CHAPTER 4

TEACHING MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT THROUGH

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: RETHINKING

LITERATURE IN THE DIGITAL AGE

Ujjal Das

Assistant Professor in English, Government General Degree College, Mohanpur,

Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, India

ORCID ID: 0009-0008-2555-7362

Email ID: 1987dasujjal@gmail.com

Dr. Anasuya Adhikari

ICSSR Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Education, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha

University, Purulia, West Bengal, India

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0388-3545

Email ID: anasuyajpg@gmail.com

Abstract

Mary Wollstonecraft’s contribution to both literature and education is seminal, particularly through her work A

Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), which advocated women’s equality and intellectual development.

Nevertheless, historical contexts and linguistic complexities of 18th century texts can be challenging to contemporary

students. In the present age of digitalization, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can present innovative pedagogical

opportunities which can reimagine the instructional patterns. This chapter delves into examining how AI can assist

in developing educational tools which can enhance teaching literary concepts, strengthening textual understanding and

improve students’ attentiveness. This chapter will also delve into analyzing how Natural Language Processing

(NLP) and Automated Text Analysis, AI based platforms can help learners understand literature, combining

digital humanities and AI assisted teaching. In this chapter, we will try to analyse how AI can help understand

Wollstonecraft’s arguments through AI-assisted interpretative learning.

Keywords: AI, Mary Wollstonecraft, Literature, Teaching, Digital Age.

Introduction

Pedagogical approach to literature emphasizes interpretative analysis and classroom discussion

(Eagleton, 2011). Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797) is one of the most iconical figures in modern

discussions on gender, education and social change. She was an 18

century author whose work is

still important in gender conscious philosophy. Her pathbreaking work, A Vindication of the Rights

of Woman (1792), fought for women’s right to an education and intellectual equality (Adhikari &

Saha, 2022a), directly going against the ideas of men at the time (Adhikari & Saha, 2022b).

Wollstonecraft’s support for rational education and gender equality is still relevant in academic

discussions about feminism, teaching, and social change (Adhikari & Saha, 2023a).

In modern classrooms, studying Wollstonecraft gives students a chance to question early

feminist philosophy, Enlightenment ideas, and the history of women's rights (Barry, 2012).

However, students often face difficulties when engaging with eighteenth-century texts because of

their complex language, subtle rhetoric, and references that are specific to the time period

(Reynolds, 2003). These obstacles can impede both understanding and critical engagement,

underscoring the necessity for pedagogical approaches that integrate historical content with

modern analytical methodologies (Anderson, 2008).

An analysis of AI’s applications revealed that it can enhance the teaching and learning of the

English language. It aids practitioners in pedagogical matters, particularly in translation tasks (Lie

& Long, 2025). In the study, AI helped English teachers improve listening activities and create a

communication environment that was similar to that of a native speaker. It appeared that indirectly,

the other two language skills, reading and writing, could also be enhanced through the use of the

tool (Yuan, 2025). The researcher concluded that incorporating AI into English teaching activities

facilitates student interaction and enhances their learning opportunities. Indeed, it might foster

positive growth among the practitioners in their efforts to instruct the language (Agrawal, Gans &

Goldfarb, 2018). Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) present innovative solutions

for tackling these educational challenges (Luckin et al., 2016). Artificial intelligence (AI)

technologies like, adaptive learning environments, Natural Language Processing (NLP) and

intelligent tutoring platforms and can help with better text analysis, personalized reading

experiences and automated feedback (Russell & Norvig, 2021). In the context of teaching

Wollstonecraft, AI tools can help students understand difficult arguments, let them interactively

explore historical and philosophical contexts and encourage them to think critically about literary

and philosophical works (Padhan et al., 2023).

Russell and Norvig (2021) define artificial intelligence as computer systems that can do tasks

that usually require human cognitive functions, like reasoning, language processing and pattern

recognition. In the classroom, these technologies can help teachers build on students’ learning

while keeping the interpretive and analytical nature of literature instruction. By using AI in

literature teaching, teachers can rethink how students interact with classic texts, making 18

century philosophical works more accessible and relevant to modern learners (Abeba, 2021). This

chapter will focus on how AI can transform teaching of Mary Wollstonecraft. It will also highlight

the budding of digital support in interpretating and analysing literary texts. This concludes that, in

spite of replacing the traditional methods of teaching learning, AI assisted tools can complement

pedagogical resources.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Education

AI serves as a virtual mentor and is being used extensively in a variety of educational technology

platforms, particularly those that are online. The method of mentoring involves a more

experienced individual helping a less experienced individual or the mentee accomplish a learning

goal (Klamma et al., 2020). Like a teacher or tutor, AI can offer suggestions for material that needs

to be reviewed after giving comments on students' learning activities and practice problems. Virtual

Mentor (VM) is a multimedia-integrated e-learning environment that emphasizes interaction,

customisation and intelligence, as found by to Zhang (2016).

