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Mary Shelley: The Exceptional Woman

"AsachildIscribbled;andmyfavouritepastime,duringthe
hoursgivenmeforrecreation,wasto'writestories.'StillI
hadadearerpleasurethanthis,whichwastheformationof
castlesintheairtheindulginginwakingdreamsthe
followinguptrainsofthought,whichhadfortheirsubject
theformationofasuccessionofimaginaryincidents.My
dreamswereatoncemorefantasticandagreeablethanmy
writings."MaryShelleyinanIntroductiontoFrankenstein,
ThirdEdition(1831)
MaryShelleywasanexceptionalwomanofthe19thcentury
whowentagainsttheconstraintsofproperwomanhoodand
livedaspontaneouslifefullofloveandintellectamong
heartbreakandpitfalls.Throughhereducation,intellectual
influences,familyandfriends,andfeelingsaboutRousseau,
MaryShelleydevelopedintotheunusualandthoughtprovokingwomanshewaswhenshewrote
Frankensteinin1817.AsMaryShelleygrewolder,however,sheabandonedhercarefreeattitude
towardslifeandattemptedtoconformtotheproperstandardsforaladyinthe1800s.Fromher
youthfuldaysofenergyandadventure,toherlonelylifeafterherhusbanddied,MaryShelley
experiencedmanylifealteringevents.
RadicalInfluences
MaryShelleygrewupsurroundedbyunusualpeople.Thesefamilyandfriendswerethosewhomade
Shelley'supbringingunique.Heruncommonchildhoodandyoungadultyearsmoldedherintothe
creativeandimpulsivepersonshewaswhenFrankensteinwasscriptedin1817.
Herparents,WilliamGodwinandMaryWollstonecraft,herhusband,PercyByssheShelley,her
friends,ClaireClairmont,LordByron,andJohnPollidori,andhercloseacquaintances,HarrietShelley
andFannyImlay,allinfluencedMaryShelleyagreatdealduringthistimeperiod.
Typically,ayounggirlintheearly19thcenturywouldnotgrowuparoundnovelists,poets,and
philosophers,haveamotherwhowasapassionatefeminist,orafatherwhowasfriendswithSamuel
T.Coleridge.However,MaryShelleyexperiencedthisupbringing.
Clickhereforbiographiesoftheabovefriends,familymembers,andradicalinfluencesofMary
Shelleyfrom18101820.
TheProperLady
Inherearlyyears,MaryShelleywentagainstthestereotypical"ProperLady"anddiscoveredherown
path.

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DuringMaryShelley'supbringing,womenweretaughttobesweet,pleasant,amiable,andtosupport
andobeytheirhusbands.Theywerevaluedbytheirmodestyandchastityandweresupposedtobe
completelyignorantoftheirsexuality.Shelleyobviouslydidnotfollowthisformula.Attheageof
sixteen,sheranoffwithradicalPercyByssheShelley,andtraveledwithhimaroundEurope.Although
shewasshunnedbyherfatherandsociety,Shelleydrewinspirationwhileonthesejourneystowrite
herbreakthroughnovel,Frankenstein.
Awoman'scontributiontosocietywasbelievedtobeselfcontrolandmorality.Manywomenwere
involvedinthechurchthroughpracticingselflessactivitieswherenomasculinetraitswerethoughtto
berequired.Vain,passionate,assertive,andopinionatedwomenwerepracticallyunheardofandthese
qualitieswerefrowneduponinawoman.Instead,womenwerevaluedbytheirloyaltytotheirman,
theirpurityandchastity,andtheirmodesty.Alloftheseinnocentattributesweretoshinethroughtheir
husband.
AlthoughMaryShelleyeventuallywedPercyShelley,theywereunmarriedandtravelingtogetherfor
atimebeforetheirmarriage,completelygoingagainstthenormofthetimeperiod.Inadditiontothis
aspectoftheirunacceptedwayoflife,PercywasstillmarriedwhenheandMaryranofftogether.
Definitelyascandal!
Itisinterestingtonote,however,thatintheabovepainting,MaryShelleylooksquitelikea"Proper
Lady."Sheisproper,prim,slightlysmiling,yetnotrevealingtoomuch.Shelookspleasant,pretty,and
onecouldevensayabitboring.
MaryShelleywasnota"ProperLady"inherearlyyears.Blessedwithasenseofadventureand
excitement,shechosetoventureoutsideofthestereotypicalnormofthe"ProperLady."Shelleyupset
herparentsandranoffwithPercy,traveledthroughEurope,married,wroteanovel,hadachild,and
waswidowedallbeforeshewastwentyfiveyearsold.MaryShelleywasdefinitelyanindividual.
IntellectualInfluencesandEducation
Throughoutherlife,andespeciallyinherchildhood,MaryShelleywassurroundedbygreat
intellectualsandscholars.Sheincorporatedmanytheoriesandnotionsofradicalprogressivesinto
Frankenstein,namelyRousseauandhermother,MaryWollstonecraft,enhancingthevalueofthestory
andcreatingitintoahiddenmasterpiece.
BookswhichcharactersreadinthenovelincludeTheBible,comtedeVolney'sRuinsoftheEmpires,
Goethe'sTheSorrowsofYoungWerther,Milton'sParadiseLost,andParcelsus'Alchemistry.
AlthoughMaryShelleyneverhadaformaleducation,shespentthemajorityofhertimereadingand
studyingonherown.Inherjournalentries,shereligiouslykeptnotedwhatshereadeverydayorwhat
sheandPercyShelleyreadtogether.OnTuesdayMarch21,1815shewrote,"Talk,andthenread
Gibbon.ShelleyreadsLivy,andthenreadsGibbonwithmetilldinner.Afterdinnerplayatchessand
read.Peacockcomestotea.Work.AfterhegoesawayIreadGibbon(p.275),andShelleyreadsLivy
(p.406)."Theseentrieschangedfromdaytoday,interchangingreadingwithtakingawalk,traveling,
orengaginginmealtimeconversationswithvisitors.

