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.