Mansfield Park (Masterplots II: Women’s Literature Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Jane Austen
- First Published: 1814
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: The early nineteenth century, probably around 1803 to 1806
- Setting: Northamptonshire and Portsmouth, England
- Principal Characters: Fanny Price, Edmund Bertram, Sir Thomas Bertram, Lady Bertram, Maria, Mrs. Norris, Henry Crawford, Mary Crawford
- Genres: Long fiction, Fiction of manners, Bourgeois fiction
- Subjects: Justice, Maturation or coming of age, Values, Family or family life, Class conflict, Love or romance, Nineteenth century, Social issues, Marriage, Religion, Manners or customs, Social life, England or English people, Punishment, Adoption or adopted children, Ethics, Sick persons, Wealth
- Locales: Portsmouth, England, Northamptonshire, England
Form and Content
Mansfield Park examines moral education in a rural family of English gentry in the early nineteenth century. Although Fanny Price’s moral principles are secure, those of her cousins, including Edmund, are insecurely grounded, leaving them susceptible to being led astray. The novel also explores women’s issues. First, there is Fanny, who is entirely without power or influence in a household and society dominated by men. Moreover, Fanny provokes strong reactions from readers, who seem either to admire her uprightness or to detest her priggishness....
[The entire page is 2605 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
