Publisher's Synopsis
Agnes Grey
Young Agnes, the protagonist of the book, leaves her close-knit family to work as a governess. With an astonishing amount of patience, she does her best to teach the spoiled children of rich families. She's closely watched by their parents, who point out every mistake in their children's behavior but give Agnes no authority over them. In less than a year, Agnes is relieved of her position, since Mrs. Bloomfield thinks that her children are not learning quickly enough. Agnes returns home. She then begs her mother to help her find a new situation. Agnes advertises and is given a position in an even wealthier family - the Murrays... Agnes begins to visit Nancy Brown, an old woman with poor eyesight who needs help reading the Bible; there Agnes meets the new parson, Mr. Edward Weston... In the end, Agnes is very happy having married Edward Weston, and they have three children together. Agnes Grey is a strong minded woman, who very much has a sense of independence, "to go out into the world; to act for myself; to exercise my unused faculties; to try my own unknown powers; to earn my own maintenance." Agnes Grey has a "perfect" and simple prose style which moves forward gently but does not produce a sense of monotony. Critics like George Moore suggest it conveys a style with "all the qualities of Jane Austen and other qualities." Her style is both witty and apt for subtlety and irony.
