Mansfield Park (I) Cinderella in MP as a Society of Landed Gentry: 1-8 In vain were the well-meant condescensions of Sir Thomas ~ Volume I, Chapter II (2) Image SourceImage Source

Mansfield Park 1) Why Mansfield Park? 2) Main Characters & Plot 3) Theme: Mansfield Park as a Society Outline a. Women’s Position in Marriage b. “Parents” & Patriarch c. Sons & Daughters d. Fanny’s Growth e. Gift Exchange & New Comers

1) Why Mansfield Park? The kind pains you took to...persuade me out of my fears_Volume I, Chapter III (3)

MP: Another of Cinderella Stories …and more Pygmalion  Turn of the 19/20 th century  Eliza goes for her education  Magical Transformations: accent  manners  mind  Marriage or Work? Mansfield Park  Turn of the 18/19 th century  Fanny picked out of a poor family  Story of Fanny’s Growth, Love & Marriage  w/ apparent passivity, humility but also active self- reflections & decisions

MP: More than Marriage Plot (1)Story of Fanny -- Education and Improvement: How? -- Fanny’s Reflections & Scruples: Agree or not? (2) Story of Families: who are her family? (3) Social Circles in MP & London (4) Failures at the Center of British Empire PR: Beginning 17: Henry & Mary Crawford: BBC: Mary –flirting: 8:27

Plot Summary: Chap 1-8 o source

Plot Summary: Chap 1-8 (1) o Chapter I — The Ward sisters marry. Mrs. Norris suggests an act of charity, Sir Thomas agrees. o Chapter II — The ten-year-old arrives in the big house and meets her cousins. Edmund is reassuring, and a letter to William will help put her at ease. The Bertram girls think their cousin is very stupid. o Chapter III — The Mansfield living passes to Dr. Grant. Will Mrs. Norris take Fanny with her? No, of course not. Sir Thomas and Tom leave for Antigua to take care of business. o Chapter IV — The Miss Bertrams go husband hunting, with Mrs. Norris acting as their scout. Edmund gets Fanny a horse. Tom returns, and Mr. Rushworth woos Tom‘s sister and wins her. Mr. and Miss Crawford join their sister at the parsonage. source

Plot Summary: Chap 1-8 (2) o Chapter V — The brother Henry was not handsome; he was absolutely plain, black and plain. He was also a flirt and learned from a bad example, but he grows on the Miss Bertrams. Is Miss Price out? [Mary’s calculation; Mrs. Grant’s scheme; “taken in” “out”] o Chapter VI — Mr. Rushworth discusses improving Sotherton, including changing the avenue. Miss Price would like to see it before the changes. Miss Crawford has difficulty finding a cart to carry her harp. To Sotherton they shall go. o Chapter VII — Edmund and Fanny discuss Miss Crawford, who they find charming, but there is something lacking. Edmund is enamored. Mary borrows Fanny's horse and is very late in returning it. Fanny gets a headache after cutting roses in the sun and walking twice to the parsonage, and because someone had been riding her horse. o Chapter VIII — How shall they get to Sotherton? Fanny gets to go too. Who will get to ride with Mr. Crawford? The scenery on the way there is very nice. source

Discussion Questions a. (2) (4) Women’s Positions in Marriage: How does marriage makes a difference in the 3 sisters’ social positions? What customs of this marriage market are described in this part? b. (7) (10) Education & Gift Exchange: Do “parents” teach their children? What has been taught? c. (6) (9) Sons & Daughters: What do they each care about? d. (1) (5) Fanny’s Growth: How and where does she change & “improve” herself? e. (3) (8) New Comers: Describe Rushworth & the Crawfords, are they like-able? If so, how? How do they reflect the social circle they are in? Mansfield Park and Social Mobility

I. Class & Marriage (1)  The 3 marriages make a lot of differences among the 3 sisters (Maria, Frances and Fanny)  They “rescue” Fanny in different ways*

I. Class & Marriage (2): Influences on Fanny  Fanny feels diffident and afraid at MP;  For Sir Thomas, she is not a Ms. Bertram, “she is not a Miss Bertram. …they cannot be equals” (10)  The Bertram children: (p. 15)  Edmund is sympathetic;  the others: find her “an acceptable companion”  Tom laughs at her; the two daughters find her “stupid” and “ignorant”  Class difference between Mary & Fanny (the former knowing only the rank of admirals) 44 Image Source

I. Class & Marriage (3): Influences on Maria’s & Mary’s Views of Marriage  Maria engaged with Mr. Rushworth (29-30)  At the age of 21, “Maria Bertram was beginning to think matrimony a duty”;  It will give her a larger income than her father's, a house in town,  Mary and Henry about the marriage market (31-32; 35)  Mary sees matrimony as her object*  favors Tom—because he is agreeable, and he has a park, a modern house, pleasant sistes …”  Henry a flirt (32)  Both Mary and Henry are experienced on the marriage market, so they see marriage as “being taken-in” (34-) and joke about women’s being engaged or disengaged*, being “out” or not, revealing courtship as a game but not genuine communication

I. Class & Marriage (4): Edmund on Maria & Rushworth  Edmund on Rushworth: -- "If this man had not twelve thousand a year, he would be a very stupid fellow.“ (30) -- He does not agree with his sister’s focusing on money in her pursuit of marriage

