'I have lately written...a tale, to illustrate an
opinion of mine, that a genius will educate itself.'
Mary Wollstonecraft is best known for her pioneering
views on the rights of women to share equal rights and
opportunities with men. Expressed most forcefully in her
Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), her
forthright opinions also inform her two innovative
novels, Mary and The Wrongs of Woman, a fictional sequel
to the Vindication. In both novels the heroines have to
rely on their own resources to establish their
independence and intellectual development. Mary learns
to take control of her destiny and become a social
philanthropist, while Maria, in The Wrongs of Woman,
fights imprisonment and a loveless marriage to claim her
rights. Strongly autobiographical, both novels
powerfully complement Wollstonecraft's non-fictional
writing, inspired by the French Revolution and the
social upheavals that followed. ABOUT THE SERIES: For
over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made
available the widest range of literature from around the
globe.Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's
commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate
text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including
expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful
notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for
further study, and much more. |
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