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![]() ![]() ![]() Unhappy with her home life, Wollstonecraft started life on her own in 1778 and accepted a job as a lady’s companion to Sarah Dawson, a widow living in Bath. Wollstonecraft credited Blood with opening her mind. The second and more important friendship was with Fanny (Frances) Blood, introduced to Wollstonecraft by the Clares– a couple in Hoxton who became parental figures to her. ![]() In some of Wollstonecraft’s letters to Arden, she reveals some the volatile and depressive emotions that would haunt her throughout her life. Unfortunately, the attachment became somewhat possessive. Wollstonecraft thrived in the intellectual atmosphere of the Arden household and valued her friendship with Arden greatly. The two often read books together and attended lectures presented by Arden’s father, a self-styled philosopher and scientist. Two friendships shaped Wollstonecraft’s early life, the first being Jane Arden. The costs, however, were severe– her sister suffering social condemnation and doomed to a life of poverty. Making all the arrangements for Eliza’s leave was the first sign of Wollstonecraft’s ability to challenge societal norms. In a defining moment in 1784, she persuaded her sister Eliza, suffering from postpartum depression, to leave her husband and infant. This made Wollstonecraft very protective over her mother and sisters. Her father was also quite a violent man, often beating his wife in drunken rages. ![]()
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