The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
I’m so glad I decided to give the Brontë sisters another chance this year as I was captivated by not just one, but all three of the sisters’ writing and novels. I wish that these woman had been able to write more novels as I know I would have enjoyed each one. They were all able to create characters that were pretty terrible but also so enjoyable to discover.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was not quite on the level as Jane Eyre nor Wuthering Heights but I still enjoyed it overall and actually found it easier to get into. It’s a bit shorter than Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre and has a less descriptive writing style but still packs so much in its pages. Anne layers a first person narrative within another and it worked wonderfully for this storyline. It begins with Gilbert Markham’s letter to an old friend that details the strange encounters he has with a new tenant of Wildfell Hall. Later, it switches to Helen Graham’s perspective as Gilbert reads her diary and uncovers her past.
Anne brings up the double standards and limitations put upon women in this time and is a true pioneer in the fact that a woman’s life wasn’t in ruins after she is no longer with her husband. Even though some of the ideas are antiquated, such as the dramatic disgust with drinking, there are still some relatable situations. The most prevalent is the desire to help someone change for the better, believing that if you try hard enough you can fix whatever is wrong with them rather than that person changing on their own.
The relationship in this novel is also believable with its ups and downs and how it developed gradually which I find lacking in a lot of classics. I enjoyed the conversations these two characters had as they both found similar interests and a familiar level of intellect.
Synopsis: This is the story of a woman's struggle for independence. Helen “Graham" has returned to Wildfell Hall in flight from a disastrous marriage. Exiled to the desolate moorland mansion, she adopts an assumed name and earns her living as a painter.