The Challenge of the Brontes
The Brontë sisters' lives were marked by tragedy and hardship, with their father a poor clergyman and their mother dying young. The sisters developed a strong bond, using imagination to escape their bleak surroundings. They wrote prolifically, producing novels, poetry, and plays, but struggled to get published due to the societal norms of the time.
By Edmund Gosse · First published 1903 · Genre: Biography, Literary Criticism, Historical · 3,599 words
First lines
Although I possess in no degree the advantage which so many of the members of your society enjoy in being personally connected with the scenes and even, perhaps, with the characters associated with the Bronte family, I cannot begin my little address to you to-day without some invocation of the genius of the place. We meet at Dewsbury because the immortal sisters were identified with Dewsbury. Is it then not imperative that for whatever picture of them I may endeavour to present before you this afternoon, Dewsbury should form the background? Unfortunately, however, although in the hands of a skilful painter the figures of the ladies may glow forth, I fear that in the matter of taking Dewsbury as the background some vagueness and some darkness are inevitable. In the biographies of Mrs. Gaskell and of Mr. Clement Shorter, as well as in the proceedings of your society, I have searched for evidences of the place Dewsbury took in the lives of the Brontes.
What this Textopian page supports
The Challenge of the Brontes is listed on Textopian as an essay by Edmund Gosse, dated 1903 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Edmund Gosse
- Date: 1903 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Biography, Literary Criticism, Historical, Non-fiction
- Length: 3,599 words
- Structure: 1 section, 26 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Challenge of the Brontes by Edmund Gosse
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Challenge of the Brontes?
- How does this essay by Edmund Gosse fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Biography first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Author Of Pelham by Edmund Gosse
- The Novels Of Benjamin Disraeli by Edmund Gosse
- Women Novelists Of Queen Victorias Reign by Edna Lyall
- Questions At Issue by Edmund Gosse
- George Eliot 1 by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward
- The Life Of Charlotte Bronte Volume Ii by Elizabeth Gaskell
Genres
- Biography — The work provides a detailed account of the lives of the Bronte sisters, their experiences, and their literary contributions.
- Literary Criticism — The work critically analyzes the writings of the Bronte sisters, their themes, and their impact on literature.
- Historical — The work provides historical context to the lives of the Bronte sisters and the era they lived in.
- Non-fiction — The work is based on real events and people, specifically the Bronte sisters.
Tags
Literary Criticism · Biography · 19th Century Literature · English Literature · Victorian Era · Family History · Sisters · Women Writers · Classic Literature · Non-Fiction · Historical Analysis · Cultural Context