Mr Rushworth’s Guilt | Jane Austen MANSFIELD PARK novel analysis | Mr Rushworth character analysis

Should we pity or sympathise with Mr Rushworth in Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park? Does he share any guilt for the failure of his marriage to Maria Bertram / Mrs Maria Rushworth?
Analysis of MANSFIELD PARK by JANE AUSTEN
In this video, I analyse Jane Austen’s character Mr James Rushworth. In the closing stages of Mansfield Park, Mrs Maria Rushworth (née Maria Bertram) has an affair with Henry Crawford-clearly they are to blame for this. But does Mansfield Park’s narrative voice suggest that Mr Rushworth shares any blame or guilt for the marriage’s failure?
OUTLINE of the lecture
- The introduction of Mr Rushworth
- The Sotherton episode (Mr Rushworth’s jealousy begins)
- Mr Rushworth’s response to the Lovers’ Vows rehearsals (Mr Rushworth’s jealousy continues)
- What the return of Sir Thomas Bertram to Mansfield Park reveals about Mr Rushworth
- The description of the couple’s motivations for marriage
- I close by considering the narrative voice’s summary of Mr Rushworth in the novel’s final chapter
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[@DrOctaviaCox]

If you like the work I do, then you can support it here: www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=D8LSKGJP2NL4N Thank you very much indeed for watching my channel.

[@keithsilverang7906]

What I have never understood and still don’t, despite multiple readings, is why Maria insists on going through with the marriage to Mr. Rushworth once it becomes clear that Henry Crawford prefers her to her sister. As you point out, Henry has a perfectly respectable fortune, though much smaller than Rushworth’s. So what is to stop her from ending the engagement and taking up with Henry, especially as her father appears to be more than willing to release her from the engagement, despite the implied loss of prestige and wealth it would entail.

[@kristinehansen4665]

Imagine if Lucy steele were to meet Mr. Rushworth. He would have been perfectly happy with her and she with him.

[@rebeccavaughn8897]

This is my head canon!

[@SarahElisabethJoyal]

Let's not forget that Maria's disapprobation is so obvious that even Sir Thomas notices and offers to break off the engagement for her.

[@robertthomson1587]

Indeed. That really is a pivotal point. Maria is offered a means of escape by her perceptive father and yet still plunges headlong into the disastrous marriage, basically just to piss everyone else off. It's a classic "cutting of one's nose to spite one's face" decision.

[@SometimesPerplexed]

@@robertthomson1587 I wouldn’t go that far: she married Mr Rushworth in part to escape being stuck at home with her controlling father and annoying mother. Literally her only escape route was to marry someone or other, and the (as far as we know) only man she’d ever felt strongly attracted to had walked away.

[@SarahElisabethJoyal]

It's sad, really, because in the end Julia does exactly the same thing for the same reasons, though at least with a happier ending in her case. But it's an interesting contrast with Fanny's quiet but firm resolve to carry her moral point even at the cost of severely displeasing Sir Thomas (with no realistic hope of being forgiven in time as his own daughters might reasonably have expected).

[@LindaMeade]

And keep in mind that Maria was a young woman with a sizable dowry who had options in the marriage market. She didn't have to settle for a man who repulsed her just to be mistress of her own home.

[@marysmith5003]

@@SometimesPerplexed You make Maria Bertram's "plight" as the eldest daughter in a wealthy family sound like a prison. Was her father so awful that it made it wise for her to rush into a marriage with a man she despised? It's hard to have sympathy for someone who makes her bed and complains it's not well done.

[@margo3367]

Mary and Henry Crawford were a breath of fresh air, sophisticated, witty; the Mansfield Park residents, on the other hand, were stuck in the country and stuck in their ways, and so were taken by the Crawfords’ worldliness and even naughtiness to some extent. What’s important in the development of the novel is how the Bertram’s were influenced by it and Fanny Price was not. She risked everything for principle. She is an unlikely, but worthy Jane Austen heroine.

[@rufescens]

"'If this man had not twelve thousand a year, he would be a very stupid fellow.'" I've always assumed that this was tongue-in-cheek, and not meant literally; that Edmund was talking about how Mr. Rushworth would be perceived if he weren't rich, or even what people would say if he weren't rich, but that Edmund himself was able to see past the money. Am I just blinded by my fondness for Edmund?

[@pollyparrot9447]

I agree with you - it's definitely meant to be ironic. Stupid people receiving undeserved respect because of their wealth and social position is a regular theme of Jane Austen's.

[@abee5344]

I'm not blinded by a fondness for Edmond and that's how I read that line as well...

[@annejeppesen160]

The same sentiment is expressed by Mr Elliot about Lady Dalrymple, though not so much for the sake of wealth but for the sake of social standing.

[@cminmd0041]

@@annejeppesen160 also the Bennett girls make a similar comment about the new man in the neighborhood with 5K$ a year. Something about a leer???

[@suemassey5076]

I looked on it as Jane Austen's delicious sense of humour, and a welcome part of Edmund's character; not too serious.

[@annelyle5474]

Thank you for the insights in to why "Lovers' Vows" was so scandalous a choice - I had no idea that the stage directions required the actors to behave in such an intimate manner, but I suppose most of Jane Austen's contemporaries would have been familiar with it. Pop culture references seldom age well 😁

[@ritzee13]

Same, I thought Edmund was too critical when he tried to stop the acting. I didn't understand why it was wrong.

[@marycrawford1594]

There is a theme in Mansfield Park concerning the perils of being a beautiful young woman who has heard nothing but praise all her life (from Mrs Norris), and of being a very wealthy young man who has been praised all his life (by Mrs Rushworth.) To be fair to these two people, they are both young and have seen very little of the world and have never been tested. That said, Maria sometimes falls short even of good manners, as we see on the Sotherton outing when she abandons her future mother-in-law in order to go wandering about the estate with Henry Crawford, chaperoned by Mr Rushworth. When she later abandons Mr Rushworth as well to escape through the locked gate leaving her future husband behind, this is surely the moment when Mr Rushworth should have understood that Maria had made her choice, and it wasn't him. There was no scintilla of an excuse for Maria, as the ostensible reason for the three of them to be walking together in the first place was so that Crawford could discuss with Rushworth the 'improvements' to the estate that he would recommend. Even though Mr Rushworth at this point is probably pushed to extreme jealousy and cannot control his emotions, the way he talks to Fanny about Crawford shows a mean spirit. My interpretation of what happens after the wedding is, first that Mr Rushworth and Maria don't 'hit it off' in the bedroom (with apologies to Jane Austen), and second that when Maria finds herself out of Mansfield Park and in the London society she has always craved, it turns out to be a disappointment, and, furthermore, she is now in 'Rushworth territory' where the writ of Sir Thomas and Mrs Norris no longer applies. She doesn't know how to conduct herself, and perhaps no one is terribly impressed - there would have been plenty of other beauties in London. I am always intrigued by the detail of the servant who would not be silenced: it sounds to me as if she was betrayed by a servant, which, of course, could never have happened at Mansfield Park. Maria didn't even know how to keep the servants on her side. I suspect rich men in that society could fairly easily shake off the humiliation of an unfaithful wife. The world was still his oyster after the divorce. Maria's fate is terrible in comparison. And we shouldn't forget that Sir Thomas would also have been deeply humiliated by his daughter's behaviour, he was an MP after all. That Fanny manages to save herself from this shipwreck is the profound message of the book.

[@cminmd0041]

I don't think she was disappointed in anything after her marriage- certainly not with Society. I just think when she was cold to Henry it hurt his vanity so he hyper charged the charm to win her back. I'm sure he made scandalous promises to get her into bed but once he won her back he quickly lost interest. Just like his pattern.

[@MeganAllen1738]

In my mind, she has one of the better endings in the book. As far as I'm concerned regarding her, her greatest regret is that she has to live with Aunt Norris. Although she didn't get the man she really wanted, she got a few days of bliss and was freed from a marriage that she resented greatly. She has a better fate in the end than Crawford in my opinion, because she is free to do whatever she wants now. He will never get the woman he really loved because of his actions

[@cg8397]

​​@@MeganAllen1738He doesn't really love Fanny. Maria, otoh, lost her social position and her higher standard of living.

[@MeganAllen1738]

@cg8397 maybe he doesn't truly, but he really wanted her. Both as a conquest and as a wife. And he'll go through life regretting the fact that he was _this_ close to winning her over and lost it all for a fling with a woman that he couldn't care less about.

[@tefu3621]

@@MeganAllen1738 This is an interesting interpretation. But doesn’t Maria always crave parties and social outings, being cast away seems like a bad ending, but I do agree that Mr c got the worst deal. Doesn’t matter how charming he is now, no lady will go near him and no gentlemen will want him near his daughter/sisters and he lost the love of his life. Mr rush got the best end of the three, as he should. True he only married maria for beauty but he was a decent guy and it’s not his fault he got cheated on, so I’m glad he is still accepted in society.

[@nelled6240]

Charlotte Lucas sensibly married Mr Collins because she wanted an establishment. She learned to manage him, avoid his company as much as possible and take pleasure in organising and managing the home which he provided.

[@rpaafourever7908]

Yes, but 'sensible' is halfway between love and a charade. I dare say, if Charlotte Lucas had Maria's dowry, she'd not have taken pleasure in managing that very home! LOL

[@GradKat]

@@rpaafourever7908why not? What’s wrong with taking pleasure in being a homemaker? Perhaps it’s all Charlotte would ever have wanted.

[@cg8397]

​​​@@GradKatShe means that a richer Charlotte would have married a man who already had his own home, not a clergyman dependent on strangers for accommodation.

[@user-rm7zf4bw2b]

But she can't avoid him in the bedroom... Horrid business.

