Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin was the daughter of the writer Mary Wollstonecraft and the political philosopher William Godwin. Her childhood was defined by a unique blend of intellectual richness and emotional hardship. Her mother, the famous feminist philosopher died of a fever only a few days after Mary’s birth. Mary grew up idealizing her mother, frequently visiting her grave, which became a favourite spot for reading and reflection.
William Godwin was a renowned radical philosopher and
novelist. Although Mary Godwin received little formal schooling, she had access
to her father’s extensive library and was educated at home with a governess and
daily tutor. Encouraged by her father,
she wrote a short verse poem Mounseer Nongtongpaw at the age of ten. It was
published by her father as part of his ‘Juvenile Library’ and represented the
beginning of her literary career.
The family home was a hub for prominent intellectuals
and writers, including Samual Coleridge and William Wordsworth. Mary often
listened to their conversations on philosophy, science and politics which
clearly impacted her mind.
When her father re-married, Mary Jane Clairmont
brought two children of her own into the household. Mary quickly developed a
strong dislike for her stepmother. Due to the tensions at home and possibly for
health reasons, her father sent her to stay with the Baxter family in Dundee (Scotland)
for extended periods between 1812 and 1814.
Mary Godwin eloped with Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1814, and the couple married in December 1816, after his first wife died. Her father, who had been estranged from the couple after they eloped, finally reconciled with them after their marriage.
Frankenstein originated in the summer of 1816 at Lord Byron’s residence
in Switzerland - Villa Diodati overlooking Lake Geneva. On one occasion, along
with Percy Shelley, George Byron and his physician Dr.John Polidori, an evening
was spent reading a French translation of German ghost stories from the
anthology Fantasmagoriana. They talked about the tragic myth of
Prometheus and discussed contemporary scientific interests, including alchemy
and galvanism (the possibility of reanimating corpses with electricity).
Byron then suggested
a contest to pass the time and engage in a bit of friendly competition. The
objective was to see who could come up with the most compelling ghost story. Mary
Godwin was the outright winner. She and Percy Shelley, along
with Claire Clairmont, returned to England soon after.
In March 1818 facing financial troubles and social ostracism
- and hoping to improve Percy’s health, the Shelleys moved to Italy. For Percy
Shelley, this was a form of self-exile from which he would never return. Here
they gave birth to a son, Percy Florence Shelley, the only one of their five
children to survive into adulthood.
Her most famous novel, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, was published anonymously in 1818.
In July 1822, Percy Bysshe Shelley drowned in a storm
when his boat (Ariel) capsized in the Bay of Spezia while sailing back
from a meeting with Byron and Leigh Hunt in Livorno.
Byron clearly respected Mary’s intellect, and she
genuinely appreciated his support following the death of her husband,
particularly when support from her father-in-law was slow in coming.
A year after her husband’s death, Mary Shelley
returned to England. She dedicated the rest of her life to raising their son
and building a career as a professional writer - whilst also editing and promoting
her husband’s collected works. Sadly, there was no money to spare. Mary Shelley
and her son, Percy Florence, lived on the inconsistent support of her father-in-law
and the money she made from writing
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| Mary Shelley by Richard Rothwell 1840 (Alamy) |
Mary Shelley’s own literary legacy is vast but primarily defined by two major contributions - the creation of modern ‘ghost’ fiction (the forerunner of science fiction and horror fiction) and her dedication to preserving the literary legacy of her husband. The Poetical Works (1839) included an extensive biographical note that helped secure Percy Bysshe Shelley’s place in literary history.
Mary Shelley was proficient in several languages and fluent in Italian and French. She used her language skills throughout her life particularly during her time living in Italy and when working as an editor and writer later in her career. As a woman writer in the early 19th century, she proclaimed political radicalism and defied societal expectations. Her works examined issues of identity and gender, making her a precursor of later feminist writers.
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley can be seen to have stood for –
- love, empathy and human connection as essential components of a healthy society; isolation and rejection are the root causes of evil
- social equality: highlighting class injustice and prejudice within society
- social and moral responsibility to care for the less fortunate
- ethical limits of ambition: warning of the consequences and dangers of unchecked scientific and personal ambition
- responsibility for one’s own actions
- gender equality - based upon her observations of the marginalization of women in a patriarchalsociety which suppressed female voices and domestic values
Whilst her parents and husband all believed in free love, she clearly believed in the theory - but not in practice. Once married, she loved only Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary Shelley died in 1851, at the age of fifty-three. She had been suffering from a prolonged illness in her final years and the cause of death was recorded as a brain tumour. She died in London and was buried alongside her parents in Bournemouth, England.