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Indicatedinherjournalentriesbetween18141828,MaryShelleyreadenormousamountofliterature
includingJeanJacquesRousseau,JohnMilton,Plutarch,WilliamShakespeare,Homer,JohnKeats,
andThomasMoore.Amazingly,shereadmanyoftheseworksbeforeshewasseventeen,whenshe
wroteFrankenstein.
ItwasnotunusualthatMaryShelleydidnotreceiveaformaleducation.However,itnosmall
accomplishmentthatshestudiedandreadalloftheseauthorssofeverishly.Herselfeducationmakes
herasortof"selfmadewoman."Afterreadingtheideasandworksofallofthesegreatauthors,
primarilymen,Marythenformulatedherowntheoriesandnotions.Itissignificanttonotethatthe
onlywomanwhoseworkMaryreadwasherownmother's,MaryWollstonecraft.Thisshowshow
unusualitwasforawomantopublishaworkandtobewelleducated.
MaryShelley'sselfeducationallowedhertobethecreatorofanintenselyintellectualliteraryand
historicalmasterpiece,the1817Frankenstein.
RousseausInfluenceonMaryShelley
MaryShelleysawJeanJacquesRousseauasaman"withanimaginationthatwarmedhimtodaring."
Inher1839book,EminentLiteraryandScientificMenofFranceVolumeII,Shelleyclearlyconveys
theintellectualdebtshehastoRousseau.
AlthoughShelleywasdeeplyinfluencedbyRousseau'swork,shedidnotrespectsomeofhischoices
inlife.Heabandonedhischildrentoanorphanage,towhichShelleycommented,"Rousseaufailedin
this....thedistortionofintellectthatblindedhimtothefirstdutiesoflife,weareinclinedtobelieveto
bealliedtothatveinofinsanity,thatmadehimanexampleamongmenforselfinflictedsufferings."
Shefeltthatbecausehewasthebearerofsuchintenseintellect,itwashisrighttobringuphischildren
andpassonhisvastamountsofknowledgetothem.
Rousseaualsohadrelationshipswithvariouswomen,ofwhichShelleydidnotfullyapprove.When
comparinghimtohiswifeTherese,shescornedhim,saying,"hedeservesmore[blame]forhaving
chosen,inthefirstplace,anignorantwoman,whohadnoqualitiesofhearttocompensatefor
stupidity;andsecondly,forhavinginjuredinsteadofimprovingherdispositionbycausingherto
abandonherchildren,andtakingfromhertheoccupationsandintereststhatattendmaternity."Mary
ShelleyclearlydidnotapproveofhistreatmentofThereseandfeltthatheshouldhavebeenmore
sensibleinhischoiceofacompanion.
DespitehowMaryShelleyfeltaboutRousseau'spersonalaffairs,shewasincrediblymovedbyhis
intellectualwork,particularly,Emile.ShepraisedthispieceandexaltedRousseau.Shedescribesitasa
"success"and"abookthatdeserveshigherpraise"thanhis1760NouvelleHeloise.Clearly,Mary
Shelleywasmovedbythisworkandwassaddenedthat"thisadmirablework,whencegenerationsof
menderivewisdomandhappiness,wastheoriginofviolentpersecutionagainsttheauthor;and,by
expellinghimfromhishome,andexposinghimintoastateofmindalliedtomadness,anddevoted
himtopovertyandsorrowtotheendofhislife."Sheisobviouslyupsetthatsucharenownedwork
wouldhavecostRousseauhappinessinlife.
AlthoughMaryShelley'scritiqueofRousseauishalfcriticalandhalfenthusiastic,shewasdeeply

