5.1.1
Mary Shelley
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Early Life of Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin on August 30th, 1797.
Mary's mother
- Mary's parents were both well-known radicals of the time.
- Mary’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was a writer and pioneer feminist. She wrote the proto-feminist tract ‘A Vindication of the Rights of Woman’ (1792), which drew attention to women’s second-class status in the society of the time.
Mary's father
- Wollstonecraft died shortly after Mary was born, meaning the child was left in the care of her father, William Godwin.
- He was an ex-minister of religion turned atheist.
- He was also a philosopher, an anarchist (someone who wants there to be no authority), and a novelist.
- Although Godwin appeared to be emotionally distant, Mary adored him.
Radical ideas
- Godwin brought Mary up amidst his radical ideas.
- Mary benefitted greatly from his library and his cultural and political connections.
- She met important figures such as Lord Byron and Percy Shelley.
Percy Shelley
- At the age of sixteen, Mary met the young poet Percy Shelley and fell in love with him, despite the fact he was already married.
- Their relationship enraged their parents.
- The couple ran away together and spent time in France, Switzerland and Germany.
Tragedy
- Sad events happened in 1816:
- Mary’s half-sister killed herself.
- So did Percy’s wife Harriet, who was pregnant with his child. - Despite these circumstances, Mary and Percy were soon married.
Later Life of Mary Shelley
Mary’s maternal life and later life was filled with tragedy.
Maternal tragedy
- In 1815, Mary and Percy’s first child was born prematurely and died.
- In 1818, their one-year-old daughter Clara died of dysentery (infection of the intestines).
- In 1819, their three-year-old son William died of malaria.
Further deaths and Mary's isolation
- In 1822, Percy Shelley drowned off the shore of Tuscany.
- When Lord Byron died in 1824, Mary was left alone and isolated.
Devotion
- Mary devoted herself to bringing up her only surviving child, Percy Florence Shelley, to writing novels and journal articles, and editing the poetry of her husband.
Death
- Mary Shelley died in London in February 1851 at the age of fifty-three.
The Writing of ‘Frankenstein’
‘Frankenstein’ was finished in May 1817 and published less than a year later, in January 1818. The novel was a great success.
Lake Geneva
- In May 1816, Mary and Percy set out on another Continental trip, taking with them their son William and Mary’s step-sister Claire.
- They joined Lord Byron in the Villa Diodati on the shore of the Lake Geneva, where Byron had set up home.
Ghost stories
- During a period of heavy rain, the group was kept inside, and they entertained themselves by reading German ghost stories.
- Lord Byron came up with the idea that all of them should write their own ghost story, and they all attempted the task.
‘Frankenstein’
- Initially, Mary could not come up with an idea. But after days of thinking about it, inspiration eventually arrived in a dream, and this is what became the story of ‘Frankenstein’.
Mary and Percy
- Mary and Percy’s relationship was not only romantic, but also literary:
- Percy edited the manuscript for ‘Frankenstein’, making insertions of his own.
- It is believed that he also wrote the preface for the novel under Mary’s name.
1Plot Summaries
1.1Volume I
2Characters
2.1Victor Frankenstein
2.2The Monster
3Key Themes
3.1Ambition & Pursuit of Knowledge
3.2Prejudice
3.4Companionship & Family
3.5Revenge
3.6Monstrosity
4Authorial Method
4.1Genre & Intertextuality
4.2Form & Structure
4.3Settings & Symbolism
4.4Imagery & Doubling
5Context
6Recap: Main Quotes
6.1Characters Quotes
Jump to other topics
1Plot Summaries
1.1Volume I
2Characters
2.1Victor Frankenstein
2.2The Monster
3Key Themes
3.1Ambition & Pursuit of Knowledge
3.2Prejudice
3.4Companionship & Family
3.5Revenge
3.6Monstrosity
4Authorial Method
4.1Genre & Intertextuality
4.2Form & Structure
4.3Settings & Symbolism
4.4Imagery & Doubling
5Context
6Recap: Main Quotes
6.1Characters Quotes
Practice questions on Mary Shelley
Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.
- 1Who was Mary Shelley's mother?Multiple choice
- 2Where did Mary and Percy run away to?Fill in the list
- 3When was Mary Shelley born?Multiple choice
- 4Tragedies in Mary's LifePut in order
- 5Features of Mary Shelley's death:True / false
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