world. For a complete unknown to publish a successful novel was
relatively unusual. For three unknowns to manage it in a single
year was unheard of. Naturally, everyone was curious about
them, though normally the curiosity would have died down as soon
as a new subject for gossip came along. But an aura of mystery
surrounding the identity of the Brontes kept them a subject of
interest for much longer than that. In all innocence, the three
sisters had chosen to publish their books under male pen
names--as Currer (Charlotte), Acton (Anne), and Ellis (Emily)
Bell. They did this partly to escape the prejudice against
women novelists and partly to avoid embarrassing friends and
acquaintances who might find themselves portrayed in the novels.
As it turned out, the pen names only helped to make the Brontes
more famous. Everyone was wildly eager to figure out the true
identities of Currer, Acton, and Ellis Bell. Were they really
men? Or if they were women, why were they pretending to be men?
There was even a rumor, encouraged by Emily and Anne's
publisher, that the three authors were one and the same
person.
By the time the truth became widely known, Emily and Anne
were dead. Charlotte was the only Bronte who became a literary
celebrity during her own lifetime, but all three sisters were
well on their way to becoming cult heroines.
Unlike many writers who achieve instant fame, the Brontes'
books have stood the test of time. Two of the three books
published during that ten-month period in 1847-48--Charlotte's
Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights--are still widely read
and enjoyed today. Anne's novel, Agnes Grey, has never been as
popular, but its admirers are often the most enthusiastic of
all. One highly respected critic even called it "the most
perfect narrative in English prose."
Precisely because the Brontes led such limited lives, many
readers have been quick to jump to the conclusion that their
novels are highly autobiographical. Where would three young
women--who had done little traveling and knew only a few
people--get their material, if not out of their own lives?
Trying to reconstruct Charlotte Bronte's private life from
scenes in her books has become almost a game.
It's true that Charlotte Bronte, like all writers' borrowed
from her own experiences. But it's a mistake to think that
Charlotte Bronte was Jane Eyre. There are almost as many
