A Comparison of Charlotte Bronte Biographies :: compare contrast comparison

A Comparison of Charlotte Bronte Biographies Over the years, there accommodate been many biographies written about Charlotte Bronte. Elizabeth Gaskells The Life of Charlotte Bronte has been regarded as the standard work. Winifred Gerins biography, Charlotte Bronte The growing of Genius (published in 1967) was the first to include new information on Bronte. Gerin says, It is paradoxical that the standard work is still Mrs. Gaskells Life. This remains a spacious biography, but published two years after its subjects death it suffered from the essential limitations thus imposed . . . and was not bettered by immediate followers (xiv). Gerin felt up that the main contributions to Bronte studies in this century have been on the editorial two-dimensional and sought to write a factual, unbiased biography (xiv). Lyndall Gordons biography, Charlotte Bronte A torrid Life, took a feminist view, which was a different view from that of all anterior biographies. Each biographer was affected by the cultural views of women of the time. Since Jane Eyre is seen as a observance of Brontes life, the view of Jane Eyre has also changed with the times. In her biography, Gaskell sought to hide Brontes repletion passion and blamed it on the tragedies she suffered, whereas Gerin recognized Bronte s passion as a part of her personality that contributed to her writing, and Gordon embraced it as the most important aspect of Bronte s life. In June of 1855, Mrs. Gaskell received a letter from Reverend Patrick Bronte, on behalf of himself and Brontes husband, Reverend Arthur buzzer Nicholls, asking if she would write a biography of Charlotte Bronte. Ellen Nussey, Brontes friend, had written to Patrick Bronte and Nicholls concerned with her friends report and some speculations made by the press. Ellen Nussey demanded that these speculations be challenged. Had the Bell brothers (Charlotte, Emily and Annes pseudonyms) been three withdraw people? Were they male or female? According to Gaskell, people began query if the author of Jane Eyre forfeited the right to keep the company of respectable women (vii) because of her commonness (by which Victorians meant vehemence and passion) (Gordon 347)? Ellen suggested that Gaskell, a friend of Brontes and an realised author, write Charlottes biography. In writing the biography, Gaskell used her own notes and letters describing her meetings with Charlotte Bronte. Patrick Bronte provided a skeleton biographical outline (not always accurate in detail) of himself and his family (Gaskell xiii).