Anne Bronte is my favorite of the sisters. I enjoyed Agnes Gray more than Jane Eyre, perhaps to the dismay of others. Great and interesting post! I really like how you've tied the Bronte's and Austen together. How interesting! Excellent, Alexa.
I also tend to make links and connections among writers and texts while reading books. There just one thing I can't agree with you in this review. It is when you say that we could see the probable results of a marriage between Marianne and Willoughby in Helen and Arthur's sad story. I don't know why but I've always thought Willoughby could have been rescued by Marianne's love for him, I've always been sure he did love her Maybe their poverty would have ruined their love story.
Thank you for the comments ladies! Katherine - It's strange, but my feelings on reading these books now is so different than when I was a teenager. Then I adored Charlotte; now I have a greater appreciation of Anne. I admit to being rather sick of Jane Eyre. I still really enjoy the first part of the book, that part that focuses on her childhood, but get very frustrated with pretty much everyone's behavior in the rest of the novel. Maria - There is so much sympathy for Willoughby out there.
While I find him less rakish than most of the other anti-heroes in Austen, I just can't trust his sentiments as expressed at Cleveland. Now that he is married to a woman he does not care for, of course he is remorseful. But had he married Marianne, who is to say he would have maintained his interest in her? I doubt he would be as bad Arthur, who really is totally unfeeling, but I also have a hard time believing he would have been faithful.
Throw poverty into the equation and I do think it would have been a rather miserable marriage, but of course this is open to debate. Nothing makes me more excited than arguing Austen - I would love it if you would attempt to change my mind! Fantastic review! I love your comparison of Anne Bronte and Austen. I love how Anne goes beyond the happily ever after and shows what can happen when you marry the wrong man Austen does this also to an extent with Fanny's parents in Mansfield Park. I wish Charlotte would not have held Anne's novel back as I feel it is very underappreciated and actually better than Wuthering Heights.
