tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post3592973216152981926..comments2024-03-19T04:56:38.154-04:00Comments on The Book Rat: A Child in a “Highly Cultivated Garden”: Mansfield Park vs. Jane EyreMistyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11436497955518156688noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-77799925710015154282013-09-13T09:17:45.258-04:002013-09-13T09:17:45.258-04:00Hello Beth, I just spotted your comment. I like yo...Hello Beth, I just spotted your comment. I like your comparison -- the idea that both women have a moral vision to which they aspire. Jane, however, is post-Romantic in the sense that Jane Eyre struggles against her stormy nature and she doesn't always win, and the message at the end is that being true to yourself is more important than external morality, whereas with Fanny it's the same message, but her vision of things is more rational and so strong emotions are not the moral compass they are in Jane Eyre. I find it fascinating to compare the two.Monica Fairviewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-42064046458910562992013-09-13T09:17:24.503-04:002013-09-13T09:17:24.503-04:00Hello Beth, I just spotted your comment. I like yo...Hello Beth, I just spotted your comment. I like your comparison -- the idea that both women have a moral vision to which they aspire. Jane, however, is post-Romantic in the sense that Jane Eyre struggles against her stormy nature and she doesn't always win, and the message at the end is that being true to yourself is more important than external morality, whereas with Fanny it's the same message, but her vision of things is more rational and so strong emotions are not the moral compass they are in Jane Eyre. I find it fascinating to compare the two.Monica Fairviewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-84632743745271985762013-08-25T13:58:38.114-04:002013-08-25T13:58:38.114-04:00That's interesting....I never compared the two...That's interesting....I never compared the two, but the circumstance ARE similar. That makes me wonder if it was merely a common theme in reality, for poor orphaned cousins to be treated thusly. I LOVE Jane Eyre....Mansfield Park, not so much. Despite Jane's rebellion (which we'd see, in contemporary times, as a more positive trait than Fanny's passive acceptance), I think they share common traits of trying to be the best version of themselves that they can be- not only what they're expected to be as women, but in the soul/mind as well. And yet....I suppose it's Jane's quiet criticism of those around her (in seeing the machinations and miscommunications for what they are) that endears me more to her than to Fanny. Both suffer in silence, and have the patience of angels, but I can't help but feel as if Fanny is passive, whereas Jane is active. Hrmm.....Beth Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01898921671895123053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-84217195615434356312013-08-25T08:26:39.450-04:002013-08-25T08:26:39.450-04:00It's sort of off-topic, but might I ask your o...It's sort of off-topic, but might I ask your opinion on what Uncle Bertram and his eldest son talked for all those months they were together? They were on the boat for weeks at a time, and then months (a year?) in Antigua. Did they never talk about family relationships?junewilliams7https://www.blogger.com/profile/01695395707349685051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-81361711388004964352013-08-25T05:21:43.042-04:002013-08-25T05:21:43.042-04:00Hello junewilliams7 There's a thought. It woul...Hello junewilliams7 There's a thought. It would be a fun type of mashup!! ;)<br /><br />Mansfield Park would have been very different if Uncle Bertram hadn't left, and perhaps he would have protected Jane from her cousin. Speculating about "what ifs" could take us in so many directions... which is why I love writing JA vairations/inspired/sequels. <br /><br />Thanks for stopping by, junewilliams7.Monica Fairviewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-20557923075662117192013-08-24T21:35:59.215-04:002013-08-24T21:35:59.215-04:00I wonder what might have happened had Fanny's ...I wonder what might have happened had Fanny's Uncle Bertram stayed at Mansfield Park, instead of traveling to the plantation. Would he have defended Jane and noticed more about his family's dynamics?<br /><br />And when shall we expect your story about Jane Eyre visiting Mansfield Park? XDjunewilliams7https://www.blogger.com/profile/01695395707349685051noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-79223352922920914362013-08-24T19:46:15.021-04:002013-08-24T19:46:15.021-04:00I think you bring up an interesting question, Soph...I think you bring up an interesting question, Sophia, which is whether Jane's character would have been different if she'd grown up in the Bertram household. It would be really fun to reimagine Jane in Mansfield Park. Monica Fairviewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-45469727879330990092013-08-24T19:41:35.066-04:002013-08-24T19:41:35.066-04:00Why do I get the feeling, Ceri, that you aren'...Why do I get the feeling, Ceri, that you aren't one of Fanny's biggest fans? Do you really want to send her off to Lowood? ;( <br /><br />But seriously, I do have to agree, that Fanny is much more like poor Helen than like Jane.<br /><br />Thanks for your insightful comment.Monica Fairviewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-44140332056622378452013-08-24T19:26:54.256-04:002013-08-24T19:26:54.256-04:00A oleasure, Enbrethiliel. I love Jane Eyre as well...A oleasure, Enbrethiliel. I love Jane Eyre as well, so I was quite excited when I was re-reading Mansfield Park to see the similarities. Monica Fairviewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07859188231849000840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-67561919556750230332013-08-24T15:00:39.857-04:002013-08-24T15:00:39.857-04:00Good points! I never thought about the similariti...Good points! I never thought about the similarities and I love both stories. While I think their early circumstances are similar, I don't think the two girls are similar at all and like Ceri, I don't think the cousins' behavior toward their poor relation similar so I don't think Fanny would have done well in Jane's shoes or vice versa.<br /><br />Thanks for putting this intriguing post together, Monica!Sophia Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07909417504496472472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-10796067746389901412013-08-24T13:57:39.825-04:002013-08-24T13:57:39.825-04:00Ooh, interesting piece! I hadn't really consid...Ooh, interesting piece! I hadn't really considered the similarities, but there are quite a few, aren't there! The obvious difference is a friend in the new household. To be fair the Bertram children aren't unkind to Fanny in the same way the Reeds are, she's not really on their radars. I can't see Fanny doing as well as Jane in the circumstances though. When presented with an opportunity, Jane tends to take it and make the most of it whereas Fanny has a lot less get up and go. Also, the way the Fanny gets worse physically when she goes home to Portsmouth leads me to suspect that she would probably have been struck down with typhus at Lowood school and it would have been a very short book :)Cerihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01908542708518435282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2790614306320534072.post-46564476544770935022013-08-24T13:18:15.375-04:002013-08-24T13:18:15.375-04:00+JMJ+
Jane Eyre is my favourite novel, so I real...+JMJ+ <br /><br /><i>Jane Eyre</i> is my favourite novel, so I really appreciated this post! It certainly puts Charlotte Bronte's critique of Jane Austen in a lot more perspective. Thanks! =)Enbrethilielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03414765854670926854noreply@blogger.com