Mary Wollstonecraft

Insert the correct words into the text from the choices below.

breaking out build up come under come up with followed up frittered away get along got over
hand over headed off looked up to move into moving around opened up passed away put forward
running down set up stood down struck up take to taking over talk out of took up turned down

Few women in British history have had the same impact as Mary Wollstonecraft. A writer, philosopher, radical reformer,
rationalist and, some say, the first British feminist, she was born in Spitalfields, London in 1759 to a family of moderate
economic means. Unfortunately, her father ____________ _________ (wasted) the family’s money on bad business
decisions which meant they were constantly ____________ _________ (travelling a lot), from place to place, in search of a
decent economic situation.
So bad was the family’s finances that her father forced Mary to ____________ _________ (give) her inheritance (from
another relative) to him. Her father’s personal frustration often resulted in violent attacks on Mary’s mother. Mary would try
and shield her mother from these attacks and the whole situation served to help form her notions on the domestic situation in
many households and gender politics in general in the 18th century.
While little more than a girl, Mary ____________ _________ (began) a friendship with Francis (Fanny) Blood. The Blood
family acted as a second home to Mary after the death of her mother and the relationship with Fanny generated an interest
for both women in education. In fact, Mary said that it was Fanny who ____________ _________ (stimulated) her mind.
Mary rescued her sister, Eliza, from an abusive husband and then ____________ _________ (establish) a school in
Newington Green, North London with Fanny and her sister. However, the finances for the school soon ran out because of a
lack of support and some unrealistic mismanagement of funds. Fanny had also met and married a young Irish merchant.
That and her poor health led to Fanny and her husband moving to Lisbon, in Portugal hoping that the change in climate
would _________ her _______ (fortify) and make her stronger. Unfortunately, the young Fanny _________ _______ (died)
in Mary’s arms after giving birth to a child that also died shortly afterwards.
Grief-stricken by the death of her best friend, Mary returned to the UK and ____________ _________ (accepted) the post
of governess to an Anglo-Irish family in Ireland. Her short time as a teacher to the children inspired them for their whole lives
but her time there lasted less than a year. She could not ____________ _________ (form a friendship) with the children’s
parents and eventually __________ _______ (resigned) from her position. However, the experience served as an
inspiration to Mary and helped her form theories about the social-economic relationship between the genders in the 18th
century as well as helping her to _________ _____ _______ (write) some children’s stories which were published not long
afterwards.
Mary then moved to London and became an editor and contributor to an intellectual magazine. The circle of people she
mixed with was considered to represent the intellectual elite of London society. She met her future husband, William Godwin
the Anarchist philosopher, while at a dinner hosted by her boss, Joseph Johnson. Wollstonecraft and Godwin did not
____________ _________ (like) each over the first time that they met.
During this period, the French revolution was taking place in France to the growing alarm of the British aristocracy. The
politician and writer, Edmund Burke, wrote a damming attack on the French Revolution called Reflections on the Revolution
in France, foreseeing a military dictatorship ____________ _________ (replacing) from more traditional forms of
government. Mary Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Men in response to Burke’s work and it became a
bestseller. She soon ____________ _________ (repeated) with her most famous work, A Vindication of the Rights of
Woman, after learning that women in France were expected to fulfil traditional domestic roles in spite of the revolutionary
climate. Once she had written this, she ____________ _________ (went) to France to see if she could influence the French
Assembly in some way and ________ them ______ ______ (dissuade) this acceptance of traditional patriarchal notions and
ideas that had been ____________ _________ (proposed) by some of its members.
While in France, she met and fell in love with an unscrupulous but handsome American businessman. She soon fell pregnant
with his child but he was reluctant to marry her. However, he told the French authorities that they were married as Mary had
___________ _______ (subject to) suspicion due to war _________ _______ (starting) between France and the United
Kingdom. Mary followed her lover to London and asked him to marry her but he _________ her _______ (rejected). She
attempted suicide but survived and eventually __________ ______ (recovered) her heartbreak and found love with William
Godwin.
Mary and William got married but decided to ____________ _________ (start to live in) separate homes in an effort to
retain individual independence from each other. This excited a lot of comment and criticism at the time but they were a
popular couple and would often host dinner parties for leading figures from London’s intellectual elite. Mary soon fell
pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, also called Mary. Unfortunately, Mary Wollstonecraft died eleven days after giving
birth due to an infection.
William Godwin was criticized for ____________ her _________ (criticize) in his memoirs by speaking honestly about her
sexual relationships and suicide attempts. The truth of the matter was, he was being faithful to her memory and seemed to
know that one day in the future these aspects to her life, far from being a source of scandal, would in fact show her to be an
honest and even brave women who would not compromise her feelings for the moral norms and social restrictions of her
time. However, her reputation lay in ruins for years after her death with early feminists avoiding all reference to her name.
Despite the scandal, many famous British women have ___________ _______ _____ (admired) Mary Wollstonecraft over
the years and her influence can be seen in the works of writers such as Jane Austin, George Elliot, Virginia Wolf and even
her own daughter, Mary Shelly, the author of Frankenstein. As such, the life and works of this remarkable woman shall
always be remembered.

