While the Brontës never described themselves as ‘feminist’, we can read elements of feminism in their novels—particularly, Jane Sunderland argues, in the works of Anne. The seeds of Anne’s feminism are present in Agnes Grey, but it is in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall that her ideas shine most clearly, especially through the actions and words of Helen Huntingdon. Crucially, Anne, through Helen, draws attention to the social conditioning of boys—a process damaging to both women and men.
In contrast to Charlotte, who famously asserted that ‘women feel just as men feel’, Anne confronted the wider social and legal structures of her time, highlighting issues that affected far more women than just her protagonist. While Anne is often remembered as ‘the religious one’, what is particularly interesting is how her strong moral beliefs underpin a distinctive and thoughtful feminism.