Austen 250 Reader Series: Mansfield Park (Vol. I, Ch. 1-10)

Hello dearest readers.

Thank you for joining for the newest installment of the Jane Austen Summer Program’s 250 Reader Series! I’m Na’dayah, and you lucky readers get to read Mansfield Park with me for the next several weeks.

In last week’s introductory post, I went on a bit of a tirade about how much I disliked Mansfield Park my first time reading it, and about how I’m excited to give it another chance and (hopefully) like it more.

Since then, I’ve read the first ten chapters of the novel, and I’m happy to report that I’m already enjoying it more than I remember enjoying my first read through. If you were to ask me what my favorite aspect of any Austen work is, I would tell you that it’s the humor; yet, I was nevertheless surprised to find myself literally laughing out loud in these opening pages.

In typical Austen fashion, we’re quickly introduced to an assortment of persons who are . . . quite the characters. The wealthy Sir Thomas Bertram and Lady Bertram are convinced by Mrs. Norris, Lady Bertram’s sister, to undertake the care of Fanny Price, the novel’s heroine and the daughter of Mrs. Price, who is Lady Bertram and Mrs. Norris’s other sister. They do so, but Mrs. Norris stresses to everyone that despite living with the family and being related to them, Fanny is far inferior to her cousins Tom, Edmund, Maria, and Julia—the Bertram children.

(If you’re anything like me and that was a lot of names and relationships to learn all at once, you might find this family tree useful. Just keep in mind that it has spoilers about who marries who at the end of the novel!)

Fanny comes to live with her relatives at the titular Mansfield Park, and throughout her life generally suffers in silence. Though she is not explicitly or physically maltreated, her desires and wants often are overlooked. This overlooking is made even easier by the fact that meek Fanny, with her respect for rules and customs and propriety and manners, often deigns to keep silent and accept whatever terms are presented to her rather than voicing her true feelings and risking disrupting the social equilibrium. During her first several years living with the Bertrams, she is often in tears, dearly missing her older brother William. Her only real companion at Mansfield Park is Edmund, the younger Bertram son, who makes efforts to make Fanny comfortable and make her time enjoyable:

“[Edmund] talked to [Fanny] more, and from all that she said, was convinced of her having an affectionate heart, and a strong desire of doing right; and he could perceive her to be farther entitled to attention, by great sensibility of her situation, and great timidity. He had never knowingly given her pain, but he now felt that she required more positive kindness, and with that view endeavoured, in the first place, to lessen her fears of them all, and gave her especially a great deal of good advice as to playing with Maria and Julia, and being as merry as possible. From this day Fanny grew more comfortable. She felt that she had a friend, and the kindness of her cousin Edmund gave her better spirits with every body else.” — Vol. I, Ch. II

The first few chapters of the novel operate as more of a “here’s what you missed on Mansfield Park” summary of events, before diving into the real action of the story. In the last moments of these summary-esque chapters, Mr. Norris dies, and “Mrs. Norris, on quitting the parsonage, removed first to the park, and afterwards to a small house of Sir Thomas’s in the village, and consoled herself for the loss of her husband by considering that she could do very well without him” (Vol. I, Ch. III). This important event triggers the arrival of Dr. Grant and his wife, who move onto the property and “entered the neighbourhood with the usual fair report of being very respectable, agreeable people” (Vol. I, Ch. III).

There’s a moment where it seems as though Fanny is going to move in with Mrs. Norris, but Mrs. Norris weasels her way out of this abominable situation. Shortly afterward, Sir Thomas quits his family to handle business at his Antigua estate.

Enter the newcomers.

After Sir Thomas’s departure, a slew of new arrivals enter the novel, including Mr. Rushworth, Mary Crawford, and Henry Crawford.

• Mr. Rushworth quickly becomes Maria Bertram’s suitor. He is “from the first struck with the beauty of Miss Bertram, and being inclined to marry, soon fancied himself in love.”

• Mary Crawford, the half-sister of Mrs. Grant, is described as “remarkably pretty.” She has her sights set on a Bertram heir. . . .

• Henry Crawford is the half-brother of Mrs. Grant and whole-brother of Mary, who, “though not handsome, had air and countenance.”

With all these new characters, you might be expecting some drama to ensue. Rest assured, dear readers, quite the shenanigans follow the arrival of these new folks.

Mr. Rushworth and Maria Bertram quickly become engaged. Maria, twenty-one, is “beginning to think matrimony a duty; and as a marriage with Mr. Rushworth would give her the enjoyment of a larger income than her father’s . . . it became, by the same rule of moral obligation, her evident duty to marry Mr. Rushworth if she could.” The engagement is quickly approved by all except Edmund, with the only caveat being that Sir Thomas wishes the wedding be delayed until his return.

Around this time, the Crawford siblings arrive in town. Miss Crawford has intentions of marrying Mr. Bertram, and Henry Crawford declares that “nobody can think more highly of the matrimonial state than [him]self.” Miss Crawford contests, however, that anyone who convinces Henry to settle down and marry must be a very clever person, and that Henry has, up to this point, been impossible to convince.

When all the young people meet, they get right along.

“The young people were pleased with each other from the first. On each side there was much to attract, and their acquaintance soon promised as early an intimacy as good manners would warrant.” — Vol. I, Ch. V

Maria Bertram is already engaged, so Mr. Crawford is “paired up” with Julia. Despite this, there seems to be something forming between him and Maria; both separately insist that because she is married, there can be no harm in finding each other agreeable, right?

