Shelley's context

Created by

Liam

Cards (56)

Who was her mother?
Mary Wollstonecraft
Who was her father?
William Godwin
Mary Wollstonecraft was a well-known writer and radical thinker who found fame with her essay 'A Vindication of the Rights of Men' where she conveyed her sympathy towards the working poor. She is best remembered for 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women' which was a feminist text and she is known for being one of the early-feminists
What is an early feminist also known as?
A proto-feminist
What essay did Mary Wollstonecraft find fame with?
A Vindication of the Rights of Men
What text is Mary Wollstonecraft best remembered for?
A Vindication of the Rights of Men
Why did Mary Wollstonecraft have sympathy towards the working poor?
She experienced difficult financial circumstances herself and therefore she could empathise with the oppressed working class
What did Mary Wollstonecraft strive for?
'Virtuous equality' between men and women
What did Mary Wollstonecraft recognise about women at the time?
They were disadvantaged in a highly partriachal society
Why could Mary Wollstonecraft's views on women be seen as hypocritical?
She believed that educating women better would result in "more observant daughters, more affectionate sisters, more faithful wives and more reasonable mothers" and advocated a woman's place should be in the home with her family
Why was Mary Wollstonecraft's sexual history controversial?
She had a brief relationship with Gilbert Imlay who she was very dependent on. She had an illegitimate child with him.
How many times did Mary Wollstonecraft try to commit suicide?
Twice
What happened after Mary Wollstonecraft gave birth to Mary Shelley?
10 days later she died of a blood disease
Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin were very independent of each other
Mary Wollstonecraft got married to William Godwin
William Godwin wrote a memoir for Mary Wollstonecraft which included her sexual and intellectual history
What was Mary Wollstonecraft branded?
"A philosophical wanton"
What did William Godwin's memoir on Mary Wollstonecraft attract a lot of?
Criticism
Why might William Godwin's memoir on Mary Wollstonecraft have attracted a lot of criticism?
It included her sexual history, something taboo at the time
Mary Shelley often read William Godwin's memoir on her mother with him
Mary Shelley would have been aware of the public's reaction to a revolutionary feminist with an unconventional sex life
William Godwin's early life was very religious as his father was a minister and he became one too. He resigned however and confessed himself an atheist - becoming a radical political writer
What did William Godwin believe in?
Liberty and rejecting any form of human institution as corrupt
What did William Godwin believe it was possible to perfect and how?
Humanity through revolution
What did William Godwin not believe in?
Violent acts of revolution - he instead believed in a peaceful, gradual decay of government
What did William Godwin initially welcome?
The French Revolution
Why did it become more difficult for William Godwin to welcome the French Revolution?
Tom Paine (a radical spokesperson) was outlawed from Britain and his book banned
Who did William Godwin remarry after Mary Wollstonecraft died?
Jane Clairmont
William Godwin felt himself ill-equipped to educate Shelley properly
Why was Mary's relationship with her stepmother Mary Clairmont strained?
She was more concerned with educating her own daughter
What did Shelley do a lot as a result of her home life?
Spent a lot of time at her mother's grave reading her books and essays
Who did Shelley marry?
Percy Bysshe Shelley
Percy Shelley was a Romantic poet who idolised William Godwin
Why was Mary Shelley criticised a lot?
She was just Percy's mistress originally
Why was there difficulties in Percy and Mary's marriage?
They suffered financial difficulties
Why was Mary often snubbed in polite society?
Because of her sexual history as Percy's mistress
How many of Mary's children survived into adulthood?
One
How many of her children did Mary lose?
Three
It is argued that the description of the monster's creation may reflect Shelley's detestation for childbirth and the ugliness of the monster reflecting the ugliness of a new-born baby
How did Percy Shelley die?
He drowned