Child of Love and Light Mary Shelley: Born to be a feminist BY RONA BERG “I perceived in the g

Child of Love and Light Mary Shelley: Born to be a feminist BY RONA BERG “I perceived in the gloom a figure which stole from behind a clump of trees near me; I stood fixed, gazing intently: I could not be mistaken. A flash of lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy dæmon, to whom I had given life. What did he there? Could he be (I shuddered at the conception) the murderer of my brother? No sooner did that idea cross my imagination, than I became convinced of its truth; my teeth chattered, and I was forced to lean against a tree for support. The figure passed me quickly, and I lost it in the gloom.” —From Frankenstein by Mary Shelley When Lord Byron came to visit Mary and Percy Shelley for an extended stay in Pisa, the English press hordes followed. They came to dig up dirt on the eccentricities and escapades of Byron, who was an infamous rake—and the rock star of his time. In the spirit of modern-day tabloids like the Star or the National Enquirer, the salacious early 19th century press referred to the trio as “the League of Incest and Atheism.” One has to admit, it’s a pretty good name for the boys (and girl!) in that particular band. Never mind that it wasn’t quite true, though partly it was. Everything the Romantics did was fodder for the tabloids. English society was scandalized by their behavior—children born out of wedlock, free love, a belief in an “outspoken and honest exchange of ideas” between the sexes, according to Mary, which was shocking in 1821. Although the gossips of the day judged the writers harshly (especially Mary, because she was a woman), they found the group’s alleged antics ever titillating, and in the true spirit of hypocrisy, they hung on every detail. And if it wasn’t all true, well, when did that ever stop anyone? Byron may have been the rock star, but it was Mary who suffered throughout her life as the target of sexist attacks that vilified her for not standing down to men. They struck at the heart of what was most humiliating in those days, and speculation ran wild: Was Mary sleeping with Byron and Percy Shelley? Was Claire Clairmont, Mary’s stepsister, who lived with the Shelleys on and off through the years, the third wheel in a ménage à trois? Whose babies did Mary give birth to, really? Were they Percy Shelley’s—or Byron’s? (They were Shelley’s.) Claire had a baby girl with Byron, and the gossips murmured that she was Percy Shelley’s baby too. https://bit.ly/3pB2TYg