Mary shelley and william godwin: a literary–political partnership, 1823–36

Abstract

This article analyses the creative literary partnership which developed between Mary Shelley and her father, the radical philosopher and novelist, William Godwin, during the years between her return to England as a widow in 1823 and Godwin's death in 1836 - her most prolific years as an author. It argues that, far from being simply an emotional and financial burden, as is often supposed, Godwin provided Mary Shelley with vital encouragement and practical support in her efforts to earn a living. Yet her later writings, in which, like Godwin, she experimented with a variety of different genres, were not just designed to earn money. They also demonstrate her kinship with and revitalisation of the political ideals of her father's generation in a new era of reform. However, this literary relationship between father and daughter was not that of one-way influence. For her part, Mary Shelley became a strong advocate, in both public and private realms, of Godwin's vision of gradual reform through education and discussion, and a valued source of literary advice. This study of the literary-political partnership between Mary Shelley and Godwin further contributes to critical debates concerning issues of creativity and gender in the Romantic period. First, it shows that the achievement of both writers was not confined to the books they produced in the first phase of their careers, as is often thought, but extended well into the nineteenth century. Second, by uncovering their collaborative literary project, it challenges the orthodox view of romantic creativity as a solitary process, and shows Mary Shelley and Godwin to be enacting their shared belief in egalitarian professional relationships between men and women.