History Literature / Shirley

* SpotofTea: When visiting neighbours, during church events...

* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: Creator/CharlotteBrontë lapses into numerous French conversations, not to say ''descriptions'', because it doesn't sound so right in English.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: After the deaths of her sisters, Creator/CharlotteBrontë's writing became more emotional, less realistic, and distraught. This can be seen in the chapter "The Valley of the Shadow of Death" and afterwards.

In the meantime, Robert Moore's trade is affected by UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars. He can't afford to marry as he pleases and he is near bankruptcy. Some former workers demand the removal of machines but he can't afford it. He is counselled by Mr Yorke, a fellow manufacturer, to marry a rich woman. Fortunately, he is helped by loans from his landlord, Shirley Keeldar. From that point, the novel proceeds to follow how the situation plays out before the victory of Duke Wellington, with further characters, such as Shirley's former tutor, Louis Moore, entering the scene.

* AristocratsAreEvil: Averted with Shirley, who loans her tenant money to keep running his mill. Strictly speaking Shirley isn't an aristocrat; she's a member of the gentry.

** Inverted in the ideas of Mrs. Pryor: her husband was handsome, and initially charming, and abused her, so for a long time afterwards she felt that beautiful people must be evil, and only plain, simple people could be trusted.
* BetterAsFriends: It's explicitly stated that no one considered Mr Hall and Caroline to be a couple, even though he prefers her to other woman of his acquaintance. Mr Hall isn't interested in her, being much older and having known her as a child, and Caroline is in love with Robert Moore.

* EverythingSoundsSexierInFrench: Creator/CharlotteBronte lapses into numerous French conversations, not to say ''descriptions'', because it doesn't sound so right in English.
** Averted, when Caroline finds French authors boring and says there isn't two lines of poetry in Corneille and Racine, respected French dramatists. She prefers the works of William Cowper, the Romantic poet.

* GenderBlenderName / TomboyishName: "Shirley" was ''exclusively'' a '''masculine''' name at the time of the novel's publication. Accordingly, the fact of and reason for Shirley Keeldar's name is [[LampshadeHanging directly explained in-text]] (chapter eleven, to be precise): [[spoiler:her parents had wanted a boy but gave up.]] [[note]]It was actually the popularity of the novel ''Shirley'' which led to the name "Shirley" being considered primarily feminine.[[/note]]

** To a lesser extent, Mr Helstone despises women's intelligence though he enjoys talking to lively women. He's against marriage, though.
* HenpeckedHusband: Mrs Yorke keeps her husband aloof from his other friends, and shuns most of society except for Hortense Moore.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: Louis Moore and Mr Hall. Mr Hall says Louis is the best man he's met since Cambridge.
** Louis and Henry Sympson who adores him.

** Mrs Pryor and Shirley. The women Shirley likes are only Caroline and Mrs Pryor.

** Mr Yorke, a married man of 55 and Robert Moore, a young 30-year-old bachelor. Mr Yorke likes Robert's foreignness having travelled on the Continent in his youth.

* LongLostRelative: [[spoiler: Mrs Pryor is Caroline's long-lost mother whom she left as a young child]].
* LoveTriangle: Caroline is in love with Robert, who can't afford to marry her and plans to marry Shirley, who unknown to them, is in love with Louis.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Arguably Shirley and Louis. Shirley is aloof to him, tries to speak reasonably and seems to be all right living without him. Louis on the other hand waxes lyrical in his diary about her and his imaginations regarding orphan girls (yes, she symbolises Shirley).

** Mrs Yorke dislikes lively pretty young women and opposes marriage.
** Mr Helstone disapproves of marriage.
* NatureLover: Caroline and Shirley, who walk in the woods. Louis Moore, who sits in the rain to sketch scenery.

* OopNorth: Takes place in Yorkshire. Mr Yorke speaks in Yorkshire dialect.

* ProperlyParanoid: Mr Sympson. He thinks the reason Shirley won't marry any of her rich suitors is she wants to marry an unsuitable poor man. Even though the unsuitable man he suspects isn't the right man. She actually wants to marry Louis, who is a poor tutor.
** Mrs Pryor to some extent. She is against marriage due to her abusive husband and doesn't approve of Robert Moore. She has a point, because at one point Robert Moore was planning on discarding his hopes to marry Caroline to marry Shirley for money.