[@megangilbert3112]

Mr. Crawford lacks the key to open the gate at Sotherton, but Henry Crawford slips past it easily, so it seems to me that the gate itself symbolizes Maria Bertram's heart and represents her differing levels of attatchment for each man. It also seems to imply that it is Rushworth's own stupidity in forgetting to bring the key which is at fault for his not gaining entry into Miss Bertram's affections, while simultaneously showing Mr. Crawford up as being devious in his method of entry. Also, although Rushworth certainly did not intend to insult Fanny, I'm pretty sure that he did when he expressed to her that Mr. Crawford's shortness made him unattractive, being that Fanny herself was short for her age. That is clearly insulting to Fanny, and a testiment to her humilty that she overlooks it. I really enjoy your videos and channel, thanks so much and please keep making more!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Yes, the locked gate is definitely symbolic. Henry gains access to areas that should be closed to him, and he tempts others to come along with him...

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Oh and thank you Megan. I'm very pleased you enjoy my channel. Thanks for watching and engaging with my videos.

[@marycrawford1594]

In Jane Austen's books a hero has to be effective. I think she believed that no woman could love a man who wasn't. Mr Rushworth falls at the first fence: though the owner of Sotherton he hasn't got the key to unlock an important gate. He isn't master of his own property.

[@rufescens]

That's marvelous--it hadn't occurred to me.

[@cindytartt4048]

@@i.b.640 you need to look at the time, dear. The culture. A petite or tiny woman was often subject to behaviour that effectively disregarded her.

[@katehobbs2008]

The fact that Maria and Henry went around the gate is an analogy; instead of waiting in propriety in the garden, and staying within the bounds of the polite garden (or social rules), they ignore propriety and break out into the park (an improper relationship).

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

Definitely a metaphor! The fact that they had a chaperone at the gate (Fanny) but headed off into the shrubbery unaccompanied (without even the excuse of being engaged to each other) is also in direct contravention of the social strictures of the time, and clearly shows how willing both of them are to break the rules to gratify their urges.

[@julecaesara482]

I'm so glad someone asks the questions I had when reading the novel but I had no-one to talk to about them

[@DrOctaviaCox]

It's my pleasure, Jule!

[@SmidBeach]

What struck me the most about Rushworth is how Mary Crawford disrespected him behind his back while visiting his estate. He may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's still human.

[@debbiericker8223]

Not to hog the comments section, but I want to add this. I've often wondered if Mr. Rushworth was based in part on the experience Jane had with Mr. Bigg-Wither. If Jane had accepted his proposal, she would have been the same as Maria Bertram (and countless others) who married for security and without love -- or even respect and admiration. Bless his heart, poor Harris Bigg-Wither has gone down in history as having made one of mankind's most famous rejected marriage proposals. (It's even in the poor guy's Wikipedia page.) Mr. Collins' rejected proposal is equally famous, but at least he didn't have to live that down the rest of his (not real) life, lol!

[@sharondowling8896]

Thank you SO MUCH for explaining so clearly the relevance and deeper meaning presented by the play, Lover's Vows! Now I really understand Fanny's distress, and Sir Thomas's disgust, over the activities involved with performing the play! Much needed explanation for a modern reader!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

It's absolutely my pleasure, Sharon. I'm glad it was helpful.

[@kirstena4001]

There was something so MATERNAL about Maria's acting in Lover's Vows, so very MATERNAL 😃 That line makes so much more sense now.

[@jude175]

Why did you have to have this explained to you? All the characters are just like modern people. They are easy to understand. Many people say Mansfield Park is Austen's least likeable novel and that Fanny is an unbearable priss. I loved her from the beginning. I am very much like her (I loath adultery) and I like her for withstanding the mean imprecations to abandon her principles. Edmund didn't deserve her.

[@sharondowling8896]

@@jude175 I had a hard time understanding why a play would be such a distressing thing to Fanny- it made her seem like the "priss", and I didn't think of her that way. Since I had no knowledge of the actual play, Lover's Vows, I did not realize how scandalous it would have seemed- and I certainly did not know the type of "affection" that was being rehearsed between Maria and Henry. I have always liked Mansfield Park, and that one point was very helpful to my understanding of the backstory.

[@lyndao7356]

@@jude175 I did too (love her from the beginning) I wondered why I liked her so but didn't get it until about my 5th rereading of the novel

[@lateralhistory]

I think part of the reason Fanny emphasises Mr Rushworth's jealousy, is that she feels she can't be too critical of Maria. Laying such emphasis on his jealousy is her way of hinting Maria provoked that jealousy. If he was "very" jealous, essentially, that implies Maria's behaviour was "very" bad. Fanny is talking to Edmund here and is in any case not accustomed to speak critically of any of the Bertrams. It's also hard for her to call out Maria's behaviour to Edmund, because doing so draws attention to the fact that he was right there and he missed it. Too caught up in Mary Crawford to be properly protective of his sister's reputation. I agree with everything you say about Rushworth's complicity in the whole mess, but I do think Fanny's choice of words is motivated mostly by the position she finds herself in. Mr Rushworth's jealousy is the safest way for her to broach the topic. He's an outsider, who Edmund - crucially - never actually liked. Unlike the Crawfords, who he thought so highly of, or Maria, who is of course his own sister. If she focuses her criticism on Rushworth, Fanny runs no risk of offending Edmund, or her Bertram relations

[@markteltscher9746]

Mutual respect is the key ingredient to a successful marriage in all of Austen's six completed books. I can't think of an example where this is not the case. Mr Rushworth is stupid but he is guilty of knowing that Maria Bertram was contemptuous of him but choose to Marry her anyway.

[@MsJubjubbird]

I think he thought once she was married she would become his wife and act like his wife and everything else would be forgotten. Because that was just how things worked in his perfect little world that centred around him.

[@GradKat]

But if he was that stupid, maybe he didn’t realise she was contemptuous of him. Perhaps he believed his money was sufficient to earn her respect.

[@sydt7104]

I feel like the specter of Mrs. Norris is hovering over this doomed relationship. If I recall correctly, Mrs. Norris is the one who sets up the match between Maria and Mr. Rushworth and praises herself for it considerably. She is also a major enabler, allowing the young adults to conduct the play and not taking Maria or Julia to task for their extensive liberties. Her main concern after the return of Sir Thomas is to (1) fuss about the room and (2) nick some material from the construction of the stage and set for her own use later. While Mrs. Norris is an aunt and not the mother of the children, she could have (and I will sound very prudish here) done more to supervise the goings-on and try to steer her nieces away from such physicality. If she can make the time to bully Fanny, she could have made the time to act as a "wet blanket" to keep Maria and Mr. Crawford from acting inappropriately with one another. Lady Bertram is not physically or mentally present for much of the goings-on, especially during the play. She should bear more responsibility for allowing this kind of activity to go on, but she prefers to doze off in a corner. I don't think she had any idea what the play - Lovers' Vows - was about, much less it's title. When she finally decides to check out the play, her own sister pooh-poohs her, telling her not to worry about it. And Lady Bertram is like, okay, and I assume goes back to napping in the corner. She really is a neglectful mother. Put down Pug for a few moments and see how your children are doing!

[@reikun86]

Something tells me that Lady Beltram enjoyed the laudanum, hence her drowsy nature.

[@kikidevine694]

If you have seen the film of Mansfield Park, with Harold Pinter as Sir Thomas, it's made VERY clear that Lady Bertram is addicted to laudanum. This actually explains why she's always napping, is never quite up to speed with events, and also how Mrs Norris has weaseled her way into managing and manipulating the whole family. It's actually rather sad because the most 'successful' of the sisters has even less agency than Fanny's mother who married badly. Unfortunately the addiction to laudanum was common across the social spectrum but the symptoms actually play into the whole passive/delicate upper class femininity tropes so popular later on in the nineteenth century. She wouldn't even have been aware of the fact that she had an addiction because so many tonics and medicines at the time were full of the stuff.

[@Eloraurora]

@@kikidevine694 Thank you for this insight! I'd been entertaining various possible diagnoses for Fanny throughout the book, but hadn't thought much about Lady Bertram. This makes her much more comprehensible.

[@barrieandgracewright2440]

​@@kikidevine6949

[@stephanicrandall7797]

"The indignities of stupidity can excite little pity." One of my favorite lines of Jane Austen. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about this!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Ha! - yes, great line. There is not much in Austen that excites pity, and stupidity is definitely not one of them! Stupid and unwilling to learn from his mistakes - a devastating combination.

[@susiezavodnyik4986]

Love it!

[@cs3742]

I think it is damn mean. The indignities of stupidity are pitiful and deserve kindness, even while making use of their behavior for comedy. Those of us who have worked with learning disabled people know that they have very limited ability to respond to social cues or learn from their mistakes. We send them out into the world after their legally mandated period of education knowing that they are going to be suffer in an unkind and uncaring world.

[@cs3742]

@@DrOctaviaCox I think it is damn mean. The indignities of stupidity are pitiful and deserve kindness, even while making use of their behavior for comedy. Those of us who have worked with learning disabled people know that they have limited ability to respond to social cues or learn from their mistakes. We send them out into the world after their legally mandated period of education knowing that they are going to be suffer in an unkind and uncaring world.

[@iloveprivacy8167]

@@cs3742 There's nothing to indicate that Rushworth suffers any learning disability, nor that Austen (anywhere!) mocks anyone anywhere for any such. Plenty in the world to be offended by, no need to manufacture more reasons.

[@archervine8064]

One other thing I would point out regarding the start of Maria and Rushworth’s relationship - he finds her beautiful and fancies himself in love… but does he ever really consider whether she likes him? Or does he just assume she will because he has been flattered all his life? I really can’t see the Rushworths’ marriage ending well, even without Henry Crawford. I think it is also interesting that Sir Thomas gives Maria an opportunity to back out of marriage to Rushworth, but tries to insist on Fanny marrying Crawford to the point of guilting her into it.

