Persuasion, Chapters 13-24

Whew, it's high time I finish up Persuasion, isn't it? I've been really busy these past couple weeks, taking the second road trip of the summer as Todd and I moved my things (including hundreds of books) to Chicago. Now we're getting settled in an apartment that has an office/library — it's kind of an amazing room.

What's also amazing is that the Jane Austen Challenge is over! It took six months, but I haven't read this many books by a single author since I took a Henry James class in college. Reading all of Austen's books so close to each other helps illuminate themes and aspects of her writing style, so I'm really glad I did this. And thanks to everyone who played along! If you finished all six, please send me an e-mail with your mailing address.

I'll be revisiting themes that recur throughout Austen's oeuvre in the coming weeks, and after that I'm going to be starting a new reading project — Chicago writers. I hope it'll be a way to get to know something about the city I just moved to, plus a chance to discover new authors. I'll issue a more formal call for ideas later, but I'd love to hear any ideas for books by Chicago writers past or present, or those that are set in Chicago.

And now onto final thoughts on Persuasion:

Louisa is still at Lyme recovering from her accident, the Musgroves go there to be with her, and Anne decides to go visit Lady Russell. Anne is distracted while she’s with her friend because of the situation with Louisa, but Lady Russell tells her how she looks physically better. Anne tells her that Captain Wentworth is smitten with Louisa.

The ladies go visit Mrs. Croft, and it hurts Anne that someone else lives in her old house. Admiral Croft tells her to look around, which Anne declines, but he tells her that he made some improvements to the house, including removing mirrors from Sir Walter’s room. The Crofts tell Anne that Captain Wentworth praised her to his sister and brother-in-law for his help with the Musgroves. They also tell her that they’re planning to go to Bath for a few weeks.

Charles and Mary come back from Lyme and report that Louisa is improved, thought still week. Anne asks about Captain Benwick, and Charles implies that he has feelings for Anne. Anne hears from her sister Elizabeth that their cousin, Mr. Elliot, is in Bath and he has come to visit Sir Walter. Anne and Lady Russell set off for Bath. Anne is depressed to be there, but her family welcomes her by showing off their new things. Mr. Elliot has been visiting them often, and they have forgiven him for marrying his first wife who was rich but ill-bred. She died six months previously, and contrary to appearances, Mr. Elliot is in mourning. Anne surmises that he wants to marry Elizabeth, but when he visits, he recognizes Anne from their meeting in Lyme. They hit it off.

Mrs. Clay proposes that she leave Bath, now that Anne is there, but Elizabeth and Sir Walter decline her offer, which makes Anne worry that her father is interested in Mrs. Clay. Elizabeth isn’t worried, but Lady Russell is.

Lady Russell likes Mr. Elliot, and isn’t suspicious about why he’s made amends with his relatives. Anne, realizing that she and Lady Russell often see things differently, still believes that Mr. Elliot wants to marry Elizabeth.

Word arrives that Lady Dalrymple and Miss Carteret, cousins of the Elliots, are in town. Their relationship has lapsed, but since Lady Dalrymple is noble, Sir Walter decides they should rekindle it and improve their social standing in Bath. Anne can’t believe it, but Mr. Elliot tells her that it’s a good idea. He also shares her concerns about Mrs. Clay.

Anne learns that Mrs. Smith, an old school friend of hers, is in Bath as well. Mrs. Smith had married a wealthy man, who burned through his money. He died two years previously, leaving his widow in serious debt. Shortly thereafter, she got a fever and was crippled. Anne goes to visit her, finding her friend’s situation terrible but her spirit unchanged.

Anne turns town a visit to the Dalrymples’ in favor of visiting Mrs. Smith, which bothers her father. At the party, Mr. Elliot tells Lady Russell how highly he thinks of Anne, which makes Lady Russell think that he plans to marry Anne, not Elizabeth. Lady Russell approves, since it would make Anne Lady Elliot of Kellynch Hall, which was her mother’s place.

Next the Elliots learn that the Crofts are in Bath and that Louisa is engaged to Captain Benwick. The odd couple fell in love while Louisa was recovering in Lyme, which surprises everyone. Anne is thrilled though, since it means that Captain Wentworth won’t be marrying Louisa like she imagined.

In Bath, Anne runs into Admiral Croft, who tells her that he and his wife also expected the Captain to marry Louisa. He adds that his brother-in-law doesn’t seem upset about the news. Anne bumps into Captain Wentworth the next day when she is walking with Mr. Elliot. His friends assume that there’s something going on between Anne and Mr. Elliot.

The Elliots attend a concert and Captain Wentworth is there. He tells Anne that he doesn't think Louisa is smart enough for Captain Benwick, and that he’s amazed his friend was able to get over his first love so quickly. Anne sits with Mr. Elliot, and he’s very complimentary of her. During intermission, Anne goes to find Captain Wentworth, but Mr. Elliot interrupts their conversation. Anne, always polite, goes with him, but realizes that Captain Wentworth is jealous is Mr. Elliot.

Anne goes to visit Mrs. Smith the next morning. Her friend thinks Anne is in love with Mr. Elliot, and Anne tells her that it isn’t true. Mrs. Smith then tells Anne that Mr. Elliot is “without a heart of conscience” — he was a friend to her late husband, and the Smiths would help him out financially. He refused to marry Elizabeth in order to marry a wealthy woman, and he often spoke slightingly of his Kellynch baronetcy. He also encouraged Mr. Smith to run up a huge debt. He was the executor of Mr. Smith’s will, but refused to help out. The reason he’s upset about the possibility of Sir Walter remarrying is if he and Mrs. Clay were to have a son, he would no longer be heir to Kellynch. He came to Bath to break them up, but soon decides he wants to marry Anne. This obviously upsets Anne, but she’s glad she found out before it was too late. When she sees Mr. Elliot that evening, he tries to talk to her, but she brushes him away. He says that he’s planning to leave Bath for a couple of days.

Charles and Mary come to Bath with the other Musgroves, since Henrietta needs a wedding dress for her marriage to Charles Hayter. While Anne is visiting them, she sees Mr. Elliot and Mrs. Clay speaking on the street. Mary wants to go to her father’s party the next night to meet the Dalrymples and Mr. Elliot. Anne stresses how little interest she has in Mr. Elliot, which Captain Wentworth picks up on.
Anne goes to visit the Musgroves, Captains Harville and Wentworth, and Mrs. Croft the next morning, and Anne and Captain Harville get into a discussion about love. Anne says that women are more faithful and that women continue to love even when hope is gone. Captain Harville counters that men never forget women, even when women have moved on. Captain Wentworth passes Anne a note, then heads outside to mail a letter. In the note, Captain Wentworth declares his love for her, which makes Anne leave at once. One the walk home she runs into Captain Wentworth and she tells him how she’s loved him all along. They’re both elated.

No one objects to their engagement, although Mr. Elliot leaves Bath. Mrs. Clay leaves as well, and there’s a rumor that they’re together — he had been flirting with her in the hopes that she would not marry Sir Walter. Captain Wentworth helps Mrs. Smith get some of her husband’s money back, and only Elizabeth remains unmarried. Anne and Captain Wentworth live happily in their marriage.

Moreso than in her other novels, Austen punishes characters who strive for social improvement and mobility. Mrs. Clay and Mr. Elliot are driven out of town for their attempts to social climb through marriage. It's one thing to pursue acquaintances from a higher social standing, like Sir Walter does with his cousins, but it's another entirely to use marriage as a means of doing so.

And that’s the end of Austen’s most mature love story and final novel. I think it’s a fitting end to this project, since we’ve seen Austen become a more assured writer who presents more assured characters. Though Pride and Prejudice is my favorite of Austen’s books, Persuasion is great for an older reader (Anne is the closest heroine to me in age) who isn’t clueless about the way love works. But there's something in every Austen novel that's worth getting at, which is why this has been such a rewarding project.

What's your favorite Austen work, and why?

