To Walk Invisible 2016
Directed by
Sally Wainwright
Made by
BBC Cymru Wales
To Walk Invisible Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for To Walk Invisible (2016). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
In 1845, the Brontë family — Branwell Brontë, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë, and their father Patrick Brontë — are reunited after Branwell is dismissed from his tutoring post, and Anne resigns from her governess position. Anne reluctantly tells her sisters that Branwell was dismissed for having had sexual relations with the mistress of the house. The revelation casts a shadow over the family’s fragile stability, as Branwell’s recklessness collides with their father’s vulnerability: their home is owned by the parish, the father is blind and ill, and once he dies the sisters would be financially dependent on Branwell, a man plagued by deceit, heavy drinking, and unstable finances.
Charlotte, who fears a future of dependence on Branwell, speaks with him about his plans. He reveals that he has published a few poems and now aims to write a novel, which spurs Charlotte to wonder if she and her sisters could publish their own work as well. She secretly uncovers Emily’s poems and is struck by their brilliance, while Emily reacts with quiet intensity to the breach of privacy. Anne shares some of her poems and a novel she is drafting, and though Charlotte initially finds Anne’s work less compelling, a larger idea takes shape: the three sisters should attempt a volume of poetry to establish themselves before venturing into novels. The sisters secretly pay to publish Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell under pseudonyms, shielding their identities to avoid gender bias, and they keep the venture hidden from their father and Branwell.
Branwell’s world grows darker as he learns of his mistress’s husband’s death and the conditions of her future. His alcoholism deepens, his violence increases, and the family worries about the mounting debts that could crumble their already precarious finances. Meanwhile, the sisters press on with their writing, sending their manuscripts out for publication. Charlotte assists their father during cataract surgery and, in his absence, begins work on a second novel, Jane Eyre, as Emily and Anne pursue their own literary paths.
After a long absence, Branwell returns, gravely ill; his sudden sobriety triggers disturbing hallucinations. A publisher finally responds to the sisters: Emily’s Wuthering Heights and Anne’s Agnes Grey are accepted, while Charlotte’s The Professor is rejected. Undeterred, Charlotte urges her sisters to move forward with publication under their own names and looks for a publisher for Jane Eyre. The family faces still more pressure as Branwell’s demands for money grow, yet Jane Eyre is accepted and all three books achieve remarkable success. In a final blow, Branwell harasses their father for money, pushing the family toward a difficult truth about their future.
Seeking independence, Charlotte and Anne travel to London to reveal themselves as the creators behind the pseudonyms, while Emily, wary of exposing her anonymity, stays behind. The publishers welcome them warmly, even taking them to the opera, signaling a turning point in their careers and confidence. Back home, Branwell’s condition worsens; he begins vomiting blood and ultimately dies. The sisters’ triumphs are tempered by sorrow: Emily dies three months after Branwell, and Anne dies five months after her sister. A postscript notes that the parsonage eventually becomes a museum dedicated to the Brontë sisters and their enduring contributions to literature.
To Walk Invisible Timeline
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Reunion at the Haworth parsonage
The Brontë family is reunited at the Haworth parsonage after Branwell is dismissed from his tutoring post and Anne resigns from her governess job. The household struggles to steady itself as the father's illness and Branwell's instability cast a heavy shadow over their fragile balance. The sisters brace for a future shaped by both Branwell's failures and their own ambitions.
Branwell's decline and financial strain
Branwell's world grows darker as he learns of the death connected to his mistress and the mounting debts he owes. His drinking worsens, his violence increases, and the family worries about how long they can keep the household afloat. The financial strain threatens the fragile shelter the sisters have built.
The sisters plan to publish poetry under pseudonyms
Charlotte, inspired by their talents, proposes that the sisters publish a volume of poetry to establish their names. They agree to publish under male pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell to shield themselves from gender bias. They keep the plan secret from their father and Branwell.
