Shirley by Charlotte Brontë7/4/2023 Mrs Gaskell, in her famous biography of Charlotte, says that Charlotte explained that her portrayal of Shirley Keeldar is “what Emily Brontë would have been, had she been placed in health and prosperity.” Whilst Shirley is given the title, she does not appear until a third of the way through the book. The titular Shirley (the first time it had ever been used as a woman’s name) is based upon Emily Brontë. It is in the two protagonists, however, that we take most interest. The book centres around the earlier Luddite struggles, which was a mask for the Chartist struggles that were still raging. The curates Malone and Macarthey are both based to some extent on Charlotte’s future husband Arthur Bell Nicholls. Miss Wooler, former teacher of Charlotte and Anne, is called Mrs. Briarmains in Shirley is the Taylor house at Gomersal. Her great friend Mary Taylor, for example, is Rose Yorke. It’s well known that Charlotte used many real people, events and locations in the novel, barely disguised under other names. Shirley was Charlotte Brontë’s magnificent third novel ( although it was only her second to be published), and it’s of particular interest to fans of Anne Brontë. Anne Brontë: Writer Of Genius, Woman Of Courage.Please enter your email address to subscribe to my Anne Bronte blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
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