Student Companion to Charlotte and Emily Bronte (Student Companions to Classic Writers) [Hardcover]

Barbara Z. Thaden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 30, 2001 | ISBN-10: 031331053X | ISBN-13: 978-0313310539

Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre have remained continuously popular ever since their 1847 publication. Though their lives were tragically short, Charlotte and Emily Bronte made significant contributions to the history of the novel as a respected literary form. This Student Companion offers an absorbing biographical account of the Bronte sisters' upbringing, tracing the familial and personal influences that shaped their intellectual lives. A literary heritage chapter also helps students grasp the importance of the sisters' literary accomplishments. A thorough, clear critical analysis is provided for each novel, including sections on plot, character development, thematic issues, literary devices and craft, and the historical/social-cultural context of each work. In addition to Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, original analysis is also given for Shirley (1849), Villette (1853),and The Professor (1857), Charlotte's first written but posthumously published novel. Five different contemporary literary theories--Marxist, Freudian, Jungian, Postcolonial, and Feminist--are included in the analysis and are discussed and applied to the novels. Difficult concepts are clearly explained, in non-academic prose. In-depth historical information not usually found in books about the Brontes is included, such as Belgian history, which is important in understanding Villette and The Professor. Clear writing and additional background information make this book a good choice for non-specialists, including students and general readers. An up-to-date bibliography includes the most recently published books and articles in Bronte studies.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-Aids to understanding and analyzing literary works. These volumes begin with biographical details about the writers, their backgrounds, the times in which they lived, influences on their lives and writings, and their literary contributions. Major works and plot developments, settings, characters, themes, style, setting, and criticism are also discussed. Twain also considers his personal travel narratives and some of his short stories. Bront' includes discussions of the family, the novel in the 19th century, the Victorian age, the Romantic movement, recurring themes of nature and women and society, literary devices, and alternative criticism. The extensive bibliographies include reviews, books, and magazine articles. Students will find a wealth of information in these useful volumes.
Pat Bender, The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr, PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“It has been a miscellaneous year for the Brontes. Barbra Z. Thaden's Student Companion to Charlotte and Emily Bronte summarizes the plots and received critical views of the novels, while Debra Teachman's Understanding "Jane Eyre": A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents anthologizes excerpts from ninteenth-century documents about female education, governesses, madness, and marrige law. This seemed more useful for a history course that used Jane Eyre than for a literature one, since none of the "issues, sources, and historical documents" has anything to do with literature.”–Studies in English Literature. 1500-1900

“Students will find a wealth of information in this useful volume.”–School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (June 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031331053X
• ISBN-13: 978-0313310539
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,076,497 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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