Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848): an analysis of the novel and of its changing relevance over time

Abstract

Anne Brontë is a relevant representative of female Victorian Gothic fiction. Her novels, often overshadowed by her sisters’ success and neglected by critics, convey a strong sense of morality and a serious approach to real life issues, such as marriage and motherhood. Anne Brontë’s characterisation of her female protagonists, the strength of their will and their abilityto face the situations they are confronted with, grant Anne’s fiction the title of one of the pioneer’s feminist novels. In The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848), her most controversial novel, Anne presents themes and topics that were not only relevant for 19th century life, but also resonate in contemporary times. The aim of this project is to identify the main themes of Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and situate them in their Victorian context, analyse her treatment of these themes, compare the reception of the novel at the time of publication and in the 21st century, and show its current relevance. The introduction will provide a historical background focusing on the sociocultural conventions that most affected Anne as a female author. The main body of the project will contain the analysis of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall: Chapter 1 will deal with the principal themes addressed by Anne; Chapter 2 will study the critical reception of the novel, and Chapter 3 will include a contrastive approach of the novel’s impact in the 19th century and how its relevance has shifted over time. Chapter 4 will examine the current relevance of the novel. The conclusion will focus on the attainments and resulting ideas of this project.