In a letter to her brother dated 1814, Jane Austen boasted of a compliment she received from a friend for her most recent work, Mansfield Park: "It is the most sensible novel I have never read" (263). Austen took pride in creating literature that depicted realistic characters and honest situations, but, perhaps more importantly, she strove to create fiction that was moral, informative, and entertaining. So what does the sensible say about the sexual? In Mansfield Park, the answer appears blatantly before us, as we repeatedly witness sexuality and desire portrayed in the darkest terms, and often resulting in the most sinister results. Those who emit a sexual personality or awareness must be seen as dangerous, and those who possess sexual desire are inevitably the ones in danger and are often punished for their wild emotions and erratic behavior. The Bertrams and Fanny Prices reside in Mansfield Park peacefully enough until their quiet domestic world is disrupted by strangers, who, in their own ways, threaten to disrupt the inhabitants' lives with a passion, a desire and a sexuality that is new to They. In this essay, I would like to examine the relationships that arise from connections with these outsiders, what role sexuality and desire play in them, and what Austen's treatment of them also says about sexual transgression and desire in a broader sense. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It seems natural to begin with Mansfield Park's two most prominent intruders, Henry and Mary Crawford. As tired individuals accustomed to the frenetic (and amoral) life of the city, Mary and Henry view Mansfield Park and its residents with a kind of interest in novelty, regarding them almost as if they were toys prepared for their entertainment. Mary is "extraordinarily pretty" (35) and wins over the Bertrams with "her lively dark eyes, light brown complexion and general beauty" (37) and her brother, after only a few visits, is declared a "very agreeable young man" sisters had ever known" (37). Henry (who I will discuss in more depth shortly) sees Mary and Julia as conquests, women to be conquered just for the sake of it. Mary, however, is sincere in her feelings towards Edmund (at least, as sincere as Mary Crawford could ever be), but the combination of Edmund's desire for her and her seductive nature makes her a precarious character. Perhaps Mary's biggest problem is that she is too knowledgeable for her own good her cynical attitude often seems out of place in the naive and sheltered Mansfield Park, particularly when compared to Edmund's ideological views. Unlike Edmund, who is surprisingly ignorant on the subject, Mary is concerned with understanding Fanny's position in society and the consequent availability, asking: "pray, is he out or not?" (42). Later, she remarks to Edmund, unaware that he will soon be ordained, about the apathy she feels (and blindly assumes others feel too) in attending church: "You cannot imagine with what reluctant feelings the ex-beauties of Rushworth's house did he retreat many times to this chapel? The young Mrs. Eleanors and Mrs. Bridgets hardened themselves to the point of appearing pious, but with their heads full of something very different, especially if the poor chaplain was not worth looking at, and, at those times, I imaginative parsons were far inferior even to what they are now" (78) These examples, both tinged with sexual overtones, demonstrate that Mary's worldliness and refinement are dangerous attributes, because they are not representative of good manners or from therefinement, but a thin veneer that, once peeled away, reveals narcissism, superficiality and lack of morals. Though it's never said in so many words, we have the tacit understanding that Maria's knowledge extends beyond the limits of what a good young woman needs to know, including, of course, sex and desire. It is this combination of awareness and corruption that makes Mary Crawford so disturbing and, as a result, spells danger for Edmund. Edmund's reckless desire for Mary, while revealing a weakness on his part, also seems to serve as a reiteration of his menacing nature. . Repeatedly we, along with Fanny, must suffer through Edmund's unconscious veneration of Mary, which clearly has sexual overtones. After all, his attraction to her is initially, and primarily, physical: "it is her face that is so attractive" (56). Later, at the end of a conversation with her, Edmund watches Mary walk away, in "ecstasy of admiration at all her many virtues" (101). This passion clearly has negative connotations and consequences. Because of Mary's charms, or more precisely, because of Edmund's "bewitched" state, he often forgets himself, his family, and his duty. Edmund's lack of composure is most evident in the strain this places