In an age of revolution, Mary Wollstonecraft was one of the most famous women of her time. The revolutionary forces swirled around her, and she was part of it all--a true original. In "Vindication," Lyndall Gordon writes about the true scope of Wollstonecraft's genius. Beyond the madness and sensationalized aspects of Wollstonecraft's life and works, Gordon explores the woman as teacher, writer, lover, and traveler. With this remarkable biography, you can discover the true Mary Wollstonecraft.
Voices of the Imagination
From an abusive childhood, Wollstonecraft turned her life around in a way that nobody would have imagined. But, her genius was always there--she had a "searching, not obedient, intelligence;" and it never occurred to her not to think for herself. With books, she once wrote, "I commune with my own spirit--and am detached from the world."
Wollstonecraft had already seen how deadly and miserable marriage could be (her sister was in a disastrous marriage--from which she was forced to escape--and her best friend died giving birth). she also experienced the hopelessness and powerlessness of trying to make a living as a woman. Books offered an escape and intellectual freedom, but she was still forced to face reality. So, she came to rely on the kindness of strangers for her very survival, as she attempted to make a living as a single woman--with few options for respectable employment.
From an abusive childhood, Wollstonecraft turned her life around in a way that nobody would have imagined. But, her genius was always there--she had a "searching, not obedient, intelligence;" and it never occurred to her not to think for herself. With books, she once wrote, "I commune with my own spirit--and am detached from the world."
Wollstonecraft had already seen how deadly and miserable marriage could be (her sister was in a disastrous marriage--from which she was forced to escape--and her best friend died giving birth). she also experienced the hopelessness and powerlessness of trying to make a living as a woman. Books offered an escape and intellectual freedom, but she was still forced to face reality. So, she came to rely on the kindness of strangers for her very survival, as she attempted to make a living as a single woman--with few options for respectable employment.
Working Woman
Wollstonecraft's years as a governess and teacher were often fraught with disappointments and insurmountable obstacles; but, during those years, she synthesized many of the revolutionary ideas for which she would become most famous. She stored away her experiences--positive and negative--to be used later; and in that way, Wollstonecraft was in this way able to redirect her genius in a new direction: writing.
With the support of her publisher and a residence of her own, Wollstonecraft turned her energies toward writing. Her publisher became "both her father and her mother." For the first time, she was able to imagine a life for herself outside of the drudgery of serving others. Her new "plan of life" was to live "entirely by the pen."
Wollstonecraft's years as a governess and teacher were often fraught with disappointments and insurmountable obstacles; but, during those years, she synthesized many of the revolutionary ideas for which she would become most famous. She stored away her experiences--positive and negative--to be used later; and in that way, Wollstonecraft was in this way able to redirect her genius in a new direction: writing.
With the support of her publisher and a residence of her own, Wollstonecraft turned her energies toward writing. Her publisher became "both her father and her mother." For the first time, she was able to imagine a life for herself outside of the drudgery of serving others. Her new "plan of life" was to live "entirely by the pen."
Reverberations
The affects of Mary Wollstonecraft's life and works can be traced in the lives and works of the generations that followed (through the lives of Mary Shelley, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Dickinson, George Eliot, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf), but she can also be seen as an extremely misunderstood and under-appreciated genius. Her accomplishments have been overshadowed by the depression that haunted her throughout her life. Far from the vision of a madwoman writer, Mary Wollstonecraft should have become a legend.
In this biography, Gordon brings Mary Wollstonecraft to life--with her passion for life. All of her hopes, dreams, failures, and successes are re-examined--not in the context of mental instability, but as a woman. She felt pain, she responded to that utter agony, and then she went on with life.
Instead of focusing on the points of Wollstonecraft's life when she was at her lowest, Gordon explores the greatness with which this writer was imbued. "I am not born to tread in the beaten track," she said, "the peculiar bent of my nature pushes me on." And now, she pushes us on--to discover her life, to understand her dream, and to explore the influence that she has had on all of us.
The affects of Mary Wollstonecraft's life and works can be traced in the lives and works of the generations that followed (through the lives of Mary Shelley, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Charlotte Bronte, Emily Dickinson, George Eliot, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf), but she can also be seen as an extremely misunderstood and under-appreciated genius. Her accomplishments have been overshadowed by the depression that haunted her throughout her life. Far from the vision of a madwoman writer, Mary Wollstonecraft should have become a legend.
In this biography, Gordon brings Mary Wollstonecraft to life--with her passion for life. All of her hopes, dreams, failures, and successes are re-examined--not in the context of mental instability, but as a woman. She felt pain, she responded to that utter agony, and then she went on with life.
Instead of focusing on the points of Wollstonecraft's life when she was at her lowest, Gordon explores the greatness with which this writer was imbued. "I am not born to tread in the beaten track," she said, "the peculiar bent of my nature pushes me on." And now, she pushes us on--to discover her life, to understand her dream, and to explore the influence that she has had on all of us.
