In search of the Brontes Part 1 - 4/6

[@ksotikoula]

Instead she wrote back to tell him she appreciated the spirit of his advice which resembled that of her father and informed him it will not be wasted and will be remembered for ever. He liked her response so much that he invited her to come and meet him whenever she went to the Lakes.

[@ksotikoula]

I agree. I believe a more concrete relationship with a person who's truly yours can efface in a degree a more incorporeal one. She'd never forget Heger&her previous experiences but much of the pain of unrequited love must have subsided. It's a wonderful thing to feel you're loved&I'm glad he showed her there's a side of love that's not necessarily painful. I wish only she had time to write about it. Maybe he was to be her next hero. Their story was very romantic. He fought a lot to get the girl!

[@ksotikoula]

Sadly, when Charlotte became famous and did go to the lakes, Southey had died. His son asked Charlotte to give him his father's letter to her for biographical reasons. She did send it, but kindly requested it back when he had copied it, because she said it was very important to her.

[@MsDefectiveToaster]

ksotikoula I think people misread that letter. Southey's not saying she's not good enough to get published. He's saying that the best writing comes from passion for the story and not desire for fame.

[@ksotikoula]

About Emma he said that they never had a deal with Charlotte that she would stop writing after their marriage.On the contrary they often talked about her literary career&she read him the manuscript,which shows she meant to make him part of her intellectual life.She clearly intended to continue writing. Poor Nicholls said about rumors of her being unhappy with him:I should have thought that her own words written from her deathbed had made such a statement incredible but I am told that it exists.

[@ksotikoula]

I find that this documentary is wrong in some parts of the Bronte story. So I will make some corrections: for example in the dialogue between the sisters (4:10) Charlotte was not really so much irritated by Southey's letter.

[@JoseEduardoNZ]

Hello, does anyone know how to edit these subtitles out? When I download these videos, they all come with subtitles. And thanks for uploading this documentary. It's brilliant. cheers

[@iamme611]

Juliet Barker's Life in Letters does a good job of supplying letters so I have read Mary's response to Shirely. I knew Mary had a crush on Bramwell but not much more? I want to read the novel Mary wrote so badly! The lose of M And C's letters is sad. I think maybe Mary had an influence on C intellectually and politically. It would be cool if I could see the letters to support my theory. ;)

[@iamme611]

I wonder why Mary Taylor hasn't been mentioned? She is one of my favorite figures in the Bronte's lives. She was such an awesome feminist and political radical! I love the actress who plays Charlotte btw. Victoria Hamilton. She has been in several Jane Austen movies but never made it big.She was even in a film version of Wide Sargasso Sea! LOL. I like the actor who plays the father too. He was great in BBC's MiddleMarch mini-series.

[@ksotikoula]

I don't think anyone could hold back CB from writing if she wanted to. To say something like this is like undermining her personality and determination. I can imagine her even slipping from her bed at nights "like wild restless animal" in order to create and invent if she had no time during the day. Arthur was "her dear boy" (which means she was the more powerful in that relationship) and as he loved her so much she would not have much difficulty over-persuading him had she needed to do thus.

[@iamme611]

I don't know what to think of Nichollas. He seemed to try to boss C around about her coorespence to Ellen. Gaskell says he groaned at the thought of her finishing Emma. But at the same time, he did a good job with her estate, releasing The Professor, Emma, her Glass town writings etc etc. But would she have been happy with a non intellectual considering she was attracted to men's minds? I want to read that book "Mr. Charlotte Bronte" for more information.

[@iamme611]

This is good to know. I know he told Charlotte that he thought the critics might accuse the book of being like Jane Eyre. Charlotte liked feedback so maybe this was a good thing? I would hate to think N told C that to keep her from writing it.

[@ksotikoula]

I too thought that Mary Taylor's omission was quite serious. They could at least mention her name and a brief sentence about her & Ellen, whose name is just mentioned. It was too bad that Mary didn't keep Charlotte's letters. She & Nicholls tried to avoid publicity & in order to protect Charlotte's reputation destroyed their material, while more prejudiced persons tried to present an image of Charlotte that suited them. Ellen even tried to distort some of CB's letters to accuse Nicholls.

[@ksotikoula]

CB was attracted to intellectual men but she could love affectionate simple people too,as her friendship to Ellen suggests.Her last letters show she really loved her husband&also her bequeathing her property to him despite their pre-wedding financial arrangement-where all should go to her father or her children-is another proof.They had a common love for nature&animals&he made her feel safe.She comments her health improved after her marriage&felt a "kind&ceaseless protection ever surround her".

[@ksotikoula]

Nicholls was a great man.CB herself had to admit she was "less than just with him in the past".Gaskell never met CB after her marriage&could not know if he groaned.She accused him because he had a different sense of privacy&did not let her publish intimate details about CB's life. In a way he was more aware of C's celebrity than she was or cared herself.He did not mind her telling Ellen whatever she thought proper but was afraid of her letters gone astray.And with the use Ellen did,he was right.

[@iamme611]

True. It is possible Nichollas was able to finally give her the physical/sexual connection with a man she seemed to yearn for. This connection can make people very happy. ;)

[@ksotikoula]

I'd be more interested in learning what Charlotte wrote to Mary, because I'm sure her letters would be more revealing&original. Mary had a strong mind&spoke candidly something that would make Charlotte share more intellectual opinions than with the prude&simpleminded Ellen.She says to Ellen she should not write to anyone letters like this apart from Mary who is "as mad as I am". How stupid of Branwell to reject such a woman! I really like her even though I don't always agree with her :)

[@ksotikoula]

I like Victoria Hamilton but I dislike their take on of Charlotte as more bossy & saucy than she was. And although Victoria has an interesting voice, the first thing I thought was that it would never have been near to Charlotte's real voice. Gaskell said Charlotte had a really sweet voice, a little hesitant when she talked to strangers. Jane Eyre also has a "piquant voice". CB was aware of the few feminine graces she had: beautiful eyes (whose color nobody could tell), shiny hair & sweet voice.

[@ksotikoula]

I forgot to ask did you know that Mary Taylor was in love with Branwell&he liked her too until he perceived her interest in him&then totally ignored her?It made CB tell Ellen that perhaps it would be wiser for women not to show their passions :b. Mary Taylor liked "Shirley" better than "Jane Eyre".But disliked that the heroines were not working women as if work was not a right but a necessity."You are a coward & a traitor & I am going to scold you as soon as I find you" she writes to Charlotte.

[@anastasiagirl1342]

3:16 Its so silly they are remembered while he is not!

[@lisellesloan3191]

He squandered his gifts by becoming an alcoholic and opium addict, and having affairs with his employers' wives, etc., and other unethical behavior. But, on the contrary, he is indeed rather well-remembered considering his artistic output was quite paltry. His painting of his sisters, for example, is quite famous! I am not saying I don't think he didn't have talent, or that I don't have compassion for him! I think he and Emily suffered from clinical depression ofttimes, totally understandable considering their mother died young and so many around them died before age 25.