10 Things that Puzzle me in Mansfield Park

1) Why does everyone treat Fanny so poorly except for Edmund?

I think the main reason is that the Bertram family whom she is living with is of a higher class than she had come from. They saw her as being of a lower class, and poorly educated and so treated her as such, without giving her a chance to show her knowledge and skills. I also think she is very misunderstood and no one seems to be very caring to her needs. Edmund is the only one in his family who seems to be intuitive enough to care about Fanny.

2) What is the big deal with the play and why is everyone fighting over the roles?

I believe that the roles are somehow feeding into each person's weaknesses of power and praise for their performances. The most important roles are the ones that are the most sought after, as the characters are popular and everyone adores them.

3) Why is Sir Thomas's business in Antigua hardly mentioned?

I believe the whole slave trade business on the side with Sir Thomas going to Antigua is hardly mentioned because the story takes the point of view of a third person narrative. The main focus is on Fanny, Edmund etc. It may also be that Jane Austen didn't write about the slave trade because she had no knowledge of it, didn't want to write about it as she wanted to get away from the horror of it and instead wanted to write a Utopian sort of story, or she didn't want to talk about an issue that the British people seemed to be obsessed with (buying/selling slaves). There is no way to really know the truth.

4) Why was Fanny sent to live with her cousins?

This often has confused me. I could not even imagine why Fanny was sent to live with her cousins the Bertram family. I mean her mother has 8 children, and yet for some reason Fanny is sent to live with her cousins. Does her mother really dislike her that much that she has to send her away to live with another family? I don't get it. I mean why Fanny? Why not William or another child? Why her? Obviously William is the bread winner of the family, the one that is expected to take care of the family when his father dies, but if Fanny is a girl and would be useful to keep around the house to help her mother take care of the younger children why is she sent away? I guess her mother just got tired of having her around (this is hard for me to believe. I mean how could a mother send her daughter away?) and sent her to live with her sister so that in some small way she could be an improved lady of society. It still doesn't make a lot of sense.

5) Why does Mrs. Norris want Fanny and then a few years later want nothing to do with her?

At first I thought it was because Mrs. Norris wanted to improve a young lady and since she had no children and her sister had 8, I guess she thought she would take the youngest and improve her to be a high lady of society. At first Mrs. Price objected and sent Fanny instead to her cousins house the Bertram family. Then Mrs. Norris changed her mind after seeing Fanny some years later, as Fanny was plain, sad and not quite what Mrs. Norris had expected I think. So then Mrs. Norris didn't want to have anything to do with Fanny as she was older by this time, and didn't want to improve her to be a lady as she was already so sad of a person.

6) Why does Fanny cry so much?

I think the reason that Fanny cries so much is that everyone (except Edmund and William), misunderstand her and treat her poorly. No one shows her compassion, gives her encouragement, or is patient with her timidness. Since she has had no one to turn to when she has been treated badly she cries. In her case this is her only emotion to turn to when she is feeling upset about something and this is her defense mechanism. She deals with stress/anger/happiness/sadness/fearfulness/etc. by crying, because this is the only way she knows how to deal with her emotions. She was not taught different emotions by her family as they have always been emotionally vacant. Edmund is an emotionally strong character. He is comfortable with his emotions, and he gives Fanny encouragement in expressing her own emotions by showing her compassion and caring about her needs.

7) Why does Fanny seem so obsessed/enamored with Edmund?

As seen in the previous example Fanny likes to spend time with Edmund because he is the only one (besides William), who treats her with kindness and like a normal person. The rest of her family treat her badly and show her no love at all. while Edmund is all about compassion, sympathy, and love for Fanny. He is her only friend and he really does care about her and how she is doing.

8) Why is the play so scandalous?

The play is all about love and what makes it scandalous is the content it has. The play is about love, marriage, and finding one's relations after many lost years. The cast consisting of women and men was highly scandalous. The women were considered improper if they acted in the theater and they were looked upon as loose women if they tried to make a living acting in a theater. The fact that there were women acting in this play, about finding their lovers, talking about how they want to caress their fiance, etc. is highly controversial especially for a man like Sir Thomas who stresses modesty. It is all around improper.

9) Why does Mansfield Park encompass so many themes?

I think Jane Austen knows a lot about her target audience. She seems to want to incorporate a lot of different ideas that were popular at this time. Some of the themes that can be found in the book are: the slave trade, marriages, the morality of society, the formal education of children, etc. I gather the reason it doesn't have one major theme is that when Jane Austen was writing Mansfield Park was that it was a complicated time for her as their were a lot of social issues going on around her. The biggest one being the Slave trade. I think that she must have had some knowledge of it, but in some small way she wanted to write about a lot of different social issues and not just focus on one theme.

10) Jane Austen when writing Fanny Price tried to create a perfect character, but one that would be well liked. Why is Fanny Price so disliked in Mansfield Park?

