Mansfield Park

In 1814, the British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817) published the novel titled Mansfield Park. Mansfield Park follows the story of Fanny Price and her development into adulthood amid her wealthy relatives' household. The novel was an instant success upon publication but has stirred up some controversies for its discussion on slavery.

Fig. 1 - Jane Austen wrote the novel Mansfield Park in 1814.

Summary of Mansfield Park

Fanny Price, a ten-year-old girl living in Portsmouth, is sent to live with her aunt and uncle, Lady Bertram and Sir Thomas, at their country estate called Mansfield Price. Fanny's mother struggles financially to care for her many children as she belongs to the lower class, so Lady Bertram and Fanny's other aunt, Mrs. Norris, decide it would be best for Fanny to go to Mansfield Park.

Fig. 2 - Fanny goes to live at her Uncle and Aunt's country estate.

Fanny feels unsettled and is very shy when she arrives, as she has never been exposed to the lives of the wealthy—particularly the manners and luxuries that come with it. Fanny grows up alongside her cousins, Tom, Edmund, Maria, and Julia. Only Edmund ensures that Fanny feels welcome at Mansfield, and the two become close. Fanny is abused and neglected by her other family members and misses her brother, William, intensely.

As Fanny grows up, problems begin to arise in the household. Fanny becomes a companion to Lady Bertram who is a recluse and does not like to venture out. Mrs. Norris' husband, the preacher, dies and the inheritance he left behind was meant for Edmund but goes to Tom. Tom has many debts to pay back due to his gambling problem. Mrs. Norris moves out of the parsonage and Dr. Grant, the new preacher, and his wife move in.

Sir Thomas has to leave for Antigua and takes Tom with him to check on Sir Thomas' plantation, which is facing financial problems. Nearby, the wealthy siblings Henry and Mary Crawford move in nearby. Fanny's cousins Maria and Julia both fall in love with Henry. Mary, unable to force herself to love Tom, and falls in love with Edmund. At the same time, Fanny is in love with Edmund. All the while, Mr. Rushworth walks into the picture as Maria's fiance.

The young people of Mansfield Park decide to put on a play, The Lovers' Vows by Elizabeth Inchbald. Edmund and Fanny are the only ones to object to the play.

However, before they can perform the play, Sir Thomas arrives back home and shuts down the production. Henry then quickly leaves which leaves Maria and Julia heartbroken. Upset, Maria decides to marry Mr. Rushworth and leaves with Julia on her honeymoon. Mary and Fanny become friends and Fanny's brother William comes to visit.

Despite Fanny's love for Edmund, he falls deeper in love with Mary, but Mary is concerned about his status as a second son. As the second son, Edmund would not inherit the estate. Henry then proposes to Fanny and she refuses. Fanny knows in her heart she loves Edmund too much and finds Henry immoral. Fanny is sent home to Portsmouth, and while she's there she discovers she no longer belongs and feels uncomfortable. Mansfield Park, despite Fanny's original discomfort, has become her true home.

Fig. 3 - Edmund and Fanny get married at the end of the novel.

Tragedy after tragedy hits Mansfield Park. Tom becomes ill, Maria has an affair with Henry, which prompts her to leave her husband, and Edmund and Mary end their relationship. Due to such tragic circumstances, Sir Thomas becomes less harsh and is kinder to Fanny. Edmund comes to realize he loves Fanny and the two get married.

Characters in Mansfield Park

Fanny is the protagonist and heroine of the novel, but there are many characters in Mansfield Park to remember. Here is a chart that will be a guide to who's who in the novel!

The Genre of Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park fits into many subgenres of literature such as Romance, Pastoral, and Family Drama, but the main genre is Comedy (English Literature).

The narrator in Mansfield Park is the main source of comedy in the novel. The narrator will ridicule the characters and use witty language to observe their actions. Characters are also put through many comedic and absurd situations.

In this scene, the narrator is describing Fanny's frustration with play in a humorous way. All the characters are unable to perform the tasks they are assigned resulting in an absurd, comedic breakdown of a play that Fanny never even wanted to be a part of.

