jane eyre context

brontes life:

the brontes sisters grew up in haworth

death rate very high

maria was first born child and had a 'powerful intellectual mind'

maria was immortalised in the character of helen burns in jane eyre

the sisters went to the clergy daughters school 

food ill prepared in unhygienic conditions

maria diagnosed with tuberculosis and died

charlotte was short and slightly built

thought herself as plain

mr bronte intended his daughters be governesses but charlotte hated the job

wanted to open her own school

she studied at pensionnat heger in brussels to improve her french

fell in love with a teacher who was married

she went back home heartbroken when he did not have mutual feelings

jane died in the early stages of pregnancy on march 31 1855

branwell was sacked from thorp green as he had an affair with his employers wife

he was in disgrace and became dependent on alcohol and opium

emily wrote religious poetry and died from consumption

anne wrote stories and poems and wrote a book that examined the consequences of married women's lack of legal rights

gothic fiction:

a genre of literature that combines fiction horror death and sometimes romance

its effect is a pleasing sort of terror and romantic literary pleasures

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