Essay Database

English Charlotte Bronte was born in Thornton in the West Riding of Yorkshire on April 21,1816, the third child of Patrick Bronte and Maria Branwell Bronte. The major event of her young life was the death of her mother in 1821, which created a lot of chaos. Jane Eyre was published in 1847; it was a success, but was followed up by a tragedy. In September 1848, her brother Branwell died, probably due to heavy drinking; this was closely …

…at home and worked briefly as a governess, an experience she described in Jane Eyre. Charlotte disliked her position and left in 1842 to study French in Belgium. There, she developed a passionate attachment to Constantin Heger, her married instructor. Heger provided Charlotte with a strong literary background and helped her develop confidence to write. Though their relationship was ill fated, many scholars believe that Heger inspired the character of Jane Eyre’s employer, Fairfax Rochester.