One of the most well-known and utilized AI technologies in many industries, including

education, is voice assistant. Google Assistant (Google), Siri (Apple), Cortana (Microsoft) and

others are examples of well-known voice assistants. By simply speaking or mentioning terms,

Voice Assistant enables students to look up resources, reference questions, articles and books

(Ahuja, 2019). Additionally, the VA will provide the results of your search based on the specified

keywords. Like a personal assistant, Voice Assistant may speak and explain the information you

require in addition to presenting it as text and graphics (Yuan, 2025).

An AI system called Smart materials makes it easier and faster to share and locate programmable

digital books and other materials (Das & Adhikari, 2026). These days, public libraries, academic

institutions, and schools all have digital libraries that are common instances of how this technology

is being used. AI is able to swiftly and efficiently locate and classify the books we are looking for.

Even book recommendations and other content pertinent to your search will be provided. Smart

content is an overview of a variety of educational resources, including interfaces that may be

customized to meet our needs and digital textbooks (Al-Samarraie, Teng, Alzahrani & Alalwan,

2021).

Numerous industries, including education, have made extensive use of this AI technology. In

short, students or users of Global Courses can look for and enroll in online courses from anywhere

in the world. Based on the keywords you've previously input, the course platform can suggest your

interests. You can currently try a number of open and free courses with a range of engaging,

interactive, and structured features and content. MOOCs, Udemy, Google AI, Alison, Khan

Academy, edX, Udacity, Coursera and other platforms are a few examples of courses that have

included AI technology (Zhang, 2021).

How AI can support teaching of Mary Wollstonecraft

AI-assisted vocabulary tools improve textual comprehension and reading confidence by

assisting pupils in understanding philosophical terminology (Abebe et al., 2020). Deeper

engagement with Wollstonecraft’s central concepts on reason, virtue and women’s education is

made possible by automated textual analysis, which can spot recurrent themes, rhetorical patterns,

and conceptual linkages (Tian et al., 2024). Long chapters are condensed into readable summaries

by AI summarizing techniques, which enhance understanding without sacrificing critical thinking

(Andreas, 2020). AI writing support helps students improve essays and thoughtful answers on

feminist philosophy by offering tailored criticism (Al-Samarraie et al., 2021). Innovative AI tools

promote experiential learning in line with Montessori and Noddings’ learner-centered approaches

by enabling interactive investigation of philosophical ideas through role-playing or simulations.

Adaptive learning platforms increase interest and facilitate self-paced study by customizing content

to each student’s needs (Birhane, 2021). Lastly, AI discussion platforms encourage students to

consider many interpretations of Wollstonecraft’s views by facilitating critical debate and

collaborative communication. By fusing cutting-edge technology with humanistic teaching

methods, these AI-enabled tools have the potential to revolutionize literature pedagogy.

Table 1: To show how AI can help developing teaching objectives and its application

in teaching

Tool Type Objective of

Teaching

Pedagogical

Function

Application in

Teaching Mary

Wollstonecraft

1 Vocabulary

Assistance

Tool

Improve

language skills and

ability to

understand

historical texts

Explaining

difficult words

Will help in

understanding English

and philosophical terms

from the 1700s

2 Creative AI

Tools

Encourage

creative use of

knowledge

Support role-

playing,

simulations, or

interactive

activities

Will allows students to

role-play conversations or

situations using

Wollstonecraft’s ideas to

address modern problems.

