Summary
Maria; or, The Wrongs of Woman is an unfinished novel that follows Maria, a woman unjustly confined to a mental asylum by her abusive husband. As she struggles for freedom and custody of her child, Maria reflects on her life, the social institutions that oppress women, and the broader injustices faced by her gender.
Through her story—and those of other women she encounters—Wollstonecraft powerfully critiques marriage, property law, gender inequality, and the lack of agency afforded to women.
The novel challenges the notion that women exist only to serve men or society’s expectations, emphasizing the importance of reason, emotion, and individual rights.