Mary Robinson, Vancenza; or, The Dangers of Credulity

Dawn Vernooy (Shippensburg University)
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Mary Robinson published her first novel,

Vancenza

, with John Bell in 1792. Like the six novels that followed,

Vancenza

explores radical political and feminist philosophy that is in line with Mary Wollstonecraft, William Godwin, and Thomas Paine. In

Vancenza

Robinson shows that having an enlightened mind supplants aristocratic privilege and that garnering an independent income is preferable to living under aristocratic patronage. Additionally,

Vancenza

explores the significance of maternally transmitted texts as didactic tools that irrevocably shape children’s futures.

Vancenza was a popular success, going through five editions by 1794, and was translated into French, German, and Dutch. Between 1792 and 1810, a chapbook edition of the novel appeared as well as excerpts and poems from the

1786 words

Citation: Vernooy, Dawn. "Vancenza; or, The Dangers of Credulity". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 06 December 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=8588, accessed 19 March 2024.]

8588 Vancenza; or, The Dangers of Credulity 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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