2. Author Introduction

Charlotte Bronte was born on \(21 \)st April \(1816\) in England. She was a poet, novelist and belonged to the Victorian period in English Literature. The Victorian period prevailed during the reign of Queen Victoria in England, from \(1837 \) to \(1902\). It was an age alive with new activities and an era of peace. There was a rise of industries and mechanical devices. It was also an age when women were not allowed to get educated. Rather they were seen as marriage materials. Bronte addressed this thought in her books.

 

Charlotte is the eldest of the three Bronte sisters. Her sisters Emily and Anne Bronte were also renowned writers. Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" and Anne Bronte's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" were famous novels that marked the significance of the Victorian period. Charlotte wrote during a time when there were a lot of intellectual developments in the country. It was a time when new ideas were included in literature, science, religion and politics. Bronte's most famous work "Jane Eyre" was considered to be the greatest work of the period.

 

Charlotte, who was the daughter of an Irish clergyman, had to face a lot of financial difficulties, due to which she was compelled to become a school -teacher and a governess. She wrote prolifically later and became famous due to her hard work. She also wrote during a time when the society could not still accept the fact that women can write novels and publish them. She therefore could not use her original name and went by a pen-name, "Currer Bell". A pen name is usually taken by women who have to hide their real identity and use a different name.

 

Some of her famous works include: