The novel follows Anges and her uneasy path to personal happiness and a romance with Mr. Weston. Agnes, her sister, Mary, and their mother all try to keep expenses low and to bring in extra money, but Agnes is frustrated that everyone treats her like a child. To prove herself and to earn money, she starts working as a governess, teaching children of rich families. Agnes Grey is an autobiographical novel with strong parallels between its events and Anne Bronte's own life as a governess.
