The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the second and final novel of Anne Bronte’s young literary career. A young widow and her son take up residence in Wildfell Hall and cause a stir with the neighbouring families. A young farmer falls in love her and through her diary pages, learns the history of what drove her to Wildfell Hall.
Between this story and her first novel, I enjoyed Tenant far more than Agnes Grey. It was clear when reading Tenant how much Anne had matured both in her writing and her life. She really dove deep into the trauma and neglect of her main character Helen’s life to get the reader to understand the decisions she made and the way she acted towards her new neighbours. Through her husband’s abuse, her heart hardened, and she grew more determined than ever to save her young son. She didn’t want young Arthur to turn into his father, an alcoholic who wasted away his life with gambling and affairs.
At the time, suggesting a woman leave her husband, especially without a divorce, was shocking. Anne faced judgement from her sister Charlotte for this choice, but ultimately it was a good decision, as I believe it added more to Helen’s character. It also highlighted her sense of duty when she returned to her husband after his accident, nursing him until his death.
Anne also used this book to emphasize how gossip and rumour can often lead to quick judgements and broken hearts. It was amazing to see how wrong the neighbours got Helen’s reason for coming to Wildfell Hall. I like how Anne explained Helen’s history with her diary passages, as it let readers get invested in her emotional journey. It worked quite well for a woman who kept her emotions close to her heart.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was a ground-breaking story for its time and continues to emphasize Anne’s talent as a writer centuries after her death.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Rating: ★★★★
Between this story and her first novel, I enjoyed Tenant far more than Agnes Grey. It was clear when reading Tenant how much Anne had matured both in her writing and her life. She really dove deep into the trauma and neglect of her main character Helen’s life to get the reader to understand the decisions she made and the way she acted towards her new neighbours. Through her husband’s abuse, her heart hardened, and she grew more determined than ever to save her young son. She didn’t want young Arthur to turn into his father, an alcoholic who wasted away his life with gambling and affairs.
At the time, suggesting a woman leave her husband, especially without a divorce, was shocking. Anne faced judgement from her sister Charlotte for this choice, but ultimately it was a good decision, as I believe it added more to Helen’s character. It also highlighted her sense of duty when she returned to her husband after his accident, nursing him until his death.
Anne also used this book to emphasize how gossip and rumour can often lead to quick judgements and broken hearts. It was amazing to see how wrong the neighbours got Helen’s reason for coming to Wildfell Hall. I like how Anne explained Helen’s history with her diary passages, as it let readers get invested in her emotional journey. It worked quite well for a woman who kept her emotions close to her heart.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was a ground-breaking story for its time and continues to emphasize Anne’s talent as a writer centuries after her death.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Rating: ★★★★