Persuasion Update

Since I've gone ahead and just finished Persuasion like I did with Northanger Abbey (this is what happens with shorter books!) I'm going to save my thoughts for a final post on the novel at the end of the month. I'm also brainstorming ideas for a couple of posts for September that will address themes and topics in all six of Austen's books. If you can think of something you think would be fun to discuss here, please let me know or leave a comment! Good luck finishing up your Austen reading!

Persuasion, Chapters 7-12

This section begins with Captain Wentworth’s arrival in the neighborhood. Anne and Mary are invited to meet him at Uppercross, but Mary’s son falls and dislocates his collarbone, prompting them to cancel their visit. Henrietta and Louisa, Mary’s sisters-in-law, are smitten with the Captain, who will be dining with them the next day. Mary and Charles attend too, with Anne staying home to care for her nephew and conveniently avoiding Captain Wentworth.

He comes to call on Mary the next morning and he and Anne meet briefly. Mary tells Anne that the Captain found his old love “so altered he should not have known her again” -- yikes. Anne’s hurt by it, understandably, but we learn that he hasn’t forgiven Anne, although he’s now ready to move on and get married.

Even though Anne and the Captain are frequently thrown together in social situations now, they avoid each other, speaking only when necessary. Anne still finds him charming -- she thinks they’re well suited for each other, and he’s kind to Mrs. Musgrove. Anne thinks the Crofts have a perfect relationship, as she travels with him on his ship, something the Captain says he wouldn't let his future wife do. Everyone is smitten with him.

Next we meet Charles Hayter, a cousin of the Musgroves (Mrs. Hayter and Mrs. Musgrove are sisters) and Henrietta’s suitor. The Hayters are an inferior, uneducated family, in contrast to the Musgroves, who are educated, but they get along well and encourage Henrietta and Charles. While everyone is wondering whether the Captain will choose Louisa or Henrietta Musgrove, Charles feels left out and upset. Anne doesn’t believe that he loves either of them, but is just reveling in their attentions.

The party heads out for a walk the next morning -- the Musgrove sisters make it clear they don’t want Mary along, but she goes, along with Anne, Charles Musgrove, and Captain Wentworth. Louisa flirts with the Captain and Charles and Henrietta visit the Hayters. She tells him that Charles wanted to marry Anne, but that she refused him and he married Mary, which interests the Captain. Charles Hayter now joins the party with the others, so it’s clear that Henrietta has decided he’s the one for her, leaving Louisa for the Captain. On the way home, the Crofts pass by in a carriage, and the Captain tells them to drive Anne home, since he guessed she might be tired. Anne sees that the Crofts drive the carriage together, and notes that it is representative of how their relationship works.

Anne heads to visit Lady Russell while the Captain goes to visit his friends, the Harvilles in Lyme. That makes everyone want to visit Lyme, so they set out for there. In Lyme, we meet the Harvilles -- he’s a captain too -- and Captain Benwick, whose fiancée, Captain Harville’s sister, died the previous year. Benwick is depressed and interested in poetry, which means Anne has a lot to discuss with him and makes reading suggestions, including reading more prose.

The next day, the group heads out for a walk, and they run into a man who stares at Anne He’s very attractive and happens to be Mr. Elliot, Anne’s cousin and heir to Kellynch. On a second walk, disaster strikes -- Louisa jumps down from a wall, hits her head, and is rendered unconscious. She’s brought to the Harville’s home, where a doctor sees her and says that while her injury is severe, she’ll be okay. Anne and the Captain head back home, while the others remain to help. That’s where we leave our friends.

There are some parallels between Persuasion and Mansfield Park -- vapid girls encroaching on the heroine's man, our heroine set adrift from her family and taken in by those who can care better for her/understand her, and a heroine who isn't in the spunky Elizabeth/Emma/Catherine school. What Austen does best between her third novel and her sixth is creating a more balanced heroine:

Where Fanny was timid and meek, Anne's quiet only because she knows when to get involved and speak her mind and when to let things slide. She recognizes the inanity that surrounds her, and unlike Fanny, whose youth made her unable to navigate the social world successfully, Anne knows what she has to do to be successful socially without comprising the best parts of her.

Persuasion, Chapters 1-6

Jane Austen's final novel, Persuasion, is the only one of her books that I couldn't have told you a darn thing about going into it. I may not have known anything about Mansfield Park or Northanger Abbey, but I at least knew Fanny Price's name, and that Northanger was a take on the contemporary Gothic genre. But Persuasion? Zip. Then I posted the schedule of readings for this month and got this:

So while I know nothing about this novel, it happens to be two people's favorite Austen book. My curiosity was piqued.

The novel begins with Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall making a record of his family. His wife died 14 years ago, and of his grown daughters, Elizabeth, Anne, and Mary, only Mary is married, to Charles Musgrove. Elliot’s fortune will be passed to his nephew, William Elliot. Sir Walter has become self-absorbed in the years since his wife’s death, so Lady Russell, a friend of Lady Elliot, has stepped in to offer the Elliot girls some guidance. She takes a special liking to Anne. Elizabeth Elliot is beautiful but vapid and her father’s favorite, Anne is a lovely person but her family doesn’t pay much attention to her, and Mary is self-important, thanks to being the youngest sister and the only one who is married.

A few years back, everyone had hoped that William would marry Elizabeth, but he chose to marry another woman. Compounding the family problems is that Sir Walter is low on funds, having lived beyond his means for years. He calls in Lady Russell and Mr. Shepard, a lawyer, to come fix his situation.

They tell him that he has to “retrench” -- save money and get out of debt -- in order to save his reputation. He refuses to cut back on expenses, instead opting to leave Kellynch Hall and rent it out. They decide to go to Bath, despite Anne’s dislike for the city. Lady Russell supports this plan, since  it’ll save money, but also because it’ll break up Elizabeth’s friendship with Mrs. Clay, Mr. Shepard’s widowed daughter and bad egg.

Mr. Shepard says that the Navy will be returning home, since England is at peace, and suggests that a sailor would make a great tenant for Kellynch. The family discusses the Navy, and after Anne says that everyone should be indebted to their service, but Sir Walter says the Navy brings “persons of obscure birth into undue distinction" and weathers their appearance beyond their years.

Admiral Croft is interested in renting Kellynch, and they learn that his wife’s brother, Mr. Wentworth, is a curate nearby. This sets Anne aflutter when she realizes that her old love may soon be standing where she is. Her old love is Captain Frederick Wentworth, Mrs. Croft’s other brother. Years ago, they fell in love and wished to marry, but Anne’s family and Lady Russell told her it was a bad idea, since he didn’t have a fortune or high birth. Anne, believing that her elders had her best interests at heart, ended the relationship. He left the country and Anne has regretted it for seven years. She hasn’t fallen for anyone else in this time, though Charles Musgrove, who later married Mary, proposed to her.

The Crofts and Elliots hit it off, and the Crofts decide to take the place. Sir Walter and Elizabeth take Mrs. Clay with them to Bath, which angers Anne and Lady Russell. They worry that she’ll form an improper attachment to Sir Walter.

Mary writes to say that she’s unwell, and asks Anne to come stay with her at Uppercross Cottage. Anne’s glad to avoid Bath for a while, and heads to her hypochondriac sister. Mary’s in-laws live nearby and while they aren’t educated or elegant, they’re friendly -- Anne finds them a welcome change from her family.

Anne and Mary go to visit the Crofts, and they find them to be lovely people. Anne learns that Captain Wentworth will soon be visiting them. This upsets Mrs. Musgrove, who is reminded of her troubled son Dick, who served under Captain Wentworth until his death.

Once again, unsuitable parents are the cause of much turmoil for their daughters. Sir Walter’s inability to manage his money has broken up his family, for the time being, and diminished his and his daughter’s reputation. He’s the complete opposite of Anne, his practical daughter, and has passed his undesirable qualities onto his other daughters.

