ABSTRACT
Mary Wollstonecraft’s life is the fascinating story of a nonconformist seeking her way in an English society that had no place for her. She was born in London, the second of seven children, to an abusive, alcoholic father and a submissive, victimized mother. While still a child, Wollstonecraft had to take a great deal of responsibility for her family. She frequently intervened—even taking blows in the protection of her mother. As a young woman, Wollstonecraft showed remarkable intellectual ability, despite the fact that she was largely self-taught. Following a period as a grade-school teacher, and at the urging of close friends, she took up writing. She published her first work, Thoughts on the Education of Daughters, in 1786.
