Mary Wollstonecraft is not a name that is necessarily quickly recognized today, but this 18th-century writer and philosopher has had a huge impact on our modern society, literature, and history. She wrote about women’s experiences at a time when most writers were male and unconcerned with female matters, authored a history of the French Revolution, and lived life on her own terms at a time when women were severely restricted in terms of their opportunities and freedoms. Check out these three amazing facts about this fabulous female author.
Feminist Author
The work that Wollstonecraft is best known for today is her text, A Vindication Of The Rights Of Women. This philosophical work argues that women are not naturally inferior to men (as was believed at the time), but that a lack of education made them appear less capable. This text continues to influence feminist discourse today and is regarded as a groundbreaking work of literature and philosophy.
Breaking Social Norms
Although Wollstonecraft did marry philosopher William Godwin in 1797, before this she had conducted relationships with men in a way that set her apart from her contemporaries in terms of societal expectations. She was a woman unafraid to live life on her own terms, and clearly had a strong set of beliefs that she lived by.
Mother to a Literary Genius
Sadly, Wollstonecraft died 11 days after the birth of her daughter, meaning that she never got to witness the incredible literary output that this child produced. The daughter, Mary Shelley, grew up to author Frankenstein, one of the most influential texts in the Western literary canon. It is undoubtedly that Mary was influenced by her incredible mother when it came to her own lifestyle and writing.