Dignity in Humility
Agnes Grey is an autobiographical novel by Anne Brontë. Unlike the passionate Jane Eyre and the wild Wuthering Heights written by her sisters, it uses plain language to show the hard life of governesses in 19th-century England.
The story follows Agnes Grey, a clergyman’s daughter who works as a governess to earn a living. She suffers from spoiled children and arrogant employers in two families, and her brief affection for the nobleman Edward ends in disappointment. Anne Brontë does not overstate Agnes’ hardships, but the trivial frustrations vividly reflect the helplessness of governesses at the bottom of society.
The novel’s charm lies in Agnes’ strong character. Despite all difficulties, she sticks to her moral principles, refuses to yield to the upper class, and finally gains a simple but stable life with a like-minded partner. It is a quiet yet powerful tribute to an ordinary woman’s dignity and perseverance.
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