[@sydt7104]

I've wondered about this too. I wonder if he considers her as "arm candy" and doesn't give a fig about what is going behind that beautiful face. Perhaps he has been flattered all his life (what with that wealth, and I got the sense he was an only child growing up. Does he have siblings?). The marriage would have been a slow moving disaster, even without the presence of Henry Crawford. Sir Thomas does indeed ask his daughter if she wants to continue with the marriage, and I believe the narrator stressed the timing of the question. I am going to quote a long passage, so bear with me: _He had expected a very different son-in-law; and beginning to feel grave on Maria’s account, tried to understand her feelings. Little observation there was necessary to tell him that indifference was the most favourable state they could be in. Her behaviour to Mr. Rushworth was careless and cold. She could not, did not like him. Sir Thomas resolved to speak seriously to her. Advantageous as would be the alliance, and long standing and public as was the engagement, her happiness must not be sacrificed to it. Mr. Rushworth had, perhaps, been accepted on too short an acquaintance, and, on knowing him better, she was repenting._ _With solemn kindness Sir Thomas addressed her: told her his fears, inquired into her wishes, entreated her to be open and sincere, and assured her that every inconvenience should be braved, and the connexion entirely given up, if she felt herself unhappy in the prospect of it. He would act for her and release her. Maria had a moment’s struggle as she listened, and only a moment’s: when her father ceased, she was able to give her answer immediately, decidedly, and with no apparent agitation. She thanked him for his great attention, his paternal kindness, but he was quite mistaken in supposing she had the smallest desire of breaking through her engagement, or was sensible of any change of opinion or inclination since her forming it. She had the highest esteem for Mr. Rushworth’s character and disposition, and could not have a doubt of her happiness with him._ _Sir Thomas was satisfied; too glad to be satisfied, perhaps, to urge the matter quite so far as his judgment might have dictated to others. It was an alliance which he could not have relinquished without pain; and thus he reasoned. Mr. Rushworth was young enough to improve._ And then a little later: _Had Sir Thomas applied to his daughter within the first three or four days after Henry Crawford’s leaving Mansfield, before her feelings were at all tranquillised, before she had given up every hope of him, or absolutely resolved on enduring his rival, her answer might have been different; but after another three or four days, when there was no return, no letter, no message, no symptom of a softened heart, no hope of advantage from separation, her mind became cool enough to seek all the comfort that pride and self revenge could give._ Also, Sir Thomas is happy after one confirmation (because why double-check something as massive as MARRIAGE!!!) but then, as you pointed out, hammers away at Fanny to the point of exiling her back to Portsmouth. Favoritism!

[@archervine8064]

@@sydt7104 there is no mention of any other sibling, so I have also assumed he was at least the only one to reach adulthood. Given the importance placed on family connections it would be odd for Austen to not throw in at least a brief reference - Mrs. Norris bragging that Mr. Rushworth’s sister was married to a lord, say. Fanny is at a disadvantage due to favoritism, but also because she is unwilling to be open about the negative things she has seen about Crawford’s character. She doesn’t want to accuse her cousin, and has no proof that there is anything still going on. But, even with that, not liking him well enough ought to be plenty.

[@annejeppesen160]

I think it stems from sir Thomas knowing that Maria has plenty of options for marriage, given enough time, but Fanny will never get another offer because of her lack of money and her lowly parentage. Furthermore he knows from his own experience that Mr Rushworth is silly, pompous and self-absorbed. He has not seen Mr Crawford behaving unacceptable. He is perhaps blinded by his own wealth to acknowledge that you can actually live comfortably with less and thus is angry with Fanny for not living up to his sentiments.

[@cminmd0041]

@@archervine8064 Fanny did try to point out that Henry was flirting with BOTH Julia and Mariah to Edmund but he was so taken with Mary he didn't believe her. Because she is used to deferring to Edmund she drops it.

[@archervine8064]

@@cminmd0041 yep, and to be fair to her I am not sure if he would have listened if she had tried to push it. Much easier for him to continue to dismiss it as oh, we were all running a bit wild around the play.

[@marycrawford1594]

Regarding Edmund's mental comment, that if Mr Rushworth were not wealthy he would be a great fool, I have always seen that as Jane Austen's satire at work. Edmund knows a hawk from a handsaw but no one else does because they can't see past Mr Rushworth's wealth. But it's part of the sadness of the book that he doesn't have a good enough relationship with his sister to try and find out her real feelings, and perhaps save her from a disastrous match. So Edmund too bears some guilt for what happens. Mansfield Park is full of 'sins of omission.'

[@dorothywillis1]

I was always surprised Edmund was smart enough to make such a remark!

[@pollyparrot9447]

You're right that it's a shame that Edmund isn't close enough to his sister to give her a warning that she would heed, but it is clear in the book that Edmund is quite low in the Mansfield Park pecking order. His brother and sisters don't care that he is opposed to their putting on a play. In the absence of Sir Thomas Tom Bertram is the 'man of the house' and he actually rubs Edmund's nose in that fact. If Edmund had noticed Henry Crawford trifling with Maria's feelings, that might have moved him to say something to her, but he was too tied up with his own affairs.

[@jogibson5851]

People are still blinded by wealth today, assuming that those who are rich and well connected and who speak with the right accent are intelligent - Mr Rushworth reminds me of certain politicians from both sides of the Atlantic! If he had gone into Parliament, he might have done rather well...

[@kittykatz4001]

The Bartram siblings don’t seem to be close at all.

[@kikidevine694]

And of course Edmund is taken in completely by Mary Crawford How clever is that?

[@annecook7778]

"Pretty" is used in that underhanded way in P and P too when Lady Catherine tells Lizzy, "Miss Bennet, there seemed to be a prettyish kind of a little wilderness on one side of your lawn. I should be glad to take a turn in it, if you will favour me with your company.” before grilling her on Darcy.

[@pollyparrot9447]

I think we can assume that Edmund's thoughts about Mr Rushworth's income and his intelligence are ironic. Edmund is the least materialistic of the Bertrams, and he does have a sense of humour although a lot of readers seem to miss it. Maria Bertram has a lot more than mere beauty to recommend her. She must have a good dowry (I don't remember if it was mentioned in the book), and the connection with Sir Thomas would be valuable to her husband. Mary Crawford observes that Sir Thomas would be able to help Mr Rushworth get a seat in Parliament (God forbid!). I love Mansfield Park so much because it provides endless topics for reflection and conversation, from the relative effects of nurture and nature on the development of character to nepotism in the early 19th Century Royal Navy (a good thing, apparently). Thank you very much, Dr Cox, for this discussion.

[@kittykatz4001]

MP is actually my favorite of JA’s major novels for the reason you mentioned, except you said it better than I could. When ever anyone asked in JA reading group I like to hang out in, “What is your favorite of her novels?” I give the reason that there is so much going, lots of characters etc. and many sub plots.

[@positivecynic365]

So much of what Jane Austen writes for characters we are meant to respect is ironic! It's so funny to me because when I started reading Jane Austen at 12, it all went right over my head.

[@MsJubjubbird]

I don't think he is immune from materialism though. He's more comfortable with living off slavery than Fanny. He does look at wealthy women too. He understands wealth is a virtue even if he doesn't go out of his way to seek more and can live with less

[@di3486]

I find the Mansfield Park characters, absolutely fascinating!!! Please make one of these for the Crawford siblings and Tom. Jane Austen was a master observer of human behavior!!! You have no idea how much I enjoy these, wonderful work.

[@chrisv.5170]

Yeah, I find Mary Crawford particularly interesting, beacause she is Elizabeth Bennett's evil twin, is she not? Smart, and funny, with a lively mind, healthy with a love of exercise, headstrong, a good musician... even her appearance, with her dark eyes and smaller size seems to be like Lizzy. And yet in morals... yikes! A comparison between the two would be very interesting!

[@Amcsae]

@@chrisv.5170 Yes!

[@AldWitch]

I have always felt about 20% sorry for Mr Rushworth. The system of marriage at that time must have made it very difficult to end an engagement without losing status, esteem or even respectability, He could not back out without exposing himself to ridicule and Maria would not end it unless she had another offer from Crawford. In part I blame the mothers and Mrs Norris for not keeping the engagement private and then, seeing that this match was doomed, finding a plausible excuse to end it.

[@charlesiragui2473]

Also, Darcy is moved by intelligence, her mind. "uncommonly intelligent" Was it really her dark eyes that rendered her uncommonly intelligent or was it her intelligence that rendered her dark eyes uncommonly beautiful? We all know. Mr Rushworth on the other hand, has no access to Maria's mind, he makes no effort to see her personality. He doesn't care. She's a trophy.

[@GradKat]

Well we don’t know. We’re never allowed access to his thoughts, as we are to Darcy’s.

[@charlesiragui2473]

​@@GradKat I'm taking your comment as meaning that perhaps, we don't know, Mr Rushworrth does admire the beautiful Maria for her intelligence. Given that Austen clarifies that Mr Rushworth is not smart, it seems likely that he has no capacity to admire her intelligence, certainly not as a meeting of kindred souls as with Darcy and Elizabeth. I would take his behavior as oriented to his own vanity. He's upset when "his" fiancee is making him look bad by ditching him at the park. He's not happy when the same two are playing a love scene together but is mollified by the shiny satins of his costume. He seems to have only a very superficial attachment to Maria. That's why I would say he treats her as a trophy. She's the same, treating his wealth as her trophy. I think the readers anticipate that this will end badly in an Austen novel.

