Agnes Grey

Anne Bronte was a 19th century British novelist and poet. She and her sisters Charlotte and Emily were the best-known women writers of the 19th century. At age 19 she left home and worked as a governess for a few years before becoming a writer. Agnes Grey was an 1847 novel based on her experience as a governess. Bronte depicts the precarious position of a governess and how that can effect a young woman. Agnes was the daughter of a minister whose family was in financial difficulty. Agnes has only a few choices for employment. Agnes learns the difficulty of reining in spoiled children and how wealth can corrupt morals. She later opens up a school and finds happiness.