Mansfield Park, ch. 42: Little Voice

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We start more or less exactly where we left off, with Henry joining the Price family and snagging an invite to church. You know, I’ve been so used to regarding Henry Crawford as a master manipulator, but on this read, the cracks in that theory have been showing. Because what with him helping William with his promotion and his general charisma, he already has the Prices wrapped around his finger. All he has to do is wake up early on a Sunday and remember their address.

Anyway, Henry’s “strategy” consists of following Fanny where she goes (today, we call that stalking). After church, they all go to the ramparts for some exercise. Fanny is decidedly not psyched to have him escorting her around all day, but as usual, she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or a rampart, in this case. Henry proves himself to be a good walking companion, as they both have “the same sentiment and taste” when it comes to admiring the ocean waves and the “ever-varying hues” of the water. Turns out that, in addition to enjoying the nice weather, this walk was a long time coming for our Fanny, who is “beginning to feel the effect of being debarred from her usual regular exercise,” having had “lost ground as to health since her being in Portsmouth.”

This through-line of Fanny’s physical health is an interesting addition to her character, and I think one of the reasons why a lot of readers are underwhelmed with her. Fanny is the most physically weak of all of Austen’s main characters.* It serves to underline her vulnerability and dependence on others (a dependence which has affected her psyche to boot). It also provides a chance for other characters’ reactions: recall Mrs. Norris’s dismissal of Fanny having a horse for herself, and then doing a 180 later so that she can complain about Fanny’s fatigue. Contrast this to Ed, who procures said horse (ah, remember those halcyon days of Fluttershy?) and then scolds himself for his Mary-induced forgetfulness.

Here, Henry uses Fanny’s tiredness as a jumping-off point to bond with her. “I know Mansfield, I know its way, I know its faults towards you. I know the danger of your being so far forgotten, as to have your comforts give way to the imaginary convenience of any single being in the family,” he tells her. It’s half-presumption, half-truth. Sure, he’s seen Fanny being neglected and used at Mansfield. Of course, he doesn’t address the fact that for the majority of the time they’ve known one another, he’s also “forgotten” about her and expected that her “comforts give way” to his convenience. This would have been a good time to issue a mea culpa to Fanny about that, to admit his own faults towards her. But it’s easier for him to assume that she’s too polite and/or forgiving to ever bring it up.

Before they part on returning to Fanny’s house, Henry takes the opportunity to get her alone (the image of an eager, wide-eyed, innocent Susan rooster-blocking him will always make me smile). He is wary that the agent of his estate might try to double-cross him. He declares, “I will be master of my own property,” and then asks Fanny for her advice/consent. It’s an obvious ploy to appear responsible and thoughtful, but instead Fanny schools him: “We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” This is the beautifully expressed inverse of Sir Thomas’s declaration of the good effects of education and upbringing. It’s a chicken vs. egg kind of debate: do you develop a good inner guide through education, or do you apply yourself to education because of a well-attuned inner guide? Either way, it’s a decent piece of advice. Henry then squanders the moment by “offering” to write to Fanny if Ed forgets about her.

Fanny’s thoughts about Henry, by the way, are worth looking at. Though she has softened towards him, she’s also put distance between the two of them: Henry is given the faint distinction of being “somebody of the nature of a friend.” Ouch. Even I feel a little bad for the guy. She also approves of “his being astonishingly more gentle and regardful of others than formerly” … and then hopes that his newfound empathy will lead him to ultimately stop pursuing her. Fanny Price: still against Team Hanny.

Chapter the soon: A letter from Mary contains all kinds of bad omens, an update on Susan’s reading list, and Fanny realizes that marriage with Henry might have one compelling argument.

*Jane Fairfax, a supporting character from Emma, is portrayed as being susceptible to colds and is handled with kid gloves by her adoring family. Much is made of Anne Elliot (from Persuasion) having lost her “bloom” and then getting it back as she gets out more, but she’s never sickly or weak.