A Girl and a Gun

Places hands delicately on the table

I love that the sentiment surrounding this sort of Bad Historiographical bs usually consists of how Mary couldn’t possibly like an Evil Bastard Man Like Lord Byron and how we seriously shouldn’t trust all of the evidence pointing otherwise, nor Mary’s agency and perpetuate the myth of her as The Victim™ of both Shelley and Byron. 

The Keats-Shelley House literally just held a special exhibition called “Lord Byron in the Hand of Mary Shelley”. Obviously they felt there was more than enough of a reason to devote over five months to highlighting the relationship. 

it’s #youliedtomeformonthsbecauseofgorbachev friday. happy #youliedtomeformonthsbecauseofgorbachev friday!!!!!!!

“After a week of being shut indoors by the steady rain, Byron amused himself by suggesting the lovestruck Polidori demonstrate his chivalry by jumping off the porch- an eight foot drop- to offer Mary assistance as she made her way up the wet, slippery path. Polidori was too naive to know what Byron knew instinctively, that a man who took such extraordinary measures would appear foolish. Sure enough, when the smitten Polidori took his lordship’s advice and leapt, Mary was startled but certainly not impressed. Even more embarrassing, Polidori sprained his ankle upon landing, with the result that when he and Mary made their way to the house, the young knight had to lean on his lady’s shoulder rather than the other way around. Wincing, irritable, and out of sorts, he retired indoors, fully aware that he had been ridiculous.”

Cackled so much at this when I watched it the other day that my dog gave me the stink-eye.