Revisiting Agnes Grey

While her sister Charlotte was writing Jane Eyre (1847), Anne Bronte was working on her own novel about a young governess, Agnes Grey (1847). While the two debut novels explore similar themes, the latter is less well known and sadly forgotten. This is a shame, as Agnes Grey is a delightful novel and should be held in higher esteem. It is a novel that deserves a much wider readership.

Agnes Grey lives a modest family life with her minister father, mother and older sister Mary. Her father has made some bad financial decisions and the family find themselves in debt. Agnes is determined to support the family by working as a governess. 

Her first position is for the odious Bloomfield family. Wealthy beyond measure, the children are spoiled and feral. The eldest, Tom, is a bully who talks back and cruelly tortures animals. Mrs Bloomfield adores her son, and does not support Agnes in her efforts to educate the children, undermining her at every turn. Agnes finds a new position with the Murrays - an even wealthier family. Here, her job is to shape the two girls, Rosalie and Matilda, into refined marriage prospects. Rosalie is flirtatious and determined to wed. Matilda is a tomboy who prefers her horses to boys. While not as terrible as the Bloomfields, here Agnes is ignored and lonely. She misses her family dreadfully.

As a minister's daughter, Agnes is deeply Christian and conducts wellbeing visits on an elderly woman Nancy Brown. Nancy has poor eye sight, so Agnes reads The Bible and helps Nancy with her mending. Here she meets Mr Weston, the new curate, and over time develops a fondness for him. A family tragedy requires Agnes to return home. While she is happy to be able to be with her family again, she is saddened to lose her growing connection with Mr Weston. Will they find each other again?

 

It has been at least 25 years since I last read Agnes Grey and I had forgotten most of it. At the time I recall viewing it as a pale imitation of Jane Eyre, but now, having reread them both consecutively, I really appreciate Agnes Grey in its own right.

Anne Bronte is such a gifted writer and I loved how she infused her protagonist with empathy, ethics, self-deprecating humour, and a love of animals. Some of the lines in the novel were so brilliant, like: 

'One glance he gave, one little smile at parting—it was but for a moment; but therein I read, or thought I read, a meaning that kindled in my heart a brighter flame of hope than had ever yet arisen.'

'I always lacked common sense when taken by surprise.' 

'But our wishes are like tinder: the flint and steel of circumstances are continually striking out sparks, which vanish immediately, unless they chance to fall upon the tinder of our wishes; then, they instantly ignite, and the flame of hope is kindled in a moment.'

'Then, having broken my long fast on a cup of tea and a little thin bread and butter I sat down beside the small, smouldering fire and amused myself with a hearty fit of crying.'

The 'amused myself' in that last sentence absolutely slays me!

Agnes Grey is described as an autobiographical novel. Anne Bronte worked as a governess in York, and had a disastrous first attempt. She too was the daughter of a curate, and the family struggled to make ends meet. The boredom, isolation and frustration she experienced as a governess is brought to life through Agnes.  

While Anne Bronte didn't get the praise she deserved for this novel, unfavourably compared with Charlotte's Jane Eyre and Emily's Wuthering Heights, all published around the same time, in many respects I think Agnes Grey is superior. It is a certainly more relatable and realistic, and is a sophisticated critique of class and gender. I am so glad I revisited Agnes Grey.