Charlotte Brontë, the eldest of the famously known Brontë sisters, was an English novelist and poet best known for her novel Jane Eyre (1847). She was a prominent figure in gothic literature creating a new sub-genre also known as gothic romanticism. Through the decades, more and more sub-genres in literature are being created. Today, romantic fantasy, also known as “romantasy”, is growing increasingly popular. And Charlotte Brontë still plays a heavy influence on gothic literature as new sub-genres are created by emerging authors. If Charlotte Brontë were a writer today, what kind of influence would she have? Would she have a fashion influence as many authors do? What would her hobbies be, and how would modern language influence her writing style?
WARDROBE:
When I think of a victorian gothic writer, naturally I would think that the author would be pulled towards darker colors and moody tones when it comes to their wardrobe. But Charlotte was known for loving bright colors and patterns in her wardrobe. For example, she owned a bright pink wrapping gown, had red and orange dresses, paisley materials, and a striped patterned evening gown. She also wasn’t afraid to experiment with styles that weren’t yet considered fashionable or that were considered unpopular. But she also incorporated chokers and black lace, which we would now associate with gothic style today.
It’s also important to note that Charlotte’s height was somewhere between 4’7″-4’11”. This made her self-conscious about her looks, especially since her sister Emily measured about a foot taller. So it’s likely she would have been more aware of how her clothes made her look. My guess is that she would love all of the platform shoe styles like the Dr. Marten Jadons.
“Do you think because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! I have as much soul as you — and full as much heart!”
— Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
WRITING STYLE:
Charlotte owned a portable wooden writing desk with compartments to hold dip pens/quills, inks, pencils, spare nibs, and paper. She used rulers for word count and would physically cut and paste revisions on paper with glue. She would use small slips of paper for her poetry and larger ones for manuscripts. She also used tiny hand-stitched notebooks to create miniature magazines.
Authors such as Walter Scott, Lord Byron, John Milton, and Elizabeth Gaskell influenced Brontë’s writing. Walter Scott set the highest standard for fiction and prose, Lord Byron highly influenced her poetry, she respected John Milton’s poetry, and she admired Elizabeth Gaskell who published her controversial novel Mary Barton around the same time Jane Eyre was published. As for Jane Austen, who was popular during this time, Charlotte thought Austen’s work lacked poetry, profoundness and soul. She felt Austen was more concerned with the external details rather than the inner workings of the heart. She did praise Austen for her writing ability and for her ability to portray the wealthier classes, but she felt she lacked passion. A male author once gave Charlotte the suggestion of looking at Jane Austen for writing inspiration, which would have angered her, especially after being told to give up writing altogether because she was a woman.
Based on Charlotte’s preference in writers, it’s safe to say that what she appreciates most in writing is passion and poetry. She wasn’t afraid to produce something controversial and wrote with the purpose of expression. Some of her more famous quotes often reflect themes of independence, passion, and resilience.
“Better to be without logic than without feeling.”
— Charlotte Brontë, The Professor
If she were a modern-day author, I feel like she would lean towards the literary fiction genre, creating character heavy novels, maybe even leaning into the creation of a fantasy/gothic literary fiction genre. She would probably be like a modern Shirley Jackson.
Authors she would enjoy today:
- R.F. Kuang
- Donna Tartt
- Amor Towles
HOBBIES:
Charlotte and her sisters spent their teen years creating elaborate fantasy worlds. They engaged in imaginative play, created their own magazines and staged plays. They even published their poems together in a single volume. Charlotte also loved to draw and aspired to be a painter. Over 100 of her drawings survive today. Reading was also a major source of inspiration and so was taking walks.
If she were alive today, she would would find interest in the modern-day zine and maybe even try creating video essays as a form of creative expression that would be similar to staging plays. The Brontë sisters were so limited in the way they could express themselves in their time. They would be overwhelmed with the different avenues of self-expression as artists today and the different forms that are available now. Charlotte would even have had the opportunity to display her artwork in a gallery and be an even more loved author today.
“Better to try all things and find all empty, than to try nothing and leave your life a blank.”
— Charlotte Brontë, Shirley
Disclaimer: “Author Aesthetic” is a series I created for fun and to entertain my imagination. While the facts about the authors are true, my assumptions of what they would be like today are fictional and my own opinion.
bonitappétit 