As a heroine, Anne is a little different from the others we’ve seen. For starters, she’s older (27), and she’s loved and lost, unlike the other heroines, who realize/meet the man they love during the course of the novel. The passage in which she’s mulling over her failed relationship is devastating and so true, that you have to believe that Austen has also loved and lost:

She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing -- indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it… More than seven years were gone since this little history of sorrowful interest had reached its close; and time had softened down much, perhaps nearly all of peculiar attachment to him, but she had been too dependant on time alone: no aid had been given in change of place, (except in one visit to Bath soon after the rupture), or in any novelty or enlargement of society. No one had ever come within the Kellynch circle, who could bear a comparison with Frederick Wentworth, as he stood in her memory.

It’s easy to imagine a contemporary Anne Elliot sitting at her computer, following Frederick’s actions on Facebook and stewing over her giant mistake. Austen has given us something timeless and great.

Northanger Abbey, Chapters 21-31

This section begins shortly after Catherine’s arrival at Northanger Abbey. Eleanor takes her to her room in the thoroughly modern edifice, which disappoints Catherine -- at first. There’s a storm that night and she discovers some old papers in a chest of drawers. Before she can read them, the candle goes out and she hears footsteps. She immediately goes to bed, but discovers the next morning that they’re merely a washing list -- so far Northanger does not meet her expectations.

The General and Eleanor show her around Northanger, and Catherine begins to sense that the General is hiding something --- he won’t go down a path that was his late wife’s favorite, he tells Eleanor not to show Catherine more of the house until he can be there. Catherine jumps to the conclusion that his killed his wife and starts to question Eleanor about how she died. Suddenly, it turns out, and of an illness -- it's somehow a confirmation of Catherine’s suspicions. She develops an alternate hypothesis as well: that Mrs. Tilney is alive and hidden in the cellar. When she finally sneaks away from the others to see Mrs. Tilney’s room, there’s nothing of note.

Henry catches her at it, and he tells her what she suspects. He tells her he was present for his mother’s death and he scolds her for thinking that. Catherine is beside herself thinking that she blew it with Henry, but he acts no differently toward her. She does, however, chastise herself for getting too caught up in her books.

James writes to tell Catherine that he and Isabella broke off their engagement and says she’s now engaged to Frederick Tilney. Henry tells her that he doesn’t think it’ll really happen and that Isabella is probably doing it for money. He and Eleanor don’t think the General will let the engagement go through since she doesn’t have much money, which makes Catherine upset as she doesn't have a lot of money either.

The gang goes to visit Henry’s house at Woodston, and the General hints about Catherine marrying Henry -- she loves the house, but isn’t sure of Henry’s feelings. Isabella writes to say that Frederick left her and asks for help in getting James back. Catherine’s outraged, but Henry tells her she should be happy her brother's engagement didn’t go through.

When Catherine has been visiting for a month, she asks Eleanor if she should get ready to leave, but Eleanor tells her she can stay indefinitely. Suddenly, the General tells Eleanor that they have to go make good on a previous engagement and that Catherine has to leave immediately. There’s no explanation, and Catherine is forced to undergo a strenuous journey home.

She can’t imagine what possibly caused the General to do a 180 in his feelings for her, and her family is upset to see how she returned. Catherine has a tough time readjusting to life with her family, but after a few days Henry comes. He tells her that the General believed that the Morlands were wealthy, but learned lately from John Thorpe that they were not. Henry apologizes and proposes to Catherine. But the general won’t consent to the marriage so the Morlands won’t either. Luckily, Eleanor quickly gets engaged to a nobleman, which makes the General happy -- everyone consents and Henry and Catherine marry.

That’s the end of Northanger Abbey. Austen’s gently mocking riff on the Gothic novel doesn’t have the same depth as Pride and Prejudice, but it is an entertaining read. Catherine is a younger heroine than in some of the other novels, and  she spends a lot of time dealing with peer pressure and trying to figure out what makes a good friend -- things the other Austen heroines have already figured out for themselves.

A good chunk of the dramatic tension in this novel takes place in Catherine’s head, which is, in a way, what causes the dramatic tension of all of Austen's novels. Marianne imagines that Willoughby is more in love with her than he is, Elizabeth and Darcy each imagine things about the other that isn't true, Emma imagines that Mr. Elton loves Harriet, and so on. It's a more obvious example of Austen's point about how people imagine things and project desires onto situations rather than discussing them. There's so much gossip in all her books, but so little serious talks that need to be had -- Catherine's situation is the same.

Attic Salt's Jane Austen Challenge draws to a close with Persuasion, Austen's final novel. It's another short one, which means it'll give you some extra reading time to catch up on any books you may not have completed. Here's the schedule:

August 7: Chapters 1-6

August 14: Chapters 7-12

August 21: Chapters 13-18

August 31: Chapters 19-24

Northanger Abbey, Chapters 15-20

Confession: I've already finished this book. That makes it hard to remember specific things from each section I wanted to remember, so after today, I'll write just one final post on the last day of July. Here's a recap:

Catherine learns that Isabella and James are engaged, and the Morlands consent to the marriage. John Thorpe tries to hint to Catherine that maybe they can be engaged too, but she blows him off and he takes it as a good sign. At the beginning of volume two, Catherine dines with the Tilney family, and is pleased by how nice General Tilney is to her. The other Tilney son, Captain Frederick, comes to Bath as well.

After James tells Isabella that they will have a long engagement while he waits to inherit a living, she’s pretty upset, which makes Catherine angry. Things get better for Catherine though, since the Tilneys invite her along to their abbey for a visit. Not only is she excited to spend time with Henry, she’s thrilled about the idea of staying in an abbey like the ones found in her novels.

Catherine tells Isabella that she isn’t interested in her brother, after he writes to say that he wants to propose. Isabella’s flirtation with Frederick also bothers Catherine, but Catherine chalks it up to Isabella being polite. She starts to get worried for James, and talks to Henry, who tells her to leave the situation alone.

The ride to Northanger Abbey is pleasant -- Henry and Catherine ride together, and he tells her stories about the mysteries she’ll encounter there, complete with a hidden passage and violent storms. They arrive in time for dinner.

Catherine consistently misreads social situations -- she misreads the situation between Isabella and Frederick, even though Isabella seems to make it clear, telling Catherine that there’s more than one way for the two of them to be sisters. She also misreads her relationship with John Thorpe, not understanding that he wants to marry her. And, as we’ll soon see, she misreads the situation at the Abbey, where she allows her imagination to run rampant.

The lessons she’s applying to her life in Bath and at the Abbey come straight from the pages of novels and from the Allens, who can’t offer much guidance. Like the other Austen heroines we’ve seen, Catherine is missing a strong, positive influence in her life who is able to teach her the ways of the world. Each heroine, whether by death or poverty, is deprived of at least one parent who could alert her to the fact that she’s choosing friends unwisely or misreading social cues. But then, how would anyone ever figure out anything for herself?

Northanger Abbey, Chapters 9-14

For the first time in this project, I’ve read ahead of schedule — I’m a few chapters beyond 14, so I’ll try to refrain talking about anything after that. Here’s a quick recap.

The social world of Bath is still a marvel for Catherine, who decides to befriend Eleanor Tilney. Before she can pay her a visit, Isabella, James Morland and John Thorpe arrive to take Catherine for a ride. Catherine gets stuck riding with John, who is manipulative and exaggerates. Despite James and Isabella’s fondness for John, Catherine looks on him with disdain. She learns that her guardian, Mrs. Allen, ran into the Tilneys while she was out, and Catherine kicks herself for missing them.
Catherine remains oblivious to the new romance between Isabella and James, because she’s caught up in her interest in the Tilneys. She meets Eleanor at the Pump-Room, they hit it off, and she awkwardly asks Eleanor about Henry. Eleanor figures out that Catherine likes Henry, but Catherine doesn’t realize that she shared this information.

