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Mansfield Park (IV) British Empire: Its Order and Boundaries Chap 37-48 (Vol III: 6-17) & Conclusion Looked at him for a moment in speechless admiration. ~ Volume III, Chapter VII (38) Fanny was obliged to introduce him. ~ Volume III, Chapter X (41) The joyful consent which met Edmund's application ~ Volume III, Chapter XVII (48) Image Source Image Source Fanny looking at Tom’s sketch book (Film, Patricia Rozema) Fanny & William Fanny, Henry & her Family Fanny re. Tom’s sketches (R. film) Fanny & Edmund
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Outline General Intro & Discussion Questions 1.*Stories of Love and Education Fanny’s and Edmund’s Love Henry’s & Mary’s Changes: Why? 2.Family Relations: Fanny at “Home” 3.*Social Circles: Catastrophes and Solutions 4.Empire: Boundaries of Different Kinds 5.Conclusion: Happy Ending?
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Housekeeping Workstation Group Discussion with Kate: this or next week, definitely before mid- term Deadline for Workstation work plan (including job division) & ppt: 4/23 Showtime: topics 4/7 ~5/12 Journal 2 4/28 ~ 5/14(Sat); Journal 3 5/9 (Mon)
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Home, Society & Empire defined in terms of -- Family Relations -- Love Relations -- Boundaries of Social Propriety set after social exchanges & transgression boundaries: geographic (places, ha-ha), class, moral conduct (gratitude & constancy vs. speculation & conquest) Home, Society and Empire Why does Henry change his mind? Where is Fanny’s Home?
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MP Themes: More than Marriage Plot (1)Story of Fanny -- Education and Improvement: How is it a Pygmalion story? -- Fanny’s Love (& Edmund’s) (2) Story of Families: Family Relations & Influences (3) Social Circles & Games in MP vs. those in London (4) Gains & Failures at the Center and Peripheries of British Empire Ref. class & marriageclass & marriage public and private space Empire: Antigua & India MP vs. London Family MP vs. Portsmouth Fanny vs. Mary Edmund vs. Henry Social Mobility
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Mansfield Park: In Historical Contexts 1805-1809 Austen homeless 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1811-13; 14 Writing & Publication of MP Regency Period (1811-1820) : Vanity World Regency Period (1811-1820) : Vanity World French Rev. 1789 Romanticism late 18 th C – 1820’s French Rev. 1789 Romanticism late 18 th C – 1820’s Oct 1810 -- Sir Thomas and Tom leave for Antigua (Fanny age 16); Sept 1811 – Tom returns, April 1812 -- Sir Thomas writes home ; late October 1812 – Sir Thomas returns, Dec. 1812 -- The ball at Mansfield Park Jan 1813 – Henry’s proposals; The Crawfords leave Mansfield; Feb 1813 -- Fanny and William leave Mansfield Park and reaches Portsmouth; M’s letter March 1813 -- Fanny had been nearly four weeks from Mansfield. Henry walks into the room. M’s letter; Lady Bertram's letter announcing Tom's illness. April 1813 – M’s two letters; early May – Edmund’s letter & Fanny’s return Summer 1813 -- Edmund turns to Fanny The Wards’ marriages 1780’s Fanny birth 1780’s Fanny (age 10) to MP 1790’s The Crawfords’ and Rushworth’s appearance
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PP (1813) vs. MP (1814) Pride & Prejudice: “The work is rather too light, and bright, and sparkling; it wants [i.e. needs] shade; it wants to be stretched out here and there with a long chapter of sense, if it could be had…” Elizabeth: Witty like Mary Rejects Collins, a clergyman Marries Darcy, an estate owner Fanny Rejects Henry Marries Edmund
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References made to British Colonialism 1)Sir Thomas goes to Antigua to fix some problems the wealth of MP founded in colonial exploitation 2)He is back, “communicative and chatty” about the trip. But when Fanny asks about the slave trade, there is “a dead silence” (chap 21: 136) 3) Lady Bertrams askes William to bring back from India two shawls (chap 31: 208) Colonialism: a)conquest b)breaking of geographical boundaries; expansion/imposition of British culture (values) c)exploitation (of natural and human resources; slavery) d)expansion of the empire and loss of control MP
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Group Discussion Questions: Your Choice (1) Stories of Love & Education values represented 1.G3 Edmund’s Love: Why does Edmund love Mary? What in Mary that he learns to reject? Is Fanny a good replacement? 2.G1 Mary’s Choice: How is Mary’s personality revealed in her talk and letters? (see next slide) 3.G2 Fanny’s Love: Why does Fanny reject Henry? Does he improve himself when wooing Fanny and how? Is Fanny’s waiting for Ed. worthwhile? 4.G9 Henry’s Choice: How and why does he change? 5.G6 The Other Characters: How is Susan educated? And Julia improved? Why is Maria irredeemable? (2) Story of Families: Family Relations & Influences 6. G4 Describe Fanny’s feelings for her two homes (MP & Portsmouth) 7. G7 What are the problems with Mrs. Norris? Why is she banished from MP to live with Maria at the end? (3) Social Circles & Games in MP vs. those in London 8. G 10 How is London described and how does it change Henry and Mary respectively? (4) Gains & Failures at the Center and Peripheries of British Empire 9. G8 How does Sir Thomas reflect on his own success and failure in educating his children? 10. G 5 Do all the characters put on the margins deserve such treatments by the novel?
