Maria; or, The Wrongs of Woman

About “Maria; or, The Wrongs of Woman”

Maria: or, The Wrongs of Woman is an unfinished novel by Mary Wollstonecraft, published in 1798 by her husband, William Godwin. It serves as a sequel to her 1792 treatise A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and is considered her most radical feminist work. The story follows a woman imprisoned in an asylum by her husband, highlighting the societal oppression of women and the failures of the patriarchal marriage system and legal structures in 18th-century Britain. The novel also explores women's role in their own subjugation through sentimentalism and examines themes of female sexuality and solidarity across class lines. Despite its radical themes, the novel was unpopular at the time of publication, partly due to the controversy surrounding Godwin's Memoirs of Wollstonecraft's life. In the 20th century, feminist critics recognized its significance, viewing it as a fictional extension of Wollstonecraft's feminist philosophy and as a semi-autobiographical work.