Mansfield Park

[jenosopher]

I got a hankering recently to watch Mansfield Park. Then I decided to read it. Some 400 pages later, I understand why this Jane Austen's least popular novel. But it had been obvious during the movie that some liberties had been taken with the Antigua/slavery angle of the book, at the very least, so I was curious. It turns out that along with some

Comments

[sartorias]

Interesting take! I find that passage not moving, but revealing: Maria's cage is all of her own making. Nobody is forcing her to marry Rushworth, it's her own greed that makes that match against her own inclinations, and everyone else's for her.

Also, Henry doesn't really want her any more, he wants to subdue her, but she's determined to ruin Fanny's "chances" if she can't get Henry to marry her after the divorce from Rushworth.

The humor is there, but it's very, very subtle. Look back at a lot of Tom's scenes, esp. with Fanny--the humor is definitely there. And William and Fanny exchanging looks of horror behind Aunt Norris's back (and slanging her happily when they are alone.)

Fanny is a curious character--trying on her own, as a teen, to teach herself moral integrity from Edmund's unthinking example, instead of moral lip service like the girls. That's not an appealing theme to today's reader.

[jenosopher]

I meant that the words themselves are moving, and Henry's reading of them, not in connection with Maria's situation. For one thing, I think in the movie he reads this passage to Fanny.

Maria is the originator of the quote in the novel, and when she says "I can't get out" in the movie, it's clear that she brought her situation on herself--although it is somewhat pitiable, of course. I think Austen is always able to pity her characters even when they make poor choices.

What's really interesting to me is that there's nothing overtly anti-slavery in the book, but Austen's allusion to this passage is so relevant that the screenwriter was able to hang the whole movie on it.

[sartorias]

Austen touches on the theme of slavery a lot in the novels, though I find the ones in Emma more effective. She always does it from the perspective of a country lady--and so Jain Fairfax's quick words about slavery being far, far worse than the miserable governess trade are personal yet effective.

[karinkarinkarin]

the movie version also took austen's letters into consideration (not just the book) so that might be where the anti-slavery theme came from.

[jenosopher]

I did enjoy reading it - I just thought it lacked the sparkle of some of the others. "In point of composition it was not deficient - and it was very long."

[sartorias]

I've had my issues with it for many years--I have always thought it would have been more interesting if Austen had dared go all the way and do the Redeemed Rake with Henry, rather than staying with the "safe" and expected ending with Edmund, but I still love it even so.

It's got an interesting structure--several brilliant set pieces embedded, but at the end she hides behind "tell" after all the exquisite show, which I find problematical.