on his relationship with Fanny. In Jane Austen and the War of Ideas, Marilyn Butler states, “Edmund, who has always been thoughtful of Fanny, is now seduced by his physical pleasure in Mary into forgetting her” (223). Once Edmund becomes aware of Mary's callous and manipulative nature, he alludes to her awareness as if he had been freed from a mermaid's spell: "the spell is broken. My eyes are opened" (412). While Mary Crawford is both tempting and threatening to Edmund, Henry Crawford is equally, perhaps even more, a danger to Julia, Maria, and then to Fanny. We learn early on from Mary that Henry's favorite hobby is courting women in whom he has no sincere interest: "it's the most horrible flirtation imaginable. If your Miss Bertrams don't like to be heartbroken, let them avoid Henry " (36). Tragically, however, both Julia and Maria are soon won over by his charismatic personality and sex appeal, and, for the first time in their lives, the sisters find themselves at odds with each other. From the beginning of the novel, we are made aware of Julia and Maria's vanity and weakness of character, which inevitably foreshadows disastrous events to come. Mary, "so surrounded by admirers, must be difficult in her choice" (33) accepts a marriage proposal from the foolish but wealthy Mr. Rushworth who endures humiliation and disgrace because he allows his eyes rather than his brain to guide him in his decision: "he was struck from the first moment by Miss Bertram's beauty" (32). This act alone makes us skeptical of Maria, but Austen pushes us to become even more incredulous as we see her shamelessly unable to refrain from reciprocating Henry Crawford's flirtations, despite his engagement and his sister's obvious interest in him . Maria lacks sexual self-discipline because Henry is irresistible, but also because she is used to and enjoys being flattered and admired. In one of Austen's most symbolic moments, we witness a grim prediction of Mary's transgressive nature and inevitable doom. During an outing on the Rushworth estate, part of the group find themselves trapped in a garden which has a locked gate and are told to wait while Rushworth goes to get the key. Maria, however, doesn't have the patience and tries to go through the gate to leave alone with Henry. When Fanny begs her to wait until the gate is properly unlocked, Maria says, “No way!Nonsense!" I certainly can go out like this, and I will! to her. This selfishness and immorality inevitably lead Maria to publish a sex scandal and public disgrace. When she gets tired of her husband, whom she married for money and not for love , is easily won back by the advances of Henry Lionel Trilling "Mansfield Park" which is this relationship with Maria in which Henry's sexual charisma reaches him: "he becomes prey to his own charm, and in his cold flirtation with Maria Bertram is trapped by her imitation of passion, his role requires that he lead Mary away from a boring marriage to a life of dull lust." (133). Both are weak characters and allow their depravity to take any form in this case, their downfall is desire so uncontrolled that it inevitably turns into an action outside of social norms. Maria's lust for Henry and Henry's false return of her affection lead to elopement, a shocked and hurt family, and divorce. for Mary. Julia's continued attempts to catch up with (and surpass) Maria (she quickly climbs over the fence when she discovers that Maria and Henry have left alone together) are often ignored by Henry and thwarted by the grim knowledge that his sister is the favorite. Although Julia ends up eloping with Yates (who seems, like Rushworth, a rather simple and ridiculous man), and this exploit is obviously considered sexually transgressive by society, it does not appear that Julia's act is the result of anything related to sex or desire, but rather the reaction of a girl who has been neglected and craves attention. We cannot help but feel some sympathy for Julia when we are told that her family has an easier time forgiving her than her sister: "Julia has succeeded better than Maria in a favorable difference in the disposition of circumstances, her beauty and his needs had only taken second place". She had always thought of herself as somewhat inferior to Mary" (422). No one except Fanny seems to notice Henry's indiscretions towards Julia and Maria (Edmund might, but his impression of Henry is obviously influenced by Mary). Consequently, when he turns his interest towards her, she wholeheartedly resists and, unlike her cousins, who were immediately led to think him attractive, "she nevertheless continued to think of Mr. Crawford as very simple" (42). , unaccustomed to such reluctance, only becomes more intrigued and passionate about Fanny. He declares to his sister that "it would