Falkner by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Fiction, Literary

Falkner is an exceptional book and a fitting last chapter to Mary Shelley's career. The narrative begins in a small village on the southern coast of Cornwall, tracing the life of its titular protagonist. As a child, Falkner suffers neglect at home and school until he meets Mrs. Rivers and her daughter Alithea. Their influence inspires him to abandon his violent habits, yet an abusive struggle with an usher leads to a severe injury. His uncle subsequently sends him to the East Indian military college, where he learns of Mrs. Rivers' death and realizes his love for Alithea. After her father refuses their union, Falkner joins the East India company's cavalry in India. He observes the subjugation of native populations while attempting to impose Western social ethics on them. This cultural indecision defines his years abroad. Upon inheriting his family property after a decade, he returns to England to propose again. When Alithea refuses and has married another, Falkner kidnaps her. In an attempt to escape, she drowns, and he buries her in unconsecrated ground. The story continues with Falkner traveling to Cornwall to make a sacrifice at her grave. A suicidal act is prevented when Alithea's daughter, Elizabeth, knocks the gun from his hands. During their travels, Falkner recognizes his sexual obsession with Elizabeth. He confesses the drowning to Alithea's son, Gerard Neville. Gerard exposes this confession to his father, leading to Falkner's arrest for murder and a humiliating trial.