At a ball, Catherine dodges John and dances with Henry. He tells her that dancing is like a brief marriage, and each side has responsibilities. The Tilneys set up a walk with Catherine for the next day. The Thorpes arrive to take Catherine to Bristol, and John lies and tells her that he saw Henry driving in the opposite direction. Since it's raining, Catherine believes him and goes along. When they set off, she sees the Tilneys walking toward her house, but John refuses to turn around.

Catherine goes to apologize to the Tilneys the next morning, but they won’t see her. She then confronts Henry at the theater and explains everything. She learns that General Tilney, their father, thinks that she’s the finest girl in town.

The Thorpes plan yet another ride, and when they try to get Catherine, she turns them down. She goes to the Tilneys’ house, and meets the General, who invites Catherine to dinner. At the Allens, Mr. Allen tells Catherine not to see John Thorpe anymore. The Tilneys take Catherine on a walk the next day, and Catherine and Henry discuss books again, as well as drawing. When she goes back home, Catherine learns that one of the Thorpe sisters took her place on that day’s drive.

In these chapters, Catherine is beginning to stand up for herself and make her own decisions, instead of having Isabella help navigate for her. She recognizes that some social acquaintances can be hurtful, and that others are much better matches in terms of friendship. It’s actually kind of interesting how the intelligent, funny, down-to-earth Tilneys seek the companionship of Catherine, a girl who is only beginning to develop social graces and desires that her life resemble a Gothic novel.

Henry Tilney is shaping up to be a great Austen hero — he’s funny, charming, smart, and has no problem teasing Catherine. He seems more well-rounded than recent heroes we’ve encountered — Mr. Knightley, Edmund Bertram — and doesn’t seem to have any flaws to overcome.

For next week, read Chapters 15-20.

Northanger Abbey, Chapters 1-8

I’ve been looking forward to reading Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen’s parody of 18th century gothic novels, for some time. And since cracking open the spine this week, I’ve been surprised by the amount of fun Austen is clearly having. Though all her novels are parodies, Northanger Abbey parodies not just contemporary society but also the literature of the time -- I think I’m going really like it.

Austen gets things going by introducing Catherine Morland as an unlikely heroine. Her family is kind of wealthy, but not overly, and she’s neither pretty nor very good at anything. She gets prettier as she gets older, which is when we really meet her. She’s also abandoned her childhood activities of sports in favor of reading. The Allens, a rich couple without any children, decide to invite her to go along with them to Bath.

Catherine’s mother isn’t concerned about her daughter leaving, and her father gives her a little money to take along. Though they don’t seem the best of parents, neither are the Allens -- Mrs. Allen is neither smart nor well-mannered, and she’s certainly not beautiful. As we learn when the trio arrives in Bath, she isn’t well acquainted either -- at balls and other events, Mrs. Allen tells Catherine how sorry she is she can’t find a dancing partner for her. Luckily for Catherine, at an event she’s introduced to Henry Tilney, who she immediately has a spark with. He’s handsome and witty, and happens to also be a clergyman (the profession Austen heroines seem to lust after a lot).

Catherine doesn’t see Henry the next day, but she and Mrs. Allen meet some people they know. Mrs. Thorpe went to school with Mrs. Allen, and they meet her three daughters. Catherine hits it off with her eldest daughter, Isabella, and the pair run into their brothers (James Morland and John Thorpe) one day, drawing more people into their social circle. James and Isabella immediately get along, and John seems interested in Catherine as well, asking her to dance in advance of the night’s ball.
But John is late, and Catherine runs into Henry. She has to turn down his request for a dance, as she is previously engaged to John, and she’s annoyed. She doesn’t get another chance to talk to Henry.

Unlike Austen’s other books, so far Northanger Abbey has been set primarily in the social world, with a flurry of balls and events. There’s a larger world to work with here, so it’ll be interesting to see how many people Austen has Catherine and the Allens meet.

A large section of these chapters discuss novels and reading. Austen submits a page-long defense of the novel as a genre (they were associated with lower classes), but of course, she’s riffing on the lowest of the “low” -- the horror novel. The girls are big fans of Gothic horror novels, like The Mysteries of Udolpho, and Catherine is distracted from her daily activities when she’s reading it. She’s even put off when John tells her he doesn’t read novels. Is it a suggestion for contemporary readers to pick better material? Or more than that?

Next week, read Chapters 9-14.

Emma, Chapters 41-55

We bid farewell to the Highbury world and head to Northanger Abbey today. Here’s a summary of the last chapters of Emma, along with some comments, and the reading schedule for Northanger Abbey.

Mr. Knightley figures out that there’s something brewing between Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill — Frank announces something that he says is common knowledge, but was really only discussed at the Bates household — but when he brings it up to Emma, she tells him it can’t possibly be true.

The gang decides to plan a picnic to Box Hill, which gets pushed back thanks to a sick horse. Mr. Knightley invites them all to his house for a gathering, which comes together, and, the horse having healed, Box Hill is planned for the next day. At Mr. Knightley’s, Jane tries to tell Mrs. Elton that she doesn’t want the governess job Mrs. Elton wants her to take, and Jane leaves the party early. Shortly after she leaves, Frank arrives and seems upset.

The Box Hill picnic isn’t much fun either — everyone breaks into groups (the Eltons; Knightley, Miss Bates, and Jane; and Emma, Harriet and Frank). Frank flirts shamelessly with Emma, and Emma makes a rude comment to Miss Bates. Knightley later chastises her for it.

After the picnic, Emma visits Miss Bates to apologize and Jane decides to take the governess job. She’ll have to leave in two weeks, but the job will pay well. When she returns home, Emma runs into Harriet and Knightley, who’s happy that she went to see Miss Bates. Word arrives that Mrs. Churchill died, which Emma thinks might bode well for setting Harriet up with Frank. Jane seems to be ignoring Emma, who has been trying to do good deeds for her.

Things finally get set in motion with the death of Mrs. Churchill. Mrs. Weston calls Emma to come visit her, so that she can tell her that Frank and Jane have been secretly engaged. Everyone was worried that Emma had feelings for Frank, which Emma tells them she does not. Frank’s uncle agreed to the engagement, but asked that it stay secret for a while longer. Emma is only worried about how Harriet will take the news, but Mr. Weston has already relayed the news himself. Harriet tells her that she never liked Frank, but actually has feelings for Mr. Knightley and thinks that he reciprocates them. Emma is appalled, as she has just realized that she is in love with Knightley.

Looking back, she realizes that she has always loved him, but decides that she can’t marry him while her father is alive, since he won’t be able to live on his own. Emma heads out for a walk and runs into Knightley, who has something to tell her. He starts to say something, but Emma worries that it is about his feelings for Harriet, so she stops him. He goes ahead with it anyway, and declares his love.

Emma decides that Harriet should visit Isabella in London for a time. Meanwhile, Mrs. Weston shows Emma a letter from Frank, in which he apologizes but says that he never thought Emma was attached to him and that she thought their flirtation was all in good fun. Jane had broken off their engagement after Frank flirted with Emma at Box Hill, and after his aunt died and he heard about how Jane was going to be a governess, he secured his uncle’s permission for marriage and won Jane back.

Emma and Knightley decides that he should move into Hartfield after they marry, but Emma has decided to wait to tell her father until after Mrs. Weston has her baby. When she does tell him, he’s surprised but comes around.

There’s one more engagement to come — Harriet and Robert Martin. Knightley arranged it, but sending Martin to London to see his brother and to spend time with the family. Emma is relieved. They marry first, followed by Emma and Knightley, and Frank and Jane a few months from the novel’s end.

Emma is the fourth Austen novel with absent/lapsed parents, and Emma grew up with guidance from Mrs. Weston and Mr. Knightley — making it somewhat odd that she marries him in the end. Knightley isn’t a friend who Emma suddenly realized she was in love with, but rather someone who held authority over her, and interceded when Mrs. Weston and Mr. Woodhouse spoiled her too much. It makes sense that Emma can’t call him by his Christian name, but insists on continuing to call him “Mr. Knightley.” What’s Austen doing with this — does a spirited, innocently meddlesome girl need to be paired with a father figure to balance their relationship? I do like Knightley, but still it seems kind of strange.

