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Maria; Or, The Wrongs of Woman

Chapter 22: APPENDIX
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About This Book

A fragmentary novel that portrays the emotional and social confinement of a woman imprisoned by an oppressive marriage and institutional power. It follows her anguish at separation from her child, her reflections on maternal feeling and personal autonomy, and her rage against legal and domestic structures that degrade women. Interwoven sketches present other women’s sufferings and philosophical reflections on sensibility, education, and legal injustice, using dramatic scenes and polemic commentary to argue for reform. The narrative remains unfinished, offering partial scenes and authorial notes.

APPENDIX

ADVERTISEMENT[11]

The performance, with a fragment of which the reader has now been presented, was designed to consist of three parts. The preceding sheets were considered as constituting one of those parts. Those persons who in the perusal of the chapters, already written and in some degree finished by the author, have felt their hearts awakened, and their curiosity excited as to the sequel of the story, will, of course, gladly accept even of the broken paragraphs and half-finished sentences, which have been found committed to paper, as materials for the remainder. The fastidious and cold-hearted critic may perhaps feel himself repelled by the incoherent form in which they are presented. But an inquisitive temper willingly accepts the most imperfect and mutilated information, where better is not to be had: and readers, who in any degree resemble the author in her quick apprehension of sentiment, and of the pleasures and pains of imagination, will, I believe, find gratification, in contemplating sketches, which were designed in a short time to have received the finishing touches of her genius; but which must now for ever remain a mark to record the triumphs of mortality, over schemes of usefulness, and projects of public interest.

[11] Presumed to have been written by Godwin [Publisher’s note].