Mansfield Park – Sotherton

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What do the events at Sotherton reveal to the reader about the younger characters?

The day at Sotherton reveals much about the younger characters through their actions and behaviour away from the confines of both Mansfield Park and the watchful eye of adult company. While a great deal of the character analysis is given by Jane Austen, Fanny also plays a part as a witness to many of the events. Being more excluded from the social life of the young people enables Fanny to sit back and observe their characters and behaviour. For Maria and Julia in particular, the trip away from Mansfield Park is an escape from the watchful eye of their meddling Aunt Norris. The lady has procured herself a position in the trip, but the younger characters eventually all manage to escape her attentions. It is not just the Bertram children who are affected by the change of scenery. The Crawfords reveal much about themselves through their behaviour towards others at Sotherton.

There is a side to Henry Crawford’s character that tests his admirers. While his companion on the barouche box was decided for him by Mrs Grant, it is likely that Henry knew the exact effect his animated conversation with Julia would have on Maria. On the return journey to Mansfield Park, he virtually dares Julia to take the seat next to him on the barouche box as a way of enabling her to show herself to be just as much fun as her elder sister.

Henry demonstrates the less socially acceptable side of his character as his typical Crawford charm transforms into unsuitable (yet seemingly innocent) advances towards Maria. Having initially expressed a preference for betrothed women, Henry goes as far as to directly tell Maria that he dislikes seeing her close to the chapel altar. Of the idea of giving Maria away, ” ‘I am afraid I should do it very awkwardly’ was his reply, with a look of meaning”.

All the events at Sotherton seem to have to been crafted in some way by Henry. He initially suggested a mode of transport that could carry many people, resulting in everyone surveying the grounds. Then Henry appears to decide on the route taken in the grounds and even comes up with many ideas with which the subdued Mr Rushworth agrees. When Mr Rushworth leaves Henry alone with Maria, Henry partially disguises his advances under praise for Sotherton. With another reference to Maria’s forthcoming marriage, Henry says about Sotherton: “Another summer will hardly improve it to me.” For someone who won favour through his charming manner, Henry is being surprisingly forward and risky in his comments. While Mr Rushworth is away searching for the key to the gate, Henry again shows his more improper side as he proposes to Maria that they slip away past the gate without Mr Rushworth. While something can be said about Maria on her acceptance of this offer, it strongly suggests that Henry wishes his relationship with Maria to be more than platonic.

In the evening, Henry once again employs his dangerous charm in order to dispel any discontent about the day’s events. This charming nature is what his friends are acquainted with and he is likely to be hoping that this will fade their displeasure at his conduct during the afternoon.

Despite Maria’s jealousy of Henry’s attentions towards Julia and her unhappiness at her pending marriage, her pride in Sotherton estate cheers her considerably. This interest shows how materialistic Maria is. While her fiancé may not be all she wished, she does have an estate to boast of.

Jane Austen shows Maria Bertram’s jealousy of her sister’s seat next to Henry on the barouche box and how Maria is affected by Henry. Once inside the chapel at Sotherton, she is startled by Henry’s words which she knows are laced with meaning. Later in the grounds of Sotherton Maria finds Fanny alone and offers her companionship, purely to give a charitable impression of herself. “You had better have stayed with us” she says, yet she immediately resumes her previous conversation with Henry and Mr Rushworth. Maria’s unwillingness to marry Mr Rushworth is shown as she talks to Henry about the metaphorical restraint she feels that the grounds at Sotherton give her. While she does not directly state that she is unhappily betrothed, her lack of affection for Mr Rushworth results in her following Henry into the wilderness. Her selfish actions impinge on Fanny too, as she has the responsibility of telling Mr Rushworth where his fiancée has gone.

Mr Rushworth appears to be a fairly placid character. Yet this placidity and feebleness of character acts against him as fiancée is attracted by the more daring, gallant Henry Crawford. He is quiet, but sees the improper attentions between Maria and Henry, much as Fanny does. He “scarcely risked an original thought of his own” and in contrast to this, Henry manages to appear a more colourful, interesting character.

It is Mr Rushworth’s indecisiveness that enables Maria and Henry to slip off without him. When he returns with the key for the gate, Fanny tells him what has happened in his absence. Mr Rushworth was “mortified and displeased” and his following complaints made to Fanny are focused on Henry’s diminutive stature and his incomprehension of Henry’s appeal. Yet at the end of the day, Mr Rushworth’s displeasure at his fiancée’s behaviour is contented by being able to “hand her into the barouche [rather] than to assist her in ascending the box.”

Julia is competing for Henry’s affections with her sister. Like Maria, she has material desires and expresses a desire for travelling to Sotherton in a barouche, no doubt her choice was also swung by the owner of the barouche being Henry Crawford. She is desperate for his attention and during the journey to Sotherton, Julia takes great delight in her lively conversation with Henry on the barouche box: “When Julia looked back it was with a countenance of delight” This one time Julia has a hold over Maria and she takes great comfort from the fact that she is receiving attention from Henry. Her brief offer of her seat is not even given to Maria, but to Henry’s sister, Mary.

Julia falls down when she brings Henry’s attention to Maria in the chapel. Meaning to show how well suited Maria and Mr Rushworth are, Julia only succeeds in heightening Henry’s incongruous interest in her sister. The blunt unthinking manner of Julia is unmasked as she lets Mary know that Edmund is to become a clergyman. Then, later in the day, as the party splits up to survey the grounds and Julia remains with the elders. “The politeness which she had been brought up to practise as a duty made it impossible for her to escape.” Her manners do not seem to apply to her cousin, Fanny, because when Julia finally manages to slip away from the adults, she finds Fanny and accuses her of always contriving to escape similar circumstances. Yet before the party left for Sotherton, Julia had gone to the extent of leaving the room so as not to be considered for her mother’s companion back at Mansfield Park.