Poems published under pseudonyms
Poems by Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell are published, introducing the sisters to the literary world under disguise. The anonymous volume earns attention and respect, showing they can write with the same flair as male authors. The sisters celebrate a difficult but hopeful milestone at the parsonage.
Branwell's illness returns with a vengeance
Branwell returns to the parsonage gravely ill, and his brief sobriety sparks unsettling hallucinations. His condition deepens the family’s worry about money and safety. The fragile equilibrium of their lives slips further from reach.
Manuscripts go out to publishers
The sisters push forward with their manuscripts, sending them to publishers in the hopes of a breakthrough. Emily and Anne work on Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey, while Charlotte begins a second novel, The Professor. The family remains tense as Branwell's debts mount and the future stays uncertain.
Charlotte begins Jane Eyre while assisting father
During a lull, Charlotte helps her father during cataract surgery and, in his absence, begins work on Jane Eyre. Her focus shifts to a longer project that could redefine their careers. She tries to maintain family duties while chasing literary success.
Emily and Anne pursue their own paths
Emily and Anne continue to pursue their own literary paths, working quietly on their respective novels with determination. They strive to build independent reputations while navigating the pressures of Branwell and the financial strain at home. Their quiet perseverance fuels the upcoming breakthroughs.
Publishers respond to the Brontë works
A publisher finally responds: Emily's Wuthering Heights and Anne's Agnes Grey are accepted, while Charlotte's The Professor is rejected. The sisters decide to publish under their own names and continue seeking a publisher for Jane Eyre. The news marks a crucial turning point in their ambitions.
Jane Eyre advances toward publication
Jane Eyre is accepted, and the trio of Brontë novels is set to conquer the literary world. The sisters vow to publish under their true identities and push forward despite ongoing obstacles. The path to broader recognition begins to open.
Branwell's monetary pressures intensify
Branwell's money demands escalate, and his behavior strains the family's finances further. The Brontë siblings endure a tense period as the future they have built hangs in the balance. Hope persists amid mounting pressure from debts and illness.
London trip, deaths, and legacy take shape
Charlotte and Anne travel to London to reveal themselves as the creators behind the pseudonyms, while Emily remains in Haworth. Publishers welcome them warmly and even take them to the opera, signaling a turning point in their careers. Back at Haworth, Branwell dies; Emily follows three months later and Anne dies five months after her sister, leaving a museum-worthy legacy in the parsonage.
To Walk Invisible Characters
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Branwell Brontë — Adam Nagaitis
Branwell is the volatile, reckless brother whose drinking, deceit, and mounting debts destabilize the family. His presence provokes fear and concern in his sisters and father, complicating their fragile household. His illness and erratic behavior threaten the family’s finances and future, even as his charisma draws attention from those around him.
Charlotte Brontë (Finn Atkins)
Charlotte is the practical, ambitious eldest sister who fears dependence and pushes her siblings toward publication. She acts as a stabilizing force within the family, guiding the group through secrecy and strategy. Her drive to secure their future fuels the decision to publish under pseudonyms and later reveal themselves.
Emily Brontë (Chloe Pirrie)
Emily is quiet, intense, and deeply perceptive, with a fierce poetic sensibility. Her brilliance in poetry fuels the sisters' sense of possibility, even as she remains wary of exposing her identity. Her inner strength sustains the family’s artistic mission through hardship.
Anne Brontë (Charlie Murphy)
Anne is earnest, grounded, and increasingly confident in her own writing. She contributes to the sisters’ literary plan and pursues her own voice, balancing realism with moral conviction. Her persistence helps push the group toward publishing together and proving their capabilities.
Patrick Brontë (Jonathan Pryce)
Patrick is the patriarch of the Brontë family, a parson whose health is frail and whose finances hang in the balance. He provides moral guidance yet remains blind to the depths of his children’s ambitions for fear of losing their protection. His decline amplifies the urgency for the sisters to become self-sufficient.
