The Brontë Sisters

Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë produced some of the most outstanding and outrageous fiction and poetry in English. In this course we will read four of their novels: the classic Jane Eyre and the somber, visionary Villette (both by Charlotte), the wild and gothic Wuthering Heights (Emily’s only novel), and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (by Anne), a strident critique of women’s social oppression. In addition, we will read some of their poetry and their fanciful juvenilia. Readings will also include theoretical, historical, and biographical essays about the Brontës’ lives and literature. 3 hrs. sem.