Sometimes the whale struggles with the theme ok, this is Wollstonecraft whale
It is 220 years since Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Women. As you can guess Ms. Wollstonecraft was always ahead of the times, even in death. For the lady has a Twitter, @1759MaryWol1797. She doesn’t take kindly to be called a bot and quite rightly. The @SqueamishBikini twitter got called ‘madam’ for suggesting so, ‘madam!’
In honour 220 years of A Vindication of the Rights of Women, which you will find cited in pretty much every feminist tome, here are 5 Mary Wollstonecraft facts.
In honour 220 years of A Vindication of the Rights of Women, which you will find cited in pretty much every feminist tome, here are 5 Mary Wollstonecraft facts.
1. Brought up in a violent household, as a teenager Mary Wollstonecraft would lie outside her mother’s door in order to protect her from her father. She also tried to protect her sisters from their violent father.
2. In 1780, after a slightly disappointing engagement as a lady’s companion Mary moved in with her friend Fanny Blood and her family. Her relationship with Fanny Blood was very passionate and the pair planned a ‘female utopia’. With Blood and her sisters Wollstonecraft opened a Dissenting community school in Newington Green. Female friendship remained a favourite theme of Mary’s in her writing.
3. After working as a governess Mary decided to be more ambitious and become a writer with an intention of being "the first of a new genus." Aim high, my friends. In order to support herself she learned French and German and translated texts. Wollstonecraft had overnight success with the publication of Vindication of the Rights of Men.
4. Mary participated in the French revolution of 1792, arriving in Paris a month or so before Louis XVI was brought to the guillotine. In France she had her first daughter with Gilbert Imlay. It is thought by some critics that Mary suffered from depression, however being a single mother in the midst of a foreign revolution is likely to harsh on anyone's buzz...
5. Not just the foremother of feminism as we know it, Mary Wollstonecraft was also the mother of Mary Shelley, who in turn was the mother of Frankenstein. Mary Wollstonecraft died at the age of 38 of puerperal fever when her second daughter was only 11 days old.
Due to the weekly limiting number of 5, we’ve had to leave out many interesting and trailblazing facts about the mighty Miss Wollstonecraft. Any additions you would like to make please do in the comments.
2. In 1780, after a slightly disappointing engagement as a lady’s companion Mary moved in with her friend Fanny Blood and her family. Her relationship with Fanny Blood was very passionate and the pair planned a ‘female utopia’. With Blood and her sisters Wollstonecraft opened a Dissenting community school in Newington Green. Female friendship remained a favourite theme of Mary’s in her writing.
3. After working as a governess Mary decided to be more ambitious and become a writer with an intention of being "the first of a new genus." Aim high, my friends. In order to support herself she learned French and German and translated texts. Wollstonecraft had overnight success with the publication of Vindication of the Rights of Men.
4. Mary participated in the French revolution of 1792, arriving in Paris a month or so before Louis XVI was brought to the guillotine. In France she had her first daughter with Gilbert Imlay. It is thought by some critics that Mary suffered from depression, however being a single mother in the midst of a foreign revolution is likely to harsh on anyone's buzz...
5. Not just the foremother of feminism as we know it, Mary Wollstonecraft was also the mother of Mary Shelley, who in turn was the mother of Frankenstein. Mary Wollstonecraft died at the age of 38 of puerperal fever when her second daughter was only 11 days old.
Due to the weekly limiting number of 5, we’ve had to leave out many interesting and trailblazing facts about the mighty Miss Wollstonecraft. Any additions you would like to make please do in the comments.
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