To Walk Invisible Settings
Learn where and when To Walk Invisible (2016) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
1845
The story centers on 1845, a year in the early Victorian era when gender roles constrained women's public work. The sisters publish poems under male pseudonyms to sidestep gender bias, while Branwell's debts and their father's illness raise the stakes. The period culminates with the sisters' literary breakthroughs and their push toward independence.
Location
Brontë Parsonage, Haworth, England
The Brontë Parsonage is the parish-owned family home where the siblings live in 1845. It is a cramped, stabilizing space shaped by debt, illness, and intimate collaborations, where secrets about Branwell's relationships and the sisters' writing surface. By the end, the parsonage is shown transformed into a museum, preserving the Brontë legacy for future generations.
To Walk Invisible Themes
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🖋️
Authorship
Facing gender bias, the Brontë sisters publish Poems under the male pseudonyms Currer, Ellis, and Acton Bell to hide their identities. Writing becomes their path to independence, recognition, and a voice in a male-dominated literary world. The sisters navigate secrecy, risk exposure, and the tension between privacy and public achievement. The decision to publish under their own names later marks a turning point in their careers.
🏠
Family Independence
The Brontë home is a fragile cradle for loyalty tested by debt and illness, particularly Branwell's spiraling behavior. The sisters seek autonomy through writing to escape dependence on Branwell and the precarious parsonage. Wealth, health, and household strain push them toward professional self-reliance. Their artistic success becomes a route to security beyond the family roof.
🎨
Creativity
Poetic and prose talents move from private drafts to public works, with Emily's poems and Anne's Agnes Grey and Charlotte's novels shaping their legacies. Charlotte helps chart Jane Eyre while Emily and Anne pursue their own paths, each carving a distinct voice. The act of writing becomes both personal catharsis and a strategic step toward independence. Creative ambition drives them to challenge social constraints of the era.
🕊️
Mortality
The family endures repeated blows: Branwell's decline and death, followed closely by Emily and then Anne. Illness, addiction, and financial pressure intensify the sense of fragility surrounding these artists. The tragedy underlines the costs of genius and the resilience required to complete their literary projects. The postscript confirms the Brontës' enduring legacy after such losses.
To Walk Invisible Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the mid‑19th century, a remote parsonage perched on the windswept Yorkshire moors becomes both sanctuary and cage for a family whose world is defined by strict social expectations and the quiet rhythms of rural life. Within its stone walls, the daily grind of chores, religious duties, and the looming financial uncertainty of a modest clergy household set a tone of restrained endurance, while the untamed landscape outside hints at a restless spirit yearning for expression.
Charlotte is the eldest sister, a keen observer with a fierce inner determination that often clashes with the modest role prescribed to her. Emily, the middle child, possesses an intense, almost tempestuous imagination that makes the bleak surroundings feel limitless. Anne, the youngest, balances a gentle sensibility with a sharp intellect, often serving as the quiet glue that holds their ambitions together. Their brother, Branwell, wavers between charm and self‑destructive habits, adding an undercurrent of volatility, while their father, Patrick, a weary clergyman, stands as a figure of both moral authority and fragile health.
Against this backdrop, the trio discovers a shared passion for writing—a secret refuge where their distinct voices can intermingle. The sisters grapple with the era’s rigid gender norms, contemplating the bold step of publishing their work under male‑sounding pseudonyms to circumvent prejudice. Their conversations are laced with both excitement and trepidation, as they weigh the possibility of reaching a world far beyond the parsonage while fearing the repercussions of stepping outside accepted conventions.
The film’s tone is intimate and lyrical, weaving the hush of domestic routine with the stormy intensity of creative yearning. It paints a portrait of sisterhood forged in adversity, hinting at the delicate balance between duty and desire, and inviting the audience to wonder how these constrained lives might ignite a literary legacy that reverberates far beyond their secluded home.
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