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Discover the Top 8 Fun Facts About Mary Wollstonecraft: Feminist Pioneer and Mother of Frankenstein's Creator!

illustration of mary-wollstonecraft
Dive into the fascinating world of Mary Wollstonecraft, an intriguing writer and trailblazing feminist, whose life was as eventful as her ideas were groundbreaking.

1. Party Animal Mary in Revolutionary France

Who knew Marie Antoinette's wild Revolutionary-French-party neighbor was none other than Mary Wollly-Rockin'craft, notorious for hobnobbing with the moderate Girondin gang and cooking up revolutions like it was nobody's business? Oh, the tales of libertine France: In reality, Mary Wollstonecraft did reside in revolutionary France in 1792, associated mostly with the Girondins, and continued supporting the French Revolution in her writings despite the increasing political instability and dangers she faced – ultimately leaving France not out of ennui but due to being denied permission to stay and the growing difficulties for foreigners under Jacobin rule.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Mary Shelley's Existential Crisis

Before Mary Shelley's monster came to life, she wrestled with quite the existential crisis, on the battleground of fiction versus reality: Mary Shelley consisted of equal parts of both truth-teller and identity-warrior, whose writings and journals expose her ardent apprehensions about the influence of literature on one's perception of reality and self, questioning just how much novels can mold our lives and futures.
Source => romantic-circles.org

3. Maria: The OG Feminist Heartthrob

Move over, Jane Eyre: there's a new feminist literary heartthrob in town, and her name is Maria! Making her debut while Austen and Brontë were yet to pen their literary wonders, Maria tackles the woes of womanhood with gusto: In Mary Wollstonecraft's lesser-known work, "Maria or, The Wrongs of Woman," she weaves an intriguing philosophical novel exposing the oppression of women and romantic love's fanciful delusions, thus marking an early milestone in the world of feminist literature.
Source => supersummary.com

4. BFF Utopia: Mary & Fanny's Dream

If you think a "BFFs before bros" policy is a modern concept, think again: Mary Wollstonecraft and Fanny Blood had a friendship so inspiring they planned to create a girl-powered utopia, but fell short due to financial burdens – yet, Mary remained fiercely loyal, supporting Fanny's family even after her passing.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Superhero Origin: Drunken Dad Land

5. Superhero Origin: Drunken Dad Land

Once upon a time in Drunken Dad Land, where fathers gamble fortunes away and moms have a one-way ticket to Cold Shoulder City: young Mary Wollstonecraft grew up as the family's superhero-in-training, harnessing her powers of resilience and independence to become a trailblazing feminist writer and political thinker.
Source => college.columbia.edu

6. Statue-tory Milestone: Mary on the Green

In a monumental girl power move sweeping the sisterhood of North London off their feet: Mary Wollstonecraft, the darling equal rights diva, and literary icon behind "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman," found herself chiseled into stone thanks to the earnest efforts of the "Mary on the Green" campaign. This Mary may not have had a little lamb, but she did become the first woman in North London to inspire a statue in her honor, unveiled in 2020.
Source => theguardian.com

7. Breaking Free: Mary's London Statue

You know what they say: "Behind every great male statue in London, there's a woman itching to break free!" Well, Mary Wollstonecraft finally got her due with a sculpture of her own: A bronze and granite public artwork titled "A Sculpture for Mary Wollstonecraft" by British artist Maggi Hambling commemorates her legacy in Newington Green. The statue features a naked woman emerging from organic matter, with Wollstonecraft's quote "I do not wish women to have power over men but over themselves" inscribed on the plinth. Writer and journalist Bee Rowlatt chaired the campaign for the statue and also happens to be the founding trustee of the Wollstonecraft Society, a human rights education charity.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Family Drama: The Less-known Godwin Tragedy

It seems the apple didn't fall far from the family drama tree for Mary Wollstonecraft's offspring: Fanny Godwin faced her own treacherous battle with stepmotherly love and sibling rivalry, ultimately succumbing to a tragic fate. Beneath the shade of her half-sister Mary Shelley's literary prowess: Fanny Godwin, at just 22, left this world by her own hand, forever reminding us of the heartrending power of fractured families and mental health strife.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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