Emma is — like all of Austen’s works — about social status, and how marriage can elevate someone’s rank. The failed marriage from the beginning of the novel (Mr. Weston and Miss Churchill), fails because Mr. Weston is of a lower rank. He fares better with the working class Miss Taylor. The same is true with Harriet and Mr. Elton — she’s ranked much lower than him — but things work out for her with Robert Martin. Frank Churchill can’t tell his family about his engagement to Jane, since she’s both an orphan and headed for a working life, but once his aunt has died, he’s more willing to take a social risk when his family doesn’t have to hear about it. Since Sense and Sensibility, this is the most overt discussion of social rank through marriage. In that novel, Elinor and Marianne each married up socially, but here, social ranks seem more evenly matched in each pairing. Is Austen offering other ideas about what makes a good marriage? Or just acknowledging that there are all types of marriages in the world?

I didn’t even get into the wordplay aspects of Emma, but did anyone find that especially fun?

Here’s the posting schedule for Northanger Abbey, which you can look for on Thursdays this month. It’s a much shorter book this time — perfect for summer reading!

Thursday, July 8 - Chapters 1-8

Thursday, July 15 - Chapters 9-14

Thursday, July 22 - Chapters 15-20

Thursday, July 29 - Chapters 21-27

Saturday, July 31 - Chapters 28-31

Emma, Chapters 29-40

I am so sorry, readers and Jane Austen Challenge participants. Things are quite crazy around these parts lately, but I promise that once I move out of my apartment to Chicago and then go to Massachusetts, where I'm spending the summer, things will get back to normal. I even have an exciting box from Powell's waiting for me when I get there, so there will be lots of reading and writing to share.

Here's a quick summary of what you missed in Emma.

Frank and Emma have decided that they want to throw a ball. Since Randalls is too small, they opt for the Crown Inn. Frank makes Emma promise to dance the first two numbers with him. Emma worries that Mrs. Churchill won’t let Frank stay in Highbury long enough for the ball, but she does. But two days later, she calls him home since she’s ill. Frank leaves and the ball is cancelled. Emma is upset, and recognizes that she has some feelings for him after all.

Before Emma can dwell too much on Frank, word comes that Mr. Elton and his wife will be arriving soon in Highbury. Emma tries to convince Harriet to get over him, and the girls go to visit the couple. Emma realizes on their second visit that Mrs. Elton is incredibly gauche and superficial.

Mrs. Elton turns cold towards Emma, and decides to take Jane Fairfax under her wing. Jane also refuses another trip to Ireland to stay on in Highbury. Emma asks Mr. Knightley about this, and also hints to him that she things he has feelings for Jane. He’s flustered, and tells Emma that he isn’t interested in Jane.

Emma throws a dinner party for Mrs. Elton, and her brother in law shows up to bring his sons to visit Emma and Mr. Woodhouse. While there, he chides Jane for going to the post office in the rain. There’s also an awkward discussion of who in the party has good handwriting, with Emma praising Frank’s and Knightley telling her she’s wrong. Do these two ever do anything besides disagree?

A letter arrives from Frank, saying that he and the Churchills are heading to London, so they’ll be close by, and that Frank will be coming to stay in Highbury. Emma worries about this, but because he has feelings for her and she barely returns them. When Frank arrives, the ball is back on. There’s an uncomfortable moment when the Westons realize that Mrs. Elton will be expected to lead the first dance and that Emma can’t do it as planned.

The ball is fun otherwise, and after Mr. Elton won’t dance with Harriet, Mr. Knightley saves the day. Emma thanks him afterwards, and tells him that he was right about Mr. Elton. Knightley tells her that she was more right about Harriet than he had realized. They’re finally getting along, and they dance.

Things take a weird turn when Harriet is accosted by gypsies while out walking. Frank runs into her and saves the day, bringing her to Hartfield. Harriet later tells Emma that she is no longer interested in Mr. Elton, and that she is ready to get rid of trinkets he used that she saved. Harriet tells Emma that she plans to never marry, but Emma suspects that Harriet is interested in someone out of her league (she means Frank). Harriet confirms these feelings. And that's where we leave things. More summary/analysis next week!

Emma, Chapters 14-28

Whew, is anyone else finding the characters difficult to keep track of? Mansfield Park and Pride and Prejudice have smaller sets of characters, but Emma, like Sense and Sensibility, seems to have a much more populated neighborhood. I feel like I’m constantly flipping back and forth to check who someone is. Despite this, Emma has a lot in common with the other three Austen novels we’ve read — there’s the heroine who can’t seem to figure out that someone is in love with her, the visiting girl who everyone loves despite her being boring/odd, the rambling/busybody/annoying old maid, and the man who leads all the ladies on. Here’s a quick recap of these chapters.

While Emma is worrying that Mr. Knightley may be right about Mr. Elton’s feelings for her, she learns that Frank Churchill is coming to visit in January. It turns out that Emma, despite her declarations that she’ll never marry, seems to think she will get along swimmingly with Mr. Churchill and maybe marry him. But probably not.

It starts to snow, and the visitors set off for home. Emma ends up in a carriage with just Mr. Elton and he seizes the moment and declares his love for her. Emma can’t understand how he transferred his feelings from Harriet to her, and he tells her that he’s never had feelings for Harriet, and that it has always been Emma. Emma turns him down and decides to stop matchmaking.

Frank Churchill postpones his visit, and Emma and Mr. Knightley debate his character -- they wonder how an adult male can be so influenced by his aunt not to come. Emma believes he will be delightful when she does meet him, while Knightley expects him to be insufferable. Emma can’t understand why Knightley isn’t open-minded about him.

Emma and Harriet go to visit Mrs. and Miss Bates, and they hear about Mr. Elton’s trip to Bath and learn that Jane Fairfax, Mrs. Bates’ granddaughter will be visiting. Jane lives with the Campbells, who are leaving to visit their daughter Mrs. Dixon, in Ireland. The ladies aren’t sure why Jane isn’t going with them, and Emma assumes that Jane and Mr. Dixon had a flirtation at some point.

Austen gives up Jane’s back-story: she was orphaned when her father died in battle and her mother died of grief. Mrs. and Miss Bates initially raised Jane, but then the Campbells, friends of her father’s, offered to take her in and educate her. They planned to make her a teacher, which she will have to do after visiting her family. Emma has never been a big fan of Jane, but on this visit she feels pity for her. She learns that Jane has known Frank Churchill for quite some time.

Mr. Elton gets engaged to Miss Hawkins, a wealthy and beautiful lady, and news makes its way back to Highbury. Emma is relieved by the news, and thinks it will make things less awkward when he returns to town. Harriet has a run-in with the Martins, and though the encounter is awkward, they’re nice to her. Miss Martin later visit her at Mrs. Goddard’s when Harriet is out, and Emma tells her repay the visit, but only stay a short time. This is precisely what happens, and the Martins are hurt by the brief visit.

Frank finally arrives and Emma finds him attractive and charming, but he leaves her company to go visit Jane Fairfax. Frank later tells Emma that he doesn’t find Jane attractive but that they were regular acquaintances previously. Emma tells him that she thinks Jane and Mr. Dixon had something going on, and Frank doesn't quite believe it. Frank leaves town to go get his hair cut in London, which rubs Emma the wrong way, but she’s starting to be smitten with him.

