Tenant of Wildfell Hall Summary
Anne Bronte's sentimental novel tells the story of a young farmer, Gilbert Markham, and his fascination with a widow and her son that just moved into the long vacant Wildfell Hall. He recalls the events in the form of a long letter to his friend Jack Halford. Gilbert falls in love with the widow, Helen Graham, despite not knowing much about her or her son, Arthur. She also feels something for Gilbert and ends up giving him her diary. Her diary makes up a majority of the story and another perspective to the narrative. Helen's past is revealed to the reader as well as her strength and independence. Now knowing why Helen is so secretive and cautious, Gilbert falls even more in love with her even though she is hesitant to be in a relationship again. Feelings come to a head when Helen leaves suddenly to care for her dying husband. A misunderstanding leads Gilbert to believe that Helen is interested in someone else which leads to a hasty pursuit. In the end, the misunderstanding is resolved and Gilbert and Helen marry.This novel tackles heavy issues such as alcoholism, domestic violence, and female agency.
Anne Bronte did not publish as many novels as her sisters did and was often overshadowed by their publications. Her first novel, Agnes Grey was not nearly as successful as either of her other sisters' first books. However, her second novel Tenant's success was due in part to her bold writing that exposed the issues within the Victorian domestic sphere as well as the underlying feminism. Unfortuantely, Anne died in 1849 and the book stopped being published until Charlotte allowed publishing companies to produce the books again a few years later.