Biography of Charlotte Brontë

Lee of writing

21 April 1816
31 March 1855
Charlotte Brontë was born on 21 April 1816 in Thornton in Yorkshire (England), third daughter of the Reverend Patrick Brontë and Maria Branwell. His father was of humble origins, son of farmers, however was successful, thanks to the strength of will to study at Cambridge and taking priestly orders. For this reason during the little social ascent had changed his name several times to hide the true origin: from Brunty to Brontë, passing through Branty. He was a man of great intellectual abilities, feelings intact and keen, unfortunately also strongly selfish. The mother, who belonged to a wealthy family was Methodist, an orphan of both parents; He had a strong character and determined that he had toned down for the sake of her husband.
a few years after the birth, the family moved to Haworth, a remote village in the same County. The House was at the rectory of the Church where his father was serving: a building that stood in the open Moor far from the village and from any other House, bordering the cemetery and constantly beaten from the icy blasts of the North wind. The charm of nature vegetation wild and influenced younger family members, creating in them a love-hate relationship and dependency so strong that even if Charlotte and his brothers had the desire to see the world and its many beauties, never managed to break away from their place of origin for more than a few months.
His mother died a few years after transfer, after a long period of suffering caused by cancer. Since the father failed to tie the remarriage, the sister-in-law Elisabeth, who had never married, moved to his sister's family to look after grandchildren: the character of aunt was not very expansive and wasn't able to give the children the affection they needed. The maternal figure was then replaced by Tabby, the housekeeper, who took care of them as if they were his children, not by flattering them ever but trying in every way to promote them. It was precisely his tales, fables and legends the first seeds of fruitful artistic vein of small Brontë. Charlotte was small in stature, with thick hair that framed her face, nose and mouth badly drawn, but his dark eyes were so penetrating that caught the attention. His physical appearance was always a serious problem that could not exceed completely: it seemed that all the look and judge bad for the imperfect facial harmony and this caused a strong discomfort especially when he had to meet new people.
The basics of his education was laid by his father who was from master to all her children, giving them lessons and facendogliele repeat, favouring the only son Branwell. Over time this method proved inadequate; Thus in 1824 the Reverend, thinking about making their own good, he entrusted his daughters to girls ' boarding school of the Reverend Wilson. The discipline was very strict and rigorous to inculcate in the minds of young people a strong inner austerity regime, exceedingly frugal: the two sisters, Charlotte and Emily, to oppose the restrictions suffered, developed an autonomous personality and rebel. Sanitation and climatic conditions were not the best: they suffered many hardships, Elisabeth and Mary got sick seriously and, returning home, died within a short time.
Charlotte and Emily came back anyway to school, her older sister then understood the importance of that statement for both his talents both for future life. Return to Haworth after yet another epidemic that afflicted the pupils of the school, their education continued for a time at home: they were educated by her aunt for feminine and father works for the cultural-political aspect: the Reverend arguing with them about the news that came from local newspapers, so vigorous and precise expounded his ideas so as to influence the first compositions of the children. The paternal library was rich in works considered classical and contemporary: Scott, Coleridge, Wordsworth and Byron. Growing young people took advantage of the circulating library of Keighley, the family's private library Heaton, who knew, and the books of night school for society in the country.
Charlotte soon realized the severe burden that would have to carry on her mother's shoulders: orphan's older sister Sun, was to advise and comfort all brethren. Then Charlotte studied at the school of Miss Wooler at Roe Head where he returned later as a teacher thanks probably to economic intervention of Ms. Firth, friend of the family who owned a certain affluence. This school was the most suitable for you, given the small number of female students individualized teaching, which allowed to steal those instruments to make it a governess. He began a series of problems related mainly to economic instability, from which the brothers Brontë sought a viable escape by diving into their literary abilities, writing diaries, poems and short stories. transcending time and space, were in isolation a safe haven where exercise their imagination. Charlotte, although he loved little teaching since gave few satisfactions, decided to work at various families as housekeeper and governess. These were the only work allowed and respectable for a woman who needed to remain. Soon Charlotte and Emily, tired of their situation, decided to go it alone: they wanted to open a school for girls, with pensioner annexe, so that all three together, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, not enthusiastic about their jobs, they could go home and stay there while staying. After learning that Mary Tailor, friend of Charlotte, she attended a finishing school in Brussels with his sister, remaining enthusiastic about both the teaching experiences, to have a chance, they decided to go there even Charlotte and Emily, staying in the retiree Heger, less expensive, to try to improve their education, culture, especially the knowledge of French and German , and Charlotte also of Italian. Charlotte remained also a period as a teacher of English, obtaining a diploma that certified his fitness to teach French and greatly enriching his literary skills. In fact, the experience was fundamental for the author's artistic development: the experience of those years made her able to write later novels, gaining "literary germs expressed hitherto inadequate forms and childish". The project fell through for lack of money, for his father's health problems requiring continuous assistance and especially for lack of students. In fact, Charlotte had decided that before tackling any expenditure would have been appropriate to disclose school programs and wait for answers, which unfortunately never arrived. In 1844, Charlotte was forced to return to Haworth's growing blindness of his father, both for the discomfort of the elder brother who, having failed to advance his career dipped deeper into tunnel of opium and alcohol, becoming a nightmare for the whole family. Between 1846 and 1853 he wrote and published his most famous novels and some poetry. In the same year he died in a short time, the elder brother Branwell, Emily and Anne for consumption. To get away from the pain caused by the many deaths Charlotte went by so often in London where, thanks to his sociable character, shook numerous friendships, including with Thackeray, famous writer known for Vanity Fair, and Elisabeth Gaskell, novelist and his future biographer. The now famous author, his life changed, the London literary world would have welcomed with open arms, but its entry in literary circles, he produced only dismay: expected a woman bold and masculine and certainly not a shy, clumsy provincial intransigent. In fact, the confidential, causing severe headaches and nausea, does not allow her to fully enjoy these new stimuli. Despite the lack of physical attractiveness and the constant sense of inadequacy, in London many men of a certain culture were attracted by her, including James Taylor, partner of the firm Smith and Elder, publishers of Charlotte, who was rejected for a certain vulgarity of any of its attitudes. Although London could buy you much, Charlotte preferred by far his solitary dwelling by she considered his refuge. Now his life ran like on two parallel tracks: the lives of Currer Bell, pseudonym used by author, male and female. It was a man he could devote himself exclusively to literary activity but as a woman she could not do so. Although single, Charlotte refused for the umpteenth time a possible marriage. It was the turn of the Reverend Arthur Bell Nicholl, coadjutor of the father for several years; She visited with him later corresponded with which, finally, Nicholl was able to win her affection and esteem.
After hiding their relationship and fought more than a year against his father, who had a bitter and discouraging opinion of marriage, they married in 1854. They spent their honeymoon in Ireland, where Charlotte met the relatives of the husband and he discovered new qualities that made it even more happy and confident of the pass he had made, partly because Nicholl wanted her to participate in anything that was his work in the parish. The great writer died a year later, on 31 March 1855, following a lung after being bedridden for disorders related to pregnancy; She was buried alongside other members of his family under the floor of the Church of Haworth.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.