Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

If Anne Bronte were alive today, imagine how discouraged she might be to be known mainly as "the other sister." After all, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte, and Wuthering Heights, by Emily, are universally recognized as two of the classics of English literature, while Anne's two novels are relatively unknown.

I have not yet read her second novel, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, so I can only judge by the strength of this offering, but I must say for now that I believe Anne's lack of fame to be entirely deserved. While the writing is competent and displays some flashes of humor, for the most part the plot is almost totally devoid of interest and the heroine comes across as well intentioned but insufferably preachy and whiny.

The plot concerns Agnes Grey's experiences as a governess in two wealthy families and her romance with a young cleric; the accounts of the two governess positions are considered to be largely autobiographical, since Anne Bronte did, indeed, hold two such posts. The romance appears to be fictional, perhaps a matter of wish-fulfillment on the part of the author.

A great proportion of the novel consists of criticisms of the parents of Agnes's young charges, who are indulgent to the children and give the governess no authority, while expecting her to make their offspring perfect in learning and deportment. The children in the first family are savage tyrants entirely out of Agnes's control, as they refuse to do their lessons, find amusement in torturing animals, and otherwise defeat all her best efforts to reform them. In the second family, the pupils are older and less subject to tantrums, but they, also, resists Agnes's efforts to instill knowledge and Christian values. Their parents are more distanced than indulgent, but also refuse to give the young governess any real authority. In recounting the case of both families, Agnes repeatedly expresses resentment for being treated as little more than a maid, obviously considering herself to be superior in intellect and learning to all the household.

It seems to me that Anne Bronte was very truthful in portraying her attitudes and reactions in relation to her governess positions, and thus the character Agnes seems very real and perhaps reveals more about Anne than she would have acknowledged. If this is, indeed, more fact than fiction, one can only feel sorrow for the intelligent and well-read young lady who had led an isolated life and was so shy and lacking in self confidence (and so prone to casting blame on others, a common human fault in the face of insecurity). It is doubly sad that the romance probably never materialized in Anne's own life.

Another reason for feeling sorry for Anne Bronte is the fact that her novel and Emily's Wuthering Heights were first published together. What an unflattering contrast: Anne's novel so restrained and uneventful and straight-forward and Emily's novel so unrestrained and dramatic and passionate. Almost anyone's novel would have suffered in comparison.

I would not recommend this novel as one to demand readership on strictly its own merits, but as a psychological portrait of a real person it is very interesting.