Mansfield Park: Read-Along: Week 2

This is week 2 of our read-along. Check out our host Amber's blog Seasons of Humility for all of the details and for her views of this week's reading.

Quotes that stirred my laughter or ire:

"Sleeping or waking, my head has been full of this matter all night. It is an evil, but I am certainly making it less than it might be." Oh Edmund! As a clergyman you ought to know that that isn't the way it goes! To him who knows what is right and doesn't do it, to him that is sin...Ack! And when we find ourselves making excuses for behavior we know is wrong...RUN AWAY!

"Edmund had descended from that moral elevation which he had maintained before, and they were both as much the better as the happier for the descent." Witness ruined Edmund! He should have been the voice of reason and the moral upholder of the group. This shows we all have our weaknesses. Eeep!

"All felt the instantaneous conviction...each with an altered countenance was looking at some other, and almost each was feeling it a stroke the most unwelcome, most ill-timed most appalling!" Isn't this the way when faced with our wrong-doing? They all knew what they were doing was wrong and would not be approved by Sir Thomas, but since he was away the mice would play! 

"Mrs. Norris felt herself defrauded of an office on which she had always depended, whether his arrival or his death were to be the thing unfolded; and was now trying to be in a bustle without having anything to bustle about, and labouring to be important where nothing was wanted but tranquillity and silence." Oh Mrs. Norris! Poor thing is just as foolish as the kids!

"Mr. Rushworth could be silent no longer, "I do not say he is not gentleman-like, considering; but you should tell your father he is not above five feet eight, or he will be expecting a well-looking man." 

"Sir Thomas did not quite understand this, and looked with some surprise at the speaker. "If I must say what I think, " continued Mr. Rushworth, "in my opinion it is very disagreeable to be always rehearsing. It is having too much of a good thing. I am not so fond of acting as I was at first. I think we are a great deal better employed, sitting comfortably here among ourselves, and doing nothing." First off...bwahahahahahahahahahaha! I agree, sitting here doing nothing is so much better Mr. Rushworth! Secondly, poor Maria, but she probably deserves this man!

"You must really begin to harden yourself to the idea of being worth looking at. You must try not to mind growing up into a pretty woman." Again, bwahahahahahahahaha! Could Edmund be beginning to take notice of Fanny besides being like a sister to him?

"Upon my word, Fanny, you are in high luck to meet with such attention and indulgence! You ought to be very much obliged to Mrs. Grant for thinking of you, and to your aunt for letting you go, and you ought to look upon it as something extraordinary; for I hope you are aware that there is no real occasion for your going into company in this sort of way, or ever dining out at all; and it is what you must not depend upon ever being repeated. nor must you be fancying that the invitation is meant as any particular compliment to you; the compliment is intended to your uncle and aunt and me." Where's my angry face emoticon when I need it?! Mrs. Norris is horrid! 

Thoughts:

Well things did get a tad bit interesting in these chapters. And as much as Sir Thomas seems to have brought a pall over the household I kind of like him! He knows how to keep his family in line and curtail any shenanigans! He also seems to be more fair to Fanny and more aware of her than the two aunts. Whom I rather loathe! Lady Bertram is an indolent, insipid kind of person and Mrs. Norris is odious! Oh beware of your heart Fanny where Mr. Crawford is concerned! I hope he doesn't turn her head or heart. So cruel of him to even try! I do not like the Crawford's one bit! Mary marrying Mr. Rushworth and having no love whatsoever for him is sad. Even when her father gave her an out(sort of) she chose to marry him for the connection instead of love. I will never understand people that have to put others "in there place" like Mrs. Norris insists on putting Fanny. It is cruel and mean and hateful and spiteful and so much more...definitely do not like this woman!

Questions from Amber: 

1. If you were one of Maria's parents, what might you have said to her before the wedding?

Probably what my dad and father-in-law offered me before I got married, "It isn't too late to call it off!" hahahahahahaha!

2. What are your thoughts on the friendship between Fanny and Miss Crawford? What would you recommend to improve their relationship?I think that Miss Crawford is just toying with Fanny and using her to get close to Edmund. I don't think there is any real friendship there. Fanny doesn't care for her and she doesn't really care for Fanny except as an ends to a means. I hope this relationship doesn't improve so I wouldn't be the one to ask about improving it because I would recommend dissolving it!

3. Consider Mr. Crawford's sudden interest in Fanny or Edmund's admiration of Miss Crawford. What makes them so attractive to these guys? What would you consider to be valid reasons for falling in love?Mr. Crawford is a bored young man that has nothing better to do than mess with people he shouldn't and leave disaster in his wake. Edmund is infatuated with Miss Crawford because it seems that she is the first woman to ever intrigue him. She may be attracted to him, but his attachment to the clergyship is something that she will never put up with, there isn't enough of a living in it for her. Valid reasons for falling in love? Money and prestige! Bwahahahaha! Attraction, common interests, compatibility, the ability to spur one another to reach your full potential. Falling in love is one thing(and an easy thing), staying in love is something else! Growing in love over the years is so much better than that first falling in love phase. There are a lot of valid reasons for falling in love, but staying in love through life's hardships, supporting each other in sickness and in health, being faithful to your spouse, loving them even when life gets ugly...THAT is what makes a person fall in love with their spouse every single day of their life together. 

Join us again next week for our week 3 discussion of chapters 25-36. If you are reading along leave me a comment and I'll come visit your post or give me your thoughts in the comments.