Bronte Heroes

[poliphilo]

If we had Helen's view of him (we don't because she tore those pages out of her diary) we might be talking about Gilbert Markham as another Rochester. As it is, we only have Markham on Markham- and self-love lets through what love might have censored. Gilbert is a Bronte hero before the application of gilt and lacquer: rustic, vain, self-righteous, surly, violent, absurd.

Fortunately for him she never finds out about his unprovoked attack on her brother.