3 AI Writing

Assistants

Encourage

argumentative

writing and

synthesis of ideas

Provide

feedback on

student essays

Will helps students

refine their essays or

reflections on

Wollstonecraft’s

philosophy

4 Adaptive

Learning

Platforms

Personalize

learning and

enhance

engagement

Customize

learning paths

based on student

performance

Will guide students

through sections of

Wollstonecraft’s text

according to their pace

and comprehension

5 Contextual

AI Systems

Encourage

historical

awareness and

interdisciplinary

understanding

Provide

historical,

philosophical, and

social context

Will explains

Enlightenment ideas

influencing Wollstonecraft

and link her ideas to later

feminist thinkers

6 AI

Summarization

Tools

Improve

comprehension of

difficult passages

Generate

simplified

summaries of

complex texts

Will help students

understand

Wollstonecraft’s lengthy

and complex arguments

7 AI

Discussion

Platforms

Foster critical

thinking,

communication,

and discussion

skills

Facilitate

collaborative

interpretation and

debate

Students will be able to

debate Wollstonecraft’s

arguments about women’s

education and equality

AI Assisted Vocabulary

A central challenge for teaching Mary Wollstonecraft lies in helping learners to overcome

rhetorical structures and linguistic challenges which can be barriers to comprehension, as readers

engage with her 18

century prose. AI-powered vocabulary assistants can help resolve this problem

by identifying hard words and phrases automatically, giving definitions, synonyms, context

explanations, guides for pronunciation. These tools also support active reading, allowing students

to understand the main ideas without getting hung up in language comprehension (Andreas, 2020).

AI systems can also tailor explanations to learners’ levels, providing learner-centered, scaffolded

support at the right level, in line with Noddings’ relational pedagogy (Adhikari, Saha & Sen, 2023b)

and Montessori’s approach (Saha & Adhikari, 2023a; 2023b; 2023c). Utilizing AI-assisted

vocabulary tools in classrooms, educators would be able to facilitate textual understanding, deepen

student engagement, and promote autonomous learning whilst immersing in Wollstonecraft’s

strides for women’s education and rational thought. Some popular AI tools for vocabulary

support are:

 Grammarly: Provides contextual synonyms, definitions and sentence-breaking

suggestions.

 QuillBot: Provides options to suggest synonyms and levels of paraphrasing for

complex sentence reducing

 Rewordify: Makes hard words and phrases easier to understand, without

changing the meaning.

 LingQ: Word translations, contextual examples, spaced repetition for how to

keep them.

 Wordtune: Provides alternatives and adds clarity.

Table 2: The table below shows how AI Assisted Vocabulary can assist in solving the

linguistic problems:

Feature/s Function/s Application to Mary

Wollstonecraft

Definitions Provide meaning and context

for difficult terms

Understanding of words like

‘prejudice’, ‘virtue’, ‘ratiionality’ etc.

Synonyms and

Antonyms

Offer a wide range of words Will help students in

paraphrasing

Pronounciation Corrects reading Will facilitate classroom reading

sessions

Contextual

Examples

Focuses words of historical,

philosophical or cultural

significance

Students will understand the

terms used in the texts and

Enlightenment thought used by

Wollstonecraft

Source: Developed by Researcher

AI Assisted Textual Analysis

AI-assisted textual analysis offers computational techniques for analyzing literary texts by

spotting themes and rhetorical devices (Andreas, 2020). These resources can assist students in

more methodically investigating her philosophical claims. Students can see how Wollstonecraft

stresses concepts like reason, virtue, education and equality by using AI-based textual analysis

technologies that can identify recurrent terms, theme clusters and conceptual relationships within

the text (Al-Samarraie et al., 2021). By introducing techniques frequently employed in digital

humanities study, these tools supplement conventional close reading. Students can better

comprehend Wollstonecraft’s critique of 18

century gender conventions by examining contextual

usage and patterns of the word usages. Additionally, AI-assisted textual analysis promotes data-

informed interpretation by enabling students consider how important concepts evolve over time.

As a result, using AI-based textual analysis can improve students’ critical reading abilities (Lie, &

Long, 2025) while deepening their analytical engagement with Wollstonecraft’s feminist thought.

