(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters.)

S: Well! After the last section, I was not quite expecting all that Chapter 46 contains! Crawford leaving Fanny for Jullia? Sure! Crawford changing so drastically that Fanny ends up loving him? That would work as well. Crawford seducing young Susan? Possibly even that. Crawford leaving Fanny for the married Maria? Not at all! My emotions were like Fanny’s – grieved yet also happy because his true character is finally revealed and she gets to go home to Mansfield Park. 

R: This was an unexpected but not surprising event, if that makes any sense. I’m glad too that Fanny gets to go home and that her original assessment of Mr. Crawford’s character is vindicated. It makes me wonder how Sir Thomas feels about pushing Fanny to marry Mr. Crawford when he finds out. 

S: Yes, I wonder how he really feels as well, but perhaps he’s a person who acknowledges a deficiency in his character and moves on.

It makes my heart so happy that Sir Thomas invites Susan to Mansfield; even though he was wrong in his estimation of Mr. Crawford, I still hold him in high regard. Fanny really sees now, I think, that she is loved and the reader sees that she is the glue that holds the family together. That quiet strength she has always possessed has served her family well.

R: Yes, Sir Thomas’ blindness toward Mr. Crawford’s deficiencies notwithstanding, he shows himself to really care for Fanny and her family, much more than her actual blood relatives seem to, and be a good man. It’s amazing to see how much of an impact Fanny has on every member of the Bertram family. 

S: I wonder what Edmund will do. Will he look past this and still want Miss Crawford as his wife? I really hope not, because they are just not a good match. His greeting to Fanny when he arrives to pick her up is so beautiful and tender I can’t help but want them to end up together.

R: Still with the will they-won’t they! It’s excruciating. The reader knows that even though Fanny finally develops some feelings for Mr. Crawford, she still loves Edmund.

S: My favourite line in Chapter 46 is, ‘Never had Fanny more wanted a cordial.’ 

R: I love this line as well! Throughout the whole book, Fanny is shown as quietly taking whatever abuses her family throws at her, but here we catch a glimpse of the fact that it does wear on her.

S: Chapter 47 is a rather difficult chapter to read, but it is worth wading through all the emotions. It’s painful that Mrs. Norris still chooses to blame Fanny for Mr. Crawford’s and Mrs. Rushworth’s choices, yet Fanny says nothing to her and simply loves on Lady Bertram as best she can. 

R: It reiterates again that despite the poor treatment she received from Mrs. Norris and the, at minimum, indifference from most of the rest of the Bertrams, Fanny has retained a sense of her own value. She feels sometimes like she doesn’t deserve even what she has, but don’t we all feel that way sometimes?

S: Indeed!

When Edmund tells of Miss Crawford’s reaction my heart was very sad. I can completely see where she’s coming from but the fact is Mr. Crawford and Mrs. Rushworth were wrong. Her advice sounds good but from a Christian perspective it is not and Edmund sees, finally, that they cannot be together. Unfortunately it took him a long time and very sad circumstances for his mind and heart to start changing, and he could ignore it, but he chooses not to and chooses to go a better way. His recognition that he had made a sort of ideal of what he wanted Miss Crawford to be endears me to him. 

R: Edmund finally sees the light! It’s sad that it took him so long to understand that Miss Crawford has a very warped view of the world and certainly would not be suitable for a clergyman’s wife.

S: As I was thinking more about Mr. Crawford and Mrs. Rushworth it dawned on me that Austen had already set this up, earlier in the story, when Mr. Crawford and Miss Bertram sneak off from the others at the Rushworth estate. Julia, too, has such fierce competition with her sister that it seems she did not want to be outdone and so chooses to elope with Mr. Yates. The whole thing is very sad, but you raise children as best you can and then they have to make their own choices. 

R: Exactly! But I can see all of this as a direct consequence of the Bertrams’ neglectful parenting. They failed to instill good values into their daughters and elder son. 