Follow up!
Now think of two women that have made an impact in your country.
 Answers

Few women in British history have had the same impact as Mary Wollstonecraft. A writer, philosopher, radical reformer,
rationalist and, some say, the first British feminist, she was born in Spitalfields, London in 1759 to a family of moderate
economic means. Unfortunately, her father frittered away (wasted) the family’s money on bad business decisions which
meant they were constantly moving around (travel a lot), from place to place, in search of a decent economic situation.

So bad was the family’s finances that her father forced Mary to hand over (give) her inheritance (from another relative) to
him. Her father’s personal frustration often resulted in violent attacks on Mary’s mother. Mary would try and shield her mother
from these attacks and the whole situation served to help form her notions on the domestic situation in many households and
gender politics in general in the 18th century.

While little more than a girl, Mary struck up (began) a friendship with Francis (Fanny) Blood. The Blood family acted as a
second home to Mary after the death of her mother and the relationship with Fanny generated an interest for both women in
education. In fact, Mary said that it was Fanny who opened up (stimulated) her mind.

Mary rescued her sister, Eliza, from an abusive husband and then set up (establish) a school in Newington Green, North
London with Fanny and her sister. However, the finances for the school soon ran out because of a lack of support and some
unrealistic mismanagement of funds. Fanny had also met and married a young Irish merchant. That and her poor health led
to Fanny and her husband moving to Lisbon, in Portugal hoping that the change in climate would build her up (fortify) and
make her stronger. Unfortunately, the young Fanny passed away (died) in Mary’s arms after giving birth to a child that also
died shortly afterwards.

Grief-stricken by the death of her best friend, Mary returned to the UK and took up (accepted) the post of governess to an
Anglo-Irish family in Ireland. Her short time as a teacher to the children inspired them for their whole lives but her time there
lasted less than a year. She could not get along (form a friendship) with the children’s parents and eventually stood down
(resigned) from her position. However, the experience served as an inspiration to Mary and helped her form theories about
the social-economic relationship between the genders in the 18th century as well as helping her to come up with (write)
some children’s stories which were published not long afterwards.

Mary then moved to London and became an editor and contributor to an intellectual magazine. The circle of people she
mixed with was considered to represent the intellectual elite of London society. She met her future husband, William Godwin
the Anarchist philosopher, while at a dinner hosted by her boss, Joseph Johnson. Wollstonecraft and Godwin did not take to
(like) each over the first time that they met.

During this period, the French revolution was taking place in France to the growing alarm of the British aristocracy. The
politician and writer, Edmund Burke, wrote a damming attack on the French Revolution called Reflections on the Revolution
in France, foreseeing a military dictatorship taking over (replacing) from more traditional forms of government. Mary
Wollstonecraft wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Men in response to Burke’s work and it became a bestseller. She soon
followed up (repeated) with her most famous work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, after learning that women in
France were expected to fulfil traditional domestic roles in spite of the revolutionary climate. Once she had written this, she
headed off (went) to France to see if she could influence the French Assembly in some way and talk them out of (dissuade)
this acceptance of traditional patriarchal notions and ideas that had been put forward (proposed) by some of its members.

While in France, she met and fell in love with an unscrupulous but handsome American businessman. She soon fell pregnant
with his child but he was reluctant to marry her. However, he told the French authorities that they were married as Mary had
come under (subject to) suspicion due to war breaking out (starting) between France and the United Kingdom. Mary
followed her lover to London and asked him to marry her but he turned her down (rejected). She attempted suicide but
survived and eventually got over (recovered) her heartbreak and found love with William Godwin.

Mary and William got married but decided to move into (start to live in) separate homes in an effort to retain individual
independence from each other. This excited a lot of comment and criticism at the time but they were a popular couple and
would often host dinner parties for leading figures from London’s intellectual elite. Mary soon fell pregnant and gave birth to a
daughter, also called Mary. Unfortunately, Mary Wollstonecraft died eleven days after giving birth due to an infection.

William Godwin was criticized for running her down (criticize) in his memoirs by speaking honestly about her sexual
relationships and suicide attempts. The truth of the matter was, he was being faithful to her memory and seemed to know
that one day in the future these aspects to her life, far from being a source of scandal, would in fact show her to be an honest
and even brave women who would not compromise her feelings for the moral norms and social restrictions of her time.
However, her reputation lay in ruins for years after her death with early feminists avoiding all reference to her name.
Despite the scandal, many famous British women have looked up to (admired) Mary Wollstonecraft over the years and her
influence can be seen in the works of writers such as Jane Austin, George Elliot, Virginia Wolf and even her own daughter,
Mary Shelly, the author of Frankenstein. As such, the life and works of this remarkable woman shall always be remembered.

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