Nearly two centuries ago, the Brontë sisters took the British reading public by storm—and they continue to surprise and inspire readers across the globe. Why has one family from an obscure corner of Yorkshire exercised such lasting influence? In this course, we will tackle this question by sampling one novel from each sister: Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, and Anne Brontë’s Agnes Grey. Along the way we will investigate the cultural conditions of the Brontës’s emergence, as well as the enduring magic of their language.

Grading parameters: Attendance, participation, reading journal, and two 4-5 page papers.