[@marycrawford1594]

Thankyou for mentioning Mary Crawford's comment to Mr Rushworth about Maria being 'maternal' towards Henry Crawford during their too frequent rehearsals. It's another of her mischievous interventions, and, though she wants to be seen as being kind to Rushworth I would use the modern phrase and say far from being kind she was 'gaslighting' him. One wonders what her motive really might be, could she simply be trying to save Rushworth pain? Or seeking to save his engagement? Or could there be a darker motive? Could she be enabling her brother to carry on trifling with Maria? She intervenes from behind the scenes on at least two other occasions. She presses a particular necklace/chain on Fanny, thereby allowing Crawford to embarrass Fanny by pretending it's a secret gift from him, and attempting to draw her into a clandestine flirtation. In doing so she betrays someone she claims as a friend. But her most disastrous intervention is when she persuades another 'friend' in London to deliberately set up a situation in which Crawford meets up with Maria. This is pure devilment aimed at providing her with entertainment. Of all Jane Austen's creations I find Mary Crawford the most intriguing. She is like a genteel version of Iago.

[@londongael]

Mary is certainly Henry's enabler. They work as a team - though with Mary very much the subordinate partner. Her social contacts are what gives Henry access to the women he pursues, she abets him exactly as you outline, and probably has done for years. The final intervention is more puzzling, because it is such a shot in the foot for her. Perhaps she feels unsettled by Henry's new attempts to be more virtuous? And though Henry's marriage with Fanny would promote her match with Edmund, perhaps she has a sudden fear of the sister-in-law syndrome discussed in a recent video here? Does suppressed resentment of Henry play a part, or does she just fail to see that, this time, it isn't going to be "business as usual" between Henry and Maria? Subconscious motives play a big part in Mansfield Park. It's fitting that, in the end, no-one stops the Crawfords from doing what they do - they defeat themselves by a lack of self-control.

[@SmallFaerie]

Is it said somewhere in the novel that the chain isn't in fact a gift from Henry Crawford? I thought it was made clear that it was from Henry and Mary pretended it was from her so that Fanny would accept it.

[@marycrawford1594]

@@SmallFaerie We only know what Mary says to Fanny. Mary tells Fanny that the necklace was a gift from Henry to her (Mary), and that she now wants to give it to Fanny.

[@marianneshepherd6286]

Loved your comparison of Darcys' admiration for Lizzy and Mr Rushworths for Maria. It made me think of the conversation Miss Bingley and Darcy have where she talks about an artist painting her (Lizzys) likeness, and Darcy says that it would be difficult for that artist to capture the intelligence and expression within her dark eyes. This shows to me that his attraction goes beyond just physical. He has realised that her liveliness of spirit is also attractive to him and for an artist it would be hard to convey her playfulness and gaiety.

[@somethingwolfish1872]

I do enjoy your videos so much! I especially like the ones that analyze the characters in Mansfield Park. Fanny Price is probably my favorite of Jane Austen's heroines. Personally, I do pity Mr. Rushworth just a bit because he IS so stupid. Too stupid for actual sympathy, and he absolutely bears some responsibility for the failure of his marriage, but Maria's affair, plus his public humiliation, wasn't really deserved. He made extremely poor choices, but that could easily have been Edmund. I might be wrong, but the wording at the beginning of Edmund's infatuation with Mary Crawford was pretty similar to the way Mr. Rushworth's infatuation with Maria was described. And the mental hoops Edmund jumped through to convince himself that Mary was this fine, virtuous woman, "the only woman he could think of as his wife", might be similar to (if more intelligent than) the ways that Mr. Rushworth ignored all the signs pointing to Maria's infatuation with Mr. Crawford.

[@charlotteottaway2208]

Yes! Rushworth gets the shame and Edward gets a free pass. I guess though that Maria was painfully obvious in her behaviour towards Rushworth that she didnt respect him and a more self aware guy would pick up on that. Where as Mary Crawford is more complex in how she treats people and it takes a lot more drama for her true colours to come out.

[@rpaafourever7908]

Did he deserve it? Here's another perspective - In the same way, Maria did not deserve the punishment meted out to her indefinitely and solely, entirely ignoring the part the other two men played in the situation. It seems like both of them were aware they were not in love with each other on their wedding day. Rushworth knew what he was getting into and took a chance, we can't just excuse him for his 'stupidity'. And if so, we shouldn't have double standards for this undignified trait. Maria, too, made poor choices, in that sense she is also 'stupid' for she does not know her own heart. Yet, Rushworth and Crawford probably get to start over, she doesn't. Because society either expects her to put up with the charade or condemn her for life.

[@StarryEyed0590]

@@rpaafourever7908 Maria is unfaithful. Rushworth isn't. Yes, it's unfair that Maria has to pay a higher price for her affair than Henry does (then, again, he's not married), but NO ONE made Maria marry Rushworth. Her father even tries to convince her to end the engagement. She deliberately makes a lifelong commitment to him, knowing what he is like and what her feelings towards him are for material gain, and then doesn't honor that commitment.

[@panchitaobrian1660]

I think we should be honest and admit that even now the beauty of the woman is the main reason for a man to believe him being in love and marry her. Rushworths are in majority. And Darcies - in minority

[@panchitaobrian1660]

@@i.b.640 :) well. Yes

[@tefu3621]

And Crawfords in greater majority than rush worth’s and darcies combined. And now we have normalized their behavior 😢

[@davidallen3687]

He was spoiled by indulgences. Fanny was getting to like him when he visited her and her poor family, but he thought whatever he wanted to do was okay. He destroyed the girls reputation (she had also been spoiled by Lady Betram's indolence and Mrs Norris). Fascinating glimpse of what faulty indulgence does, just like Elizabeth in Persuasion, and to some extent Mary.

[@marijeangalloway1560]

Mr. Rushworth wants to marry Maria Bertram because he finds her handsome. Mr. Rushworth is also an exceedingly stupid man. But it is not only stupid men who seek beauty in a woman, and assume it must signify a wealth of positive and desirable qualities. Otherwise sensible men not infrequently have their heads turned in this way to such a degree that intelligence and common sense alike crumble before this idol of beauty. And Jane Austen well knew it: look at the case of Mr. Bennet, for example. He is apparently an intelligent and well-educated man, but the text makes very clear that he married Mrs. Bennet solely for her looks, and has had cause to rue her silliness and "mean understanding" ever since.

[@EGChurchofChrist]

I did pity Mr. Rushworth. He was doing what was expected of him. Marry a pretty well bred woman of his social class. With due respect to the Lord Byron and the conduct of some women in society; he had no reason to suspect her conduct would go from flirtatious to adultery. Also he was not very bright.😊

[@debshaw680]

I feel sorry for him. He’s such a dimwit. Of course he can’t think of a woman as being more than beautiful. He knows a woman will only want him because he’s wealthy. He’s very child like and I’d bet he hasn’t ever had anyone treat him with much regard except his mother. I can imagine his father being dismissive knowing that he’s never going to be able to cope but can’t change who his heir is. Rushworth seems reasonably good natured and would have done well with a woman who wasn’t wicked at heart. Maria is always cold and distant to him so I imagine it wasn’t anything new to him in her behavior. I expect that his family has encouraged him with Maria because her father is a man who has business success and she appears to be well educated and intelligent. From the outside, I believe it was hard to see how self centered and mean she is. Because he admired her and his dim nature, he didn’t really expect her to not return his regard. I’ve always pitied him. He can’t help but be who he’s is. Everyone in this except Fanny is weak and immoral in one way or another. Even Edmund is only struck by beauty when bad character is slapping him in the face every minute. But I actually feel that Fanny is equally foolish in her steadfastness waiting around for Edmund to come to his senses or speaking her mind to either Edmund or Rushworth.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

"if duped, to be duped at least with good humour and good luck" (MP ch.48)

[@frankupton5821]

An important thing for a person with little intelligence is to realise that they have limited intelligence and work with what abilities they have got. Mr R doesn't do this.

[@EmoBearRights]

Lucy does marry a very similar man to Mr Rushworth - vain, stupid, self important, wealthy, mother dominated and shallow.

[@EmoBearRights]

Sadly Fanny doesn't really have many options. Prince Charming is not coming for her. That said I think the other Austin heroes would have appreciated her moral character and intelligence - Knightly admits he likes Jane Fairfax who is quite similar in a lot of ways and does need up with a Henry type character who is redeamable.

[@amybee40]

@@EmoBearRights That's a very astute comparison.

[@Steph_here]

Re the beauty of miss bertram--makes it sound like it's something that she owns or possesses and that can therefore be taken away or lost, etc. But the way Darcy thinks of Elizabeth? It's like the beauty is something innate in her.

[@EmoBearRights]

Also it hints that to him her intelligence is beautiful it's something the vapid Caroline Bingley never understands.

[@Pepperjack1986]

I saw immediately that the main reason Mr. Rushworth was so determined to move forward with the marriage was to score over Henry Crawford. He never saw Maria as an equal, or really even as a person, shown clearly by how he didn't care that she preferred Henry. He only saw her as a prize to be won. I remember being shocked that he sought a divorce in the first place because of how scandalous that was back then, but I realize now that he didn't want Henry Crawford's sloppy seconds. I'm firmly convinced that if Maria's infidelity had been able to be hushed up, he would have stayed married to her for appearance's sake. But once her indiscretion with Henry became public, Mr. Rushworth would have wanted to show the world that he considered Maria to be an inferior possession that Henry was now welcome to.

[@markorr7125]

I wonder how much the jury awarded Mr. Rushford against Henry Crawford for "criminal correspondence"?

[@cg8397]

No, divorce was the only means Mr. Rushworth had to protect himself. If Maria had become pregnant by Crawford, then the child would be legally a Rushworth and entitled to inherit.

