Some critics believe that the character of Caroline Helstone was loosely based on Anne and it has been speculated that Bront* originally planned to let Caroline die but changed her mind because of her family tragedies. However, Ellen Nussey, Charlotte's lifelong friend, claimed that the character of Caroline was based on herself. Charlotte Bront* told Elizabeth Gaskell that Shirley is what she believed her sister, Emily Bront*, would have been if she had been born into a wealthy family.
Elizabeth Gaskell
Shirley