Wollstonecraft wrote it when she was a governess in Ireland . The novel was published in 1788 shortly after she decided to embark on a writing career , an unpopular profession for women in 18th-century Britain . Composed while Wollstonecraft was a governess in Ireland , the novel was published in 1788 shortly after her summary dismissal and her momentous decision to embark on a writing career , a precarious and disreputable profession for women in 18th-century Britain .