[@thesisypheanjournal1271]

I think Edmund's reflection on Mr. Rushworth isn't excusing his stupidity on the grounds that hey, at least he has money. I think Edmund is reflecting on how others are perceiving Rushworth and that they'd recognize his stupidity were he not so rich.

[@Mparthur]

If anything I'm more inclined to feel pity for Maria... Of course she wasn't a nice character and carried most of the blame... but she was very young, lived in a house with their tyrannic father and married out of disappointment. As a woman she didn't get much of a chance to make a mistake (and now has to live with aunt Norris!), whereas Mr.Rushworth just has to wait until "some other pretty girl could attract him into matrimony again"

[@michaelodonnell824]

Of course you are. Which woman has EVER condemned other cheating or violent or even Murderous women?!

[@Mparthur]

@@michaelodonnell824 I'm just saying that at the time, were the roles reversed, society wouldnt have condemned Mr. Rushworth in the same manner. Maria was a young woman who couldnt afford to make mistakes, and that is why I have pity for her. As far as being violento or even murderous, I dont think Austen said anything about that...? Anyway Im not condemning anyone as Maria does not actually exist...

[@dorothywillis1]

@@Mparthur Michael is just teasing you. Of course you are right in pitying Maria. I have often wondered just what Sir Thomas was like in his wrath that his children are so terrified of him.

[@EmoBearRights]

@@michaelodonnell824 The thing is that women then had it worse then men then and few options and also if you were to read what women say about Fanny Dashwood and her mother Mrs Ferrers then you'd see that we don't make apologises for ALL women. Also Mary isn't exactly supportive of all other women either despite her in some ways justified indignation about what happened to her mother or aunt. You can also sympathise about society creates bad people without condoning what they do.

[@edennis8578]

I don't see Maria's father as tyrannical at all. In fact, he wasn't strict enough, as evidenced by the fact that his children didn't hesitate to flout the morals of the day. He and his wife were negligent parents.

[@SometimesPerplexed]

I enjoyed the discussion of Mr. Rushworth, one of the most entertaining and recognizable types in any period, i.e. the insecure untalented person born to wealth. One detail about him has always bothered me: How could he and his mother not have been well known to the Bertrams for years prior to his appearance in the narrative? His ancestral home Sotherton is ten miles from Mansfield Park. The Bertrams have lived at MP for an unspecified but clearly substantial number of years. It seems strange the Lady B had never before met Mrs. R and that Sir Thomas was not apparently acquainted with mother or son, at least by reputation. Would not wealthy and socially established families living so close to each other almost necessarily have some relationship over the years?

[@judithstrachan9399]

In the early 1800s, ten miles away was not really close. It was a good hour away on a good horse. It is surprising that Sir Thomas knew *nothing* of them, though.

[@eskina1]

Yes, Mr. Rushworth shares the blame for his marriage catastrophe. He is unable to think for himself, and an utter spineless Mamas' boy. As Austen puts it in the last chapter :" he was always guided by the last speaker...". Mr. Harding tries to calm him down, and save the marriage. You get the impression that if Maria had not run away with Henry, and Mrs. Rushworth and her maid were not in town, this crisis at leasr would have been averted. And the marriage would go on for a few more years. Austen even implies that his second wife will also be unfaithful for him. A man's character is his destiny. 😁 Great analysis, Dr. Cox, as usual!

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Great point - absolutely - the narrative voice implies that he has learnt nothing from the failure of his marriage and that he's just as likely to fall for a pretty face and be duped again.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

And thank you!

[@whitneybarnes256]

@@DrOctaviaCox But other girls would be smarter, and not wreck the marriage. Lucy Steele would have done a way better job of keeping everyone happy, even if she'd decided to cheat.

[@dorothywillis1]

@@whitneybarnes256 It's awful to say he needs a Lucy Steele, but the truth is she probably would make him a very good wife!

[@catgladwell5684]

@@whitneybarnes256 Lucy Steele might have been a nasty piece of work in many ways, but there can be no doubt about her cunning intelligence. She only had her wits to live on, and that tends to sharpen the brain.

[@DaisyNinjaGirl]

I definitely needed the mores of amateur theatricals of the Regency period explained to me, back when I read Mansfield Park originally. (Compared to how we feel about it now, where it's a licence to be a bit looser in your clothing and touching rules: one of our prized family photos is my (very respectable) Mum tricked out in heels, fishnet tights, and a very short tunic when she was Principal Boy in Aladdin at age 19; and I can remember sharing a bunkroom with someone, accidentally walking in when he was down to his knickers while getting changed, and his casual reply was "it's fine, I do theatre!") Compared to back then, according to a book on historical courtesans by Katie Hicks, when apparently by the Regency, if she _really wanted to be_ a professional actress could lead a respectable life and be on visiting terms with ladies and gentlewomen and not be a prostitute at all - it's just nobody expected her to be. On the other hand, I have this head canon that _Mansfield Park_ is secretly an inversion of the Odyssey. Here's this lone hero, Sir Thomas, who has to depart on a long and dangerous sea journey, that he's delayed on, and when he comes home unexpectedly his house is in disorder, there are strangers eating up his home and consuming his resources, and trying to seduce his womenfolk - so he immediately suppresses all the misrule and spends the next week assiduously cleaning up all the evidence that there was anything going on at all. I have no evidence that Austen _meant_ it that way, but to me it adds some flavour to an already in flagrante book.

[@beatrizrodrigues5006]

Yet, we have to consider that if he were to break up the engagement based on a 'suspicion' of his fiancé disinterest, it would be highly inappropriate to the society either. From the little I know, breaking up a engagement was also very scandalous and a lost of honor to the man. We can recall a similar situation in S&S, with Edward sticking to his engagement even after long disliking Lucy.

[@ayhrielvisante1386]

I’ve never had much patience or sympathy for Mr. Rushworth. I might’ve, if he’d been duped into the marriage, but he wasn’t. And I have little pity for Mariah in that she was even offered to end the engagement by her father and she chose to marry a man she despised instead, because Mr. Crawford went away. I get that she hated her father’s house more, but the ends did not justify the means.

[@dmd_]

I recently discovered your channel and it has become my everyday homework to watch one video! English is not my first language and although I'm good enough to read an 18 century novel, sometimes it really shows that understanding the language itself is not enough- culture, history, and speaking habits of the time the books were written all contribute to grasping the whole picture. Thank you so much for making these analysis videos, Dr. Cox! You're are so easy to listen to and the insights you've given were so interesting and thorough that they often required me to pause and reflect. I really can just sit and listen to you talk all day:)

[@tassey]

Thank you for this analysis. I had not thought about Mr. Rushworth's guilt , although I did not like him. He seemed the same sort of person as Sir Walter Eliot who had similar ideas about the standards for male beauty. And was similarly gullible.

[@sarahmwalsh]

I finally got to see a filmed performance of "Lovers' Vows" last year and it made SO MANY THINGS clear about Mansfield Park! I think your point about the narrative voice holding Mr. Rushworth at least partially to blame for the dissolution of his own marriage is really important, particularly because it's a commentary on how imbalanced the treatment of women was in all such circumstances. It's a shame Henry Crawford doesn't face any consequences!

[@mikespangler98]

In polite company he did, he won't be marrying into the nobility. But he's not too worried about that, they are too stodgy for his tastes.

[@tefu3621]

He did! He lost Fanny and all ladies like her. No gentle ladies for him and probably un welcomed in most houses.

[@shininghaleys3561]

I've never clicked on a video so fast, I just finished reading Mansfield Park for the first time and was about to go through and watch any other videos you've made about it before seeing there's a new one that answers a question I had, thank you for making such informative content

[@DrOctaviaCox]

Oh, it's my pleasure! Such an interesting novel.

[@kirstena4001]

I just reread it, now i will have to go back and read it yet again 😃

[@jennifercarlin-goldberg1125]

Ooh, Mansfield Park is my third favorite of Jane Austin’s novels. I am actually glad to know that Rushworth is also very much to blame for that train wreck. So much focus is put on Maria, it’s kinda easy to miss. Thank you! Mansfield Park is next in my Jane Austin Novel rotation, so I get to reread it again soon!

[@freedpeeb]

Do you think Mr. Rushworth's name gives us a hint at his "worth" before we are even introduced to him?

[@tarquinmaggler7357]

Oooh, excellent point!

[@dorothywillis1]

Dr. Cox, have you done a video on Sir Thomas? I have always wondered about him. Why are his children so terrified of him? I think we see part of what he is like in how he speaks to Fanny about marrying Henry Crawford, but I've never seen any analysis of how he rules his household.

[@kryscall4544]

Thank you for your posts. They are very helpful to me in my work and the most detailed scholarship on Austen I have seen. I wonder if Ms. Austen using "evil" to describe the forgetting of a key upon which no necessity is incumbent is also part of the comedy of Rushworth's indirect discourse? Also, I wonder if the conversation between Rushworth and Fanny Price is also meant to emphasize her depth of intelligence as compared to his lack of it. Regarding a previous post you made about Fanny Price, I guess I'm in the minority of your followers in thinking that she is one of the most realistic characters in Austen's novels for being the most honest about her powerlessness in her family and in society and in self-acknowledgement of her emotions, and thus a very sympathetic character. She does not express her emotions much to other characters, much like Anne Eliot. Both novels seem to stand out as sobering about the precarious position of women in that society. I never would have thought of any of this without your posts. Your posts are wonderfully thought-provoking, and your voice is very pleasant to the ear.

[@marciaw745]

The genitive phrase "the beauty of Miss Bertram" also further distances the reader and Mr Rushworth from Maria Bertram herself. The other possessive syntactical possibility, "Miss Bertram's beauty" would have closed some of the distance, but the point you make that Mr Rushworth lacks proper thought about Maria Bertram is reinforced by the greater distance from who she really is. Love your analysis.

