Charlotte Brontë

English, 1816–1855

Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855) was an English novelist and the eldest of the three literary Brontë sisters. Her masterpiece Jane Eyre broke new ground with its first-person narration by a strong, independent female protagonist who refuses to compromise her integrity. Brontë published under the male pseudonym Currer Bell and helped pave the way for women writers to address themes of passion, morality, and social class.