# Letter XVI explained — Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark

> Chapter companion for Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark by Mary Wollstonecraft.

## What happens

Wollstonecraft recounts her arduous journey from Fredericstadt to Stromstad, including getting lost among the rocks at night, the frustrating delays caused by indifferent peasants and post-house officials, and the squalid conditions at inns. She reflects on the beauty of the landscape, the harshness of rural life, and her deep longing to be reunited with her daughter.

## Themes in this chapter

### Travel and Self-Discovery

Wollstonecraft's journey becomes a trial of patience and resilience, revealing her emotional state and her capacity to find beauty in adversity.

### Social Critique and Class

She criticizes the sluggishness, cunning, and debauchery of the peasantry and innkeepers, highlighting class exploitation and the harsh conditions of rural life.

### Nature and the Sublime

The moonlit rocks, starry sky, and serene evening landscapes provide moments of awe and reflection, contrasting with the squalor of human habitations.

## Character check-ins

### Mary Wollstonecraft

Narrator and traveler, expressing impatience, frustration, and maternal longing throughout the journey.

### Gilbert Imlay

Addressee of the letter; Wollstonecraft yearns for letters from him and reflects on her daughter's lack of paternal care.

### Marguerite

Implied as the daughter Wollstonecraft is anxious to rejoin; referred to as 'my little girl' and 'my babe'.

## Key lines

> I forgot that the night stole on whilst indulging affectionate reveries, the poetical fictions of sensibility; I was not, therefore, aware of the length of time we had been toiling to reach Stromstad.

Lost in sentimental daydreams, I didn't notice how long we had been rowing toward Stromstad.

_Wollstonecraft contrasts her emotional absorption with the practical demands of the journey._

> I do not now wonder that the girls lose their fine complexions at such an early age, or that love here is merely an appetite to fulfil the main design of Nature, never enlivened by either affection or sentiment.

It's no surprise that young women's beauty fades quickly and that love is reduced to a biological urge, lacking emotional depth.

_She links poor living conditions to the degradation of romance and health._

> My eyes followed them to the cottage, and an involuntary sigh whispered to my heart that I envied the mother, much as I dislike cooking, who was preparing their pottage.

I watched a family heading home and felt a pang of envy for the mother, even though I hate cooking.

_Wollstonecraft expresses longing for domestic happiness despite her own intellectual disdain for household chores._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/letters_written_during_a_short_residence_in_swed_se/chapters/letter-xvi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/letters_written_during_a_short_residence_in_swed_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/letters_written_during_a_short_residence_in_swed_se/chapters