Public-domain ebook
Mary Wollstonecraft
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In: Biographies·Gender & Sexuality Studies
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #22800.
About this book
This work is a scholarly biography of Mary Wollstonecraft, written by Elizabeth Robins Pennell and first published in London in August 1884. The author explains that she relies chiefly on the memoirs of William Godwin and the later memoir of C. Kegan Paul, supplementing those accounts with a close reading of Wollstonecraft’s own writings and with newly accessed manuscript material concerning her final illness. The opening pages outline a detailed structure, dividing Wollstonecraft’s life into chronological chapters that trace her childhood, early employment, literary career, and personal relationships, culminating in the tragic months before her death. Pennell also sets the tone by foregrounding the fierce contemporary criticism Wollstonecraft attracted, positioning the biography as both a corrective to hostile 19th‑century judgments and a comprehensive portrait drawn from primary sources.
Pennell writes in a measured, Victorian‑era voice, combining meticulous citation with a clear, narrative style that seeks to balance admiration with critical distance. The prose reflects the scholarly conventions of the 1880s, yet remains accessible to modern readers interested in the history of feminist thought, literary biography, or the social climate of late‑eighteenth‑century England. Those who appreciate careful archival research, enjoy nuanced character studies, or wish to understand the roots of the debate surrounding Wollstonecraft’s legacy will find this book rewarding.
Who appears in Mary Wollstonecraft
- Mary WollstonecraftElegant late‑18th‑century woman, dark hair in simple curls, thoughtful eyes, modest dress
- William GodwinMiddle‑aged gentleman, greying hair, round spectacles, scholarly coat, contemplative expression
- C. Kegan PaulVictorian scholar, full beard, waistcoat and cravat, dignified posture, ink‑stained fingers
The opening · free to read
By
ELIZABETH ROBINS PENNELL.
BOSTON: ROBERTS BROTHERS. 1890.
Copyright, 1884, BY ROBERTS BROTHERS.
UNIVERSITY PRESS: JOHN WILSON AND SON, CAMBRIDGE.
PREFACE.
Comparatively little has been written about the life of MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT. The two authorities upon the subject are Godwin and Mr. C. Kegan Paul. In writing the following Biography I have relied chiefly upon the Memoir written by the former, and the Life of Godwin and Prefatory Memoir to the Letters to Imlay of the latter. I have endeavored to supplement the facts recorded in these books by a careful analysis of Mary Wollstonecraft's writings and study of the period in which she lived.
I must here express my thanks to Mr. Garnett, of the British Museum, and to Mr. C. Kegan Paul, for the kind assistance they have given me in my work. To the first named of these gentlemen I am indebted for the loan of a manuscript containing some particulars of Mary Wollstonecraft's last illness which have never yet appeared in print, and to Mr. Paul for the gift, as well as the loan, of several important books.
E. R. P. LONDON, August, 1884.
CONTENTS.
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