S: The final chapter is so delightfully written! Austen breaks the fourth wall and addresses the readers, calling Fanny ‘My Fanny’, and does such a wonderful job of giving everyone the ending they deserve; even if they get a happier ending than they deserve, it’s still a good ending. 

R: I am glad the story ended with Fanny marrying Edmund! But I hate that Austen crammed the happiness into just a few pages. I feel like it wasn’t very satisfying. I did enjoy the story overall; however, it was a bit of a hard slog to read. It was so different from the two previous novels and I don’t think the pacing was as good as either of them.

S: I’ll admit, it was a difficult story for me to read through and wasn’t nearly as quick of a read for me as Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice – the plot moves slowly and Fanny is usually found between a rock and a hard place, but despite those things, I think this has become one of my favourite novels. 

Coming up next, we will discuss a movie adaptation of Mansfield Park!

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: Oh, Mr. Crawford! I suppose if Fanny was actually interested in Mr. Crawford’s advances his unannounced visit might have endeared her more fully to him, but instead it’s a source of agitation for her, mainly because of her family. It’s rather unfortunate, and yet completely understandable, how she feels toward them. Mr. Crawford’s visit does make me wonder: Is he improved, or is he acting? If he is acting, how long will it last?

R: Henry. Stinkin’. Crawford. But he puts his best foot forward and seems to endear himself to Fanny’s family. Even Fanny herself softens ever so slightly toward him, though his visit causes her real distress. I have no idea about his motivations and it’s driving me crazy.

S: Chapter 42 confuses me even further – is Mr. Crawford truly as caring in his feelings toward Fanny as he professes, or is he just a flatterer? I, like Fanny, can’t figure him out, but I do like that he implores her to tell him if she needs to go home sooner than her allotted two months. Although, thinking on it more, it was rather bullying, with no regard for honouring Sir Thomas’s wishes. I feel for Fanny just as, it appears, Mr. Crawford does, for he sees her tiredness and her strength failing at her parent’s home, but she is also trying to do the right thing and honour her uncle and her parents.

R: I agree completely. Mr. Crawford’s motivations are still unclear, though he certainly shows a great deal of care and concern for Fanny. I believe that if Fanny asked to return to Mansfield early, Sir Thomas wouldn’t hesitate to bring her right back. He probably had no idea how difficult it would be for Fanny to visit home, much as she didn’t know herself. I’m glad that Mr. Crawford appears to have truly become a man worthy of Fanny’s respect, but I don’t trust it.

S: We already, I think, have a pretty good idea of Miss Crawford’s character, but in Chapter 43 we see even better the kind of person she is. We also learn from Fanny about how attached she has become to her younger sister, Susan, and it makes me so happy that she has found an ally, someone whom she can mentor. I really hope that Susan can live with Fanny at some point! I don’t want it to happen, because I still don’t like him all that much, but I wonder if Fanny is beginning to soften toward Mr. Crawford?

R: It certainly seems like Fanny might be changing her mind about Mr. Crawford. I was thinking the same thing. 

S: Then Fanny receives the long-awaited letter from Edmund and I love her reaction! It is so real, and I found myself laughing at how often I react like she does when my emotions are everywhere all at once. Obviously, she has yet to work through her feelings for Edmund and she’s trying to reign in her thoughts and subdue them when everyone seems to be either confusing her or disappointing her. I’m sure I’ve said it before, but she is so real!

R: Fanny’s reaction to Edmund’s letter is both funny and sad. I’m glad for her that she is asserting herself, even if it’s only to herself. This whole thing with Edmund and Mary Crawford is frustrating, though. Austen keeps giving us ‘will they or won’t they?’

S: I am surprised at the family not sending for her, though, since Tom is so ill – it seems very out of character for Sir Thomas or for Lady Bertram, but perhaps, as you mentioned, Sir Thomas is unaware of what Fanny is going through and doesn’t want to take her away from her family too early. I know that he is also hoping that she will see what a great match Mr. Crawford would make. As we have seen from earlier in the story, Sir Thomas really does love her despite some of the mistakes he has made. 

