Project Gutenberg 2004-09-16 Public domain in the USA. 182 Twain, Mark 1835 1910 Clemens, Samuel Langhorne Twain, Mark (Samuel Clemens) In Defence of Harriet Shelley In Defense Of Harriet Shelley Produced by David Widger "In Defence of Harriet Shelley" by Mark Twain is a critical essay written in the early 20th century. This work serves as a social commentary and a defense of Harriet Shelley, the first wife of the famed poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Twain engages in a detailed critique of existing biographical narratives that portray Harriet in a negative light, arguing for a more nuanced understanding of her character and the circumstances surrounding her marriage to Percy Shelley. In the essay, Twain meticulously examines the prevailing biographies and accounts that depict Harriet Shelley as the cause of her husband's infidelity, particularly regarding his relationship with Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley). Using wit and sarcasm, Twain dismantles the unfounded accusations against Harriet, pointing out the inconsistencies and biases in the interpretations of her life and actions. He posits that Harriet has been unfairly scapegoated for Percy’s moral failings, emphasizing that her essential innocence and suffering should be recognized rather than overshadowed by the romanticized narratives of her husband's poetic genius. Throughout the text, Twain explores themes of gender bias, the complexities of love and fidelity, and the hazards of literary reputations, ultimately advocating for Harriet’s rightful vindication. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 1792-1822 Shelley, Harriet Westbrook, -1816 PS Text Browsing: Biographies Browsing: History - British Browsing: Literature 130049 130050 2024-10-02T06:31:00.295335 2023-10-02T06:07:27.692319 text/html text/html 129700 2021-01-27T10:44:13 text/html; charset=utf-8 45372 2021-01-27T10:44:13 text/html; charset=utf-8 application/zip 114284 2024-10-02T06:31:06.250306 application/epub+zip 115254 2024-10-02T06:31:03.071322 application/epub+zip 115253 2024-10-02T06:31:01.183321 application/epub+zip 242155 2024-10-02T06:31:08.488326 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 236307 2024-10-02T06:31:05.365317 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 198067 2022-09-02T07:53:02.757473 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 113508 113501 2024-10-02T06:30:59.723386 2023-10-02T06:07:27.460312 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 113430 2021-01-08T17:36:34 text/plain; charset=utf-8 43163 2021-01-08T17:36:34 text/plain; charset=utf-8 application/zip 19972 2024-10-02T06:31:09.095320 application/rdf+xml 14568 2024-10-02T06:31:02.212301 image/jpeg 3702 2024-10-02T06:31:01.656490 image/jpeg 111369 2024-10-02T06:31:00.308403 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia