Agnes Grey

As a novel that follows the plight of a young woman forced into the position of a governess to make ends meet, Anne Bronte's Agnes Grey has of course often been compared with her sister's more famous novel Jane Eyre. And as a love story, it has also been compared with the novels of Jane Austen. It even reminds a little of the cautionary morality tales that had been popular up to that time, such as Defoe's Moll Flanders. Agnes Grey follows a governess with the same name as she serves in two middle class families. The children are spoiled. Her position is precarious. Through Agnes, Anne Brontë explores the position of nineteenth century middle class women. Agnes Grey is quite different from the books of Anne's famous writing sisters, Emily and Charlotte. While the latter have many romanticized elements, the former is firmly grounded in realism. The families Agnes works for are not romanticized. In fact, there is a subtle critique of Victorian society. The children are monsters and the parents uninvolved. Agnes feels the frustration of her position and the cruelty of her employers. Still she resolves to make her own way, with her own skills and hard work. Agnes does not reach a fuller development like many contemporary heroines. She is held back from developing to her full potential because of the society around her and the precarious economic position she is in.