Rambling with a “New Race” of Travelers: Mary Shelley’s Anglo-Italian Visioning and Margaret Fuller’s “Thinking American” in Italy

Abstract

Although Italy profoundly transformed the personal and professional lives of Mary Shelley (1797–1851) and Margaret Fuller (1810–1850), critics rarely consider the British Romantic and her American counterpart in tandem. This article therefore crosses transnational boundaries to reveal how Shelley and Fuller project their Italianized awakenings in letters, editorials, and travel writing. More specifically, it traces the convergence of their ideological visions through their shared yet contrasting use of travel tropes. Just as Shelley contrasts an enlightened “Anglo-Italian” traveler from an uncultivated English John Bull, Fuller distinguishes the “Thinking American” explorer from his naïve counterpart, Jonathan. Bringing these neglected travel tropes to the foreground offers a fresh lens for understanding Shelley’s and Fuller’s shared feminist ideals, especially the role of mindful travel in redressing Italian stereotypes and even preserving Italian culture. Moreover, through their distinct but unwavering support for the Risorgimento, both authors challenge female domestic boundaries and national loyalties, gazing differently to redress British and American cultural insularity. Even today, Shelley and Fuller reach across boundaries of time and culture, inviting modern travelers to pursue a transformative pathway to global citizenship.