勃朗特三姐妹(英文版)

谢宗伯201397718TheBronteFamilyTheBronteSisters’lifeTheBronteSisters’literarycareerCharlotteBronte(1816-1855)Hermainworks:1)JaneEyre(1847)2)TheProfessor(1857)3)Shirley(1849)4)Villette(1853)EmilyBronte(1818-1848)Hermainworks:1)WutheringHeights2)PoemsAnneBronte(1818-1848)Hermainworks:1)TheTenantofWildfellHall2)AgnesGreyPortraitofPatrickBrontearound1860PatrickBronte(1777–1861):-BorninIreland;-Anglicancurate;-Poet,writer,andpolemicist;-StudiedinCambridge;-visitingthesickandthepoor;-diedattheageof84.MariaBranwell(1783-1821):MariaBronteoriginatedfromCornwallandcamefromacomfortablywelloffmiddle-classfamily.Herfatherhadaflourishingteaandgrocerystoreandhadaccumulatedconsiderablewealth.Mariadiedattheageof38,probablyfromcancerofthestomach.Shewasknownforherlivelyspirit,joyfulnessandtenderness,anditwasshewhodesignedthesamplersthatareondisplayinthemuseum,andhadthemembroideredbyherchildren.SheleftmemorieswithherhusbandandwithCharlotte,theoldestsurvivingsibling,ofaveryvivaciouswomanattheparsonage.Theyoungerones,particularlyEmilyandAnne,admittedtoretainingonlyvagueimagesoftheirmother,especiallyofhersufferinginhersickbed.ElizabethBranwell:ElizabethBranwellarrivedfromPenzancein1821,afterthedeathofMaria,heryoungersister,tohelpPatricklookafterthechildren.Maria:theeldestchildofBronte.ShediedinHaworthattheageofelevenon6May1825.Elizabeth:thesecondchildofBronte,joinedhersisterMariaatCowanBridgewhereshesufferedthesamefate.PatrickBranwell:KnownasBranwell,hewasapainter,writerandcasualworker.HebecameaddictedtoalcoholandlaudanumanddiedatHaworthon24September1848attheageof31.CowanBridgeSchool--In1824,thefoureldestgirls(excludingAnne)enteredCowanBridgeSchoolwhicheducatedthechildrenoflessfortunatemembersoftheclergy,andwhichhadbeenrecommendedtoMr.Bronte.MissWooler'sschool--In1831,14-year-oldCharlottewasenrolledattheschoolofMissWooler.Charlottewashappythereandstudiedwell.Shemademanylifelongfriends,inparticularEllenNusseyandMaryTaylor.Thestruggle:denunciationofboardingschools(JaneEyre)--ConditionsattheschoolatCowanBridge,whereMariaandElizabethmayhavecontractedthetuberculosisfromwhichtheydied,wereprobablynoworsethanthoseatmanyotherschoolsofthetime.Literaryencounters--FollowingtheoverwhelmingsuccessofJaneEyre,CharlottewaspressuredbyGeorgeSmith,herpublisher,withwhomshewasinlove,totraveltoLondontomeetherpublic.Despitetheextremetimiditythatparalysedheramongstrangersandmadeheralmostincapableofexpressingherself,Charlotteconsentedtobelionised,andinLondonwasintroducedtoothergreatwritersoftheera.Marriage--ArthurBellNicholls(1818–1906)hadbeencurateofHaworthforsevenandahalfyears,whencontrarytoallexpectations,andtothefuryofPatrickBronte,heproposedtoCharlotte.Althoughimpressedbyhisdignityanddeepvoice,Charlottefoundhimrigid,conventional,andrathernarrow-minded'likeallthecurates‘.AftershedeclinedhisproposalNichols,pursuedbytheangerofPatrickBronte,lefthisfunctionsforseveralmonths.However,littlebylittleherfeelingsevolvedandafterslowlyconvincingherfather,shefinallymarriedNicholson29June1854.EmilyBrontehasbeencalledtheSphinxofLiterature,writingwithouttheslightestdesireforfame,andonlyforherownsatisfaction.Shewasobsessivelytimidoutsidethefamilycircletothepointofturningherbackonherpartnersinconversationwithoutsayingaword.Withasinglenovel,WutheringHeightsandpoemsofanelementarypower,shereachedtheheightsofliterature.Almostunknownduringherlife,posterityclassesheras'toplevel'intheliterarycanonofEnglishliterature.Aboveall,EmilylovedtowanderaboutthewildlandscapeofthemoorsaroundHaworth.InSeptember1848herhealthbegantodeclinerapidly.Consumptive,butrefusingalltreatment,withtheexceptionofavisitfromaLondondoctor–becausealthoughitwasalreadytoolate,herrelativesinsisted–shediedinDecemberonthesofainthediningroom.Annewasn'tascelebratedasherothertwosisters.Thus,TheShortOxfordHistoryofEnglishLiteraturewritesthatherfirstnovelwasovershadowedbythoseofCharlotteandEmilyandthatthenarratorendureshumiliation,snobbism,andincivilityfromheremployerswithafirmresolutionhelpedalongbyhersenseofdutyandhighmoralconscience.Thechronicle,sprinkledwithAnne'sownexperiences,isthebasisofAgnesGreywhichappearstobeasemi-autobiographicalnovel.