R: It really is surprising that no one thinks to bring Fanny back to Mansfield Park, except for the Crawfords. And we know that she doesn’t want to accept their assistance for fear of giving Mr. Crawford further hope that she’ll accept his suit.

S: It makes me so very happy that Fanny is no longer the quiet, shy woman we have become so accustomed to seeing. She has changed and become strong and I really like it. Hers is a quiet strength that is not often regarded and is seen, for example, in the fact that she vehemently disagrees with the Crawford’s way of life and with her parent’s, but she is also very gracious and honouring of all around her.

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

R: I was worried about how things would go when Mary Crawford finally gets to have her conversation with Fanny, but it was better than I expected. While she seems to believe her brother’s feelings for Fanny to be sincere, she isn’t too pushy about it, though Fanny feels beleaguered again.

S: That’s interesting! I read it as her still being a little pushy about Mr. Crawford and a bit territorial regarding Edmund. She confuses me, and it makes me wonder if she really sees Fanny. Fanny’s statement to her saying, ‘I was quiet, but I was not blind’ really makes me think that no one actually understands her.

R: The Crawford siblings leave finally, and it seems like life is going back to normal, but Fanny has become convinced, and Edmund seems to confirm, that he will soon be proposing to Mary Crawford. Then William makes another appearance and Sir Thomas has the bright idea of sending Fanny back to her childhood home along with William. Fanny is thrilled. She hasn’t been home since she came away years ago and thinks it will help her be strong when she receives word of Edmond’s engagement. 

I don’t think it’s going to go so well. Her family seemed ready enough to let her go before, and I don’t believe that adding her back into the large family with so much distance in years and upbringing is going to be as joyful as Fanny thinks.

S: Chapter 37 confirms what I thought whilst reading Chapter 36: No one understands Fanny. Sir Thomas thinks that sending her away to her poor family will help her see the benefit of marrying Mr. Crawford, which I understand, but it really drives home the point that Fanny is an enigma to him right now. Still, I do love his and Lady Bertram’s love for Fanny – they want her to be happy and both, in their own way, shut down Mrs. Norris’s rudeness toward her. As I read the conclusion of this chapter, I also had a bad feeling about the visit; she is so excited, but I have a feeling that she is deceiving herself – how easy to do!

I was so touched when I read that William and Fanny are planning on living together because neither thinks they will ever marry – that is so sweet; sad, but sweet. They have such a close relationship. 

R: I agree, this is a precious interlude. I’m so glad that Fanny gets this time alone with William before diving into the chaos that is the Price household. I hate that her joy of being with William is cut short by the early departure of his ship. It adds even more pandemonium than their arrival on its own.

S: I know – I felt so sad for her that William had to leave early! 

I completely understand Fanny’s feeling about receiving letters from Miss Crawford – it’s the not knowing that can drive one batty. 

(Also, the phrase ‘…the dirty month of February’ exactly describes how the month of February feels to me: dark, cold, depressing, slushy – in a word, ‘dirty’.)

When Fanny arrives at her parent’s house she is in major culture shock and it hurts my heart for her, mainly because she is so hurt, so overwhelmed by everything. Mansfield’s world is so large and her family’s world is not. It’s such a sad beginning of a visit! I would feel the same way as she did – hurt at not being treated well, that there is little decorum in the family, but I confess I do not know if I would be nearly as gracious to them as she is.

As I kept reading about her family, the only thought I kept having was, ‘How sad! This is so, so sad.’ Her parents have a really bad relationship, her mother plays favourites with the children, and the children show their parents no respect. The time away from Mansfield Fanny thought would be wonderful and good instead makes her wish for her home all the more. As the old adage says, ‘You don’t appreciate what you have until it’s taken away.’

R: The state of the Price family is much as I expected. Fanny’s modesty and shyness means that her own family runs over her just as much as the Bertrams did. While her mother seems pleased to see Fanny, the rest of the family couldn’t seem to care less. To an extent, I can understand that with the younger children; they were so young when she went away that her return can have little to do with them.

