Bad Judges of Time.... and other things

"And when people are waiting they are bad judges of time, and every half minute seems like five." (Chapter 10)

The Crawfords, who turn life at Mansfield upside down

It seems to me that the people in this novel are not soley bad judges at time. Almost all of the characters are able to misjudge just about everything. There is only one character, at least only one that I can think of, that seems to have any common sense at all; Fanny. Even Edmund shows quite large lapses of judgement from time to time, and Fanny is the only unridiculous of the lot.

Fanny seems to be the main character in the novel, though very little time is devoted to talking about her. Usually she is only spoken of when one of the other characters needs something from her, or wants to complain about her plainness. Perhaps this is done to emphasize the fact that she is really taken for granted, and her company and skills abused by the majority of the party. Edmund seems to have her well being in mind, until the illustrious Miss Crawford enters the scene. Still, I am a little surprised, that for a heroine, she is so little mentioned. Maybe her virtue lies not in the fact that she does vast good, but that she endures the folly of others. She silently perserveres in the background, brings comfort to others, and is genuinely good.

Fanny Price is so good in fact that she is taken advantage of by those around her. In one scene, her family lightly mock her for lying on the "sopha" instead of being out and about. Edmund is the only one who recognizes that she has a headache. When he asks what she was doing to make her ill, people start listing all the things that they asked her to do that day. Cutting roses, chasing puppies, running errands and news around the park, keeping people company, and a whole host of other things. He reprimands his Aunt Norris for abusing her goodness, saying, "And could nobody be employed on such an errand but Fanny? Upon my word, ma'am, it has been a very ill-managed business." (Chapter 7)

Edmund is also quietly helping those around him, especially fanny. However, like many "good" men, he is distracted by the affections of a floozy woman. I admit that I like him the least out of all Austen heros, and I really love all the others. His one sin, which causes him to neglect Fanny, overshadows all his good in my mind. For example, there are many examples of him leaving Fanny to fend for herself. Leaving her for an hour on the park bench while he walks with Miss Crawford, taking her horse for hours on end on behalf of Miss Crawford, and forgetting to take her stargazing because he is listening to Miss Crawford play the harp. Miss Crawford, Miss Crawford, Miss Crawford. He has amiable qualities, but his fascination with Miss Crawford overshadows all others for me. He really is very different from other Austen heros.

I have to admit that I am bewildered with Mansfield Park. There are far less wholesome characters, the hero is crazy for a floozy dame, and it all occurs in an isolated countryside, with little travel elsewhere. I think that part of the reason that I had not paid close attention to it before is because it was radically different from the others. I wonder what part of herself Austen left behind in this novel that differentiates it from the others. Why is it different, and what was she trying to say?

The one thing that is very like her other novels is its quotability. I just love the cute turn of phrases, and the terms and spellings that were colloquial and accepted at that time. For example "turned the subject," "sopha," and "chuse."

It will be interesting to see is my opinion of Edmund grows throughout the novel, and to keep an eye out for Austen's legacy or "motivation" in Mansfield Park. In the mean time, happy reading.