** Mr Yorke, who is proud of being one of the oldest families in the district. Dislikes the aristocrats and proud of his Yorkshire roots. He owns a successful mill.
* RedOniBlueOni: Caroline and Shirley. Caroline is shy, quiet and introverted and middle-class; she doesn't stand out and isn't popular. Shirley is confident, more vocal and wealthy; her beauty stands out and she is well-liked by the neighbourhood.
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: After the deaths of her sisters, Creator/CharlotteBronte's writing became more emotional, less realistic and distraught. This can be seen in the chapter "The Valley of the Shadow of Death" and afterwards.
* RichSuitorPoorSuitor: Or rather rich suitor''s'' and poor suitor. Sir Philip Nunnely, Sam Wynne and other rich gentlemen wish to marry Shirley, as do the poor tutor Louis Moore.
* RomanticismVersusEnlightenment: Caroline and Shirley have one conversation on this. Caroline prefers poetry written with feelings and sincerity and not to show learning and attainment. The Enlightenment poetry tended to show learning, rhetoric and wit. The Romantics preferred strong emotion.

** Robert and Louis plan to marry the same woman, unknown to each other. However Robert is not in love with Shirley whereas Louis is.
* SinisterMinister: Moses Barraclough. He's a lay-preacher, but he acts like a clergyman, and threatens Mr Helstone.

** Averted with Mr Helstone and Mr Yorke. Mr Helstone, years after his wife's death, contemplates marrying Hannah Sykes. Mr Yorke, though upset he lost Mary Cave to Mr Helstone, eventually marries another woman.
* SpiritedYoungLady: Shirley. She expresses her opinions on Mr Yorke's bigotry to him, and openly praises Robert Moore to the skies. Speaks to men on equal terms.

* TheVicar: Mr Helstone, Mr Hall and Dr Boultby. Mr Hall especially is the epitome of this trope. He's good-natured and liked by everybody, and helps to organise charities.
** Mr Helstone is one of those honourable but inflexible Rectors. He dislikes Jacobins and Radicals and is a High Tory.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Definitely appears in this book. Many Yorkshire people recognised the characters' originals. Mr Hall was based on the Rev. W.M. Heald. The Yorke family is based on the Taylors, her friends. Mr Helstone is based on Rev. Roberson.

* InterClassRomance: The wealthy heiress Shirley and the poor tutor Louis

The story involves the lives of various people in Briarfield parish. Caroline Helstone is the 18-year-old niece of the Rev. Mr Helstone. She is unhappy because she is in love with her [[KissingCousins cousin]] Robert Moore, a manufacturer and he doesn't declare any feelings for her. She is also lonely because she feels ill at ease with most people in the neighbourhood. Her father is dead and her mother left her years ago. She tries to become happier by doing good works but it doesn't work. Her visits to her cousins Hortense and Robert are eventually forbidden by her Tory uncle, who disagrees with Robert Moore's Whig politics.

In the meantime, Robert Moore's trade is affected by UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars. He can't afford to marry as he pleases and he is near bankruptcy. Some former workers demand the removal of machines but he can't afford it. He is counselled by Mr Yorke a fellow manufacturer to marry a rich woman. Fortunately, he is helped by loans from his landlord, Shirley Keeldar. From that point, the novel proceeds to follow how the situation plays out before the victory of Duke Wellington, with further characters, such as Shirley's former tutor, Louis Moore, entering the scene.

* GenderBlenderName / TomboyishName: "Shirley" was '''exclusively''' a ''masculine'' name at the time of the novel's publication. Accordingly, the fact of and reason for Shirley Keeldar's name is [[LampshadeHanging directly explained in-text]] (chapter eleven, to be precise): [[spoiler:her parents had wanted a boy but gave up]]. [[note]]It was actually the popularity of the novel ''Shirley'' which lead to the name "Shirley" being considered primarily feminine.[[/note]]

In the meantime, Robert Moore's trade is affected by UsefulNotes/TheNapoleonicWars. He can't afford to marry as he pleases and he is near bankruptcy. Some former workers demand the removal of machines but he can't afford it. He is counselled by Mr Yorke a fellow manufacturer to marry a rich woman. Fortunately, he is helped by loans from his landlord, Shirley Keeldar.

While Caroline is languishing away with grief, her uncle introduces her to Shirley Keeldar, an heiress who has recently returned to her family home in Briarfield. Both girls become friends as they have many things in common such as a love for poetry. However, rumours say that Shirley is in love with her tenant, Robert Moore, which upsets Caroline. Both girls decide to become involved in the parish charity projects under the management of Miss Ainley, an old maid. Caroline also becomes friends with Shirley's ex-governess and companion, Mrs Pryor, an intelligent woman.

