Final answer:
Mary Shelley published 'Frankenstein' anonymously possibly due to the era's gender biases, her controversial family background, and to protect her family's reputation from the potential backlash over the novel's dark themes and reception. Option D
Step-by-step explanation:
The novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, was initially published anonymously in 1818. While the exact reasons for the anonymity are not definitively documented, there are several considerations to take into account. The society of the time held strong prejudices about female authors, and Mary Shelley's infamous family background and personal life were controversial.
Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was renowned for her feminist writings and her father, William Godwin, was a radical philosopher. Mary's relationship with Percy Bysshe Shelley also began under scandalous circumstances, adding to the potential desire to avoid further public scrutiny and potential damage to her family's reputation.
Mary Shelley's decision to publish anonymously may reflect a variety of concerns, including a fear that the novel's reception might be influenced by her gender and the scandals involving both her and her husband.
Possibly, she may have feared that the association of such a dark tale with her husband, who was already viewed as morally unfit by the authorities of the time, could exacerbate the damage to his reputation. Furthermore, authorial anonymity might have been seen as a practical approach to avoid any social backlash that could harm her family's standing if the novel were poorly received by the critics or the public.
Considering these factors, Mary Shelley's decision for anonymity likely reflects concerns about gender bias, the controversial lifestyle that she and her husband led, and worries about her family's reputation, rather than a lack of interest in fame or solely to disassociate the novel from her husband. Option D