Influence of Mary Shelley's Parents

 Who are William and Mary?

Have you ever wondered how much your parents or the people around you truly impact your life? Their values, morals and beliefs are what you spend so much time being around or learning while growing up and discovering your own thoughts. Personally, I know that my mother is my biggest role model and I have learned and followed her footsteps in so many different things. Have you ever thought about the author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley and what kind of parents she grew up with? How did Shelley’s parents influence her to become a famous novelist that is still being talked about almost 200 years later? Let us meet and understand William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft, the parents of Mary Shelley. 

 

William Godwin (1)

William Godwin 

Before William Godwin was known as Mary Shelley’s father he had a complete, successful life of his own. Growing up as a child, his father was a very strict Nonconformist minister but William grew to become one of the most popular and famous political radicals in England during his time. One of his most famous works, Enquiry Concerning Political Justice, and Its Influence on General Virtue and Happiness (1793) argued to abolish all government (2). After the passing of his wife, William often thought he was unfit to take care of two young children and worked hard to become an educator based on philosophical and dispassionate principles. A lot of his time and energy went into his work and he became a very distant father, but Shelley still looked up to him as her “God” (3). In her work, Frankenstein, there is an easy connection between Victor’s father and William himself as they both lost their wives, and are very detached and emotionally unavailable to their children.  

A few years after the death of Mary Wollstonecraft, William had remarried Mary-Jane Clairmont, extending the family to five children which also involved five different parents (3). There was much family conflict throughout the years and we can easily relate that to Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein as there is no model for a stable, healthy family. Shelley’s feelings towards her own father might correlate to how the creature feels towards Frankenstein. Later on, William became Shelley’s literary agent, before publishing some of her work he would take it upon himself to edit the texts, which was less likely an act of a caring father and more just because he had such history as a professional writer (3). William had struggled many times throughout his later years financially and had died in April 1836.  

Mary Wollstonecraft (4)

Mary Wollstonecraft

Mary came from a once very wealthy family but they had fallen on bad times which is very similar in Frankenstein to Victor’s mother, Caroline Beaufort. After helping to raise her siblings, dealing with a very toxic and abusive father and the death of her mother, Mary left home at age nineteen (2). Shortly after leaving home, Mary and her two friends opened up a school. After the death of her good friend Fanny, she had discovered the school was deeply in financial trouble and unfortunately she was forced to close the school (3). 

 

 

The Nightmare (5)

Being known as a literary and sexual rebel, Mary had quite the reputation, one that many feminists today can easily respect, understand and advocate for. One of her most famous works has been a cornerstone for over two hundred years and it helped shape the life and thought process of Shelley. An example of Mary’s early actions in life was her affair with a popular artist, Henry Fuseli. Interestingly enough, one of his painting masterpieces, The Nightmare (1791) is a primary visual influence in Frankenstein (2). After having her first child, Fanny Imlay and reconnecting later on with William, the two of them decided to marry. Even though Mary had always thought marriage to turn women into possession and William did not truly agree with marriage either, they thought this was the best opportunity for young Fanny to give her legitimacy.  

 

Both William and Mary wrote extensively about education, and especially education for girls. All of the children from this family were highly educated, just like most of the characters in Frankenstein. Specifically, all the younger characters were shaped by the books they read but highly lacked someone to guide them and were left to make their own interpretation, much like Shelley was (2). Although William was very distant and focused a lot on his own work instead of Shelley’s life, he assisted a lot in who she turned out to be and her success with Frankenstein and much of her other works. William losing his wife just ten days after the birth of Shelley is such a key factor in both of their lives. It is a mystery what kind of dynamic duo Mary Wollstonecraft and her daughter Mary Shelley would have been. Even though Shelley grew up without her mother she often referred to much of her work and lived by her words (3). Shelley was largely impacted by Mary's political viewpoints as well and it is easy to see in her work. Without William and Mary I doubt Shelley would have grown to be the writer and woman that she was, they truly had a huge influence on her career, her novel Frankenstein and overall her life.

1. Tate. “'William Godwin', J.W. Chandler, 1798.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1798, https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/chandler-william-godwin-n01208.
2. Baumann R, Mitchell J (Photographer). Frankenstein 200 : The Birth, Life, and Resurrection of Mary Shelley’s Monster. Indiana University Press, The Lilly Library; 2018. Accessed March 2, 2022. 
3. “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus.” Frankenstein: The Pennsylvania Electronic Edition, http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/.
4. “Mary Wollstonecraft.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Jan. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Wollstonecraft.  
5. “The Nightmare.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 9 Feb. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare.