The novel follows Anges and her uneasy path to personal happiness and a
romance with Mr. Weston. Agnes, her sister, Mary, and their mother all
try to keep expenses low and to bring in extra money, but Agnes is
frustrated that everyone treats her like a child. To prove herself and
to earn money, she starts working as a governess, teaching children of
rich families. Agnes Grey is an autobiographical novel with strong
parallels between its events and Anne Bronte's own life as a governess.
Anne Bronte was a British novelist and poet, the youngest member of the
Bronte sisters literary family. At the age of 19 she left home and
worked as a governess. Agnes Grey follows similar path in Anne's
eponymous novel. Anne Bronte's other notable works include The Tenant of
Wildfell Hall, considered one of the best Bronte novels. After Anne's
death, her sister Charlotte prevented re-publication of this hugely
successful work and Anne remained not only the youngest, but also least
known of the three sisters.