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Group Discussion 1 Leader or Reader 1-2 Summarizer (choose the chapters, too) & Style Analyst (3 examples) 3-4 (7) Commentator& Quotations as evidence 5-6 Connector –theme and related examples from the other parts of the novel
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Mary’s Letters & Witticism Her Witticism: “Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there’s no hope of a cure” (7: 49). “Every body is taken in at some period or other” (5: 34) upholding “the true London maxim, that every thing is to be got with money” (6: 43) “where the natural taste is equal, the player must always be best off, for she is gratified in more ways than one” (6: 43) Mary’s behavior: at the family theatrical, Sotherton episode, Speculation game, the ball (& necklace), discussion of Henry’s wooing & proposal, Tom’s illness & Maria’s elopement Mary’s letters: 1) letters to Fanny (actually for Edmund 38: 255) 2) report on the meeting of Maria & Henry (40: 267) 3) about Henry’s visit; people & parties in London; & “no news” from Edmund (43: 281) ; 4) about Tom’s illness (45); 5) about the scandal (46)
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Plot Summary: Chap 37- source. 37 Fanny does not miss the Crawfords. William comes to MP, but is out of uniform. Fanny is happy to go to her parents'. 38 Fanny glad to be away from being an apparent receiver of Mary’s letters; Portsmouth. Home at last—small, noisy The Thrush has gone out of harbour. Fanny ignored; the children noisy; Betsey has a silver knife. 39 Noise and confusion; Fanny disappointed at her parents. William and Sam go to sea. 40 A letter from Mary about the London society (including Maria). Susan becomes a friend. Another silver knife. Fanny joins a library. 41 Henry comes to visit the Prices, with news about Edmund’s going to London They all take a walk to the dock-yard. Henry talks about his work at Norfolk 42 Crawford joins them and goes to church. He offers to take Fanny to Mansfield in his carriage. Should he go home to take care of business? He knows what he ought to do.
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Plot Summary: Chap 37- source. 43 Mary’s letter: that Mrs. Rushworth's first party was a success, and to offer her brother's carriage again. A party will keep Henry from Everingham. Fanny more impatient for the result of Ed’s proposal 44 Edmund finally writes. He tells of his dissatisfaction. She is the only woman in the world whom he could ever think of. Fanny’s soliloquy (287) LB’s letters: Tom Bertram is ill. Lack of sympathy at the Prices. 45 Tom is back at Mansfield, and his brother takes care of him. Fanny knows where her home is (293). Mary’s letter: asking about Tom's condition; the two sisters indifferent. 46 Mary’s letter: about a most scandalous, ill-natured rumour 3 months; Mr. Price reads about it on the newspaper. Edmund’s letter, about Julia’s elopement, and to say he is coming for the Price sisters. 47 The whole truth is known. Edmund describes his meeting with Miss Crawford; the charm is broken, his eyes are opened. 48 Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery (but Sir Thomas was longest to suffer.) Everyone gets what they deserve. (next slide)
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1. Edmund’s Love & Judgment Edmund’s faulty decision & judgment: of F’s living with Mrs. Norris; of joining the play; of F’s refusal to marry Henry of sending F back home of proposing to Mary (in person or letter) Edmund’s letters (chap 44; 45) 1 st about Mary’s changes; about their interconnections, and ways of proposing to Mary (still seeing Mary as the only person he considers as wife)* 2 nd letter about Tom, and his wanting to go to London 3 rd letter about Julia’s elopement Edmund’s final revelation (next slide)
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2. Mary’s Choice She is witty, sociable, athletic, beautiful, but also materialist, calculative and “liberal” about Tom’s illness (45) “two poor young men less” (294) (Maybe Tom and Edmund) Her interpretation of Henry and Maria’s behavior: Calm about it (“no modest loathings”) a folly rather than vice; folly in being detected Fanny’s fault; otherwise, theirs would end in “regular standing flirtation in yearly meetings” (309) suggesting her lack of principles solution: persuade Henry to marry Maria, ask the father to be quiet When Edmund says goodbye to her, she responds in different ways, suggesting the many sides of her personality. A. She turns red; B. playfully sees Edmund’s rejection of her as another sermon; C. tries to keep Edmund. (310-11)*
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3. Fanny’s Love & Growth Diffident self-expressive and principled However, she remains quietly and passively in love with Edmund despite his wrong decisions, his misunderstanding of her, his confidences, and his self-centeredness (303) Her struggles: Turning down Henry’s proposals at least 3 times getting away from MP, to avoid seeing Edmund’s proposal outbursts after getting Edmund’s letter about his indecisiveness (44: 287) Her dilemma in taking the ride of the Crawfords or not. her joy of going home (while watching Edmund suffer) Happy to be useful, beloved and that Ed is no longer duped by Mary MP: “dear” and “perfect” (a disciplined subject; Portsmouth: later)
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4. Henry’s Love for Fanny: His Changes His reasons: not only her appearance but also her virtues. His changes at Portsmouth ( chap 41-42) all attentive to her, avoids embarrassing Fanny by not joining their dinner talks about MP positively improved: more considerate* Open to the charms of nature; Discusses his work at Norfolk, asks for Fanny’s advice the only friend from MP, he offers to pick F up His problems: changefulness love of conquest (chap 48: 317) Fanny might have married him (Susan would then live with them)
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5. The Other Characters’ Education Susan – another Fanny, ill-mannered first and then receives education from Fanny; takes Fanny’s place at MP Julia – ill educated, but can be improved because she is humble and repentant because Mr. Yates is acceptable (willing to be guided; domestic and quiet, not as much debts as expected Mr. Yates: “He was not very solid; but there was a hope of his becoming less trifling—of his being at least tolerably domestic and quiet; and, at any rate, there was comfort in finding his estate rather more, and his debts much less, than he had feared, and in being consulted and treated as the friend best worth attending to.”
