A Unique Woman: Mary Shelley (1797-1851)

Abstract

A Unique Woman. Mary Shelley (1797-1851).

Frankenstein has become a myth which has endured for two hundred years and is well known worldwide. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, has long remained unknown both among the public and the academic circles. The brilliance of her parents, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, of her husband, Percy Shelley, and of her circle, not the least of whom Lord Byron, may be accounted for as one of many other factors leading to her ‘hidden from History’ status. In a brief synthesis, the life and vast work of this independent, determined, innovative woman of unusual cultural knowledge, who said no to the role imposed upon women of her time, is presented.