More social acquaintances surface — the Coles — who invite everyone to a dinner party, but Emma’s invite is delayed, prompting her to be put out by an imagined snub from a nouveau-riche family, but she accepts the invite when it arrives. At the Coles, everyone learns that Jane has recently received a piano as a gift, from a mysterious benefactor. Everyone thinks it is from the Campbells, but Emma thinks it’s from Mr. Dixon. Mrs. Weston tells Emma that she thinks Mr. Knightley likes Jane, that he may have given her the piano, and that he brought his carriage so he could take her home. Emma is stunned by this suggestion, since her nephew won’t inherit Mr. Knightley’s estate if he marries. Mr. Knightley denies to Emma that he sent Jane the piano, and Emma feels better about the whole thing when he doesn’t ask Jane to dance. Emma dances with Frank, and he tells her that he’s glad he doesn’t have to dance with Jane.

After the dinner, visiting takes place, and Emma and Harriet visit Mrs. and Miss Bates. Miss Bates tells them that Mr. Knightley sent Jane some apples. When they enter the house, Frank is there fixing Mrs. Bates’ glasses. Mr. Knightley pops by, but won’t come in since Frank is there.

So that’s where we leave things. I’m not really sure how I feel about Emma as a heroine — sure, she feels pretty darn bad for leading Harriet on, but she starts and spreads rumors about Jane’s past without worrying that it might affect her reputation. Though Emma doesn’t do anything with malice, she doesn’t understand how meddling in others’ affairs could cause problems for them and for herself.

Emma, so far, seems most like Sense and Sensibility. There are incessant visits and parties taking place in the country, but there’s also this undercurrent of assumption — but one more dangerous than in Austen’s first novel. While everyone assumes that Marianne is engaged to Willoughby, they do create that impression, probably in part since Marianne believes it herself. But here, Emma assumes certain things and shares these assumptions, but only because she has made herself believe them. She tries to set up Harriet and Elton, then imagines an attraction between them and convinces herself that it’s real. She’s imagined a relationship between Jane and Mr. Dixon, and while we don’t yet know what the truth is, Austen is laying the groundwork for it to be false.

But I think what’s really interesting here is that Emma is the first wealthy Austen heroine. She says she doesn’t want to marry, and whether or not she means that, she is the first one who doesn’t have to. Because Emma can do whatever she pleases with her life, she assumes the roles filled by Mary Crawford, the Palmers/Mrs. Jennings, and the Bingley sisters — she can play around with the romantic lives of the less-well-off girls with little consequence to herself. I’m interested to see where Austen takes this.

Next up, chapters 29-40.

Emma, Chapters 1-13

Emma, Jane Austen’s fourth published novel (1815), seems to mark a bit of a shift from her previous books. At least so far, with the emphasis on games and wordplay, Emma comes across as lighter and more playful than Austen’s other works. From the riddles that Emma and Harriet compile to the name of the Woodhouses’ estate (Hartfield), it seems that Austen is having a bit of fun. We’ll see where she takes it from here.

The first chapters kick off with an introduction to Emma Woodhouse, clever, pretty, and our first wealthy Austen heroine. She lives with her father, the frequently hilarious Mr. Woodhouse. As the novel opens her governess, Mrs. Weston, has just gotten married and left Hartfield. Emma’s sister Isabella is married to John Knightley, and the couple and their five children live in London, so Emma’s feeling a little lonely at the start.

George Knightley, Emma’s brother-in-law, pays them a visit just after the wedding, and Emma tells him that she matched up her governess and Mr. Weston. Emma tells him that she next plans to match up Mr. Elton, a rector, and George suggests she stay out of it.

Austen gives us Mr. Weston’s back story - he has a son, Frank, from his first marriage to Miss Churchill, and since he was unable to care for his son after his wife’s death, Frank was raised by his mother’s relatives. Word arrives that he’s coming to visit the Weston’s soon.

Country life in High bury is just as charming as it is in other Austen novels — the regular social group of the Emma, her father, Mr. Knightley, Mr. Elton, Mrs. Goddard, and Mrs. and Miss Bates get together often for parties. Mrs. Goddard, who runs a boarding school, brings one of her old students, Harriet Smith to visit one night, and Emma decides to make her a project.

Emma and Harriet begin to spend lots of time together, and Emma learns that she’s a friend of the Martins and their son Robert. Emma assumes correctly that Robert is interested in Harriet, but Emma isn’t impressed by him, which she tells Harriet. Emma tries to interest Harriet in Mr. Elton, and one night she draws a picture of Harriet, which Mr. Elton fawns over, though others point out mistakes. Mr. Elton takes the picture to London to be framed, and Emma is convinced that he’s in love with Harriet. Then Robert Martin proposes to Harriet and she shows Emma the letter. Emma tells her that it’s well-written, but convinces her that marrying him would be a mistake.

Mr. Knightley goes to visit Emma and tells her that Robert Martin will be proposing to her soon and he thinks it will be a good match. When Emma tells him he already has, and that Harriet has refused him, Mr. Knightley is upset with her and tells her that her plot to fix up Harriet and Mr. Elton won’t work.

Emma and Harriet start collecting riddles in a book, and they ask Mr. Elton to write one. He does, and the answer is “courtship,” which Emma takes as a positive sign. The girls go to visit a sick family, and on their way home, run into Mr. Elton. Emma breaks her shoelace so she can fall back and get the others talking.

Isabella and her family arrive for Christmas and when Mr. Knightley comes for dinner, Emma makes up with him. They plan to go dine with the Westons, but Harriet falls ill and Emma tries to convince Mr. Elton that he shouldn’t come either. John Knightley tells Emma that Mr. Elton likes her, but Emma denies it. She wonders at how little interest Mr. Elton has in Harriet’s illness.

We meet a lot of characters right off the bat, and I had a bit of trouble keeping track of everyone and their relationships at first. But one character we don’t meet is Mrs. Woodhouse, because she died when Emma was very young. This is the fourth novel in a row that features absent or lapsed parents — Mr. Dashwood dies in the opening pages of Sense and Sensibility, the Bennet parents are such poor role models that the Bennet girls either get themselves in trouble or treat their aunt and uncle as surrogate parents in Pride and Prejudice; in Mansfield Park, Fanny Price is sent away from her troubled parents and into a home with an uncle who disappears for a very long stretch and an aunt unable to offer any guidance, and in Emma, her best role model, Mrs. Weston moves out, leaving her with a father overly concerned about everyone’s health and too indulgent.

Before I go into this further, I want to see if/how the idea of absent parents plays out in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, but Austen is working with something interesting here. Are parentless women more apt to get into trouble? Are they influenced by society and social relationships than they would otherwise be? Are we having a nature vs. nurture debate?

We’ve seen busybody characters in each of the other Austen novels, but this is the first one in which the busybody is the heroine. Emma tells Harriet (and has seemingly told everyone else too) that she never intends to marry. Interesting, since the other busybodies are all old maids or widowers, and Emma plans to join their ranks — though she insists she won’t be a lame old maid. Most busybodies really have good intentions, but like Mrs. Jennings in Sense and Sensibility, usually end up hurting the very same people they’re trying to help. We know that Emma will be no exception.

Next week’s assignment is Chapters 14-28.

Mansfield Park, Chapters 38-48 & Emma Kick-off

We finished up Mansfield Park yesterday, and here's what happened in the last chapters. Fanny and William went to see their family, and Fanny is surprised by what greets her: neither parent devotes much time to their long-absent daughter and the house is in shambles. William has to depart soon after he gets there, so Fanny is left with her sister Susan, who needs reining in but is generally a good person.

Things aren’t going well for Fanny — besides the mess of her family, Edmund hasn't been writing — and they get worse when Henry shows up for visit. He tells Fanny that Edmund is in London where he will visit Mary. Fanny is embarrassed that Henry will see the type of people she comes from, but her father holds it together and Henry can’t stay for dinner. He returns the next day and offers to take Fanny back to Mansfield with him, but she says no and he leaves.

Edmund finally writes, telling Fanny that he is back at Mansfield and upset at how Mary behaved - yet again. He also tells her to Sir Thomas can’t come back to get her until after Easter, which depresses her. Lady Bertram writes to tell Fanny that Tom is very ill, thanks to his drinking, and no one can come get Fanny in this time of need.