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movedandinfluencedbyhisthoughtsanddreams.HerdescriptionoftheCreatureinFrankenstein
closelyresemblesherdocumentationofRousseau'swanderingsthroughoutEuropeduringhisdaysof
exile.Theproximitybetweenthetwoisunmistakable.
Inmanyways,MaryShelleypersonallyrelatedtoRousseau.Bothoftheirmothersdiedfrom
childbirthcomplications,theywerebothdreamers,yetoutcasts,andbothfoundinspirationinsolitude.
TheirunspokenconnectioncomesclearthroughMaryShelley'snarrationofthelifeofJeanJacques
Rousseau.
AfterFrankenstein
IntheyearsafterPercyShelley'sdeathin1822,MaryShelleywentthroughaselfidentificationcrisis.
Didshelaterconformtothewaysoftheproperladyafterall?Mary'sdefiantbehaviorinherlateteens
andearlytwentiesthrustherfromsociety'sinnercircle.Herfather,WilliamGodwin,completely
dismissedMaryandclaimedthat"hedidnotknowherverywell,"accordingtohistorianMary
Poovey.However,Marywasnotphasedbyhisviewsorthepressuresofsocietytoconform,andshe
didasshepleased,runningofwithPercyShelley.
However,afterhisdeath,Mary'sfoundationcrumbled.Shehadgonethroughthedeathofachildand
twosuicidesinherfamily,herfatherendedallcommunicationwithMary,andsheseemedverymuch
aloneintheworld.Atthispointintime,Maryfeltitwastimeforasocialmakeover.
Todothis,MaryShelleyusedherauthorityasanauthortochangepeople'sperceptionofherself.Her
lastthreenovels,Warbeck(1830),Lodore(1835),andFalkner(1837),allhave"thinlydisguised
autobiographicalcharacterizationsofherselfasadocile,domesticheroine,"andbecauseofthis,she
wasableto"courttheapprovalofamiddleclass,largelyfemaleaudience"(Poovey117).
Ina1838journalentry,Marywrotephrasessuchas,"Iamnotapersonofopinions,""Iamnotfor
violentextremes,"and"Iamfarfrommakingupmymind."ItalmostseemsanoxymoronthatMary
Shelleyissayingthisaboutherself.Clearly,shewasoneofthemostprogressivefemalethinkersofher
era.Whywouldsheclaimnottohaveopinionsorthatshewasindecisive?Shewasattemptingto
persuadeherselfintobeingtheproperlady.
MaryShelleywascaughtinatrap."Ontheonehand,sherepeatedlybowedtotheconventional
prejudiceagainstaggressivewomenbyapologizingfororpunishingherselfassertion....Ontheother
hand,...MaryShelleydemonstratedthatimaginativeselfexpressionwasforheranimportantvehicle
forprovingherworthand,inthatsense,definingherself."(Poovey115).
OnecouldinferthatMarypossiblyregrettedherearlylifefullofspontaneityandrebellion.However,
whenreadingMary'sjournalentriesbefore1822,itseemslikeMarycouldbeinnohappierplacein
herlife.However,onceshewaslefttofacelifeonherown,Maryclearlystruggledtoliveupto
society'sexpectations,andshefoughtaninnerbattleoverhowshewouldpresentherselftotheworld.

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist257s02/students/Lindsay/maryshelley.htm