It’s so sweet that William thinks to tell his mother to look out for Fanny right before he leaves, though one would expect that to be a mother’s place already. And Fanny works so hard to not appear to be above the family, though she sees all of their faults. It’s unfortunate that others see her as putting on airs because of her reticence. It’s much the same when non-Christians look at believers and see us as holier-than-thou fun-killers, but our joy in Christ is better than anything the world has to offer.

S: That’s a good comparison.

There are three things I absolutely love in Chapter 40: Firstly, Fanny has found a friend in Susan. Due to Fanny’s way of noticing much, she sees that her younger sister desires to help make the home orderly and disciplined but lacks the knowledge on how to do it. Secondly, Fanny rolls up her sleeves and gets to work, taking control of the finances Sir Thomas gave her, and in a way discipling Susan. Thirdly, stories – Austen makes a wonderful argument of how stories are beautiful and help the mind become calm in the midst of chaos. 

R: I was excited by Chapter 40 as well! It seems to be a bit of a turning point again. While Fanny is anxiously awaiting the news of Edmund and Mary Crawford’s engagement, she manages to find some happiness with her sister Susan. It speaks to being content in one’s circumstances, even if they aren’t the best. I love that the situation gives Fanny the opportunity to stretch herself a little and utilise some creativity to help solve some problems and become a positive influence on at least one of her siblings.

We’re getting close to the end of the novel and I’m excited to see what happens!

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: Oh my! I feel almost as shocked as Fanny at Mr. Crawford’s proposal! If we hadn’t been convinced of his attachment to her in the previous chapter I would think the same as Fanny, that his proposal is absurd and he and his sister are only trying to make a fool of her. 

It is happy news, however, that William is now a lieutenant!

R: Poor Fanny! I feel like I’ve said that a lot, but the circumstances just seem to keep getting worse. Or at least, piling on her too rapidly for her to handle each one. We see her joy at William’s promotion, then almost immediately she goes into a kind of horror as she realises that Henry Crawford is proposing to her. Add to that a note from Mary Crawford that blatantly gives her blessing on the union and poor Fanny is completely discombobulated. 

S: There are so many emotions we encounter in Chapter 32! I completely understand both Fanny’s and Sir Thomas’s reactions, although his words are rather biting. I think, though, they were said in anger, as we see later in the chapter that he is trying to make up for them. He reminds himself that Fanny’s disposition is innocent and frail (at least he believes it to be) and that perhaps it’s the excitement and fear of the future that made her refuse Mr. Crawford. Obviously, words cannot be taken back and Fanny’s integrity with not slandering her cousins is not made known to Sir Thomas, but still he truly does care for her, as is evident by his trying to shut down Mrs. Norris’s berating of her. From his point of view, Fanny really is being selfish. Again, she’s caught between a rock and a hard place.

R: This chapter starts out well, with Sir Thomas realising that Fanny never has a fire in her little room upstairs and deciding to rectify the situation, but quickly takes a turn when he reveals that Mr. Crawford is downstairs waiting to speak to Fanny. He’s shocked that she intends to refuse him. I’m not sure it would have been slander to reveal to Sir Thomas how his daughters had acted over Mr. Crawford, but it was very loyal of her not to do so. I think she would have been perfectly justified. With one daughter married and out of the house, it wouldn’t have signified much, and when Julia returns, enough time likely would have passed that Sir Thomas wouldn’t have done much about it.

S: It is frustrating, though, that he has so little faith in his niece and much more in a man he has barely known. An interesting commentary on personalities, I think. The fact that Mr. Crawford lied to him, perhaps believing her refusals to be in jest considering how narcissistic he is, is frustrating.

R: I know! He seems to understand Fanny’s character so well. How can he not trust that she might have a good reason for not wanting to marry Mr. Crawford? Even if she can’t articulate it to him?

