Review

Review Questions

• How did the events in Mary's childhood affect her outlook on life as she grew older?
• What were Mary's view towards men?
• Why do you think Mary felt that education gave women more self-respect?

Links to Related Sites

• http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/wollstonecraft.html
• http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wollstonecraft/
• http://womenshistory.about.com/od/wollstonecraft/a/wollstonecraft-legacy.htm

Works Cited

• Kreis, Steven. "Mary Wollstonecraft, 1759-1797." The History Guide -- Main. 3 Aug. 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/wollstonecraft.html.
• "Mary Wollstonecraft Legacy - A Vindication of the Rights of Woman - Mary Wollstonecraft's Life and Work." Women's History - Comprehensive Women's History Research Guide. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. http://womenshistory.about.com/od/wollstonecraft/a/wollstonecraft-legacy.htm.
• Tomaselli, Sylvana. "Mary Wollstonecraft (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 16 Apr. 2008. Web. 18 Sept. 2011. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/wollstonecraft/>.

Publishing and Political views

Mary had many strong opinions, which led to her publishing many works. Her first published piece, Thoughts on the Education of Daughters: With Reflections on Female Conduct, in the More Important Duties of Life was based on her experiences as a school teacher. Mary went to work for Joseph Johnson, publisher of the Analytical Review, first as a literary advisor and then as a writer. Mary was a supporeter of the French revolution, so when Edmund Burke published Reflections on the Revolution in France, criticizing the revolution, Mary furiously responded with Vindication on the Rights of Man. In 1792, Mary published her most famous work, Vindication on the Rights of Woman. This encouraged gender equality and challenged men to treat women as equals. It also challenged women to step up and not let their husbands abuse them.

When it came to government, Mary had no strong opinion on the form it took, but the benefits it provided were important to her. She felt that a monarchy led to inequality and compared the unjust rule of king over servant to the rule of husband over wife. She wanted education to be available for all people, with the thought that an educated woman had more self-respect.

Views on marriage in the 1700's

Even though Mary fought for women's rights, she was never against being in love with a man. Mary frowned upon marriage because of the power it gave men over women, but that didn't mean she hated all men. In fact, while staying with some friends, Mary met Captain Gilbert Imlay, a timber-merchant and author. Despite her feelings toward marriage, Mary agreed to become Gilbert's wife after giving birth to a little girl, Fanny. As if to increase her opposition toward marriage, Gilbert deserted Mary and Fanny a year later. Devastated at being abandoned, Mary attempted to drown herself.

After getting back on her feet, Mary went to live with a man named William Godwin. William felt the same as Mary did towards marriage, seeing it only as a way for men to control their wives. Despite their views, Mary and William eventually married due to Mary's second pregnancy with a daughter Mary.

In today's day and age, it's unlikely that Mary would ever have married, despite her two pregnancies. Back then, though, it was very much frowned upon to be a single mother. Mary's experiences with marriage only helped emphasize her opinion on it. However, her marriages also highlight an important aspect of the women's rights revolution, and that is that feminists like Mary don't think marriage should be completely abolished, only that it should be a choice whether you marry or not, and if you do, your husband should treat you as an equal.

A Childhood That Shaped Her

Mary Wollstonecraft is not likely to ever be described as having a good childhood. She had a hard home life, watching her father be physically and verbally abusive to her mother. Being a woman, her mother could never express her frustration, and so she took it out on Mary and her siblings. She was the second of seven children, and while her eldest brother Ned received a fair-sized inheritance and was sent to law school to become a lawyer, Mary was left no money and what little education she received was random or spotty. Mary left home at age 19, angered by the sexism in her own family, and went to try and make a place for herself in the world. When she was 24, Mary helped her sister Eliza escape a violent marriage until a formal divorce could be arranged. Mary grew up watching men bully women into servitude, so it's no wonder she became such a strong advocate for women's rights!