Mary Shelley’s late life
After her husband’s death, Mary Shelley returned to England, spending years battling her husband’s father, Timothy Shelley, for custody of her only surviving child, Percy Florence. She dedicated herself to editing her husband’s poems and wrote her post-apocalyptic novel The Last Man, published in 1826.
She declined a marriage proposal from the American actor John Howard Payne, famously stating that after marrying one genius, she could only marry another. Later, she became disillusioned with Jane Williams, a woman she had likely been fond of, when Jane began spreading rumours about her.
In 1827, Mary Shelley played a pivotal role in enabling her friend Isabel Robinson and Isabel’s lover, Mary Diana Dods (who wrote under the pen name David Lyndsay), to live together in France as a married couple, by securing false passports for them.
Over time, Mary also began supporting her father, William Godwin, and the two sought publishers for each other’s work. She authored several novels, including The Fortunes of Perkin Warbeck (1830), Lodore (1835), and Falkner (1837). Her devotion to Percy Bysshe Shelley never wavered; she worked tirelessly to republish his poetry and tell his story despite her father-in-law’s threats. Following in her mother’s feminist footsteps, Mary extended her support to women whom society often shunned.
“I do not make a boast-I do not say aloud-behold my generosity and greatness of mind-for in truth it is simple justice I perform-and so I am still reviled for being worldly.” —Mary Shelly’s diary
Final Years
Mary Shelley never remarried, despite numerous proposals. Her son Percy Florence received a good education thanks to his grandfather, though he showed little of his parents’ literary genius.
She died in 1851 at the age of fifty-three, having suffered from debilitating headaches and partial paralysis since 1839. These ailments often prevented her from reading and writing.
A year after her death, Percy and his wife, Jane, opened her writing desk. Inside, they found locks of her deceased children’s hair, a notebook she had shared with Percy Bysshe Shelley, and a copy of his poem, Adonaïs. One page of the poem was folded around a silk parcel containing some of Percy’s ashes and the remains of his heart.
Misleading Social Media Narratives
In recent years, I have come across numerous social media posts about Mary Shelley, mostly written by women and feminist authors. These posts often claim that Mary Shelley is a victim of the patriarchal world, which unfairly underrated her work, even though she created Frankenstein as an inexperienced teenage girl. Some discussions even go so far as to assert that Mary Shelley had no significant connection to Percy Shelley.
This caught my attention, or rather smelled fishy to me, even though my sense of smell is notoriously poor. The name Mary Shelley rang a bell, reminding me of literature lessons from school, where we studied both Mary and Percy Shelley. If someone like me—a non-native English speaker raised in a small Central European country during the chaotic post-communist era—was taught about Mary Shelley as part of compulsory education, she can hardly be considered underrated.
Moreover, her legacy is evident in countless adaptations and reinterpretations of Frankenstein. These range from film adaptations to its influence on works like the TV series Penny Dreadful, the Japanese manga and anime Soul Eater or The Empire of Corpses, and the Korean manhwa Noblesse. I would also recommend the song Frankenstein by Henry Birkett, an indie artist of British and Czech origin.
Real Life Behind the Story
The constant flood of misleading posts about Mary Shelley prompted me to delve deeper into her story. I read the original 1818 version of Frankenstein, freely available on Amazon. I had not previously read anything by Mary Shelley, as her books were perpetually borrowed from libraries during my school years, and reprints only became available much later. My curiosity grew as I sought the truth.
While I will reserve a detailed discussion of the book for a future review, it is clear from Mary Shelley’s life—described in this and the previous article—that she was far from an inexperienced teenager when she wrote her debut novel. At nineteen, she had already given birth twice, lost a child, travelled through war-torn Europe with a married man and her stepsister Claire Clairmont, and experienced the suicide of her half-sister Fanny. In short, she had lived through events that many modern women might not face even in their thirties, and these experiences are evident in her writing.
Judging her work solely by her age or through the lens of modern standards is both ignorant and disrespectful.
Mary Shelley was undeniably a strong woman who endured extraordinary hardships in the harsh reality of the nineteenth century. She was intelligent, talented, and fortunate to have an enlightened father who provided her with a high-quality education. This upbringing created the conditions for her meeting with Percy Shelley, despite her father’s later regret over their relationship.
Wife of Percy Shelley
Mary Shelley’s life was deeply intertwined with Percy Shelley. They married, had children, and even shared a diary. Percy played a crucial role in her development as a writer, exposing her to both the hardships of poverty and the beauty of the world. Her enduring love for him is evident in her relentless efforts to republish his works despite her father-in-law’s opposition. She famously declared that she was married to a genius and kept a piece of his heart in her writing desk until her own passing.
To deny Mary Shelley’s connection to Percy Shelley, even with the intent of elevating her reputation, is to spread misinformation and insult her memory.
Mary Shelley indeed actively supported women’s rights, yet she did so without resorting to actions that would tarnish anyone. She extended help to other women, sometimes even engaging in acts of fraud, such as providing false documentation to enable the lesbian couple Isabel Robinson and Mary Diana Dods to live together as husband and wife in France. However, her motives were not driven by a desire for fame or personal gain. This stands in stark contrast to some individuals today who propagate misleading information about her life to gain attention or to direct antagonism toward men.
A Legacy Worth Admiring
Mary Shelley’s life and work inspire deep admiration and respect. I wish there were more people like her walking this world. However, I understand that her unique legacy was shaped by the obstacles and small blessings that fate placed on her path. I look forward to exploring more of her works, alongside those of her husband and other authors who influenced them both.
I reject the claims that she is an underrated author; rather, I see such assertions as an attempt to stir division. Such efforts should cease, as no author’s legacy should be weaponised in this way.
That said, I am surprised that few people have commented on her later relationships and her apparent interest in women, as well as what we might now call polyamory between herself, Percy, and Claire. These elements of her life neither shock nor enthral me. They simply reflect the complex human experience.
It is no secret that a significant portion of the population is more or less bisexual, and women often gather experiences in this area more frequently. Some may even shift their romantic interest toward women after the age of thirty or forty, driven by exhaustion from unhealthy relationships, hormonal changes, or simply a search for understanding and gentleness over mere physical satisfaction, which, in many cases, may be more readily offered by another woman than by a man.
As a single mother enduring societal pressure, financial strain, and lifelong depression, Mary may have sought solace in relationships with women. Whether her depression stemmed solely from her tragic life events or from a hereditary condition—given her half-sister Fanny’s suicide and Mary’s suspected brain tumour—is a question we may never answer.
Nothing, however, can change my admiration for Mary Shelley or my view of her character and work. Despite having lived and written two centuries ago, her life and stories have affected me deeply, and I feel compelled to place her among the top ten of my favourite authors.
What is your opinion of Mary Shelley? Have you ever read anything by her? Do you know of any other authors who had to endure similar difficulties in their lives?
Yours Truly,
Nathaniel Wonderful
Sources:
Wikipedia, Britannica
Author
nathanielwonderful@gmail.com
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