Full Description
'Cheerfulness is a matter which depends fully as much on the state of things within, as on the state of things without and around us.'
From Jane Eyre to Lucy Snowe, Charlotte Brontë's heroines think deeply on how to live a fulfilling life, often expressing passionate beliefs, heartfelt advice and pragmatic philosophy. This inspirational selection of short quotations, revealing their - and their author's - innermost thoughts on early Victorian times, remains surprisingly relevant to us today. Drawn from Jane Eyre, Villette, Shirley and The Professor, the quotations cover a wide range of themes including happiness, love, feminism, work, truth, feelings and prejudice. This thought-provoking book, first published in 1912, is a delightful gift for anyone who loves to read Brontë's novels.
Contents
Preface by Grace Milne Rae 9
Introduction by Polly Teale 13
On Happiness 22
On Love 23
On Life 25
On Conventionality and Self-Righteousness 32
On Prejudice 33
On Truth 34
On Suspense 34
On Imagination 35
On Nature 36
On Pity 36
On Work 37
On Feelings 37
On Character 40
On a Desire to See Life 41
On Personal Appearance 42
On Men and Women 43
On Feminism 50
On England and the English 54
On London 56
On Poets and Poetry 57
On Teachers and Pupils 59
On Children 60
On Youth 61
On Sisters 63
On Old Age 64
On Religion 65
On Protestantism 66
On the Bible 67
On Christian Service 67
On God 68
Index and Sources 73