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6. Fanny in Portsmouth (chap 38-46) Chap 38 -39: Fanny ignored and disappointed Thrush is their only subject -- MP by comparison* Her mother compared to LB and Mrs. Norris (265) incessant noise* not accepted by local community either. * When Henry comes: Fanny feels shame (273) When MP is in trouble, Fanny wants to go “home” more, and starts to talk about MP as home (45: 293) Fanny’s view of the family disorder (46: 298) The Prices, on the other hand, are indifferent to MP’s ordeals.
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7. Outsiders (1): Mrs. Norris & Maria 1. Mrs. Norris: “altered creature, quieted, stupified, indifferent to every thing that passed” (47: 304) ; sees Fanny as “demon of the piece” (304) 2. After all, she takes responsibility for Maria 3. LB: sees Maria as “a disgrace never to be wiped off”; Sir Thomas: Maria’s character can never be restored
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8. Outsiders (2) The Frasers, The Stornaway, The Owens All husband-chasers and pursuers of money They compete with or are jealous about one another.
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9. MP: Order Resumed under Sir Thomas Sir Thomas: 1)Blames himself for being too severe (while Mrs. Norris is indulgent and flattering) 2)Not teaching them principle or modesty (self-denial and humanity 314); not understanding them. 3)Rejecting Mrs. Norris as “an hourly evil”; rejects Maria, too. 4) still happy with his own achievements*
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10. The Other Outsiders The family at Portsmouth? The Grants? The people in Antigua?
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Mansfield Park Conclusion
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Happy Ending? Yes. “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore every body, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.” “Improvement of the Estate and its residents” –all but Lady Bertram Edmund – getting over Mary, finds in “Fanny’s warm and sisterly regard for him” a good foundation for marriage. The two returns to MP (319) Sir Thomas—1) reflects on his parenting failure; 2) happy to have Fanny as his daughter, and William and Susan as his protégés, while firm in rejecting Maria. Julia – comes home and Mr. Yates improved (313) Tom -- recovered and became a dutiful and better-behaved son.
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Happy Ending? No. “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore every body, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerable comfort, and to have done with all the rest.” Mr. Rushworth-- gets a speedy divorce from Maria; waits to marry a young woman. marriage as possession & exchange continued elsewhere The Frasers – superficial party-goers, competitive on marriage market The Grants-- moved away from Mansfield Park a stall in Westminster & residence in London Mrs. Norris—subdued and goes to join Maria, the two’s temperament mutual punishment for each other Maria – with high spirit and strong passions for Henry, does not get to marry Henry, as the two grow to hate each other. Henry--ends up in wretchedness and self-reproach. (His desire for conquest described) Mary -- continues to live with Mrs. Grant. It takes her a long time to find a good match (definitely not a younger son; 318) *
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Ending in Mansfield Park: Order re-constructed Bertrams Sir ThomasTomEdmund JuliaMr. YatesFanny Susan William Lady Bertram (Maria)
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Ending in Mansfield Park: Insiders vs. Outsiders Bertrams Sir ThomasTomMariaEdmundJulia Fanny Susan William Lady Bertram (Maria) Wards Francis Norris (oldest.) Fanny Price John Richard Charles Sam Betsy Admiral & wife + mistress HenryMary Mrs. Grant Half-sister The Frasers The Prices
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PLAN OF an ESTATE AT MILLBANK WESTMINSTER belonging to THE MARQUIS OF SALISBURY (source) British Library Online Gallerysource
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Social Background References Book: Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels. Deirdre Le Faye. Frances Lincoln, 2002. (See Google drive) Marriage: courtship and marriagecourtship and marriage Courting and Marriage in the RegencyCourting and Marriage in the Regency Estate: What is a Country House? What is a Country House Images: Filming Locations of the Houses & Other SettingsFilming Locations of the Houses & Other Settings
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