"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte - notes and imagery of each chapter, how they compare and Bronte's use of laguage.

At the time, literary society in England was a very small

world. For a complete unknown to publish a successful novel was

relatively unusual. For three unknowns to manage it in a single

year was unheard of. Naturally, everyone was curious about

them, though normally the curiosity would have died down as soon

as a new subject for gossip came along. But an aura of mystery

surrounding the identity of the Brontes kept them a subject of

interest for much longer than that. In all innocence, the three

sisters had chosen to publish their books under male pen

names--as Currer (Charlotte), Acton (Anne), and Ellis (Emily)

Bell. They did this partly to escape the prejudice against

women novelists and partly to avoid embarrassing friends and

acquaintances who might find themselves portrayed in the novels.

As it turned out, the pen names only helped to make the Brontes

more famous. Everyone was wildly eager to figure out the true

English: North Lees Hall and out buildings Otherwi...

English: A painting of the three Brontë sisters; ...

English: Signature of Charlotte Bronte

identities of Currer, Acton, and Ellis Bell. Were they really

men? Or if they were women, why were they pretending to be men?

There was even a rumor, encouraged by Emily and Anne's

publisher, that the three authors were one and the same

person.

By the time the truth became widely known, Emily and Anne

were dead. Charlotte was the only Bronte who became a literary

celebrity during her own lifetime, but all three sisters were

well on their way to becoming cult heroines.

Unlike many writers who achieve instant fame, the Brontes'

books have stood the test of time. Two of the three books

published during that ten-month period in 1847-48--Charlotte's

Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights--are still widely read

and enjoyed today. Anne's novel, Agnes Grey, has never been as

popular, but its admirers are often the most enthusiastic...