[@charlesiragui2473]

"Despised" today has connotations of hatred but I believe during Austen's time it might have had more connotations of contempt. So, I suspect, this passage means pointedly that he knew that she had no respect for him whatsoever.

[@lyndao7356]

I love your talks about the classics. I became interested in Austen late in life and knew immediately that I was missing something great. You round out the richness of the novels for me. I go back to reread with a wiser eye. All respect, Dr. Octavia.

[@eli18639]

I loved the video. I would really like your analisis of the "love" that Henry had for Fanny. 🤩🤩🤩

[@faithe-b6439]

Your lectures are so interesting! I really appreciated the explanation of Lover's Vows and the detail about height being class related. I had no way of knowing those facts when I read Mansfield Park. I think as far as my feelings regarding Mr. Rushworth, if his low intelligence was his only failing I would feel compassion for him. But as he displays 2 character flaws that I consider red flags - self-involvement and snobbery - I'm uninclined to absolve him for his part in his failed marriage or really feel pity for him that Maria and Crawford treated him so badly. He treated her like property he was entitled to on the basis pf his wealth and status. If he had made any attempt to see her as a person and woo her, she probably would not have been so susceptible to Henry Crawford's charm. I recall feeling some compassion for both Maria and Julia when I read the book (it's been awhile) if only empathy based on the lack pf available options for women of that era. I know they had character flaws too so I don't absolve Maria of blame by any means but I imagine I would have felt somewhat desparate to be free of the Bertram household myself. Though I doubt desperate enough to marry Rushworth.

[@darthlaurel]

I've always assumed that Mr. Rushworth's readiness to marry was based on concupiscence. Maria excites his desire and so he's ready to take her body, even though he suspects he does not have her heart. She, in her turn, is ready to take his money in exchange and he's ok with that. It's clear the author doesn't have any pity for him (and not much for Maria, either). There is none expressed via the language and Fanny seems the only one who pities him. However, his marriage "failed" only because Maria was caught. Had she had more discretion, it's likely they would have stayed married for as long as his mother could have tolerated it or as long as she continued to satisfy his reasons for marriage.

[@jessies.7653]

I kind of had the same thoughts, Mr Rushworth married for sex. But wouldn’t rich men like him be expected to take mistresses before marriage?

[@Marielusi]

He puts others down to raise himself, because he has nothing to show for himself other than his wealth. He feels threatened by Crawford and therefore talks about Crawford's lack of hight etc. He is childish and immature. Maria is calculating and cleverer than him - the marriage never stood a chance. (I'm not defending Maria or Crawford btw). I don't think he is guilty of the marriage not working. Maria decided to marry him with her eyes open. It was just destined to explode.

[@debshaw680]

It’s his jealousy of the attention his fiancé paying to him.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

I absolutely agree that the marriage never stood a chance of being happy. And I think Austen does apportion some blame to Mr Rushworth for entering into such a marriage in the first place.

[@Marielusi]

@@DrOctaviaCox Indeed. I mean even Sir Thomas noticed what was going on and he was away from home half the book. So Maria is to blame because she married him with her eyes open and just for his wealth, Rushworth is to blame because he married her by closing his eyes tightly to the facts against it and the narrator blames Sir Thomas a bit, because he is so hard to confide in, that even when asked directly by him, if Maria has some doubts, she is not able to be honest to him.

[@Elf0304]

@@Marielusi My reading of Maria when she agrees to the marriage is that she has given up on Henry (not enough to not come running when he clicks his fingers). She knows she doesn't love Rushworth, but wants to marry him as some kind of revenge, being flattered that he is still around (accepting that she knows what Henry is at this point, but can't resist him turning on the charm later), and maybe thinking that someone different to Henry may be better for her (I think the first two most likely though).

[@Marielusi]

@@Elf0304 Yes I agree. There was definitely some revenge in there and I guess she tried to save face. It's all such a farce. That's why it's one of my least favourite books of Austen actually. Not because of the writing but everyone is miserable in their own way or seeks to make somebody else unhappy. Everyone knows what's really going on, but they all just put on a facade.

[@jessies.7653]

Mansfield Park is my favorite Austen work, thank you!

[@KierTheScrivener]

I love Mansfield Park and I am glad you are giving it love ❤

[@DrOctaviaCox]

It's a wonderful novel - quite challenging, but I think Austen was deliberately challenging her readers.

[@corvuscorone7735]

I have heard that the original German version of Lovers' vows was even more shocking and had already been toned down so as not to scandalise British Regency society entirely? I only read the English version and must admit, I liked it. It was entertaining. Shallow, feel-good, slightly ridiculous entertainment. And actually quite romantic in parts. Thanks for this analysis, I have never thought much about Rushworth, labelling him too stupid to waste any time with. While you were talking about his being too self-centred and obsessed with his costumes to notice Maria's immodest behaviour, I found his behaviour rather endearing, because jealousy, and confronting someone jealously, is not exactly proper behaviour, either. But thinking on, I think the reason he never confronted Maria is not, after all, him being kind and loving and hoping for the best, it is him knowing that she prefers Mr Crawford, and confrontation might make her admit it, and he would lose the battle for all the world to see.

[@amybee40]

A third possibility -- he does not view Maria as a feeling individual, and she, by increasing improprieties, is attempting to get him to do so, to see if he really cares about her as a person.

[@tarquinmaggler7357]

@@amybee40 I think you've nailed it.

[@meh8982]

I think primarily he just doesn't care how she feels. She is essentially property to him, an attractive figurehead to place in his home to manage domestic functions and to be seen by his guests. He wants to be married to complete his social standing. She clearly doesn't care how he feels either, and only wants the societal importance and relative independence of being the wife of an extremely wealthy landowner. Plus, they are both motivated by anger at Henry Crawford, which is rather funny. Neither of them really sees the other as a person. As the narrator notes, their marriage was most likely doomed whether Crawford had showed up again or not.

[@meh8982]

@@amybee40 That would be plausible if she had any interest in him, but I think she despised him from the start and looked on him as an unpleasant but necessary convenience for her own ambitions. Henry Crawford temporarily distracted her from that plan.

[@user-rm7zf4bw2b]

I still don't see much of a reason to hate Mr. Rushworth to the point that I have no pity for his being disrespected so horribly. He is harmless, and not spiteful. Just a poor, simple, rich fool.

[@judithstrachan9399]

Perhaps deliberately more stupid than he was by nature?

[@Muggle1983]

This was great. I always really glossed over Mr Rushworth as a Falstaff character but this detailed analysis has fixed that with him being very conscious of his own predicament.

[@naturalobservations5321]

Thank you for these thoughts on Mansfield Park! Can you address Henry Crawford's attempt to woo Fanny at the end of the novel? I've never been able to tell if his character was actually changing in an attempt to come up to her level, or not. In my opinion, Fanny is one of Austen's best characters - as in, she has the best moral character. She is so steady and principled, despite being pushed around and ignored by everyone.

[@tuxedonix2884]

Mary tells us when talking to him. It is because fanny does not like him..she was not falling all over him. She was a challenge to him. He had plenty of girls falling all over him, she wouldn't do it.

[@whitneybarnes256]

I think Henry liked the challenge of overcoming her criticism of his behavior (at least, he liked it in small doses) He was changing his manners to suit Fanny; avoiding joking about subjects she wished to be respected, for instance. Over time, he might have gained habits of mind which would have made him a better person. I think he recognized that really respectable people have guardrails on their behavior, and he believes that Fanny is a good person to provide him with those guardrails. (When of course, he should not be outsourcing this to any other person) I think we are supposed to believe the narrator, who tells us that Fanny would have married Henry shortly after Edmund was married to Mary.

[@BlackCanary87]

There's a semi-serious theory that Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was inspired by the question of what would have happened if Fanny *had* married Henry. The titular tenant married a rakish young man thinking she could change him. Needless to say, she can't; he turns out to be an awful husband and she has to flee with their child, which is how she ends up at Wildfell Hall. (I've read all of the Bronte sisters' novels and IMO Tenant is the best!)

[@jessies.7653]

@@whitneybarnes256 if Mr. Crawford succeeds in making Fanny his moral conscience then it follows that he could then blame her when he goes off the rails & continues his favorite pursuit of seducing young women.

[@londongael]

@@BlackCanary87 So agree about The Tenant! Intriguing, if Mansfield Park did provide inspiration. I think Henry might have been the kind of husband his mentor, the Admiral, was. The fact that, in trying to impress Fanny, he actually begins to find genuine purpose in life, in managing his estate decently shows he had the potential to change, but I doubt he'd have been able to sustain any improvement.

[@cynthiajohnson6170]

Why does he stand about talking to Fanny? Is he avoiding passing through the gate because he’s afraid what he’ll find and doesn’t know what to do about it?

[@mouseketeery]

I'm sympathetic towards Mr Rushworth. The man was, of course, incredibly stupid, but what could he have done that wouldn't involve him being forever perceived as the bad guy? If he'd broken off the engagement, we would have been seen as cruel and even abusive. If his reasons for doing so were made clear, they would have been understood, but simultaneously he would be blamed for being ungentlemanly in revealing Maria Bertram's behaviour. I think he may have felt his only option was to press on and hope she'd settle into their new life together with equanimity, if not love. Settling in London, as she wished, suggests he wanted to at least try to give her some happiness.

[@clpearson991]

If not happiness, at least amicable. True he was a self absorbed snob but it wouldn't have been unreasonable for a wealthy man to expect that his wife might forget or ignore her boy toy in favor of a good house and income and the many distractions of town.

