WEEKLY WHINE

Stump Edvard about Anne Brontë

As you know, literature is an exciting part of everyday life. Many important writers have made essential contributions to the literary craft, contributions that still make their presence felt today.

One such writer is Anne Brontë. The youngest of the three Brontë sisters, Anne contributed to their poetry book before writing two novels, Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. She died just a year after the latter book was published.

Her works are today considered just as influential as those of Charlotte and Emily Brontë, but they were largely ignored for more than a century. Why is that? And what drove modern literary critics to rediscover her writing?

As you have already guessed, our very own expert on everything, “Dynamite Eating” Edvard van de Kamp, is here to answer your questions about Anne Brontë. We have firmly instructed him not to cheat by consulting with Debbie, but we strongly suspect that he has done just that.

Dear Edvard: Was Jane Eyre really the literary masterpiece that everyone seems to believe, or did Charlotte Brontë steal Anne’s writing style?

– Jennifer Macdougal
Crosspoint, MI, USA

Dear Jennifer: Charlotte totally ripped off Anne. Charlotte had never attempted to use a female narrator in any of her works before Anne did it in Agnes Grey. But on the other hand, Anne ripped off some elements of Emily’s Wuthering Heights, such as the geography [critics see a similarity between Wildfell Hall and Wuthering Heights].

Dear Edvard: Who is Anne Brontë, and why does it matter that you are answering questions about her?

– Victor Adams
Memphis, TN, USA

Dear Victor: Anne Brontë wrote two novels: Agnes Grey, published in 1847, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, published in 1848. These two novels have not received nearly as much praise from critics as the prominent works by her sisters, Charlotte’s Jane Eyre and Emily’s Wuthering Heights, but Anne’s sisters both made use of styles and innovations that Anne had first developed in her own novels.

Dear Edvard: If Anne Brontë were alive today, which English football club would she support?

– Kelly Villivaub
Luton, England, UK

Dear Kelly: I expect that Anne would follow a local club, most likely Bradford City Women’s FC. I don’t expect that any male clubs would capture her fancy.

Dear Edvard: Why have Anne’s novels received so little attention? Charlotte and Emily each had film versions made of at least one of their novels. Either Agnes Grey or The Tenant of Wildfell Hall would make an excellent film, but studios have shown little to no interest.

– McKinley Clark
Purchase, NY, USA

Dear McKinley: Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre have been successful in nearly all respects, including a wide range of adaptations. After Anne’s death, Charlotte would not allow The Tenant of Wildfell Hall to be republished, a decision that surely prevented Anne’s works from reaching a broader audience.

Dear Edvard: What would we see on Anne Brontë’s Facebook page?

– Michelle Foster
Southport, England, UK

Dear Michelle: If Anne Brontë was alive today, she would not have a Facebook page. Or if she did, it would be maintained by her publisher, who would regularly send her questions that visitors posted. Anne would occasionally respond, reserving her most biting remarks for critics who were shocked at her strong, realistic subject matter.

Dear Edvard: What would Anne Brontë think about the way women are treated in modern society?

– Sharice Cooper
Bethesda, MD, USA

Dear Sharice: Anne would be ambivalent about it. On the one hand, she would be pleased that the UK has had a female prime minister and that a number of large firms have female CEOs. However, she would be disappointed at the salary gap between the genders, and she would be outraged at the way in which women can be castigated for speaking their mind. She would take particular exception to the backlash against Miley Cyrus, whom she would describe as an independent woman striking back at the establishment that insists upon her conformity to the image it created for her without her consent.

Dear Edvard: I read last year that the age on Anne Brontë’s gravestone had just been corrected. Why was it left incorrect for more than 100 years?

– Claudia-Héléne Pfeiffer
Nice, France

Dear Claudia: Charlotte visited Anne’s grave only once, three years after Anne’s death. She discovered several errors, but when the stone was reworked, the age was not corrected. It still read “She died aged 28”, but Anne died at the age of 29.

Dear Edvard: So, wait. Anne’s grave had the wrong age for more than 150 years? Why didn’t anyone change it?

– Marie-June Pfeiffer
Nice, France

Dear Marie: Because they’re dumb.