Mansfield Park: Read Along: Week 3

This is week 3 of the Mansfield Park read-along. One more week to go! This week's reading was all about Mr. Crawford's pursuit of Fanny. Go check out our host Amber's post on her blog Seasons of Humility.

A Few Quotes That Caught My Eye:

"What shall I do, Sir Thomas? Whist and speculation; which will amuse me most?" "Sir Thomas, after a moment's thought, recommended speculation. He was a whist player himself, and perhaps might feel that it would not much amuse him to have her for a partner." Lady Bertram just exasperates me! Is she lazy? Is she just taking up space? What is her deal? She can't even make a decision for herself. Good gravy! DO SOMETHING woman!

"You inquired, then?" "No, I never inquire. But I told a man mending a hedge that it was Thornton Lacey, and he agreed to it." This made me chuckle. Is this equivalent to a man never asking for directions?

"The preparations meanwhile went on, and Lady Bertram continued to sit on her sofa without any inconvenience from them." See? What does the woman DO? Is she just ornamentation? 

"For Miss Crawford, complaisant as a sister, was careless as a woman and a friend." At least so far Fanny has not been fooled by this brother/sister duo. They are two very selfish individuals that care nothing for anyone else except in how someone may serve their purposes.

"I know her disposition to be as sweet and faultless as your own, but the influence of her former companions makes her seem--gives to her conversation, to her professed opinions, sometimes a tinge of wrong. She does not think evil, but she speaks it, speaks it in playfulness; and though I know it to be playfulness, it grieves me to the soul." Oh Edmund! Wake up dude! There is NO WAY that Miss Crawford's disposition should ever be compared to Fanny's! He definitely has stars in his eyes over this woman to be able to look over her faults and make excuses for them. Gah!

"Yes, she does look very well," was Lady Bertram's placid reply. "Chapman helped her to dress. I sent Chapman to her." Not but that she was really pleased to have Fanny admired; but she was so much more struck with her own kindness in sending Chapman to her, that she could not get it out of her head." Oh for the love! Chapman didn't even get to Fanny in time to help her dress, but this woman is so dense that she lives on this "kindness" that she bestowed on Fanny for a long time! And once again Jane Austen cracks me up with her humor and observation of absurd human behavior.

"How soon she is knocked up!" Every time I see this I have to crack up because it means something totally different nowadays! ha! Yes, I am easily amused! But also it is 3 in the morning for crying out loud! I'd be "knocked up" too!

"She was feeling, thinking, trembling about everything; agitated, happy, miserable, infinitely obliged, absolutely angry." So Mr. Crawford declares his intentions to Fanny. She is not happy about it. And then Sir Thomas reminds her she needs to be grateful to Mr. Crawford for helping her brother get promoted, like that is something that should make a person want to marry someone they do not like! Ack! 

"He knew not that he had a pre-engaged heart to attack. Of that he had no suspicion." Fanny's heart already belongs to Edmund. Which to me is kind of ewww! ha! But marrying a cousin, even a first cousin" was done in those days so I guess the eww factor is just on my part. 

"but she was more angry with Fanny for having received such an offer than for refusing it. It was an injury and affront to Julia, who ought to have been Mr. Crawford's choice; and, independently of that, she disliked Fanny, because she had neglected her; and she would have grudged such an elevation to one whom she had been always trying to depress." Mrs. Norris! This woman is going to be the end of me! She is so mean to Fanny. Here she was the means that brought Fanny into the family, but was it just to have a whipping stone for herself? Ugh! She is evil!

"I should have thought," said Fanny, after a pause of recollection and exertion, "that every woman must have felt the possibility of a man's not being approved, not being loved by some one of her sex at least, let him be ever so generally agreeable. Let him have all the perfections in the world, I think it ought not to be set down as certain that a man must be acceptable to every woman he may happen to like himself." Bravo Fanny! I cannot believe that Edmund is trying to get her to accept Crawford! 

"I cannot imagine henry ever to have been happier," continued Mary presently, "than when he had succeeded in getting your brother's commission." "She had made a sure push at Fanny's feelings here." Now THAT is stooping low Miss Crawford! Reminding Fanny that she is indebted to Crawford for her brother's commission. Very low! 

Thoughts and Observations:

I'm a bit torn! I really don't know that I care for Edmund as a love interest for Fanny! For one it is kind of hard for me to get over that they are cousins. ha! But he is so easily swayed and duped by the Crawford's that it makes me wonder if he would be the right man for Fanny in the long run. Hopefully once the blinders are off he will become more steady and less likely to be duped. I guess he just isn't as jaded as I am about people's motives so he has no clue that people can be deceptive and he sees the good in people and makes excuses for the misbehavior. I guess those could be good qualities?

There were a few scenes with Mrs. Norris that had me wanting to throw my Kindle across the room! She is infuriating. How can someone intentionally be mean and want to belittle someone constantly? She brought Fanny to the family so that she could give her a better life, but she is constantly oppressing that life. Putting her in her place. I don't get it! I know she wanted the "glory" and to look like a good benefactress, but UGH! I do not like this woman!

At least Edmund wanted to hear Fanny out about why she didn't want to marry Crawford, but I think the only reason he wants her to marry him is so that HE can be closer to Miss Crawford. Ugh! Thankfully the Crawford's depart at the end of this week's reading. Hopefully absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder in either Fanny or Edmund!

Questions From Amber's Blog:

1. Which character do you feel most strongly about at this point—in either a good or disapproving way? What makes that character especially stand out to you?I think the one that has stuck out the most is Mrs. Norris. She exasperates me every time she is in a scene! I do not like this woman!

2. If you were in attendance at the ball, how would you occupy your time? Would you dance the night away, or would you prefer observation and conversation?Definitely as an observer. I'm not a dancer. I'll visit with someone for a while, but I prefer to sit and watch.

3. What advice would you give Fanny in handling Mr. Crawford's pursuit?Run away! She knows he is a "lady's man" and she knows he cannot remain faithful. He's in it for the pursuit and once he captures what he wants he will move on to the next adventure. I have a feeling both he and his sister will be showing their true colors very soon!

Well, there you have it! One more week of reading and we will be finished. What do we have in store for us this week?! A lot of things need to be resolved before the end. Even though I am not a fan of cousin relationships I do hope that somehow Fanny and Edmund realize that they are meant for each other. She will be a perfect pastor's wife!

Until next week...