The Brontë sisters published their novels under the pseudonyms Currer Bell, Ellis Bell, and Acton Bell. Why do you think they chose to publish their works under male pseudonyms? Today, under what conditions would a writer choose to write or publish under a pseudonym?

The Brontë sisters chose to publish their works under male pseudonyms because they lived in a male-dominated world, where it was not recommendable, if not impossible, for women to express themselves in intellectually prominent roles, outside the kitchen. Today, writers typically choose to write or publish under pseudonyms for purely artistic purposes. For example, Elena Ferrante is a pseudonym that works well within this writer's opus, and contributes to this author's literary world.