Agnes Grey

Agnes Grey is the first published novel by the British writer Anne Brontë. It was first published in December 1847, and appeared in a second edition in 1850. The novel tells the story of Agnes Grey's activity as a governess in various bourgeois households.

Both on the basis of comments by Anne's sister Charlotte Brontë, as well as scientific research literature one now believes that the novel is essentially based on Anne Brontë's own experiences as a governess. Overall, she worked for five years in this profession. Agnes Grey is like the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte wrote to her sister, attributed to the so-called Victorian Gouvernantenromanen and is working together with her ​​sister as one of the few works of this genre that are still read by a larger audience. As Jane Eyre, it addresses the difficult position of governess who were actually attributable to their employers as the bourgeoisie, but were on the basis of their work in an undefined social position.

The first edition from 1847 was issued by the publisher Thomas Cautly Newby, one of the least carefully working Publishers of London. It appeared together with the novel Wuthering Heights her sister Emily Brontë. The output dismissed due to the poor working of the publisher on numerous typographical errors. The second edition, which appeared in 1850, has been carefully edited by Charlotte Brontë.

Content

Agnes Grey is the daughter of a pastor, who has only a modest fortune. The attempt to increase his wealth, ends with the loss of this: The merchant, to whom he entrusted his money, dies during a shipwreck and Mr. Grey loses all the money he has invested. The Greys are now deeply in debt.

Agnes, her sister Mary and her mother try to compensate by strict economy the situation and look for ways to make money, without compromising their social status. Agnes feels ignored and treated as a child at these companies. In order to prove to himself and to improve the financially strained situation of the family, it assumes the position of a governess at Wellwood House, to teach the children of the Bloomfield family.

The Bloomfield family is wealthy and condescending as Agnes has imagined this. Mrs. Bloomfield spoil their children, while Mr. Bloomfield incessantly criticized Agnes ' work. The kids are unruly and Miss Grey's authority is undermined by the parents. Tom, the oldest of the Bloomfield children behave towards her offensive. Nothing that Agnes is taking can stop him from torturing small animals. Agnes remains less than a year in this position. It is dismissed because Mrs. Bloomfield is convinced their children do not learn enough and not fast enough.

Agnes Grey finds a new job with another wealthy family, the Murrays. Your charges are Rosalie and Matilda. Both girls are selfish and occasionally uncomfortable to deal with. Although Agnes status in the family Murray is slightly better than the Bloomfields, it is often ignored or involuntarily involved in the intrigues and maneuverings of the girls.

When an old woman with low vision, who reads from the Bible, Miss Grey learns the new country parson, Mr. Edward Weston, know. They become friends, which is registered by Rosalie Murray. Rosalie is about to be introduced into society and is revered by many men. Rosalie engaged to Lord Ashby, a wealthy nobleman. She tells her governess of her engagement, but forces them to keep quiet about it because they want to continue to flirt with other men. Rosalie and Miss Grey encounter on a walk Mr. Weston, the Rosalie makes beautiful eyes. Agnes is concerned about it, since it has now become tender feelings for Mr. Weston.

Agnes gets a message that her father is dying and returns home, but meets him no longer alive. After the death of her father Agnes opened a small school with her mother. Her sister Mary is now married to the pastor Mr. Richardson.

The now married Rosalie reported in a letter to Agnes, how unhappy she is in her marriage, and asks her former governess to a visit. Agnes comes this wish and is shocked to find that the once happy and carefree girl has turned into an unhappy young woman. Rosalie familiar to her how much she despises Lord Ashby because of his jealousy. From Rosalie Agnes hears that Mr. Weston had left the region. Agnes is saddened that she can not see him again.

Agnes returns to her new home. The day after her return, she goes to the coast for a walk and met by accident Mr. Weston, who held out for her, since he had taken over the nearby parish. He gets to know Mrs. Grey and they are good friends. Agnes feels increasingly attracted to him. When he asks for her hand, she accepts happily. In the final sentences of the novel Agnes reported that she was still happily married and have three children.

Classification

Agnes Grey is common with the novel Jane Eyre, written by Anne Brontë's sister Charlotte, one of the few representatives of the Victorian Gouvernantenromans, which today are still read by a wider audience. The Victorian Gouvernantenroman is a specific literary genre be attributed to the works that have been written almost exclusively by British authors during the 19th century or the early years of the 20th century. The number of Gouvernantenromane took at the beginning of the 20th century into the degree to which other professions opened the accepted areas of employment for women. Main themes of the stories, which are attributed to the genre of Victorian Gouvernantenromans, are the loss of social status of the protagonist, the theming of their ambiguous position in the household of their employer and the insistence on their own set of values ​​in the relationships with the people around them. Great room takes up the distinction between the woman, whose sphere of activity exclusively her own household versus the woman who is forced to pursue a gainful activity. But most also describe a maturing process of their central acting person and thus have elements of the Bildungsroman on.

For women, the educated middle classes, the activities of a governess was one of the few opportunities to exercise a profession befitting about one and a half centuries. He was almost exclusively taken by women who do not have a father, husband or brother had at a certain point in their biography that arose for their livelihood and therefore had to take care of themselves or wanted. In Britain, as many women were forced to earn their livelihood in this way that people spoke of " Gouvernantenelend " around the middle of the 19th century. Among them was understood serious plight, mortification of self-esteem due to the low prestige of the profession, disregard for their individual needs and the struggle for a befitting their profession in a labor market, women in comparison to men only very limited options offered. According Much space is a governess in the English literature of the period. Novels such as Jane Eyre and Agnes Grey have shaped the image of the governess until today. It is significant that both novel appeared in 1847 at a time when the so-called " Gouvernantenelend " occupied a large space in the public debate.

Anne Brontë let her protagonist Agnes Grey first report as a governess in first person from everyday life. Brontë takes one for the first half of the 19th century unusually emancipated view in this novel. It's not only material poverty that forces them to leave home, but also the desire to develop a personal life plan. From Brontë described as self-righteous, humorless and easily offended, Agnes Grey takes her first job at the family Bloomfield in the firm conviction that we are up to the task. The children, who should teach, but are ungeraten in her eyes, her parents recognize from Agnes Grey's view not to the value of their Gouvernantentätigkeit. You will eventually dismissed by the family Bloomfield. Your next place it leads to the manor house of a nobleman, but again they experienced disappointment. A marriage ultimately absolve from its duty to earn their own living.

Single Documents

• Literary work
• Literature (19th century)
• Literature ( English )
• Novel, epic
• Literary Figure