"Mansfield Park"
by Jane Austen.
First published in 1813. Even this date I find astonishing.
So much of the novel has such a modern feel about it. Sexual tension, jealousy, action, duplicity. Servants hardly get a mention.
There is Chapman, who helped Lady Bertram with her clothes.
The main characters are Fanny Price, a shy young girl, who leaves her crowded home in Portsmouth at the invitation of her rich uncle and aunt, Sir Thomas Bertram in Northamptonshire.
Other characters are the Bertram offspring, two girls Maria and Julia and two boys, Tom and Edmund.
Mary and Henry Crawford have major parts, Mary as an ambivalent and manipulative friend to Fanny and sister of Henry Crawford who wants to marry Fanny.
Crawford, though well-endowed, handsome and rich turns out to be a sexual predator and the news of his affair with Maria, one of the Bertram daughters gets out,
Fanny is conveniently relieved of the pressure to marry him and can marry the now-ordained Edmund.
Incidentally I think Edmund, a bit of a softy, should do a lot more grovelling and apologise to Fanny for failing to see through the duplicitous Crawford pair and for trying to persuade her to marry Henry Crawford.
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Incomes and dowries:
There are frequent mentions about how much people are worth, presumably largely farm rental incomes for the men and dowries to put into their marriages for the women.
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Ethics:
Very largely personal.
I found the importance Jane Austen puts on sustained truthfulness and commitments to be interesting.
She also mentions “faith” occasionally.
One sees her Christianity, as the bulwark for consistent and loving human relationships.
In his effort to induce Fanny’s compliance Crawford talks of care of his estate (Everingham p 330) and Fanny approves of his apparent care of the poor and oppressed, however she recognises that this is aimed at Fanny.
The underlying ethic is very conservative.
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Slavery.
I don’t recall any mention of slavery although Sir Thomas’s trip to Antigua must have involved the use of slave labour.
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The war:
William, Fanny’s brother, was in the navy and must have been at risk. Henry Crawford is jealous of his stories of bravery but, as a midshipman, William was low down in the pecking order.
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The characterisation is always subtle, and carefully graded, some angelic (Fanny and in time, her sister Susan), some goodish, Edmund – so so, and a drip, Sir Thomas – goodish, but pompous and taken in by Crawford,
Mary, evil but maybe a titchy bit of good, and Henry Crawford, evil etc.
All beautifully written and a highly recommended read.
Andrew
November 2025
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