Charlotte Bronte was a famous English poet and novelist from the nineteenth century. Though shy and often socially awkward, Bronte was clever, strong-minded, and ambitious. She was fiercely independent and was determined to defy society’s standard for women of the time, though she also took her role of responsibility in the family seriously. Like women through the ages, Charlotte often struggled to balance her responsibilities and her ambition. Because of her life experiences and tenacious spirit, Charlotte Bronte was a woman ahead of her time, determined to forge her way into a literary career where she could support herself financially doing something she loved – writing. Charlotte Bronte was born on April 21, 1816 in northern England in the village of …show more content…
The themes of her early writings centered on romanticism, politics, loyalty, and betrayal. However, Charlotte’s desire to be financially independent and help support her family eventually led to her accepting a teaching position at Roe Head. She later worked as a governess for different families in the area, but she resented the long hours that kept her from being able to write. Her career as a governess was short-lived. She returned home and published a selection of poems with her sisters in 1846 under the pseudonyms of Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell. According to sources, “this was a commercial disaster, selling only two copies, but by the end of 1847 the first novels of all three sisters had been published, and Charlotte’s Jane Eyre was an immediate success” ("Family and Friends - Charlotte Brontë"). She later published Shirley in 1849 and Villette in 1853. Charlotte enjoyed all aspects of the literary business, from meeting with publishers and editing her sisters’ works, to traveling and becoming acquainted with other authors. Charlotte had finally realized her dream of becoming a successful