Written between 1819 and 1820, Mathilda is one of Mary Shelley’s most haunting and deeply personal works. Framed as the final confession of a young woman lying on her deathbed, the novella unfolds through Mathilda’s recollections of a devastating secret: her father’s forbidden declaration of love for her, followed by his suicide. Cut off from ordinary human affection, Mathilda grows into a solitary figure haunted by grief, guilt, and the wounds of an unbearable past. Set against a brooding Gothic atmosphere, Shelley explores the destructive power of forbidden desire and the profound consequences of emotional isolation. Mathilda’s suffering is intensified by her inability to reconcile love, shame, and loss, while her memories become both a refuge and a source of torment. Beneath its tragic narrative lies a deeply introspective examination of grief and the ways in which unspoken pain can shape an entire life. In her friendship with the compassionate poet Woodville, Mathilda briefly discovers the possibility of connection and understanding. Yet even this bond cannot rescue her from the shadow of her past or the inexorable pull of despair. Written during a period of profound personal grief in Shelley’s own life, Mathilda is a poignant Gothic tale of forbidden love, mourning, loneliness, and the fragile boundaries between memory and suffering.
| Penulis | : | Mary W. Shelley |
|---|---|---|
| Penerbit | : | basabasi |
| Tahun terbit | : | 2026 |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Halaman | : | 152 |