S: My favourite part in this chapter is when Mrs. Norris insists that she is the one Sir Thomas wants to speak to, when it is really Fanny, and their butler, Baddeley, insists that, indeed, it is not Mrs. Norris, but Fanny.

R: Mrs. Norris is so ridiculous! I do love the butler’s response. He knows what’s going on, certainly.

S: Oh my goodness! Chapter 33 makes me laugh so much! I rolled my eyes at Mr. Crawford’s narcissism, chuckled at Fanny’s confusion and anger, felt happy about how Sir Thomas assured her that he only wanted her well-being, was delighted that Mrs. Norris’s character was finally announced to the reader (even though we pretty much already understood what it was), and shook my head at Lady Bertram’s silliness. I am curious to see how Edmund takes this news!

R: I’m glad that Sir Thomas tempers himself in how he speaks to Fanny in this chapter. Despite Mr. Crawford’s continuing hopes, he seems to see that Fanny is serious in her refusal, though he hopes that Mr. Crawford’s continued persistence will overcome her objections. 

S: Part of me was surprised at Edmund’s willingness to entertain the idea of Mr. Crawford pursuing Fanny, and the other part of me was not. Edmund himself is so taken with Miss Crawford that it makes sense he should want Fanny to be married as well. It is interesting how well he knows Fanny and yet how much he is projecting onto her. 

R: I was really surprised by Edmund’s immediate acceptance of Mr. Crawford’s suit of Fanny. I would have thought he’d have a better understanding of Henry Crawford’s character and see that he is not a good match for Fanny. I am glad that Edmund has the sense not to immediately speak of it to Fanny, just gives her support.

S: I loved Mr. Crawford’s and Edmund’s discussion on Shakespeare and on reading aloud. 

R: I thought that was interesting, as well as how Mr. Crawford’s excellent reading affected Fanny. It makes me wonder if she could come to care for him at some point, though I would hope that she wouldn’t let one good thing overcome the bad. Mr. Crawford doesn’t seem to have the same distaste for the clergy as his sister does, based on his conversation with Edmund. 

S: I pity Mr. Crawford, and am glad to see finally that Fanny’s affections for him will not come easily or by anything he thinks is important. He is a bit foolish in how he addresses her, and is still very full of self-importance, but it does appear that he wants to know what Fanny thinks, which is good.

R: That did show Henry Crawford in a better light than anything up to this point, despite his self-importance; and he also seems to have an understanding of how his previous behaviour has affected Fanny’s opinion of him.

S: Edmund’s and Fanny’s walk and discussion are very interesting. I could tell the moment he began speaking of Miss Crawford, though Miss Austen did let us know through Fanny’s perspective, and it seems to me that he sounds a bit like Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice. What Mr. Collins learnt by rote memorisation about women, Edmund seems to have learnt by intuition. 

As frustrated as I am that he is back onto the idea that Miss Crawford will love him and that he pushes Fanny to speak, in a way I am glad that he does because Fanny is finally able to tell him how she really feels about Mr. Crawford’s character. Still, Edmund continues to press and desire that Fanny return Mr. Crawford’s affection and that makes her second guess herself, which does irritate me. It is good to have other’s opinions sometimes, to see things from another perspective, but it also seems that Fanny is still not actually being listened to: ‘She feared she had been doing wrong: saying too much, overacting the caution which she had been fancying necessary; in guarding against one evil, laying herself open to another…’.

R: This conversation is wonderful and frustrating by turns. I love that Edmund is understanding of Fanny’s feelings and doesn’t press her too much, though I still think it’s more than it should be. I’m also frustrated with him for giving everyone a bye for their behaviour during the play, and for discounting Fanny’s perspective on Henry Crawford’s behaviour with Edmund’s sisters. As their brother, he should have been more concerned that they weren’t behaving appropriately and safeguarding their virtue. Actually, as the eldest, that should have been Tom, but Edmund is definitely the more mature and well-behaved.

S: I don’t know how to feel right now; just like Fanny, my feelings are conflicted about what I think should happen.