Comments on: Mansfield Park: The Enigma that is Fanny Price

By: Laurel Ann (Austenprose)

Laurel Ann (Austenprose) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 19:29:44 +0000

Hi Rebecca, thanks for visiting and speaking up for dear Fanny. She is Austen’s most misunderstood heroine and I always am ready to defend her. So glad you understand too.

By: Rebecca DeWitt

Rebecca DeWitt — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:46:02 +0000

I am among the vocal minority of Jane-ites who absolutely love Mansfield Park! I’ve read it several times and have pursued as many literary articles as I can find on this particular book.
It’s my humble opinion that many Austen lovers are too hard on Fanny Price. I believe the real answers to Fanny’s behavior have to do with her early years at Portsmouth, before she moved to MP. Jane Austen, for whatever reason, is quite vague on that period of time in Fanny’s life. So those of us who love the heroine “fuss and flap,” because she’s not universally understood…
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all girls were brought up to be strong, intelligent, and beautiful heroines, like Lizzy Bennett, Emma, and the Dashwood sisters? My hunch is that Jane Austen wanted to avoid being “predictable” in her stories, to whatever degree was possible…and still arrive at endings that satisfied herself and her readership.

By: In Which We Rant and Rave in Favor of Mansfield Park « Austenprose

In Which We Rant and Rave in Favor of Mansfield Park « Austenprose — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:45:05 +0000

[...] The Enigma that is Fanny Price Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Mansfield Park Chapters 9-16: Summation, Musings & Discussion: Day 5 Give-a…Mansfield Park: Naxos AudioBooks (2007) Read by Juliet Stevenson: Day 4 Giv…Murder at Mansfield Park: Fanny Price Now an Outrageous Gold-digger in a ne…#126 ~ Mansfield Park Revisited [...]

By: Mansfield Park Revelation: I am Fanny Price! Are You? « Austenprose

Mansfield Park Revelation: I am Fanny Price! Are You? « Austenprose — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 06:51:23 +0000

[...] up until that moment in the novel my impression of Fanny Price had been influenced by the general opinion that she is Jane Austen’s meek and [...]

By: Allie

Allie — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 07:57:56 +0000

I have also never understood why people don’t like Fanny. Like Laurel Ann said, everyone aspires to be Lizzie Bennet, but Fanny might be closer to our real nature. I know she sure is mine: I’m an enormous social phobe, and her instict to avoid attention are the same as mine. If anything, I always found comfort as a girl that in Mansfield Park, the most invisible, ignored person in the room can still find happiness and comfort.

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:40:02 +0000

Its not Fanny that gets to me. Many heroines in novels and fairy tales are lacking the ability to do something for themselves and are at the mercy of the villains or heroes. The reverse idea is a fairly modern feminist one. What, or rather who, gets to me is Edmund. He is so blind toward Mary and Fanny, seeing only what he wants to see. It is only at the very end, after he finds he can no longer make excuses for Mary that he turns around and finally sees poor, long-suffering Fanny and suddenly he finds the girl he’s always wanted. He doesn’t deserve to win her hand in the end. Though Fanny deserves true love, he deserves to do a little penance before getting the girl as even Emma does before getting her Mr. Knightly.

By: Laurel Ann

Laurel Ann — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:47:23 +0000

Hello onlyanovel, thank you for dropping by tonight. Opinions of Fanny vary so widely or more appropriately wildly, that for being such a gentle heroine, she envokes quite a fervor in Janeites. We all identify with one of Jane Austen’s heroines more than another. I love Fanny also because she is closest to my nature as a young girl.

Many aspire to be Lizzy Bennet, but Fanny might be closer to our real nature. I am confident that after her marriage in a more positive environment with Edmund’s love, she bloomed away from aunt Norris and the Bertams. She had bright potental to be her own woman. At least I like to wish that for her, and all of us.

Cheers, Laurel Ann