One day when Mr Helstone is away, the Luddites attack the factories in the district and plan to attack the Rectory. They are deterred by the sound of the dog barking. Several workers die by the hand of the military who have been employed by Robert Moore to guard his mill. As the Tory Mr Helstone approves of Moore's cool actions, he is now reconciled to him. Mr Yorke, a Radical supporter, on the other hand if angry with Moore for going against the workers.

Shirley's relatives, the Sympsons, come to visit her for some time, causing her to put off her plan to have a holiday with Caroline. When Caroline is visiting Hortense, she meets her cousin Louis Moore for the first time, to discover that he is the tutor of Henry Sympson, Shirley's young cousin.

Caroline falls ill and nearly dies. She recovers when Mrs Pryor tells her that she is her long-lost mother. Mrs Pryor left her because she wanted to run away from her abusive husband, who held custody of their child. After her husband's death, she did not claim Caroline because she was too pretty and she thought prettiness meant evil.

The focus of the plot turns to Shirley. She meets Sir Philip Nunnely who wishes to marry her. We learn of Louis Moore's attraction to her. Robert Moore is still struggling with his debts so he proposes marriage to Shirley. She rejects him and refuses Sir Philip's proposal.

Louis confesses his feelings to Shirley, after an interval of teacher-student flirting, he proposes to her. The Sympsons are outraged and leave Shirley's house.

Another attack on Robert has left him badly wounded. He is nursed at the Yorkes' house, and Mrs Yorke refuses to let Caroline or Mrs Pryor, his relatives, visit him. This worries Caroline. She conspires with the help of Martin Yorke to let her in to see Robert. He eventually recovers.

With the victory of the Duke of Wellington and the Repeal, Robert Moore's business is saved. He finally asks Caroline to marry him and they are engaged. She and Robert, and Louis and Shirley get married.

* FoodPorn: Arguably present in Hollow's Cottage, where Belgian food is served and described; in the Yorkshire tea served by Caroline, in the food stolen by Martin from the kitchen while he plays sick. Also the scene where Malone eats Robert's mutton-chop.
* GenderBlenderName: "Shirley" was '''exclusively''' a ''masculine'' name at the time of the novel's publication. Accordingly, the fact of and reason for Shirley Keeldar's name is [[LampshadeHanging directly explained in-text]] (chapter eleven, to be precise): her parents had wanted a boy but gave up. [[note]]It was actually the popularity of the novel ''Shirley'' which lead to the name "Shirley" being considered primarily feminine.[[/note]]

* GenderBlenderName: "Shirley" was exclusively a male name at the time of the novel's publication, and the fact that Shirley Keeldar was given a masculine name is [[LampshadeHanging directly explained in-text]] (chapter eleven, to be precise). [[note]]It was actually the popularity of the novel ''Shirley'' which lead to the name "Shirley" being considered primarily feminine.[[/note]]

* TomboyishName: Shirley used to be a boy's name in 1812. Shirley was given that name because her parents wanted a son.

* GenderBlenderName: "Shirley" was exclusively a male name at the time of the novel's publication, and the fact that Shirley Keeldar was given a masculine name is [[LampshadeHanging directly explained in-text]] (chapter eleven, to be precise). [[note]]It was actually the popularity of the novel ''Shirley'' which lead to the name "Shirley" being considered distinctly feminine.[[/note]]

* GenderBlenderName: "Shirley" was exclusively a male name at the time of the novel's publication, and the fact that Shirley was given a masculine name is [[LampshadeHanging directly explained in-text]] (chapter eleven, to be precise). It was actually the popularity of the novel ''Shirley'' which lead to the name "Shirley" being considered distinctly feminine.

* LongLostRelative: [[spoiler: Mrs Pryor is Caroline's long-lost mother whom she left as a young child.]]
* LoveTriangle: Caroline is in love with Robert, who can't afford to marry her and plans to marry Shirley, who unknown to them, is in love with Louis.

* SpotofTea: When visiting neighbours, during church events ...

* GenderBlenderName: "Shirley" was exclusively a male name at the time of the novel's publication, and the fact that Shirley was given a masculine name is directly explained in-text (chapter eleven, to be precise). It was actually the popularity of the novel ''Shirley'' which lead to the name "Shirley" being considered distinctly feminine.

* GenderBlenderName: "Shirley" was exclusively a male name at the time of the novel's publication; in fact, it was the popularity of the work which lead to "Shirley" becoming a feminine name.