The peculiarities of a female protagonist in A. Brontë’s epistolary novel

Abstract

This paper offers a study of the less known today and less analysed epistolary novel by Anne Brontë’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. It focuses on the instances of female protagonist's unconventional behaviour according to the existing societal norms of the Victorian era. The research aims at pointing out the reasons modifying heroine’s behaviour and analysis of the reactions that the protagonist’s acts of nonconformity elicits in other characters of the novel. The undertaken study is believed to raise awareness of less studied Brontë sisters works in university literature and gender studies courses, as it touches upon the emerging issues of the female strength in the Victorian society.