After Henry's visit Fanny has been thinking about his feelings for her, and you start to wonder if she'll admit that she feels something for him and marry him. But then Mary writes to say that if Tom dies it would benefit her(!) since Edmund would be the Bertram heir. She also says that Henry has been visiting Maria. In a second letter Mary writes that Fanny should absolutely not believe any rumors she hears about Henry and Maria. Fanny learns from the newspaper that "Mrs. R" ran off with "Mr. C."

Edmund writes (these people would be keeping the USPS in business today) to say that he is coming to get Fanny tomorrow, and that she can invite Susan to come along with her. Plus he has more news to share - Julia eloped with Yates. Plus Maria and Henry are still MIA.

When Fanny, Susan, and Edmund return to Mansfield, everyone is in a state of despair. Fanny learns from Edmund that Mary blames her for Henry running off with Maria - after all if she was engaged to him, he wouldn’t be able to think about other women. Then good things happen: Edmund finally tells Mary off, Julia apologizes to everyone and she and Yates marry, and Tom’s illness turns him into a better man. Edmund realizes that he loves Fanny and they marry - everyone is thrilled and the couple move into the parsonage, while Susan stays with the Bertrams. But things aren’t so good for Maria — she and Henry live together but ultimately break up. Rushworth has already divorced her, and Mrs. Norris takes Maria away.

Of the Austen novels we've read so far, this is definitely her most serious look at society. Mansfield Park is focused on morals — "good" people are rewarded, "bad" people are not — but it's also interesting to think about in terms of nature vs. nurture. Fanny is ripped from her underprivileged home and sent to live with her much wealthier relatives. She's supposed to learn from them how to behave in society, and supposed to use these connections to better herself. But these "better" relatives are actually quite awful — the neurotic mother, the missing father, the meddlesome aunt. Then there's her cousins: Maria and Julia each run off with a man, while Tom drinks too much. So is Fanny just innately good and that's why she's rewarded by getting to marry Edmund? Are the Crawford siblings just bad eggs? Interestingly, the Crawfords are in a similar situation as Fanny, in that they live with their sister and her husband and not their parents, but in either case it isn't clear how their characters are formed.

One thing that I continue to find notable about Austen's work is how quickly she wraps things up — Fanny lusts after Edmund for the entire book, only to finally end up with him in the last handful of pages; Austen doesn't give us enough on how and why Edmund's feelings change. It's something that's characteristic of her writing, as we also saw it in Sense and Sensibility when Marianne does a 180 and marries Col. Brandon at the very end. But Austen isn't the kind of writer who realizes "whoops! I'm almost at 500 pages, I have to wrap this up," and then tacks on an ending. Has anyone else noticed this? And does anyone else have any last thoughts on Mansfield Park before we move on to Emma?

Here's the reading schedule for Emma:

Monday, June 7 - Chapters 1-13

Monday, June 14 - Chapters 14-28

Monday, June 21 - Chapters 29-40

Monday, June 28 - Chapters 41-51
Wednesday, June 30 - Chapters 52-55

Mansfield Park, Chapters 17-37

A lot has happened since we last checked in with our friends the Bertrams -- let’s do a quick recap of what’s happened in these last chapters. Plans for staging Lover's Vows progress and Edmund and Mary practice a scene in which they declare their love for each other. Fanny, forced to watch, is quite upset by this. Luckily for her, just as the dress rehearsal is about to begin, Sir Thomas returns home and shuts things down: he sends Yates away, chastises Mrs. Norris for allowing the play, and makes Mansfield Park a quieter place.

He's also not impressed with Rushworth and tells Maria that he will end the engagement for her, but Maria, upset that Henry Crawford has left Mansfield Park, decides to go ahead with it. She marries and takes Julia with her and Rushworth to Brighton. This leaves Fanny as the only girl at Mansfield Park, and she becomes friends with Mary Crawford. It's awkward, since Mary likes to talk about Edmund; things aren't too great between them, as Mary regularly mocks Edmund’s career path.

Things take an odd -- and almost unbelievable -- turn when Henry tells Mary that he is in love with Fanny, mostly because she is disinterested in him. He starts paying her more attention, sitting next to her while playing cards. William arrives for a visit, slowing Henry’s plans for courtship, but he’s a nice addition to the party at Mansfield Park.

While at dinner one night, Henry suggests changes that Edmund could make at Thornton Lacey (his soon to be parsonage) and wants to rent it. Edmund refuses, saying that he will soon occupy it himself. As William’s visit winds down, Sir Thomas decides to throw a ball for Fanny and William. Fanny wants to wear a cross that William gave her but has no chain. Mary gives her one, but as Fanny returns home with it, Edmund presents her with another chain, one she likes much better. Edmund tells Fanny to wear Mary’s chain and is excited that they both had the same idea. But at the ball, Mary is rude again. Otherwise, it’s fun, and William leaves the next day with Henry, who is taking him to meet his uncle, an admiral. Then Edmund leaves to take orders. When Henry returns he tells Mary that he is planning to propose to Fanny, which Mary thinks will help her chances with Edmund. Henry tells Fanny that he secured William a position of lieutenant thanks to his uncle and Fanny is thrilled. But when he proposes, Fanny shoots him down.

Henry asks Sir Thomas for help, who doesn’t understand why Fanny rejected him. Fanny won’t tell him about Henry’s flirtations with Maria and Julia, but Sir Thomas interprets that Fanny is in love with Edmund. Lady Bertram and Edmund tell Fanny she made a mistake, and everyone lets Henry hang around and woo Fanny. Finally the Crawfords are about to leave Mansfield Park, but before they leave Mary tells Fanny she erred and that the necklace she gave Fanny was actually a present from Henry. William comes back to visit, and everyone decides that he and Fanny should go visit their family. Sir Thomas thinks this visit will make her reconsider her refusal of Henry, but before she leaves Edmund tells her that he plans to propose to Mary.

So that’s where we leave the gang from Mansfield Park -- everyone is off on their travels, with under 100 pages left to wrap things up. I find this novel compelling because everyone is so unlikable -- Fanny is timid and awkward, Mary is shallow, Henry is a flirt, Edmund is in love with Mary for no reason, Mrs. Norris is a busybody, Lady Bertram is a hypochondriac, Sir Thomas is involved in the slave trade, etc. They’re not an admirable bunch, but Austen has crafted a compelling plot around them.

For starters, it’s racier than either Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice, and the un-staged play gave them a chance to start working through their feelings. Would Edmund and Mary be engaged right now if they had been able to declare their love for each other onstage? Ditto Henry and Maria? Perhaps.

We got a taste of the importance of marrying for love in Pride and Prejudice, when Elizabeth rejects Mr. Collins, but we haven’t seen such emphatic support for the idea until Fanny. Everyone tells her she’s making a mistake by not settling for Henry, and she’s told repeatedly that this is likely her one shot at marriage. But Fanny, recognizing that she would be incredibly unhappy, says no. She may be timid, but she deserves some credit here.

Austen gives us another hint about what Sir Thomas is up to in Antigua when Fanny asks him about the slave trade. Since there’s a debate over when the book takes place -- meaning this question could refer to either when Britain was still trading slaves or after. Though this means we don’t really know the exact context, I like how Mansfield Park acknowledges what else was going on in the world.

There’s more to discuss, but we can save it for the wrap-up post next week. Next week also kicks off reading Emma, which is going to be interesting for me -- it’s the only Austen novel I had read prior to this challenge. It was over 7 years ago, so I’m sure I’ll have some different thoughts on that.

Till next time, when you should have wrapped up Mansfield Park, what do you think of the novel and Fanny as a heroine?

The Men of Austen

Your regularly scheduled Austen update has been replaced by a fun link today. Why? Because today I turn an age that makes me older than any old maid in any Austen novel (actually, I'm still younger than Charlotte Lucas), so to celebrate that, we're going to look at a particularly amusing web site that Masterpiece Classic put together: The Men of Austen.

