The Brontës IX

I've reached the end of the book and will sum up the final events. Charlotte spent some time working on her last novel, Villette, in Haworth, and it was published in early 1853. It generally met with critical and public approval. Some readers think it is her best novel. Like the others, it contains many autobiographical elements. Mrs. Gaskell made her first visit to Haworth in September, 1853 and stayed at the parsonage.

Arthur Bell Nicholls had become Patrick's assistant curate at Haworth in 1845. In 1852 he proposed to Charlotte, and she rejected him. She had previously rejected a proposal from Henry Nussey, Ellen's brother. She had also rejected Reverend David Pryce, and, as mentioned earlier, James Taylor. Initially, Patrick also rejected Nicholls. Nicholls was a poor Irishman and was unpopular in Haworth. Following this, Nicholls left his position in Haworth. But he and Charlotte began to communicate again in 1853, he proposed to her a second time, and she accepted after convincing Patrick to change his mind. They were married in Haworth on June 29, 1854. Patrick did not participate in the wedding. At the wedding, Miss Wooler, Charlotte's long-time friend from Roe Head School, gave Charlotte away, and Ellen Nussey was a bridesmaid. The couple honeymooned in North Wales and Ireland.

Barker reports some information which may or may not be relevant to Charlotte's decision to marry Nicholls. Charlotte's main contact at her publisher, Smith, Elder & Co., was George Smith. He was extremely knowledgeable of the publishing industry. They seem to have been very close for a time, but then things cooled off suddenly. In late 1853, Smith announced his engagement to another woman, and they were married in February, 1854, a few months before Charlotte's wedding. Looking at this from the present, George Smith would have been a completely superior husband for Charlotte, and this causes me to speculate on her thinking processes. One aspect is that Charlotte seemed resigned to remain in Haworth even though it seems to have been a rather depressing atmosphere with all of her siblings gone. Even their dogs had died off. It seems that Charlotte wanted to assist Patrick in his old age, and he had experienced declining health for several years. But her career as a novelist would have been vastly enhanced if she had married someone like George Smith. Obviously, a comparison to G.H. Lewes pops up in my mind. Lewes had many of the same talents as Smith, and played a crucial role in advancing George Eliot's career. But while Smith seems to have had a good family background, Lewes was literally a bastard, was already married and supporting a family, and he had scant financial means. In any case, considering that Charlotte was an intelligent person, she may have realized that she was an aging, unattractive hick from Yorkshire and might be too much of a step down for Smith. His sudden marriage may have influenced her to stay the course in Haworth. Unfortunately, I don't think that Arthur Bell Nicholls was much of a catch.

In any case, things didn't go well for Charlotte. Her marriage seems to have interfered with her relationship with Ellen Nussey, who had been a mainstay in her life. Ellen came to hate Nicholls. After about six months of marriage Charlotte became pregnant, in December, 1854. She and the unborn baby died on March 31, 1855. At the time, the cause was listed as tuberculosis, but, more recently, it has come to be seen as hyperemesis gravidarum, while there are still other theories.

In the aftermath, Nicholls remained in Haworth until Patrick died in 1861. He had expected to take Patrick's position upon his death, but the trustees voted against him, and he returned to Ireland. Mrs. Gaskell's biography of Charlotte became popular after it was published in 1857. Haworth became a major tourist attraction and still is. This reminded me of Amherst, Massachusetts and Emily Dickinson.

Much of this book was written as a corrective to Mrs. Gaskell's biography. Generally, that book was well-researched and tended to be honest. However, there were a few major objections. Obviously, the then Lady Scott, formerly Mrs. Robinson, disliked the publicity of her relationship with Branwell Brontë. The family of the founder of Cowan Bridge School, which was the basis for Lowood School in Jane Eyre, objected to its depiction. Harriet Martineau disliked the depiction of her relationship with Charlotte. Juliet Barker's main objection is that Mrs. Gaskell conjured up a fictional victim narrative regarding Patrick's treatment of his children. In reading this book, I agree with Barker. It seems to me that occasionally Patrick may have been a slightly incompetent parent and may have been too self-absorbed. But this never approached any level of abusiveness, and it seems that in general the children felt quite at home at the parsonage and usually preferred it to the outside world.

Regarding this biography itself, I do find it to be quite well-executed. Unfortunately, a truly good biography like this one has a tendency to demythologize the people discussed, which may be a little disappointing to readers who are inclined to hero-worship.