Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park is a novel by Jane Austen that was published in 1814. It tells the story of Fanny Price and her journey from a young girl to a woman. Fanny is the daughter of a poor family who is sent at age 10 to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle, Sir Thomas and Lady Bertram, at their estate Mansfield Park.

Recommended for:

Fans of Jane Austen’s novels who want to read all of her major works
Readers interested in British Regency-era historical fiction and society
Those seeking thoughtful discussions of morality, religion, class and gender roles
Literature students examining Austen’s nuanced social commentary techniques
Anyone curious about iconic works that challenged norms and sparked debate

You will:

Follow the coming-of-age journey of the principled heroine Fanny Price
Gain insights into early 19th century life through the Bertram family’s world
Encounter complex characters navigating lust, duty, faith and personal growth
Discern layers of meaning in locations, events and unspoken allusions
Appreciate Austen’s wit, subtlety and gift for crafting psychologically dense plots
Find yourself pondering philosophically-rich themes well after finishing the book
Understand why Mansfield Park remains a provocative work still evolving discussions

Plot Summary

Fanny grows up as a poor relation in the household and endures constant unkindness from her aunt, Mrs. Norris. Mrs. Norris resents having to care for another child and is cruel to Fanny. As a young girl, Fanny is quiet, sensitive, and prone to illness. However, she forms a close bond with her cousin Edmund. While the other Bertram children treat Fanny poorly, Edmund protects and cares for her.

When Fanny is 15, Sir Thomas leaves England to deal with problems on his sugar plantation in Antigua. His eldest son Tom is already living a spendthrift lifestyle that endangers the family’s wealth. While Sir Thomas is away, permissiveness grows at Mansfield Park. The novel explores several major events and how Fanny navigates them with her strong principles.

Mary and Henry Crawford, siblings who are neighbors of the Bertrams, introduce new excitement to the household. Henry is charming yet lacks morals, while Mary is attractive yet skeptical of religion. Both seek to undermine Edmund’s vocation to the clergy. Meanwhile, Tom encourages the young people to rehearse a play called Lovers’ Vows. Fanny objects to the play’s inappropriate nature but is overruled.

During rehearsals, Fanny notices the growing attraction between Henry and her married cousin Maria. She also sees Mary flirt with Edmund, hurting him. When Sir Thomas returns home early and finds the play still in rehearsal, he puts a stop to it, realizing the potential damage. Henry leaves abruptly without explanation.

Some time later, Sir Thomas arranges for Fanny to visit her family in Portsmouth for three months. In Portsmouth, Fanny is at first shocked by the chaos of her parents’ household after the calm of Mansfield Park. Henry visits to continue courting her, and Fanny finds some good qualities in him, though she remains rightly skeptical.

Back at Mansfield Park, Fanny learns that Maria has had an affair with Henry and it is causing a public scandal. Mr. Rushworth sues Maria for divorce. Tom also falls gravely ill. Edmund, realizing Mary approves of Henry’s bad behavior, breaks off their engagement. Sir Thomas comes to value Fanny as a daughter and sees his own mistakes in how he raised his children.

Eventually, Edmund and Fanny confess their love and marry, settling at Mansfield parsonage after Dr. Grant acquires a living in London. At the novel’s end, those left at Mansfield Park have learned moral lessons. Fanny finds happiness and acceptance within her adopted family.

Themes and Analysis

The novel explores many complex themes such as morality, social class, religion, sexuality, and the institution of slavery. Fanny grows from a timid child to a young woman of strong conscience and principles. Events like the play highlight the characters’ differing views of propriety and social norms. Symbols and setting, from the locked gate at Sotherton to the frequent discussions of clergy duties, contribute rich subtext.

Critics have debated Austen’s views on a range of topics like theatrical performances, women’s roles, and slavery. Though not overtly stated, Mansfield Park’s wealth clearly stems from Sir Thomas’s sugar plantation in Antigua, worked by slaves, reflecting the ugly reality beneath British high society. Fanny grows to discern realities below surfaces, guiding her to reject Henry and preserve her integrity against social pressures.

In its intricate blending of genres and discussion of complex issues, Mansfield Park anchored Austen’s position as a pioneering novelist capable of philosophical and sociopolitical insight within an entertaining domestic plot. While some readers find Fanny insipid, she acts as the novel’s moral compass who emerges empowered. Mansfield Park remains an intense and thought-provoking work that challenged assumptions in Regency England and continues sparking discussion today.

Licensing

Jane Austen. Mansfield Park. Originally published in 1814. This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. This digital edition is provided by Standard Ebooks under the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.