Lodore (1835)

Mary Shelley finished writing Lodore in 1833, and the novel was published two years later with much critical acclaim. The story features the mother and daughter of Lord Lodore and a woman named Fanny Derham, who are all very different, illustrating the varied roles women held in aristocratic society.

Shelley explores themes of power, family and patriarchy as each of these women encounters challenges in their lives after they inherit money from Lord Lodore, the head of the household. The three women characters are the daughter and wife of Lord Lodore, Ethel and Cornelia, as well as Fanny Derham, who contrasts the other two women.