[@suemassey5076]

Do you think that Maria, having been savagely snubbed by Henry Crawford and determined not to let him see she is crushed, is much better in her behaviour towards Rushworth; he would think she was "over" her "crush", and accept that at face value. Marrying on the rebound is not unknown. I'm glad Rushworth found someone after his divorce; like Charlotte Lucas in " Pride and Prejudice", who married the 'not of sense' Mr. Collins" in full knowledge of this and went on to be a good wife, content with what she had, his second wife is hopefully like Charlotte.

[@rpaafourever7908]

Rushworth is not that much of a dimwit actually. He knew what he was getting into and took a chance. He knew Maria was not in love with him, yet went ahead with the engagement for his own selfish desire to attain the object of his affection. We can't just excuse him for his 'stupidity' and treat him like a child. And if so, we shouldn't have double standards for this undignified trait. Maria too made poor choices, in that sense she is also 'stupid' for she does not know her own heart. Yet, Rushworth and Crawford probably get to start over, she doesn't. Because society either expects her to put up with the charade or condemn her for life for a mistake made at a young age with limited understanding and experiences.

[@ritan2]

Mansfield Park has always been one of my less liked Austen novel, but your analysis really makes me go back and read it more carefully, nt just for the plot and characters, but for the language and construction. As always with Austen, there is more to see every time I read it. But a question for Dr. Cox - how much of Maria's decision to marry the incredibly wealthy Mr. Rushworth was motivated by concern for her future financial situation? I mean, if the dissolute Tom Bertram were my oldest brother, I'd be very concerned.

[@jogibson5851]

Exactly - especially when we recall that the living that was intended for Edmund has already had to be sold to pay off Tom's debts. Recall from Persuasion that 'a baronet must live like a baronet...' Sir Thomas is more astute with money than Sir Walter Elliott, but the Mansfield Park family have a social position to maintain.

[@c.w.8200]

I thought Mr. Rushworth is the kind of man who sees women in terms of social value. Having a beautiful wife who at least mimes affection is something to affirm his own pride and status and not a real partnership. I guess it's not necessary to pity him as he wasn't heartbroken, he just entered a bad business deal and reaped the consequences.

[@glendodds3824]

Like Mr Darcy, Rushworth is of course a very rich member of the gentry. His mother perhaps also came from a grand background. What is certain, is that she was of less high birth than Darcy’s mother for she is simply Mrs Rushworth whereas Darcy’s mother was an earl’s daughter and thus referred to as Lady Anne Darcy. Jane Austen tells us that Mr Rushworth’s estate was very large. He himself says that his grounds covered "a good seven hundred” acres. Hence his estate is sometimes said to total 700 acres. However, Mr Rushworth was referring to his very large park not his entire estate, most of which would have consisted of land farmed by tenants. For instance, Swinton Park, an estate in North Yorkshire, has a park of 200 acres but the whole estate covers 20,000 acres. Finally, in Pride and Prejudice, Mr Bennet’s estate almost certainly also exceeded 700 acres because he had an annual income of £2,000. Indeed, in 1832 almost 20 years after P&P was published, Meldon Park in Northumberland had an income from rents of £2,199 per annum and covered 2,070 acres.

[@emmygp3350]

1) I never realized Mr. Rushworth's obsession with height had any class implications, though of course it makes perfect sense. 2) I'm curious about what would happen to Maria in more detail. What would her living situation be more specifically? Would she live in a village and they'd know she was a divorcée? Would she have any chance at all of remarrying? Would the local society also shun her or is that more high society? Would she visit with her family eventually when everyone impressionable was married? What about Mr. Rushworth? Was divorce a blot against him at all?

[@AnnitaBowman]

Yeah, I was curious about that, too. Especially in regards to finances. After all, once a woman is married, everything she has becomes her husband's property. I imagine she (and Mrs. Norris) went to live in another county, where they weren't known.

[@edennis8578]

The book is online to read for free. Mr. Rushworth was predicted to marry again. Maria and her Aunt Norris were sent to form an establishment in "another country, remote and private," paid for by Maria's father. Note that "another country" in Jane Austen doesn't necessarily mean outside of England; sometimes it means just "elsewhere." Maria's father just didn't want to inflict his neighbors with the scandal of having Maria living right there. Nevertheless, she would be "protected by him, and secured in every comfort" so he was paying for it, and was generous about it.

[@seventhsheaven]

A man could remarry after a divorce, but the laws on women remarrying were harsher. No man would want to marry an adulterous divorcee, anyway. Maria’s future seems bleak and unvarying.

[@mikespangler98]

In her own social class Maria was doomed. Outcast, shunned, she who must not be named, etc. I doubt she would be willing to step down to a tradesman, and given she has no skills useful to a lower class, that is probably not an option either. Governess is right out due to demonstrates immorality. Her future is cat lady. Or a convent.

[@annelyle5474]

I always assumed they'd end up like a wealthier version of Miss Bates and her mother. If they moved to a distant part of England where the Bertrams and Rushworths were not known, and both of them managed to keep their mouths shut, no-one need ever know that Maria was the "beautiful Mrs. R who...quitted her husband's roof in company with the well-known and captivating Mr. C". After all, Lydia Bennett's reputation was salvaged after an equally scandalous affair, by the simple expedient of sending her and her new husband to the north of England.

[@Hollis_has_questions]

Rushworth bought Maria’s beauty and body, but he couldn’t afford to buy her love or desire. He was vaguely aware of this, but his stupidity prevented him from anything more than petty jealousy. That’s why Fanny pitied him, and me as well. If he had not £12,000, he would be not just stupid but unable to buy a Maria Bertram. That’s society’s fault, not Rushworth’s.

[@winterwolf7423]

So if Rushworth had tried to get out of the engagement once he realized that Maria was in love with someone else, how easy would that have been? Wouldn't it have made Maria look bad, especially when Crawford didn't marry her? I thought that women calling off engagements was fine, but men calling them off put doubt upon the woman's reputation.

[@marycrawford1594]

As a 'gentleman' it would have been near impossible for Mr Rushworth to call off the engagement, as you say. That said, a more intelligent man could have taken the opportunity of the arrival of Sir Thomas to discuss the situation, because he was never properly engaged to Maria until he had her father's consent, so there might have been the faint chance of escape.

[@dorothywillis1]

The engagement had not been given out yet, that is, had not been announced in the newspapers. It was still a private arrangement. If Mr. Rushworth had gone to Sir Thomas and explained that he feared he and Maria had been hasty and that upon learning to know each other better they found they were not suited, the matter could have been ended quietly and no harm done. The problem is that Mr. R. was too stupid to do this.

[@missanne2908]

@@marycrawford1594 The law also allowed a woman to sue a man for breach of promise if he called off the engagement, whether he was a gentleman or not. This law was in effect until 1970.

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

If the man cared enough to protect the woman's reputation it was quite possible to cover up his breaking up with her. He need only say that the financial details of the settlement could not be agreed upon between the parties; that apparently didn’t lead to any loss of reputation on either side.

[@DrOctaviaCox]

What is your view of Jane Austen’s characterisation of Mr Rushworth?

[@frankupton5821]

Is he, perhaps, based on Mr Harris Bigg-Wither? I think he is a satire on some of the vacuous wealthy landowners that Miss Austen must have encountered.

[@Toriolees]

@@frankupton5821 My guess is on Prinny. Emma's dedication notwithstanding, Austen skewed him a number of times in her works

[@kirstena4001]

i knew he was ridiculous, but i hadn't considered it more deeply than that!

[@dorothywillis1]

Excellent, as usual. I find all of the people in MP to be excellently done -- except for Fanny. Something went wrong there. Someone once asked, "If you could ask Jane Austen one question, what would it be?" My answer is, "What were you aiming at in MP and what went wrong?"

[@rufescens]

I think you've opened my eyes to his motivations. I could never understand why he continued to pursue marriage with Maria, when her affronts to him were so obvious. But now I see that his main motivation was self-image: he is a character that's interested in impressing others, whether it's in having a good-looking wife to show off, or a big role in a home-produced play. And it's crucial to him to come out on top when in competition--to be taller than his rival, to be the one who ends up with the woman over whom they're competing, not to be outsmarted. I hate to say it, because I've said it of another Jane Austen character, but he reminds me of Donald Trump. They're both invested in shallow attainments, and both are unable to let go of defeat.

[@GenWivern2]

Thank you, Dr Cox. I've recently finished re-reading Mansfield Park and just discovered your channel: the two things are connected, of course. It's not my intention to comment regularly, but I did want to register my delight at having found such a fund of serious, thought-provoking videos.

[@bakedandsalty9234]

this was a great video! Would love more Mansfield Park analysis. I think this book gets overlooked a lot because Fanny is kind of “a pill” but the supporting characters (Henry and Mary) are so interesting….

[@nastyaissor7825]

I always saw the Sotherton scene like a foreshadowing of Maria's and Croford's elopement. This video in amazing 👏

[@markteltscher9746]

I;ve always suspected that Mary Crawford figured out Fanny's secret affection for Edmund. We see that Mary promote's the marriage but this is also to bring herself closer to Edmund. Perhaps Mary Crawford overheard Fanny's comment to Edmund. “Not in the least. It is a great while since we have had any star-gazing.” Do you have an opinion?

[@pollyparrot9447]

I don't think Mary has a clue about Fanny's true feelings for Edmund. She is kind to Fanny because she knows it will ingratiate her with Edmund (and it does), because she has some genuinely good parts to her character and because she sees Fanny as a 'project', much as Henry does. When Henry starts courting Fanny, Mary attributes Fanny's reluctance to her recognition of their unequal positions and finds that commendable. It never occurs to her that Fanny's affections might lie elsewhere. If she overheard any conversation between Fanny and Edmund, the narrative voice would tell us so.

[@kittykatz4001]

@@pollyparrot9447 I think it also never occurred to Mary Crawford that Fanny thought both she and her brother were trash. Or both lacking in (good) character.