Table 3: The table below shows how AI tools can be used for Textual Analysis in

Literature

Tool Feature/s Function/s Application to Mary

Wollstonecraft

NVivo Thematic

Coding

Categorizes

textual passages

Will provide deeper

understanding of themes and

concepts

MonkeyLearn

AI Text

Classification

Detects

sentiments

Will help in analyzing tones

of the argument presented in

her work

KH Coder Network

visualization

Provides

conceptual

connection

Will help mapping

relationships among key ideas

AI Summarization Tool

Students’ comprehension of difficult philosophical books can be greatly aided by AI summary

technologies. Long debates are a common feature of Mary Wollstonecraft’s writings. Natural

language processing is used by AI summary systems to reduce lengthy paragraphs into shorter,

more understandable forms while maintaining the main ideas. These resources can aid students in

understanding the major ideas of Wollstonecraft’s arguments in literary classes. AI enables students

to concentrate on important philosophical concepts before delving deeper into textual research by

producing succinct summaries. By allowing students to contrast their own views with summaries

produced by AI, these technologies also promote revision and reflective learning. Therefore, when

applied carefully, AI summarization can boost students’ understanding of Wollstonecraft’s

feminist theory and supplement conventional reading methodologies.

Table 4: The table below shows how AI tools can be used for Summarization

Tool Feature/s Function/s Application to Mary

Wollstonecraft

QuillBot Paragraph

summarizer

Shortens long

passages

Will help students understand

the key arguments

Resoomer

AI-based

summarization

Highlights

important sentences

and phrases

Will assist quick review of

long paragraphs

Source: Developed by Investigator

AI Writing Assistance

These tools assist students improve their academic writing by offering comments on grammar,

coherence, clarity and argument structure using natural language processing and machine learning.

AI writing assistants can help students in literary classes organize their thoughts, strengthen their

sentences and articulate their interpretations of Wollstonecraft’s claims about women’s education

and reason. These resources help students communicate their ideas more successfully by providing

advice on paraphrasing, tone enhancement and logical flow. AI comments can also assist students

in editing essays, reflective diaries or discussion points pertaining to Wollstonecraft’s ideas. AI

writing support can boost students’ self-esteem and improve their academic writing abilities in

literary analysis when utilized as a helpful learning tool rather than as a substitute for critical

thought.

Table 5: The table below shows how AI tools can be used for AI Writing Assistance

Tool Feature/s Function/s Application to Mary

Wollstonecraft

Wordtune Sentence

writing

Improves tone and

readability

Will help refining

analytical responses

ProWritingAid

Detailed

writing

Analyses writing style Will support

development of structured

literary essays

Source: Developed by Researcher

Pedagogical Implications

A structured pedagogical framework can effectively integrate Artificial Intelligence in teaching

the works of Mary Wollstonecraft. AI pre-reading support helps students understand difficult

vocabulary, historical context and key arguments before engaging with the text. During classroom

interpretation, AI tools can facilitate discussion and encourage multiple perspectives on

Wollstonecraft’s ideas about reason and women’s education. AI-assisted analysis enables students

to examine themes, rhetorical patterns, and conceptual relationships through digital tools.

Finally, student reflection allows learners to articulate their interpretations through AI-supported

writing and discussion, fostering critical thinking and independent engagement with the text.

Ethical Concerns: Relating Abrams notions on ‘Thoughts’

Abrams in his book Teaching Literature with Artificial Intelligence: Sustaining Students’ Creativity and

Autonomy in ELA Classrooms (2026) has clearly defined the concepts of ‘Thought Provider’, ‘Thought

Partner’ and ‘Thought Provoker’, which escalates scale of dependence or independence for the student

and the artificial intelligence. Abrams claims that while the student is positioned as a recipient of

knowledge, it is in charge of thinking and producing knowledge. There is a more equitable carrying

of a cognitive burden in literature-focused English classrooms using the thought partner model: a

student may be intellectually engaged in prompting and re-prompting an AI, but in the end, the

student is dependent on the AI for answers, ideas, material, or originality. The last learning model,

thought provoker, places the student in charge of considering concepts and ideas, with the AI

serving to make their thoughts more difficult. Instead of just taking the AI’s information as gospel,

students must analyze, question, or critique its content (Abrams, 2026). The instructor is

positioned as the thinker in traditional classrooms, producing information and imparting it to the

students. Do not confuse this form of education with anything else. It is a political and pedagogical

choice. The question of who gets to think becomes, in my opinion, far more pressing when AI

infiltrates learning environments in an unavoidable and increasingly common manner. There will

be classrooms where AI is allowed to think instead of the teacher or the students as knowledge

producers and thinkers. This results in a lack of autonomy, inventiveness, and capacity in learning

environments for both the teacher and the student.

