Early Bront毛 story about an ungrateful rat is discovered
A short story written in French by a 25-year-old Charlotte Bront毛 was recently found in a Belgium museum and has been published, along with a translation and audio recording, by the (LRB). The first of 30 writing assignments composed for a French teacher, 鈥淟鈥橧ngratitude鈥� reads almost like a telescoped reimagining of Samuel Johnson鈥檚 "Rasselas"; it is a parable about a young rat who, out of ennui, deserts his wise and caring father to explore the unknown world, realizes his folly too late, and is punished for his ingratitude.
Brian Bracken, an archivist, stumbled upon the short story, written in March 1842, while doing research on Constantin Heger, who taught French to both Emily and Charlotte Bront毛 during their stay in Brussels. Recognizing the sisters鈥� gift with words, Heger developed courses specifically designed to nurture their talents and encouraged them to read extensively and to imitate the style of great French writers. Bracken speculates in the LRB that "L'Ingratitude" was largely inspired by the writings of La Fontaine and J.P. Florian: 鈥淟a Fontaine鈥檚 鈥楲e Rat qui s鈥檈st retir茅 du monde鈥� is somewhere behind 鈥楲鈥橧ngratitude鈥� 鈥� Charlotte even borrows some of its vocabulary. Florian鈥檚 fable 鈥楲a Carpe et les carpillons鈥�, about disobedient and thoughtless children, may also have come into it.鈥�
In the Introduction to the Oxford edition of Charlotte Bront毛鈥檚 "Villette," Tim Dolin writes of Constantin Heger: 鈥淗is brilliance as a teacher was legendary, and he had a profound influence on Bronte鈥檚 development as a writer. His system of intensive reading, translation, and rewriting of the classics, and the enforced discipline of completing his devoirs (writing assignments, many of which still exist), laid the foundations for her later fiction by encouraging her to experiment with new forms of language and test out her own ideas and creative approaches within the constraints of set exercises.鈥� In the LRB, Bracken notes Heger鈥檚 exacting standards as well as his dedication to helping the Bront毛s improve their craft: 鈥淗e often returned their essays drastically revised 鈥� sadly, there are no comments on this copy of 鈥楲鈥橧ngratitude.鈥欌��
News of their aunt鈥檚 death brought Emily and Charlotte back to England in November 1842. Two months later, Charlotte returned to the Brussels boarding school alone (Emily鈥檚 love for her native Haworth defeated any inclination to return to Brussels), but this time as a teacher rather than a pupil, and her infatuation with Heger, a married man with six children, deepened. By 1844, the intensity of Charlotte鈥檚 feelings for Heger had grown to such a pitch as to render her physically ill and she left Brussels for good.
Scholars generally agree that Heger was something of a prototype for M. Paul, the bilious literature professor of "Villette" and the love interest of heroine Lucy Snowe. And Heger's wife, directress of the Brussels pensionnat, is often regarded as the template for Madame Beck, who threatens to blight Lucy and M. Paul鈥檚 romance. Unlike Lucy鈥檚 love for M. Paul, however, Charlotte鈥檚 love for Heger goes unrequited and, it is believed, contributed to her depression and nervous breakdown. Yet Charlotte鈥檚 time in Brussels also inaugurated the greatest creative period of her life. One critic has called "Villette, published in 1853, the 鈥渓ongest love-letter in literature.鈥� (This apparently notwithstanding the fact that M. Paul is drowned, or so we are led to believe, at the end of the novel.)听"The Professor" and "Shirley," two other novels that explore pupil-teacher relationships, reflect the endurance of Charlotte鈥檚 romantic obsession with Heger.
In letters to her former instructor, Charlotte expressed her profound respect for, and devotion to, him and on several occasions, entreated him to write back (none of his replies have survived); in one letter of 1844, she wrote, 鈥淚 would write a book and I would dedicate it to my literature master 颅鈥� to the only master that I have ever had 鈥� to you Monsieur.鈥�
And, what is more germane to 鈥淟鈥橧ngratitude,鈥� a few sentences later, she relates her intention to turn down a teaching position in Manchester 鈥渂ecause acceptance would mean having to leave my father and that cannot be."
Rhonda Feng is a contributor to the Monitor's Books section.
Join the Monitor's book discussion on听听and听.
