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Mathilda is an unpublished and intensely personal novel by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, written in 1819 after the death of her daughter, Clara. The novel is a first-person narrative told by Mathilda, a young woman who is consumed by guilt and grief after the death of her father.

Mathilda’s Story:

Mathilda's story begins with her idyllic childhood, raised by her loving father after her mother, Diana, died shortly after childbirth. Her father is depicted as an intelligent and sensitive man who adores his daughter. This happy childhood is shattered when Mathilda’s father abruptly leaves after Diana’s death, embarking on a sixteen-year period of travel and self-imposed exile.

Years later, he returns, and Mathilda is overjoyed to be reunited with him. However, their reunion is short-lived as her father soon becomes distant and withdrawn. Mathilda becomes obsessed with uncovering the reason for his sudden change, believing it to be a secret sorrow she can alleviate. Her persistent questioning eventually leads her father to confess his incestuous love for her.

This confession devastates both father and daughter. Mathilda is horrified and repulsed, and her father is overcome with shame and guilt. He flees, eventually committing suicide. Wracked with guilt for her role in his death, Mathilda becomes a recluse, withdrawing from society to live a solitary life on the heath.

Woodville:

In her isolation, Mathilda meets Woodville, a young, celebrated poet, who represents an idealized version of Shelley. Woodville is portrayed as a beautiful, kind, and compassionate man who is devoted to using his poetry to improve the world. He falls in love with Mathilda and tries to help her overcome her grief and guilt. However, Mathilda is unable to confide in him, terrified of revealing her father’s dark secret. Her inability to open up to Woodville leads her to attempt suicide, but Woodville intervenes and saves her.

Key Themes:

Guilt and Remorse: The novel is dominated by the theme of guilt and remorse, as Mathilda blames herself for her father’s suicide and struggles to come to terms with his incestuous love.
Love and Loss: Mathilda experiences both the intense love for her father and the devastating loss of him, shaping her character and driving her actions throughout the novel.
Isolation and Loneliness: The novel explores the theme of isolation and loneliness, both through Mathilda’s self-imposed exile after her father’s death and through the loneliness she feels even in the company of others, unable to share her secret.

Autobiographical Elements:

Mary’s Grief: Mathilda’s grief and remorse mirror Mary Shelley’s own feelings after the death of her children, Clara and William.
Relationship with Godwin: The complex relationship between Mathilda and her father reflects, in part, Mary’s relationship with her own father, William Godwin.
Idealized Shelley: Woodville's character is a clear representation of Shelley, showcasing Mary’s love and admiration for her husband.

Literary Style:

Gothic Influences: The novel exhibits elements of the Gothic genre, with its themes of death, isolation, and the supernatural.
Romantic Sensibility: The novel is infused with the emotional intensity and focus on individual experience characteristic of Romanticism.

Although Mathilda was never published during Mary Shelley's lifetime, it offers a fascinating glimpse into her emotional state and the key experiences that shaped her life and writing.