One of the things pointed out about Mansfield Park is that although all ends well for the main characters, it's basically by accident. If Henry Crawford had just gone back to check on his steward, as he knew he should have, he never would have been snubbed by Julia; would never have been tempted by wounded vanity to win her back; would never have run off with her, putting himself completely out of Fanny's reach; and would, in the author's estimation, have won her over eventually. And if Henry hadn't run off with Julia, Mary would never have exposed her lack of principles to Edmund, and they would have been married shortly too.
But there's an unexamined assumption in that piece that good characters should be rewarded and bad characters punished by the author. That's exactly the sort of thing that Austen hated. She wanted things to be things like real life, where adultery and cheating and lying and defying the law can bring you hundreds of millions of loyal followers and a second presidency.
Why was Henry not punished like Julia was? Because he owned land and she didn't. That's the beginning and end of it. It's unfair because society is unfair.
And it's not just men who get away with things. Lucy Steele lies and schemes and manipulates her way all the way through Sense and Sensibility, and is rewarded by being not only an heiress of a great fortune, but a favored daughter-in-law. The difference between Lucy and Julia aren't their morals -- Lucy is far less moral than Julia. She's just a lot smarter and more disciplined.
Otoh HC was (apparently) as reformable as a boy can get without actually being good = seductive
(Should have made clear that it's from Wellington, an admirer of Napoleon https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-meaning-of-Wellingtons-quo...)
ggm-at-algebras•2d ago
The intrusion of Caribbean wealth is slavery. Edmond should be more overtly concerned about his families wealth, although to be fair it was mainly dissenters who did this, not the recipients of a family living.
She's on the money for naval preferment. Without help, commoner middies didn't make the crucial step up towards post captain. And for preferment, sexual favours by a sister would be common.
masswerk•1d ago
How Austen constructs a plausible environment for such a character and what she does with this world and its characters is quite astounding – and hilarious. And, as you said, there are actually serious topics discussed.
Even more astounding is maybe how modern adaptations try to render this as "how our quick and cunning girl stirs up that lame family and wins everything."
ggm-at-algebras•1d ago
masswerk•1d ago