In the short time that Julia stays to talk to Fanny, she also shows her selfish nature: “I am not obliged to punish myself for [Maria's] sins” She explains that it is not her responsibility to keep Mr Rushworth happy, it is Maria’s. Nevertheless Maria seems unwilling to take the role; it is actually left to Fanny.

In making the initial preparations for the trip to Sotherton, Edmund is careful to include Fanny in the invitation. In his efforts to do so, Edmund nearly misses out himself, but is pleased when there is a way for both of them to go. However, once at Sotherton, his interest in her wanes a little as he becomes more involved in his conversation with Mary Crawford. While Edmund can enjoy a more intellectually stimulating conversation with Fanny, he is drawn into various debates with Mary. Her evident disrespect for the clergy comes as as shock as he is to be ordained , but he does not seem to realise at this late stage that Mary has yet again let him down compared to the angelic view he likes to hold of her. He does not want to argue with Mary and as silence prevails, his interest returns to Fanny. Despite this, he cannot help but continue to flirt with Mary:” Your attentiveness and consideration make me more sensible of my own neglect.”

However, soon after his admission of neglect, Edmund leaves Fanny alone, walking off with Mary. This disregard for Fanny is very uncharacteristic of Edmund, but there is something in the way in which he speaks to Fanny that assumes that she will instantly forgive him. He says that he would have returned for Fanny had she not been tired. However, it could be argued that Fanny would have been fitter if she had been riding regularly – something that would have been possible had Edmund not recently taken her horse for Mary’s use.

The journey to Sotherton highlights the differences between Mary and Fanny in the context of their appreciation of various subjects. “[Mary's] attention was all for men and women” whereas Fanny is more intrigued by the nature around her. Mary’s character is revealed to the reader as deceptive. She is similar to her brother in that she is very charming. She has only the appearance of being interested and courteous, while underneath she could be bored like a young spoilt child. The ride to Sotherton indicates that Mary knows that Maria is interested in Henry, but her accurate analysis ends there. Mary fails to realise that Edmund is to join the clergy and continues to criticise the church. She is impervious to Edmund’s arguments and reasoning and pays no respect to the feelings of her previous carers. Her view seems to be the only ones worth considering and assumes that everyone shares her view too: “[Touring the house] is generally allowed to be the greatest bore in the world and Miss Price has found it so, though she did not know it.” Mary has little interest in learning for herself and has simply accumulated a variety of opinions from her uncle’s dining table, as is evident from her conversation with Edmund and Fanny.

Fanny Price is mainly an observer at Sotherton, but the narrative through her eyes reveals much about her morality and even her jealousy of Mary’s hold over Edmund. While Fanny has already been portrayed as a pious and deeply moral character, her views of her relations’ and acquaintances’ behaviour reveal a clearer picture of her exact attitudes. Fanny’s love for learning is again evident as she takes in every detail of the house at Sotherton. Her visit to the chapel shows her deeply religious nature as she quietly admonishes those who do not see the importance of worship.

She shows herself to be similar to Mr Rushworth in that she finds herself excluded through her love for another, in this case, Edmund. The interest and concern he shows enchants Fanny to such an extent that she allows him to abandon her and walk off with Mary. The fact that Fanny is the only character that stays within the grounds at Sotherton says a great deal about her reserved character. She is not tempted as easily as the others.

When Fanny sees her cousin and Henry leave without Mr Rushworth, she is “astonished at Miss Bertram, and angry with Mr Crawford”. Her treatment outside affects her outlook. Fanny is normally to be relied on to find good in anyone and anything. However, she cannot find a way of contradicting Mr Rushworth when he claims that there is nothing good in the Crawfords. While waiting for Mary and Edmund to return, Fanny was “getting quite impatient”. This is quite unlike the peaceful and gentle Fanny that first arrived at Mansfield Park and shows what effect her jealousy is having on her. Such are her feelings for Edmund that she wants to spend time with him even with Mary present.

Many revelations are made about the younger characters while they are at Sotherton. Even in the hours after the trip, their characters continue to unfold as Henry attempts to keep the peace by employing his usual charm. During the day he has made indelicate remarks to Maria while continuing to pay her sister attention. He plays the role of the tempter as he persuades Maria to follow him into the wilderness. Maria then dispels any ideas of her being a proper young lady by succumbing, at least to an extent, to Henry’s advances. It also becomes apparent that she is unhappy in her engagement. Her fiancé, Mr Rushworth seems oblivious to this as he tags along with Maria and Henry. He later reveals to Fanny that he does not care for the Crawfords. His future sister-in-law on the hand does care for one Crawford in particular. The jealous competition between Julia and Maria for Henry’s attentions comes to the fore, but Julia’s efforts for preference often backfire. Even sanctimonious Edmund changes his personality at Mansfield Park. His usual consideration of Fanny metamorphoses into a concern for her health, conveniently mixed with a wish to be alone with Mary. Mary herself is revealed to be very similar to her brother. They both have the Crawford charm and use it to their advantage. Despite this charm Mary is evidently less perceptive and knowledgeable than Fanny who takes great joy in learning. Fanny and Mary again differ in their views of the clergy. While Fanny believes it to be a very honourable profession, Mary is of the opinion that all members of the clergy are lazy and disreputable. In contrast to Mary, Fanny’s piety is more obvious and it therefore comes as a greater surprise when her jealousy and impatience start to display themselves.

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