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Mansfield Park
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Chapters 17-24Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 17 Summary
Mary is delighted when Edmund agrees to act in the play. Mrs. Grant assents to playing the Cottager’s Wife, while Fanny feels isolated and miserable. She sees the same emotions in Julia, who flirts with Mr. Yates while resentfully watching rehearsals. Mrs. Grant is concerned by Henry’s lack of interest in Julia and his flirtations with Maria. She suggests that, once the play is over, she and Mary must convince Henry to stay away from Maria. Mary believes that Sir Thomas’s return will likely resolve the situation.
Chapter 18 Summary
A stage is built in the billiards room, and the theatricals overflow into Sir Thomas’s study. As rehearsals progress, tensions rise among the actors. Edmund worries about the increasing expense of the play as Tom hires a scene painter, and they all criticize one another’s acting abilities. Fanny is often the only observer of Henry and Maria’s intimate scenes, which they rehearse frequently. Mr. Rushworth becomes increasingly jealous and struggles to remember his lines. Fanny prompts and encourages him, but his acting does not improve.
Mary visits Fanny in the east room, claiming she is nervous about her love scene with Edmund. Fanny reluctantly agrees to rehearse with her. They are interrupted by Edmund, who has also come to seek Fanny’s help with the scene. Mary and Edmund are delighted to realize they had the same idea and praise Fanny’s kindness. The couple agrees to rehearse together while Fanny observes. Distressed by the emotion Edmund invests in the love scene, Fanny is unable to prompt him when he forgets his lines.
That evening, the cast begins their first full rehearsal. The performance is interrupted when Julia announces Sir Thomas has returned.
Chapter 19 Summary
The young people are horrified by Sir Thomas’s unexpected appearance. However, Maria is pleased that Henry keeps hold of her hand as the news is announced. The Bertrams and Mr. Rushworth go to greet Sir Thomas in the drawing room. The Crawfords realize the consequences of Sir Thomas’s return and leave, but Mr. Yates insists on staying. Terrified, Fanny joins the Bertrams and is surprised when Sir Thomas greets her affectionately. Delighted to be back with his family, Sir Thomas is unusually warm and talkative.
Happy to see her husband, Lady Bertram tells him about the amateur theatricals. Tom changes the subject, but Sir Thomas soon discovers his study in chaos. Hearing a noise in the billiards room, Sir Thomas walks in and finds himself on stage with Mr. Yates. Mr. Rushworth announces that he did not enjoy the rehearsals as much as expected, launching into a critique of Henry Crawford. Sir Thomas is reassured that Mr. Rushworth shares his disapproval of the theatrics.
Chapter 20 Summary
The next day, Edmund apologizes to Sir Thomas for his role in the amateur theatrics, admitting that only Fanny consistently opposed the play. Sir Thomas assures himself that his children have learned their lesson but feels he must challenge Mrs. Norris over her failure to keep order. Mrs. Norris changes the subject to Mr. Rushworth, taking personal credit for Maria’s engagement. Sir Thomas concludes that Mrs. Norris made mistakes, but her intentions were good. He has the theater taken down, and the house is restored to normal.
Mr. Yates remains at Mansfield Park, aggrieved that his opportunity to act has again been thwarted. He is tempted to argue the case with Sir Thomas but fears it may harm his chances with Julia. Mr. Rushworth has gone to Sotherton, and Maria hopes Henry will declare his intentions toward her before her fiancé returns. She is relieved when Henry finally visits with Dr. Grant. However, Henry reveals that he is going to Bath immediately.
Chapter 21 Summary
Life at Mansfield Park is quiet after Sir Thomas’s return. Edmund complains to Fanny that he misses the lively company of Mary and the Grants, but Fanny enjoys the calm. Edmund reveals that Sir Thomas is always praising Fanny and observing how pretty she has become. Fanny is embarrassed, but Edmund insists she must get used to such compliments.
Sir Thomas starts to recognize Mr. Rushworth’s foolishness. He also observes that Maria does not seem to like her fiancé. Sir Thomas tells Maria that she does not have to marry him if she has changed her mind. However, Maria insists that she will be happy with Mr. Rushworth. Sir Thomas is relieved to avoid the social embarrassment of breaking off the engagement. Meanwhile, Maria resolves to make more effort to hide her distaste for Mr. Rushworth. Abandoned by Henry, she is determined to be free of her father’s authority and become mistress of Sotherton. A few weeks later, Maria and Mr. Rushworth marry. After the wedding, Julia accompanies the newlyweds to Brighton and then London.
Chapter 22 Summary
Fanny becomes more sought after in the absence of Maria and Julia. She is more valued at Mansfield Park and frequently invited to the parsonage to relieve Mary’s boredom. However, Fanny does not enjoy Mary’s company, as their values are markedly different. During a walk, Fanny elegizes over the beauty of nature, while Mary admits she has no interest in the subject. Mary declares that, until recently, she could not imagine being happy in the country. However, she implies that if she married Edmund, she could tolerate spending the summers away from London.
Edmund arrives, and Mary happily refers to him as “Mr. Bertram”—Edmund’s official title when his elder brother is absent. Mary believes the formality of the name makes Edmund sound more important, while Fanny argues it is impersonal. Edmund is delighted that Fanny and Mary appear to be such good friends. When Mary declares that she intends to be rich, Edmund points out that he will never be wealthy. However, he hints that he would be miserable if he had no chance with Mary. As Fanny and Edmund leave, the Grants invite them to dinner the next day.
