Youngest of the Brontë sisters - NYT Crossword Clue

Introduction

This clue, "Youngest of the Brontë sisters," is a classic piece of literary trivia that frequently appears in crossword puzzles. It's a straightforward knowledge-based question that rewards familiarity with 19th-century English literature. The answer is a short, common name, making it a friendly entry for solvers at all levels.

Clue Analysis

The clue is a direct definition. It asks for the first name of a specific person identified by two key pieces of information:

1. "Brontë sisters": This points to the famous literary family consisting of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne.
2. "Youngest of": This is the crucial qualifier. The solver must know the birth order of the three sisters to identify the correct one.

The answer will be a four-letter first name.

Thinking Approaches

There are a few ways a solver might arrive at the answer:

1. Direct Recall: If you're a literature buff, you likely know the Brontë sisters and their birth order. You would immediately recall that Charlotte was the eldest, followed by Emily, and then Anne.

2. Process of Elimination: Many people are familiar with Charlotte Brontë (Jane Eyre) and Emily Brontë (Wuthering Heights). Even if you don't know Anne's work as well, you might know she is the third sister. The commonness of the name ANNE makes it a strong candidate, especially if you have a few crossing letters.

3. Relying on Crossings: Because the answer is a very common name with two vowels, it's highly susceptible to being solved via crossing entries. If you have just the 'A' and one 'N' (A_N_), the answer becomes almost certain. This is a great example of how even if you don't know the trivia, the puzzle's structure can guide you to the right answer.

Background Context

The Brontë family was a nineteenth-century literary family from Yorkshire, England. The three sisters are celebrated for their novels, which have become classics of English literature.

• Charlotte Brontë (1816-1855) was the eldest surviving sister, famous for Jane Eyre.
• Emily Brontë (1818-1848) was the middle sister, known for her only novel, Wuthering Heights.
• Anne Brontë (1820-1849) was the youngest. Her novels, Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, are considered some of the first sustained feminist novels.

Their work, often published under male pseudonyms (Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell), challenged the strict social conventions of the Victorian era. You can learn more about them on their Wikipedia page.

Conclusion

This clue is a perfect example of an "easy" trivia question in a crossword. It taps into a well-known area of cultural knowledge and provides a simple, common answer that helps solvers build a foothold in that section of the grid. It's a fair and satisfying clue to solve, whether through direct knowledge or clever use of crossing letters.

Hints

1. Hint 1: This clue refers to a famous family of 19th-century English novelists.
2. Hint 2: The family is known for novels like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.
3. Hint 3: The youngest sister wrote Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.
4. Hint 4: Her first name is a common four-letter name, also shared by a famous diarist who hid during WWII.