Austen, Mansfield Park

This novel intrigues me. I always read it straight through, twice, in an attempt to ‘pin it down’, but always I’m left with questions about exactly which issues Austen can be considered to be addressing, and which stance she is questioning. Fanny is a far from an engaging character, initially; nonetheless we are forced to take her perspective on events, almost consistently. That said, are we also given a perspective on Edmund’s character that differs from Fanny’s? Austen dwells at length on the reasons for the final outcome of events, in the final chapter, and indicates a probable alternative ending. How does this chapter affect the overall nature of the text? Can the novel be viewed as morally conservative, or is it more critical – more subversive?

Rozema’s adaptation is both provocative and dreadful. What explanations can be given for Rozema’s decision to make Fanny so feisty, politically aware and opinionated? Why does slavery have such prominence in the film despite being so muted a topic in the novel? And what is the purpose of the homo-eroticism? Can these changes be explained solely in terms of making the action in the text more accessible to a modern audience? Do they enhance or detract from the adaptation?

Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Rereading Pride and Prejudice, I noticed the quiet insistence on moderation throughout the text.  It’s indicated in the juxtaposition of extremes –Mary’s insufferable priggishness vs Lydia’s giddiness; Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s rigidity vs Mrs Bennet’s capriciousness; Wickham’s disregard for social mores vs Mr Collins’ obsessive pursuit of social status. Those on the continuum between these extremes either move towards the moderate as a result of experience (most notably Elizabeth Bennett and Darcy) or appear to be have achieved moderation (in an unspecified manner), got example the Gardiners.  Are there any aspects of life which are unconstrained by the need for moderation?

Austen makes more use of caricature in Pride and Prejudice than in Sense and Sensibility, but she is discerning her use. Does this contribute to the difference in mood between Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility? After all, both novels address the same dark issues: seduction and abduction; the lot of women on the margin of society; entailment.

The BBC’s 1995 adaptation focuses on the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth, and shows the viewer Darcy’s attraction to Elizabeth at a much earlier stage than in the novel.  What effect does this have on the plot?  In particular, how does it affect the viewer’s perception of Darcy; and what is lost from the novel in consequence?