[@katrinaniewiarowski3549]

You’re insights help to bring the novel more alive- thank you

[@a24-45]

Great analysis as always, Dr Cox, demonstrating that Austen is insightful not just with women but with men; her view of the failed Rushworth/Maria Betram marriage is very nuanced. It would be easy to take a black-and-white view, to blame their divorce simply on Maria's outright unfaithfulness, and to say that Rushworth was innocent and had done nothing wrong. But Austen can see that Rushworth brought the crisis on himself. He is a proud and stubborn man who insisted on formalising a loveless relationship that was doomed from the start, simply because, following the blow to his self esteem from Maria's flagrant flirting during the play, marriage with the woman who had pointedly ignored him was the one thing that was going to restore his faith in his own desirability.

[@Khatoon170]

Last and most important part of my research is character of the novel Mansfield park analysis mr James Rushworth is character from Jane Austen 1814 novel Mansfield Park about young girl fanny price who goes to live with her wealthy relatives the Bertrams the novel follows familial life and social circle of Bertrams Rushworth is part of this circle he is son of Mrs Rushworth and has inherited Sotherton estate he has 12000 pounds a year which makes him very eligible bachelor he is fiancé of Maria Bertrams who is eldest daughter of sir Thomas Bertrams his dull witted character is parallel to another Austen character mr William Collin from pride and prejudice thank you for your great efforts we appreciate stay safe blessed happy valentines in advance good luck to you your family friends

[@marysmith5003]

The remark by Mr. Rushworth's mother that Crawford's property is "pretty" suggests she is confident Crawford's property cannot compete with her son's three-times larger estate income. Has she noticed the flirting between her son's betrothed and Crawford, and this consoles her Crawford cannot take Maria's attention from Mrs Rushworth's dear boy?

[@keepingitlit7]

Thanks so much for all of this amazing Jane Austen content! ❤️

[@colazi]

What great insights in this talk. It has completely changed how i view Mr Rushworth. You really emphasise the subtleties of JA's writing. Thank you.

[@sara-jonathanjerdan738]

This was a lovely analysis. Are there any plans for doing a deeper analysis into the character of Mr Crawford? Do we think he would have really changed if he had married Fanny?

[@dorothywillis1]

No. They would have been miserable, because Fanny is not clever enough to coax him into good behavior. He would be irritated by her preaching and be worse than ever. (Of course just my opinon.)

[@pollyparrot9447]

@@dorothywillis1 I've seen from other comments that you dislike Fanny as a character, but I don't think there is any evidence for you to accuse her of preaching. She has judgemental thoughts about others, as we all do, but I can't think of any example of her telling other people how they should behave, except possibly in her interactions with her younger siblings at Portsmouth. I agree that she would not be able to change Henry's behaviour. The marriage would probably work out as Mary Crawford predicts: he would tire of her but treat her kindly, which I presume means that he would not parade his mistresses under nose. Probably she would be left to raise their children in the country house, while he would find more and more 'business' that needed to be attended to elsewhere.

[@AnnitaBowman]

No. Eventually he would have crossed paths with Mrs. Rush worth and it all would have gone down the same way. Except Fanny would have been stuck married to an adulterer.

[@hannahwebster5606]

I feel like he just wanted her because she was unobtainable. The novelty would wear off and I could imagine him having affairs. This is what Mary said about Henry which shows she believed his feelings wouldn't last forever: 'I know that a wife you loved would be the happiest of women, and that even when you ceased to love, she would yet find in you the liberality and good-breeding of a gentleman'.

[@mikespangler98]

I think he would have behaved for a few years (possibly very few) but sooner or later he would have gotten bored and then relapsed to his original behavior.

[@user-zv9zp7ik5k]

Your videos are delightful! Thank you for posting

[@kikidevine694]

Mr Rush worth is deliberately blind to his fiancee's/wife's contempt. In all things he defers to his mother's observations and opinions. He's impotent in both thought and deed. But it's not accidental. His mother will always be the principal woman in his life and he married simply because it is expected. He quite obviously turned a blind eye to the infidelity but he's complacent until mummy takes charge

[@electraruby4078]

How clever of you Dr Octavia to think of presenting an analysis of Jane Austin's various characters. The comments show that there are as many opinions as there are readers! Viewed from a modern perspective the narrow indulgent selfishness of these people is breathtaking

[@jrpipik]

Mr Rushworth is more pitiful than pitiable. He and Maria had this in common: they were spoiled brats. Not the foundation for a successful marriage. My question about the novel is: did Henry really intend to reform or was he simply using the appearance of reform to entice Fanny? The narrative voice seems to think so, but assuming it is not infallible or at least doesn't always tell us everything it knows, I tend to think that Henry was thoroughly a dog and that Fanny knew this instinctively and would never have accepted him, even if her heart hadn't been given to Edmund.

[@jrpipik]

An additional questions might be: did Mary really like Fanny at all? or was she just a way to further ingratiate herself with Edmund?

[@orwellfan8662]

@@jrpipik I think both Mary and Henry are complex characters who have some innate better feelings but no moral grounding, so often act in thoughtless, selfish ways. They have been brought up to put self interest first when, withe right upbringing, their better selves might have been more to the fore. Fanny correctively perceives their faults are the result of education.

[@ritan2]

I don't think this is an either/or situations and that is what makes Henry and Mary such interesting characters. I do believe that Henry loved Fanny - as much as a man like Henry can love. And I think Mary probably did get in with Fanny to ingratiate herself with Edmund, but came to really like her. But with people like the Crawfords, their lesser angels will always prevail. They just can't help themselves.

[@lovefunnyflicks]

Thank you for your analysis, I enjoy how competently you can express your findings.

[@nikitakekana5095]

So insightful and brilliant as with all the Jane Austen content! Loved it!

[@Jill-jb1jg]

Brilliant teaching as always. I love your videos.

[@kirstena4001]

ooh interesting topic!!! I'm looking forward to this 😃

[@stoneoffarel]

Ohh this is another fabulous video essay! Thank you for sharing your thoughts! 😊

[@DrOctaviaCox]

It's my pleasure. Fabulous!

[@shafc1285]

Stumbled upon your channel , ots a gold mine !!!!!

[@lonamanning4610]

At 38:21 I disagree that Sir Thomas is needed to "persuade" Maria to marry Mr. Rushworth. That is not why the wedding ceremony hasn't taken place yet. Sir Thomas asked that they not get married until he returned home. I presume it's because he wanted to meet the Rushworths in person before giving his final seal of approval, and perhaps he wanted to negotiate the marriage settlements in person, not by extensive long distance correspondence from Antigua.

[@luchia4tom134]

if you havent already it would be interesting to see a character analysis of Edmund and how his ability to see through people fails with the crawfords. to paraphrase many of the comments on this video, which i also agree with, edmund pointing out mr rushworth being seen as an idiot if he wasnt wealthy is more like satire/tongue in cheek as edmund is not materialistic and can see what mr rushworth is really like, whereas the rest of his family is blinded by his money and so think of him as a great connection. this is contrasted to when fanny tries to point out what henry crawford is like and edmund blinded by mary seems to dismiss it. (ive more watched the film adaptations than read it so i might be wrong but) there is also a part where he convinces himself aloud to fanny that mary doesnt mean half the things she says so while it hurts he also dismisses it as superficial. it feels like the novel is trying to show us the real mary that edmund would have seen in the past but now is willfully blinded to. he later comes to this realisation when he tells mary that he doesnt recognise her and now believes that the woman he loved was a figment of his imagination.

[@freddiehansen7324]

I always felt a bit bad for Mr. Rushworth. Even if he wasn't a very likable character. We are told of Mr. Rushworth's stupidity in words and Maria's in her actions. Both Mr. Rushworth and Maria thought money was enough to keep a marriage working. The father KNEW there was no love there and offered her a way out of the marriage, she declined. To me, it almost seemed like Maria married Mr. Rushworth to spite Henry for not proposing after the "Lover's Vow's debacle".

[@luvmyscotties]

I have been a fan of these classic authors, but somehow taking the time to reveiw and reveal the relationships and reaction seem to thread things together and make a deeper acknowledgement of the periods social dynamics. Plus you spark interest to re-enjoy these literary entertainment once again. Thanks! How fun!

[@bradwalton3977]

Excellent discussion, as always! Thanks.

[@TVandManga]

Really interesting, so much context for Lovers Vows particularly.

[@benedictcowell6547]

It is an interesting introduction to Mr Rushworth, and I like the use of the statistics about stature, and the compararison with Mr. Darcy, but it I would point out that Miss Bingley immediately jumps from admiration to love and thence to matrimony [as Darcy remarks]. There is no mention by Mr Rushworth of Miss Bertram's 'lively mind'. The point about Mr. Darcy's admiration of Elizabeth concerns her intelligence and intellect, but he does not fail to notice Elizabeth's physical attractions [her playful manner despite a mortifying lack of symmetry. I would point out that Mr Darcy's fortune was estimated on the late eighteenth century where as Mr Rushworth's worth is is estimated at the end of the Napoleonic war. The disparity cannot all be explained by inflation. Darcy is of course on the fringes of Aristocracy

[@RamenKitsune]

I just found your channel today, but I'm loving that I totally picked up what Jane Austen wanted me to pick up, like on a textbook level, even though some of the phrasing and traditions is very dated in spots. Makes me feel clever. Like I doubt I'm flawless, by any means, but it just gives that warm heart feeling lol. (And I wanted to leave engagement to boost you in the algo!)

[@jillzolot1601]

Fantastic analysis! I learned so much even though I’ve read Mansfield Park many times. I also didn’t completely understand the significance of Lover’s Vows. Pretty racy stuff. 😉 Thank you. Keep ‘them coming.