Another important element of comedy is the use of juxtaposition, or contrast, between very serious moments in the novel and humorous moments. An example of this can be found in chapter 26. Mary is insulting the clergy and saying incredibly hurtful words. She then finds out Edmund, who she is interested in, is about to join the clergy. Her serious and hurtful remarks are juxtaposed against a humorous and absurd situation Mary finds herself in.

The Setting of Mansfield Park

The setting of Mansfield Park is mainly the country estate, Mansfield Park. Many characters go to London, which provides an interesting contrast between the countryside and the city. The city is viewed as a place of crude behavior, detached from respectable society, and the center of partying, scheming, and danger. The countryside, however, is viewed as a place of beautiful nature, but also old, conservative beliefs. Urbanites, like the Crawfords, worry more about appearances, social outings, and people, while those who love the countryside, like Fanny, care about nature, morality, and peace.

Another key setting in Mansfield Park is Portsmouth, where Fanny is from. Portsmouth represents the working class and poverty, while Mansfield Park represents the upper class and wealth. Portsmouth is characterized as dirty, noisy, and crowded, while Mansfield Park is refined, elegant, and clean. The contrast between the two settings is a commentary on differences in social class in England in the early 19th century. Portsmouth also begins as a home for Fanny but is slowly replaced by Mansfield Park, begging the question if a home is where one is from or where one grows up.

Themes in Mansfield Park

There are many key themes in Mansfield Park. The key themes are family, gender, and the concept of home.

Family

Family is a complicated concept in Mansfield Park. Family stretches beyond blood. Family is impacted by social class, environment, and circumstances. Technically, Fanny is her mother's daughter but is raised by her Aunt. When Fanny goes back to her childhood home, she does not feel comfortable or a bond with her birth mother. This plays into the theme that family is created by those around us.

Family in Mansfield Park shapes the characters. Mrs. Norris' superficial and cruel behavior rubs off on Julia and Maria, who become vain and pretentious as adults. They also look down on Fanny, even though she is family, because she is of a lower class than them.

Gender

Women in the late 18th and early 19th centuries had few rights and choices. As seen in Mansfield Park, the upper-class women's main purpose was to marry respectfully and run a proper household. When a woman, such as Maria, engaged in an affair, the woman's reputation was ruined while the man's reputation remained intact.

Fig. 4 - Gender plays a key role in Mansfield Park.

Fanny is a little contrary to proper gender roles. She makes her own decisions, such as when she refused a proposal from Henry, despite his wealth and good social standing. Fanny would prefer to marry Edmund, despite his inability to inherit the estate because of his morality and kindness.

Concept of Home

The concept of home is an ever-changing thing in Mansfield Park. The definition of home is different depending on the character. Fanny's original home is Portsmouth because it was the only place she knew and was familiar with. When Fanny moved to Mansfield Park she is uncomfortable with her new environment and misses her old home, particularly her brother William. However, when Fanny returns to Portsmouth as an adult, she feels as if she no longer fits in there. Mansfield Park has become her home. In this way, Fanny's perception of home changed based on her environment and where she grew up and developed.

Home for Fanny is made up of memories of her brother, William, or of her time with Edmund. For some characters, home is where the wealth and luxuries are. In either case, home is a fluid concept and changes throughout the novel.

Controversies

In the novel, Sir Thomas owns a sugar plantation in Antigua. Although never mentioned outright, Sir Thomas owned slaves to work on the plantations. Readers in 1814 would have immediately understood this. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Abolitionism, or the abolishment of slavery, was a much-debated topic. By 1807, the Slave Trade Act was passed banning all British ships from transporting slaves to the West Indies from Africa.

Sir Thomas was also a member of parliament, which meant he would've been present during the debates on Abolitionism. Jane Austen was very well informed on the topic of slavery and Abolitionism. Her interest in the topic appears in the form of a question asked by Fanny to her uncle:

Her question, according to Fanny, was met with dead silence showing the discomfort and tension felt by Sir Thomas, who probably would've voted against the Slave Trade Act. However, it is never made clear what Sir Thomas's stance on the Slave Trade Act would've been.

The mention of the slave trade in Mansfield Park would've been a touchy and taboo subject for readers in the early 19th century, ultimately causing controversy. To this day, the topic is debated by scholars about what Jane Austen meant by including it in the novel.