The birth of Charlotte Brontë (1816) and the death of Mark Twain (1910)
On 21 April, in literary history, the world witnessed both the arrival of a literary pioneer and the departure of an American icon. Charlotte Brontë, the English author best known for her classic Jane Eyre, was born on 21 April 1816 in Thornton, West Yorkshire, while Mark Twain, the celebrated American writer of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, passed away at the age of 74 on 21 April 1910.
Charlotte Brontë: A voice from the Moors
Born into a family of six children, Charlotte Brontë grew up in the isolated village of Haworth. Alongside her sisters Emily and Anne, who also became celebrated authors, she nurtured a love for storytelling that would blossom into literary greatness. In a time when female authors were not taken seriously, Charlotte adopted the pseudonym “Currer Bell” to publish her work anonymously, allowing her to avoid the era’s gender bias and gain a fair hearing in the male-dominated literary world.
In 1847, she published her most acclaimed novel, Jane Eyre, a revolutionary work for its time, blending gothic romance with a powerful feminist undercurrent. The novel was praised for its emotional depth and moral complexity, presenting a heroine with intellect, independence, and integrity. Despite its initial anonymity, the novel was a success, and Brontë was eventually recognised for her authorship. Today, Jane Eyre is considered a cornerstone of English literature, influencing generations of writers and readers alike.
Brontë went on to write Shirley, Villette, and the posthumously published The Professor, though her life was tragically cut short in 1855, when she died at the age of 38.
Mark Twain: The great American satirist
Across the Atlantic, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was forging a different but equally powerful literary legacy. Born in 1835 in Missouri, Twain began his career as a typesetter and riverboat pilot before turning to journalism and fiction. His writing is marked by its wit, social critique, and unflinching portrayal of American life, particularly in the South.
His most enduring works include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884)—the latter often referred to as the “Great American Novel.” Through the character of Huck Finn, Twain challenged racism, hypocrisy, and moral convention, using colloquial language and sharp satire to paint a vivid picture of pre-Civil War America.
Twain was a literary celebrity in his lifetime, known as much for his public lectures and humour as for his novels. Yet he also endured personal tragedy and financial hardship, which added layers of melancholy to his later works.
Twain died on 21 April 1910, one day after the return of Halley’s Comet, famously remarking in 1909: “I came in with Halley’s Comet… It is coming again… and I expect to go out with it.”
Legacy in world literature
Though their styles and contexts differed, Charlotte Brontë and Mark Twain both left indelible marks on world literature. Brontë’s work broke boundaries for women writers and challenged Victorian norms, while Twain revolutionised American fiction with his pioneering use of vernacular and razor-sharp satire. Both are studied, read, and celebrated globally, their stories still echoing with relevance and humanity.
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Alan Rickman, beloved English actor dies (2016)