(Dear readers; place your bets as to how this might turn out!)

Mary Crawford, meanwhile, is plotting on the eldest Bertram son. But when he leaves for —— (you know, that old place), she finds herself growing closer to the younger Bertram son. . . .

You might be wondering: Where is Fanny during all of this?

Why, she is observing, of course.

Our dear, darling little Fanny is mostly just witnessing the chaos as it begins to unfold. To some degree, she is pained—like when, for example, Miss Crawford’s wish to go riding with Edmund means that Fanny doesn’t get to ride until much later than she’d expected. But though Edmund eventually recognizes this injustice, our dear, darling Fanny resigns herself to suffer in silence.

Let’s talk about Fanny for a second.

Fanny Price: heroine of this novel, yet the quietest person in it. I wonder if that’s maybe why I didn’t care for her much before? She has such a lack of self-esteem and confidence—it seems, oftentimes, that she almost thinks she deserves such maltreatment! I wish she would stand up for herself more, instead of waiting for Edmund to do so.

That said, I’m growing more respectful of her strict morality. I can’t recall whether, last time I read the novel, I truly appreciated the emphasis on propriety vs. impropriety. Fanny (and Edmund), it seems, embodies the former; where Sense & Sensibility’s Elinor Dashwood is the titular “sense,” and Pride & Prejudice’s Elizabeth Bennet is the titular sense, Fanny Price seems to represent the “propriety” that doesn’t quite make its way into the title of the novel. She is certainly the most rational and rule-abiding character. . . . Does that necessarily make her dull?

I honestly was beginning to find her pretty relatable. At the very least I empathize with her, especially when it comes to moments like the one in Chapter VII, where she feels abandoned and forgotten by Edmund while he’s out riding with Miss Crawford:

“In Dr. Grant’s meadow she immediately saw the group—Edmund and Miss Crawford both on horseback, riding side by side, Dr. and Mrs. Grant, and Mr. Crawford. . . . A happy party it appeared to her—all interested in one object—cheerful beyond a doubt, for the sound of merriment ascended even to her. It was a sound which did not make her cheerful; she wondered that Edmund should forget her, and felt a pang. She could not turn her eyes from the meadow, she could not help watching all that passed.” — Vol. I, Ch. VII

Haven’t we all had a moment of FOMO before? This is one of the moments when I felt like I was really beginning to understand Fanny; her moments of isolation allow the reader to grow closer to her. Poor, darling Fanny, so unwaveringly good in her morality yet so continuously overlooked and mistreated. If Fanny Price were a Disney Princess, she’d be Cinderella. If only she had some mousy friends to keep her company!

Eventually, actions are taken that prevent Fanny’s FOMO. A visit to Sotherton, Mr. Rushworth’s estate, is organized, and—though not without pushback from Mrs. Norris—Edmund arranges things so that Fanny is able to accompany the party.

This is where the real antics occur.

While touring the chapel at Sotherton, Miss Crawford denounces the institution: “The obligation of attendance, the formality, the restraint, the length of time—altogether it is a formidable thing, and what nobody likes.” She is very adamant about sharing her opinion, and she does. Only after criticizing the church does she learn that Edmund is to be ordained to be a clergyman. . . . Yikes!

Eventually, the party ventures outdoors.

It’s here that many a boundary is transgressed.

Bored of walking on the terrace, Miss Crawford comes across a door which leads to the “wilderness.” Though it’s not actually as wild as it sounds—the OED defines it as “a piece of ground in a large garden or park, planted with trees, and laid out in an ornamental or fantastic style, often in the form of a maze or labyrinth”—the name certainly connotes what it truly represents: the place where rules and decencies are abandoned, and everything becomes a free for all.

Fanny, Edmund, and Miss Crawford venture into the wilderness as a trio. They continue walking, with Edmund and Miss Crawford bantering about whether they’ve walked one mile or four, until Fanny grows physically tired. Edmund insists that Fanny rest, so she takes a seat. Edmund and Miss Crawford, then, decide to resolve their disagreement by walking around some more, to truly figure out the dimensions of the wood. They venture off on their own, leaving Fanny behind.

Sound familiar?

It becomes familiar all too soon; Fanny is left alone for twenty minutes, until finally she hears footsteps approaching!

Except it’s not Edmund and Miss Crawford; it’s Miss Bertram, Mr. Rushworth, and Mr. Crawford.

They spend a few seconds lamenting Fanny’s abandonment, but quickly become occupied with a locked gate. Miss Bertram decides that she wants to pass through the gate, so Mr. Rushworth offers to go fetch the key.

But Miss Bertram can’t bear to wait: “That iron gate, that ha-ha, give me a feeling of restraint and hardship. I cannot get out, as the starling said.” Fanny insists that they wait until Mr. Rushworth returns, but Miss Bertram and Mr. Crawford climb over the locked gate anyway, disappearing out of sight.

(Something to say here about rules and restrictions and boundaries and impropriety, perhaps?)

Mr. Rushworth returns to find Fanny alone again, and when she tells him what happened he’s “evidently mortified and displeased in no common degree.” He unlocks the gate, he and Fanny enter, and they return to the house, where the party reassembles and eventually returns to Mansfield Park.

And, thus, we come to the end of our first ten chapters.

Wow! That was a lot already.

Thank you all so much for joining me for this first installment of the Mansfield Park reader series! What are your thoughts on the first ten chapters of the novel? Let me know in the comments! I enjoy the comments, especially when they’re kind.

You’ll hear from me next week about chapters 11-18. In the meantime, happy reading!

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