II. Parents’ Education & Gift Exchange  Mrs. Price: helpless  Mrs. Norris: benevolent with other people’s money (p. 9)* –”being the most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world.”  provides Fanny the “advantage of companions of her own age and a regular instructress” (p. 9)  places Fanny in the “white attic” (the best place for her)  finds her lucky and expects her to be “good” and “grateful” (12)*  Sir Thomas: worried about the “association” of his sons with Fanny and its negative influences (10)  Lady Bertram: lethargic & caring only about her pug (16)  Their education of their own daughters: beauty, good memories and expecting good connections. (17)

II. Parents’ Education & Gift Exchange: Influences on Fanny  Fanny: grateful  1) Feel bad about her crying: “it being a wicked thing for her not to be happy” (12)  2) About Sir. Thomas’s leaving: “she really grieved because she could not grieve”  3) to Edmund: “respectful, grateful, confiding, and tender”(28); he also finds her sweet and with a grateful heart  4) (chap VII) Finds Mary “ungrateful” & “indecorous” to talk about her uncle (the Admiral) and his affair.  Fanny: timid  1) don’t find herself important to anyone; hide behind others without speaking for herself (21)  2) feels that she’s “foolish” and “awkward” (21)  3) believes that Edmund must be right. (next slide)

Social Circle (1): “Family” – Edmund to Fanny I.A main positive influence on Fanny: -- he is sympathetic and helpful; getting paper for her to write letters to Williams and insisting that Fanny needs a horse to ride -- he confirms her talent and gives her books to read* -- teach her to ride horse II. His judgment may not be right:  -- about her moving to live with Mrs. Norris: “I am quite convinced that your being with Mrs. Norris, will be as good for your mind, as riding has been for your health” (22)  foreboding: he will forget about her and her need of horse-riding.

Social Circle (1): “Family” –The Other Sons & Daughters I.The Bertrams to Fanny 1) Two sisters: -- present her with their “least valued toys” (12) -- complain about her “ignorance” (15-) 2. Tom: gives her gifts and laughs at her II. Tom & Edmund: in debts, while Edmund has to pay for it (19) III. Maria and Julia: in rivalry over Henry’s attention on their trip to Sotherton (VIII), with Maria sulking first on the road, and then elated when seeing the mansion.

Social Circle (2): New Comers  Henry & Mary: joining their sister, though preferring the life in London 31  Ms. Crawford: in Fanny & Edmund’s discussion (in chap 7) -- beautiful, articulate -- “ungrateful” about her uncle (VII); “faults of the niece”; about letter-writing -- Mary: views of labor, harp, letter (42-) 1. against labor* 2.“The player must always be best off, for she is gratified in more ways than one. “ 3. Men write very short letter.

Fanny’s Education (chap 2~) 1)Her Diffidence: looks small and timid(11); not worried about the two sisters’ mistreatment; finds herself “not important” to anyone (21) 2)Her first responses: afraid of every one, ashamed of herself, missing home, feeling guilty about being unhappy, fatigued (11-12) 3) Nobody paying attention to her, Fanny feels forlorn, (Maria & Julia 12; Tom 15); Fanny seen as ignorance )Edmund as the only helper and companion 13-; 18 5)Fanny close to Edmund as well as Williams 17

Fanny’s Education (2) (growing up and developing her values) 1)Fanny: taught to emphasize ‘gratefulness’ (e.g. when she first arrives at MP, finding herself wicked for being miserable; 2)Loves MP, unwilling to move to Mrs. Norris’s 3)good companion to Lady Bertram, outside the social circle (27) 4)Her judgment: 1)responses to Sotherton (VI; VIII)*

Fanny’s Education (3) : Fanny vs. Mary  Mary vs. Fanny (views of letter 44); (58); IX MaryFanny LetterMen write short letters only Her brother Williams does. Sotherton & its chapel -- Care for none of the houses she’s seen -- rituals only a matter of formality Her imagination warmed with scenes of the past “nothing awful, nothing melancholy and nothing grand” (61) Rituals should be followed LandscapeDoes not like to work keeping the natural attentionOn men and women, talents for the “light and lively” In her own thought and reflections; close observation of the natural surroundings

Turning Point: chap VII & VIII 1.Fanny and Edmund’s discussion of Mary  F’s judgment: Her judgement of Mary Crawford’s undue remark on the Admiral (her uncle), which reflects on Mary’s mother (VII)  Edmund finds Mary attractive 2.Edmund in love; Fanny is slighted by Edmund and Mary: (VII) 49 3.The trip to Sotherton proposed.

Mansfield Park as an Aristocratic Society Supported by Money & Nobility – ”a remarkably fine family” with inherent problems Mrs. Norris A busybody Fanny Henry Crawford Mary Crawford

12/25Mansfield Park Introduction & (1) Chap: 1-8 (60 pages) Cinderella in MP as a Society of Landed Gentry 23/3Summary, Quiz: Mansfield Park (2.1): Chap 9-14 (60 pages) -- Sotherton & Lovers’ Vows 33/10Mansfield Park (2.2) Chap 9-23/I:12- II:5 Conservatism vs. Liberalism: What’s Wrong? 43/17Summary, Quiz: Mansfield Park (3.1) Chap 24-31/ II:5-II: 13 (53 pages)--Henry’s Love: Why not? 53/24Mansfield Park (3.2) Chap (II: 6- III: 5) Home, Class & Love: 63/31-Spring Break - 74/7Mansfield Park (4) Chap (Vol III: 6-17; 80 pages) British Empire: Its Order and Boundaries Reading and Discussion Schedule