Chapter 23 Summary
Lady Bertram is amazed at Fanny’s invitation to dine with the Grants. However, both Edmund and Sir Thomas persuade her that Fanny should go. Mrs. Norris insists that Fanny must walk to the parsonage but is undermined by Sir Thomas, who is adamant she must take the carriage.
At the Grants, Henry Crawford unexpectedly joins the dinner party. Edmund is pleased to see Henry, but Fanny disapproves of how he nostalgically reminisces about the amateur theatrics. Henry suggests it was a shame Sir Thomas returned when he did, but Fanny puts him in his place, declaring that “every thing had gone quite far enough” (236).
Edmund and Dr. Grant discuss Edmund’s ordination, which will occur in a couple of weeks. Henry asserts that Edmund is making a sound career choice, as he will be financially comfortable without having to work too hard. Mary responds scornfully, asking her brother if he would like to live on a clergyman’s salary. Mary is furious that Edmund still intends to take orders. She concludes that his feelings for her cannot be serious.
Chapter 24 Summary
Henry tells Mary that he plans to stay in the area for a fortnight and intends to make Fanny fall in love with him. Mary only instructs Henry not to break Fanny’s heart too badly. Neither of the Crawfords guesses Fanny is in love with Edmund.
For the next two weeks, Henry is attentive and charming to Fanny. Meanwhile, Fanny is overjoyed when William visits Mansfield Park. Henry becomes more deeply attracted to Fanny when he sees her affection for William. He decides to extend his stay indefinitely. Listening to William’s stories of hardship at sea, Henry feels briefly ashamed of his self-indulgent lifestyle. When William mentions that he would like to hunt, Henry loans him a horse, hoping to impress Fanny.
Chapters 17-24 Analysis
In Chapters 17-18, Fanny’s fears over the impropriety of the amateur theatrics are shown to be well-founded. Austen demonstrates how the allocated roles of the characters allow them to pursue and express their desires under the guise of acting. Within this theatrical bubble, the line between fantasy and reality is blurred, and the cast becomes divorced from the consequences of their actions. Maria’s feelings for Henry are heightened by the intimacy of their on-stage relationship, making her increasingly brazen. Convinced that Henry returns her love, she makes little attempt to conceal her preference from her fiancé, Mr. Rushworth. In other words, bad behavior is made worse with the added tool of acting.
Austen explores the theme of Stability Versus Change as the rehearsals create physical and emotional disorder at Mansfield Park. The overflowing of the theatrical space into Sir Thomas’s office highlights the younger generation’s disregard for his values of harmony and order, as well as a blatant disrespect for the head of the household. Henry is also shown to be a disruptive force in the household dynamics. By trifling with the affections of Maria and Julia, he causes a rift between the previously close sisters. Meanwhile, Edmund’s infatuation with Mary means he “descend[s] from that moral elevation which he had maintained before,” placing him on the same level as his siblings (179). Preoccupied with his own interests, he fails to notice the impropriety of his older sister and Mary’s brother.
Throughout these chapters, the negligent role of Mansfield Park’s guardians is emphasized. Mrs. Norris actively encourages the theatrics, oblivious to how the activities endanger the forthcoming marriage she so eagerly promoted. Lady Bertram’s interest is limited to her half-hearted suggestion that the young people should avoid anything Sir Thomas would disapprove of. Fanny remains the only guardian of order and propriety in Sir Thomas’s absence. However, her moral stance leaves her increasingly isolated and powerless. Fanny experiences great emotional pain in these chapters as she is forced to witness Edmund’s moral descent and increasing attraction to Mary during the rehearsal of their love scenes, thus highlighting Fanny as a deeply loyal and perhaps surprisingly emotional character. Through Fanny’s suffering, Austen emphasizes that the virtuous path is often the hardest.
Sir Thomas’s unexpected return at the end of Chapter 18 superficially re-establishes order at Mansfield Park. However, his judgment is also shown to be deficient in two key areas. Despite his disapproval of the amateur theatrics, Sir Thomas only reproaches Edmund—the child least in need of his moral guidance. The observation that Sir Thomas was “more willing to believe [his children] felt their error, than to run the risk of investigation” suggests a reluctance to confront issues that may disturb his peace of mind (203). The same issue is illustrated in his readiness to accept Maria’s assurance that she is happy with Mr. Rushworth despite all evidence to the contrary. The theme of Love, Money, and Marriage is addressed in Maria’s grim determination to marry Mr. Rushworth, regardless of her “contempt” for him. Realizing Henry does not return her love, she cynically settles for wealth and freedom from her father’s authority.
Having reached an all-time low in the first chapters of this section, Fanny’s character experiences a rise in status during its latter parts. She is valued more by Sir Thomas, who begins to appreciate her finer qualities. Fanny is also sought out socially by the Grants and the Crawfords as a consequence of Maria and Julia’s absence, but this allows her good nature and moral fortitude to shine.
The theme of Virtue and Vice is explored as Henry’s sudden romantic interest in Fanny corresponds with Mary’s efforts to tempt Edmund away from his vocation.
Austen creates narrative tension by presenting the two courtships as a push and pull between virtue and vice. While Edmund is in danger of abandoning his moral principles for Mary, there is also the possibility that Mary’s love for Edmund may supersede her mercenary streak. Meanwhile, Henry’s acting skills come to the fore as he molds himself into a persona more likely to gain Fanny’s favor. However, as Henry adapts his manner “more and more to the gentleness and delicacy of her character” (241), it seems possible that Fanny’s influence may morally improve him. Henry, a noted rake, is set in his ways, and it is unlikely that even a strong interest in a virtuous woman like Fanny would change him permanently.
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