Image Source: Teaching Literature with Artificial Intelligence: Sustaining Students’ Creativity and

Autonomy in ELA Classrooms, Abrams, 2026

However, artificial intelligence in education offers both opportunities and constraints, just like

any technological intervention. While AI can increase student engagement, facilitate textual

analysis and increase access to information, it also carries the potential of over-reliance, decreased

originality or blind acceptance of interpretations produced by machines (Abebe, 2020). As a result,

cautious pedagogical judgment is required when integrating AI into literature classes. AI should be

used by educators and learners as a helpful intellectual tool rather than as a replacement for human

creativity and thought. AI can enhance human research and increase interaction with literary works

like Mary Wollstonecraft’s when applied critically and responsibly. Therefore, a thoughtful and

balanced application of AI can guarantee that technology progress benefits education, personal

growth and society at large.

Conclusion

There are new opportunities to improve the teaching and learning of difficult philosophical

texts when artificial intelligence is incorporated into literature education. AI-based technologies

can assist students in overcoming language obstacles, engaging with complex arguments, and

developing deeper analytical abilities in the context of Mary Wollstonecraft. Students can approach

Wollstonecraft's ideas in a more approachable and organized way with the help of apps like AI-

assisted vocabulary support, textual analysis, summarization, writing assistance, and interactive

discussion platforms. By enabling students to investigate concepts like reason, education, and

equality using both conventional literary interpretation and computational analysis, these tools also

promote active learning. However, the pedagogical paradigm covered in this chapter highlights

that AI should serve as a helpful intellectual tool rather than taking the role of human interpretation

and critical thinking. Ethical issues are still crucial, especially when it comes to concerns about

reliance on technology and the maintenance of students’ independence and inventiveness. When

applied carefully, AI can support individual engagement with literary texts, collaborative learning,

reflective inquiry, and instructor assistance. In the end, successful AI integration in literature

classes can enhance instructional strategies and produce dynamic learning spaces where humanistic

inquiry and technological innovation collaborate to enhance students’ comprehension of

Wollstonecraft’s feminist philosophy and its ongoing significance in modern society.

References:

Abebe, R., et al. (2020). Roles for computing in social change. Communications of the ACM.

Abrams, E. D. (2026). Teaching Literature with Artificial Intelligence: Sustaining Students’ Creativity and

Autonomy in ELA Classrooms. Routledge.

Adhikari, A., & Saha, B. (2022a). Contouring Education: Ruminating Mary Wollstonecraft's

Thoughts. IAR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 3(4), 12-17.

Adhikari, A., & Saha, B. (2022b). The feminist responses to Mary Wollstonecraft: A reading.

EPRA international journal of research and development (IJRD), 7(9), 32-38.

Adhikari, A., & Saha, B. (2023a). Deconstructing Mary Wollstonecraft: Reconstructing Modern

Woman. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research, 11(7(5)), 90-94.

Adhikari, A., Saha, B., & Sen, S. (2023b). Nel Noddings' Theory of Care and its Ethical

Components. International Research Journal of Education and Technology, 5(8), 198-206.

Agrawal, A., Gans, J., & Goldfarb, A. (2018). Prediction machines: The simple economics of artificial

intelligence. Harvard Business Review Press.

Ahuja, R. (2019). Artificial intelligence and machine learning for education.

Al-Samarraie, H., Teng, B., Alzahrani, A., & Alalwan, N. (2021). Artificial intelligence in

education: A systematic review. Educational Technology & Society.

Anderson, T. (2008). The theory and practice of online learning. Athabasca University Press.

Andreas, J. (2020). Good-enough compositional data augmentation. Proceedings of the ACL.

Das, U., & Adhikari, A. (2026). Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Modern Society:

Opportunities, Challenges and Ethical Implications. The Social Science Review A

Multidisciplinary Journal, 4(2), 96-101.

Lie, C., & Long, J. (2025). Comparing AI-assisted and traditional teaching in college English: pedagogical

benefits and learning behaviors. Information, 16(10), 895.

Saha, B., & Adhikari, A. (2023a). The Montessori Method of Education of the Senses: The Case

of the Children’s Houses. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 4(5), 6671-

6673

Saha, B., & Adhikari, A. (2023b). The Montessori Approach to the Teaching - Learning Process.

The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 11(3), 574-578.

Saha, B., & Adhikari, A. (2023c). The Montessori Method: A Constructivist Approach?

International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development, 6(3), 768-772.

Yuan, H. (2025). Effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in language teaching. Computers and Education:

Artificial Intelligence, 9, 100522.