Agnes gray is the first novel written by inbronte who at the time wrote Under the male pen name Acton Bell it was first published in December of 1847 and republished in 1850. the story is closely based on bronte's own experiences working as a governess and how it affected her life significant themes include issues of Oppression abuse of women especially governesses isolation empathy and the fair treatment of animals Agnes gray is a coming-of-age story somewhat following the style of the Belgium's Roman the book has been favorably compared to Austin the novel begins with the gray family a modest but impoverished family Mr Gray is a minister and Mrs Gray a woman who left considerable family wealth for love Mr Gray tries to help his family get out of debt by investing in a merchant but the merchant dies in a shipwreck and the remainder of the gray money is lost Agnes her sister Mary and their mother tried to keep expenses low they try to bring in extra money but everyone treats Agnes like a child who cannot help and it frustrates her she decides to prove herself and aims to get a job as a governess with a well-placed recommendation from a family friend she gets a job and her parents eventually approve negative Omens litter her departure as she heads to Wellwood house and the Bloomfield family she will be working for the bloomfields are extremely rich and extremely mean Agnes had not expected anything like this and her naive optimism is shaken Mrs bloomsfield spoils her children Beyond Reason and Mr bloomsfield constantly criticizes Agnes for things Beyond her control the children are undisciplined and rude and Agnes gets into constant trouble for not being able to control them she has not given any means to punish them when they act out so they continue to do so Tom the oldest boy is quite evil and tortures small animals for fun in less than a year Agnes is fired and must return home Agnes begs her mother to help her find another job the family she finds the maze is even richer than the bloomsfields there are two boys John and Charles who go away to school soon after Agnes arrives but two girls Rosalie and Matilda remain Matilda is a rambunctious tomboy and Rosalie is a flirty manipulative child but they are not as bad as the bloomsfield children Agnes position is difficult but sustainable Agnes visits Nancy Brown and old a nearly blind woman occasionally to read the Bible to her on her trips there she meets Mr Edward Weston and the two begin a friendship he surprises Agnes on a walk he picks wild primroses for her and Agnes saves one of them in her Bible Weston shares that his mother has recently passed away Rosalie Murray recently introduced in society notices this new relationship with curiosity Rosalie becomes engaged to Sir Thomas Ashby he is a wealthy baronet from Ashby Park and Rosalie brags constantly to Agnes asks her to keep the secret as she still plans to flirt with other men before she gets married the two young women go for a walk and run into Weston Rosalie flirts with him as well and Agnes is irritated Mary has been married to Mr Richardson a person nearby Mary sends a note telling Agnes their father is dying and that she must return Agnes gets there too late her father has died she and her mother decide to open a small school and Agnes does not return to the maze or Mr Weston sometime after Agnes is surprised to receive a letter from Rosalie the previously competitive bitter girl has been married very unhappily and asks Agnes to come visit her Agnes is shocked at the change between the girl she knew and the young women before her Rosalie despises Ashby and her mother-in-law and explains that he is very jealous and angry Rosalie also tells her that Mr Weston has left the area and Agnes is deeply upset thinking she will never see him again Agnes eventually leaves Ashby Park and Rosalie and returns home to her mother and the school they are working on time passes and several months after her return Agnes is out for walk she strolls along the seashore and runs into Mr Weston Agnes is shocked and Mr Weston explains that he had been looking for her since she left Westin is introduced to Agnes mother and they get along well Agnes happily accepts when Mr Weston proposes to her at the end of the book Agnes has been married to Edward and is very happy the two have three children together and the Outlook is optimistic I hope you enjoyed this video leave a like if you did and be sure to subscribe thank you