Charlotte Bronte concealed many obscure things within her characters that first time readers may not pick up on. Mr. Brocklehurst, one of the more important characters of the book, was based off of Reverend William Carus Wilson. This man was the founder of Cowan Bridge School, the school that Bronte and her sisters went to. The inspiration from a man considered to me very prestigious was a huge controversy back when the novel first came out. Rev. Wilson actually threatened to sue Charlotte Bronte because of how negative she portrayed him to be.
"Revealed: why Brocklehurst's inspiration threatened to sue Bront." The Independent | News | UK and Worldwide News | Newspaper. Web. 01 Dec. 2009.
What does Bronte achieve by including a character clearly based on a real person?
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