I get disappointed when people don't update daily. This is mainly because my job involves a lot of sitting around trying to find things to read. So perhaps others are busy doing "productive" things that aren't blogging, but because I can only truly see things from my own perspective, I am now blogging despite not having any clear subject about which to blog.
What about the Brontes! Let's discuss them, oh let's do! (and no, I'm not umlauting them -- deal)
I think my second blog post here compared the Bronte family to sea turtles, so rather than do that tired old thing again, here're my uninformed opinions on the three sisters who managed to remain not-dead for longer than the rest of the family:
1. Charlotte. Ah yes. Charlotte. Was I obsessed with her at age 16? Yes. Did I have make believe conversations with her? Yes. Did I read anything of hers beyond Jane Eyre? Of course not, I'm not a weirdo English major.
But for reals, I tried Shirley and it was all "And then there were two curates in the house visiting the young lady and here's what they said and oh, there's also the Industrial Revolution and Issues That Faced Northern England That Are No Longer Relevant." You know what WASN'T there? A crazy lady in an attic and a lone governess trying to navigate her creepy gothic atmosphere. Interest LOST.
16 is pretty much the only age at which it's acceptable to be Jane Eyre-obsessed. And it's PERFECT for that age because it's all EMOTIONS and FEELINGS and PEOPLE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND THEIR LOVE. I hated Austen because CB hated her and I thought she was "just so cold and unfeeling." Yeah. Teenagers are idiots.
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That picture where Branwell's apparently being beamed up by a transporter. |
2. Emily. Are there any NON-douchebags who love Wuthering Heights? These were my feelings while reading it: "Ugh I hate all the characters, but the writing is SO GOOD I must continue." I get that Emily was super-weird and who wouldn't be with just a bunch of moors to wander on, but she didn't have to make her characters total assholes. I like the 1930s film of it, but only because they make Heathcliff do the EXACT OPPOSITE of what he does in the book, so he's actually somewhat sympathetic. I don't care if it subverts the author's intentions. Booooo that book.
3. Anne. Poor Anne. No one pays attention to her. And you know what, damnit, I LOVE her. Yeah, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is kind of just a big ad for the temperance movement (down to the wife weeping on her knees, begging her husband to put down his drink -- "Think of the CHILDREN"), but you know what? Agnes Grey had a purpose, and it was a good one. Sure, Jane in Jane Eyre is a governess, but does that book show how shitty it was to have that job? No. Except that one scene when Blanche Ingram is all "*titter* Oh my, how difficult it is to get good governesses who know their place, blah blah." Whereas most of Agnes Grey is like "Hey, this is what it's like to be a governess. Isn't it horrible? Don't you feel like maybe you should be nicer to yours? YEAH, DO THAT."
And you know that was an actually important point to the Bronte family, because Charlotte and Anne left their governess positions because they were so miserable.
4. Extra Thoughts. All this being said, if you can see the play Bronte, DO IT. It made me KIND of like Emily, which was a near-miraculous feat. And Charlotte is made into this extremely three-dimensional person, which I have a difficult time seeing her as sometimes. And of course I don't remember Anne, because who remembers Anne?, but I'm sure her character's great, too.
And, of course, despite all the things I just spent a decent amount of time writing, they were a completely remarkable family and I'd pass out if I met any of them.
Then after I woke up, I wouldn't be able to understand them, because 19th C. RURAL YORKSHIRE ACCENTS.
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