Based on Jane Austen: An Illustrated Treasury by Rebecca Dickson, the author points out that Jane Austen in creating the character of Fanny was trying to, "...produce a nearly angelic heroine full of delicacy and good judgement who does not need to face her faults and improve herself...Austen presents another message to her readers: by being consistently patient, passive and good, a woman can rise above difficult circumstances." (Dickson, 78) Creating a character that is good and moral is great, but in the case of Fanny she is too perfect and whines all the time. She cries a lot throughout the book and whines way too much and after awhile it gets annoying. She is not a strong character. She is kind of weak, but that is a given considering how she grew up. In fanny's case I don't think she ever had a chance to rise above her difficult circumstances if Edmund had not helped to encourage her. I think the main reason that Fanny is so disliked is that she does not connect with readers. She complains, she cries, she acts like a child at times, but there is no kind of character trait that readers connect with. I almost want to see her fall in a muddy puddle or see her get her hands dirty or something. Anything that would make me feel that she is human just like everyone else. When she is this perfect character, I think the reader could care less because they can't connect with the main character. If the reader can't connect with the main character that is a big problem and there is something wrong with the story.

Alternative Ending to Pride and Prejudice

If I were to re-write the very last chapter of Pride and Prejudice and create an alternative ending it would probably go something like this:

After the events that followed in the course of the afternoon, Elizabeth went to her father at once to relay the occurrence of her conversation with Mr. Darcy, and his explanations of him slighting her only to find out that he wasn’t. Upon hearing the news her father sat quietly a moment before responding.

“Elizabeth, it sounds as if your favor towards the man has changed. I have quite imagined that you have hated the man, but it seems I am wrong. Do you love him?”

“Very much so father.”

“Well then by all means bring the man here so that I might deliberate on the matter.”

“Thank you father.” Elizabeth hugged her father with much love.

“I cannot believe that you have found someone worthy of you my dearest Lizzy.”

“I am truly the luckiest woman in the world father.”

Elizabeth quickly hastened her steps to send out an urgent message saying that Mr. Darcy should come at once to the invitation of her father. She was about to close the letter when she heard a carriage approach their residence. She ran to the door. The carriage door opened and there was Mr. Darcy. He smiled when he saw Elizabeth.

“Good day Elisabeth. I hope you are faring well.”

“I am thank you. How are you Mr. Darcy? “

“I am fine. I came to talk to your father about our conversation this morning and my intentions.
May I speak with him?” Mr. Darcy had a nervous expression on his face.

“Of course, he’s in his study.” Elizabeth led the way. When she got to the study she rasped her hand on the door.

“Father Mr. Darcy is here and he wishes to speak with you.”

“Let him in Elizabeth.” Elizabeth opened the door and Mr. Darcy walked in and shook Mr. Bennett’s hand. Elizabeth closed the door behind her. She tried to decide what they were saying. All she could make out were the words, “love,” “marriage,” and some unheard amount of money. When she heard shuffling of chairs she lost her nerve and abruptly stopped listening at the door and waited in the hallway.

In a fortnight’s time the announcement of the weddings of Jane Bennett to Mr. Bingley and Elizabeth Bennett to Mr. Darcy were all over the town and perhaps in the nearby counties as well. The weddings were to take place separately one right after the other. Elizabeth voiced that Jane should go first as she was the eldest Miss Bennett. Jane’s wedding was as glorious and happy as any wedding could be. It was set inside a beautiful church. There were many flowers and all the guests were fashioned in their best attire. The whole scene was picturesque and light. Elizabeth’s wedding would take place the next afternoon.

Elizabeth’s wedding was quite different. It took place outside with the sun shining all around. Mr. Darcy and Georgiana were quite excited to receive Elizabeth as a new member of the family, Darcy because he loved her, Georgiana because she was receiving a new sister. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett could not be happier for Elizabeth. Jane and Mr. Bingley, Lydia and Mr. Wickem, Mary, Kitty, Charlotte and Mr. Collins as well as everyone else acquainted or related to the Bennett’s or to Mr. Darcy was there. It was a big event in the small town that day. There were pink and red flowers hanging over the opening to the altar. Jane walked down the aisle towards the altar escorted by Mr. Bennett. Mr. Darcy looked at her and thought to himself how beautiful she was at this moment, more so than he had ever seen her. Elizabeth looked up to see Mr. Darcy looking at her. She smiled and admired how nice his face was when he was happy. The minister started the ceremony and the only thing that Elizabeth could think about was how fortunate she was to have found such a favorable man as Mr. Darcy.

When the ceremony was over Darcy took Elizabeth’s hand and they took a stroll about his estate after they had both said their goodbyes to their well wishers. It was a long walk in which they talked about their first impressions of each other, and when they knew that they were in love with the other. By the time they returned to Darcy’s mansion it was late and the sun was starting to set.

The next morning Elizabeth received a letter from her sister Lydia. In the letter Lydia congratulated Elizabeth on her marriage to Mr. Darcy, and also asked that Mr. Darcy give them more money. Elizabeth sighed. Lydia would always be the same.

Jane and Mr. Bingley were very distinguished in high society as a couple of grace and humbleness. Their temperaments were well suited to each other. Kitty was becoming a most distinguished lady going away from her sister Lydia’s tarnished image. She was well known in high society and was always invited to the most distinguished balls. Mary was still living at home. Though she was encouraged to be more social, she seemed content to be reclined to her readings. Lydia and Mr. Wickem were regularly seen at balls together, though it must be made known that Lydia was more receptive to other people than Mr. Wickem was. His temperament was most distasteful towards Lydia, at times he seemed indifferent towards her, while she was most pleasant to him. As far as Darcy and Elizabeth are concerned, no two people could be happier. They liked discussing topics of the day and taking walks on their estate together. They were always seen together and never alone from one another. In the end they were content about their decision and lived a long happy life together.

End