be something to be loved by such a girl, to excite the first ardors of her young and unsophisticated mind!" tempting (and quite possibly charming from Henry's jaded point of view) because it means she's an untainted virgin in every way imaginable. Of course, Henry appears to be a shady figure due to his indiscretions with Maria and Julia, but his corruption seems to be reaching. a whole new level as he actively pursues the disinclined Fanny. While the culmination of his quest would obviously be the marriage proposal, the pinnacle of his flirtations towards her is revealed during the necklace incident. Fanny unwittingly accepts a necklace from Mary to wear to the ball, without having the slightest idea that it was a gift from Henry. Once Fanny realizes who really gave her the necklace, she feels uncomfortable and violated, having let an unwanted admirer's jewelry hang around her neck all evening without having any idea of ​​the more intriguing intentions and sexuality it represented. The production of the play, Lovers' Vows, is perhaps the only episode in the book that is richer in sexual desire and transgression. While their father is away, Tom, Maria and Julia,at Yates' suggestion and with the Crawfords' happy approval, they decide to put on a show to pass the time. They begin with elaborate plans for building a stage, which prove excessive in both cost and production, and then proceed to disrupt the house, either literally by rearranging the furniture and taking over the billiard room, or figuratively by engaging in a activities they know Sir Thomas would not approve of. The work accentuates the sexual tensions and desires that emerged earlier in the novel, granting, as Butler says: "a license for what would normally be entirely improper." The scenes together allow for physical contact between the sexes (as when Henry holds of Mary) and a bold freedom of speech entirely outside the constraints imposed by social norms." (232) Although Edmund protests against the play at first, his resistance gradually fades that would take place alongside Mary in the production, Fanny bitterly cites Edmund's lack of common sense as "all Miss Crawford's doing. She had seen his influence in every speech, and it was miserable" (140). Austen again heightens our suspicions of Mary Crawford when we hear of her intention "to rehearse (the scene) with Edmund alone in the evening" (149). The idea of ​​the rather worldly and aggressive Mary Crawford rehearsing a romantic scene alone with her love interest seems far from innocent, and other characters reveal their sexually charged agendas during rehearsals. as a result, he strengthens his flirtation with his sister, offering Maria the part she wanted, Maria, instead of refusing due to her engagement, sees nothing wrong in accepting the part that is offered to her by Julia, hurt and perhaps desperate, wanting to be noticed and flattered, she flirts with Yates, the only member of their group who steadfastly refuses to condone the show or participate in it, notices that, during rehearsals, Maria behaves "too well" (147), implying than the emotions they were directed towards. Henry's character most likely goes far beyond just acting. Fanny also notes that "Mr. Crawford was considerably the best actor of all" (147), allowing Austen to suggest that Henry too easily takes on whatever role is asked of him to have any confidence that it can evolve into anything. more than the debonair showman he appears to be. Therefore, the show is dangerous because it allows sexuality to be performed, the desire to be demonstrated, in a public arena. Furthermore, it highlights the more conniving attitudes and selfish nature of the individuals involved. We must be wary of those who are so ignorant as to regard the spectacle as nothing more than a harmless pastime (such as Yates and the Crawfords), and feel concern for those (such as Edmund) who are persuaded to take part in it. against their better judgement. It is only Fanny who realizes that the show is inappropriate and remains adamantly against it throughout the rehearsals. This underlines Fanny's poise, her hypocrisy, her modesty and perhaps even her modesty. But does Fanny's condemnation of the work seem to be a condemnation of sexuality and passion? Although we are aware of her unwavering desire for Edmund throughout the novel (most commonly expressed through modest blushes and intense jealousy towards Mary), it would never occur to anyone reading Mansfield Park to suspect that Fanny Price possesses sexual desire or impure thoughts. Butler compares her feelings towards Edmund to her emotions towards William, saying they have a "childish quality" (248). Given Fanny's naivety and the nature of her sincere but unpretentious devotion, this description seems enough, 1963.