The site consists of "dating profiles" for all the men who appear in Austen's novels, along with photos of who played the gent in the BBC series. Below are a couple favorites, which you can click to enlarge.

Mansfield Park, Chapters 6-16

Apologies for the delay, Janeites. I headed to Chicago yesterday for a two-week trip, and in the flurry of packing didn't have time to finish up this post. So here, goes, about 30 hours too late.

Things take an interesting turn in this section of Mansfield Park, as the play-acting that’s going on becomes literal acting when everyone decides to stage a play. But first, there’s the beginning of an attraction between Mary and Edmund, as Mary realizes that she likes him more than his brother. Edmund at first outlines her lesser qualities to Fanny, but later he becomes more enchanted by her.

The group plans a visit to Mr. Rushworth’s estate, Sotherton, after he discusses all the work he wants to do on it. Since not everyone can fit in the carriages and someone needs to stay behind with Lady Bertram, Fanny is told she can’t go, but Edmund volunteers to stay home so Fanny can go. Mrs. Grant then offers to stay home so Edmund can go. Julia snags the seat next to Henry in the carriage, which outrages Maria, who, despite her engagement to Mr. Rushworth, is pretty clearly lusting after Henry.

They tour the house, Mary makes a snide comment about clergymen since she doesn’t realize that it is Edmund’s future path and Fanny doesn’t bother to correct her, and Julia makes a snide comment about Maria’s engagement. Then they embark on a tour of the grounds in groups of three: Maria, Henry, and Mr. Rushworth; Fanny, Edmund, and Mary; and Julia, Mrs. Norris, and Rushworth's mother. These threesomes are interesting, as Austen sets them up to pit romantic rivals against each other. Fanny and Mary are with Edmund and they debate the church, but Fanny becomes the third wheel when she gets tired and sits down. Mary convinces Edmund to go off with her, and Maria and Henry take off together while Mr. Rushworth goes to get a key to open a gate.

After visiting Sotherton, they learn that Sir Thomas will be returning in several months, and everyone starts to panic: Maria will have to get married, and Edmund will no longer be the de facto head of the family. Tom returns to Mansfield Park and brings his friend John Yates with him. Yates is into theater, and convinces the others to put on a play. Everyone minus Edmund and Fanny are excited, and they debate endlessly about what play to put on. They finally decide on Lover’s Vows, which is a pretty poor decision — it’s a scandalous play for a group that’s already got some scandalous activity brewing. Edmund refuses to participate, but the group is short a male character, and Mary is vehemently against performing with a stranger, so he takes the role to assuage her. Fanny sits out too, and Mrs. Grant takes the role that she was to be given. Julia is also out, as Henry pushes for Maria to take a role over her.

So that’s where we leave our characters — preparing for a play even though Sir Thomas, whose return is imminent, will likely seriously disapprove. This section drives home the fact that, like in Pride and Prejudice, absent or delinquent parents cause problems for their children. With Sir Thomas out of the picture, and Lady Bertram dealing with whatever health problems she has, busybody Mrs. Norris is the main adult supervisor of the group. It’s no wonder that some of the kids sneak off with each other while at Sotherton, and that they plan to engage in inappropriate activity.

On Twitter, Jane Austen Challenge participant Margaret commented that “the book is fascinating, in large part because of its unevenness. Austen is pushing herself into new, somewhat bleak territory.” We have a very different situation in Mansfield Park than we saw in either Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Prejudice. We don’t have a main character we’re truly rooting for in love (or even at all) — Fanny is a drip and no male character we’ve met thus far is a truly good man. We’re given, instead, a collection of mostly unlikeable characters who are in the process of forming some intriguing relationships with each other. It seems like Austen wants to focus mostly on society and social mobility to a greater extent than she has so far, instead of exploring romantic love. Anyone have thoughts on this?

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention what I found most amusing about this section — the five mentions of a ha-ha wall. Several weeks ago, I was on the veranda at Mount Vernon with my mother, another Austen challenge participant, and we overheard someone ask a question about a ha-ha wall, and the tour guide answered it. As neither of us had ever heard of a ha-ha wall, and wondered how everyone else seemed to know what it was, we asked about it — it makes up a physical barrier but doesn’t ruin the view of the land. In Mount Vernon’s case, it kept sheep from wandering onto the lawn. Since things happen in threes, I’m waiting for a third mention of ha-ha wall to pop up somewhere.

Next week, we’ll read chapters 17-26.

Mansfield Park, Chapters 1-5

Mansfield Park starts off differently than Austen’s other novels; she gives us extensive back-story to better explain the coming events, and it's like we’re reading about the after-effects of an Austen novel, about the way life goes on after an advantageous marriage has been secured. About 30 years before the narrative, Maria Ward married the rich Sir Thomas Bertram of Mansfield Park, but her sisters weren’t so lucky. One married a friend of Bertram, Rev. Norris, and the other sister married Mr. Price, a man "without education, fortune, or connections." Mrs. Price fell out of touch from her sisters but one day writes a letter that she is having yet another child and needs help with her older children. Her sisters and their husbands decide to take in Fanny Price, age nine, and Fanny goes to live with the Bertrams.

At Mansfield Park Fanny lives with her cousins Tom, 17, Edmund, 16, Maria, 13, and Julia, 12. Fanny missed her family, especially her brother William, and her cousins aren’t very welcoming — except for Edmund, who becomes her sole friend. Five years after Fanny comes to live at Mansfield Park, Rev. Norris dies, and while his job as parish minister would normally have gone to Edmund, he isn’t old enough to take the job yet, and his brother Tom, heir to Mansfield Park, is too extravagant. The living goes to Dr. Grant. The Bertrams want Mrs. Norris to take in Fanny now that she has an empty house, but she declines.

A year after Mr. Norris’ death, Sir Thomas heads to Antigua to deal with his plantation there and takes Tom with him — Tom’s excessive debts are hurting the family, and his father goes himself to try and help the family’s investments. Also this plot point is interesting, as it's the first reference to colonialism that occurs in Austen’s novels. With their father gone, Edmund is head of the family and Maria gets herself engaged to Mr. Rushworth, who is rich but kind of an idiot.  Her father tells her that he consents, but wants her to wait until he returns from abroad.

Two new arrivals to Mansfield Park promise to shake up the social scene there. Mary and Henry Crawford, Mrs. Grant's half-sister and half-brother, come stay with the Grants. Mary is very pretty and Henry is agreeable and everyone likes him. Mary decides she wants to marry Tom, even though she isn’t really impressed with him — “she had felt an early presentiment that she should like the eldest best. She knew it was her way.” Mrs. Grant also decides to set Henry up with Julia Bertram, but Henry is more impressed by Maria, despite her engagement. This section ends with the Grants debating whether Fanny is “out” (debuted in society) and they determine that she is not.

I like Mansfield Park so far, especially for the colonialism aspect. Maybe this early reference is all we’ll get, but the two Austen novels we’ve read so far don’t really explore anything that’s happening outside the context of the novel. We don't find out a ton about what Fanny is really like yet, but I think that will change as the novel progresses. For next Monday, the reading is chapters 6-16.

Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 51-61 & Mansfield Park Kick-Off

The last ten chapters of Pride and Prejudice draw the Bennet family saga to a close. Lydia and Wickham come to visit and act like they did nothing wrong. Lydia is insufferable, but when she brags about her wedding, Elizabeth learns that Mr. Darcy was in attendance. Elizabeth writes to Mrs. Gardiner to find out what that was all about and her aunt tells her that Darcy was the one who found the runaway couple and who paid Wickham to marry Lydia. Bennet marriage count: 1. Darcy then arrives back at the Bennet estate in the company of Wickham, who pays the Bennets several visits before proposing to Jane. Bennet marriage count: 2.

Lady Catherine visits and asks Elizabeth if she is engaged to Darcy. Lady Catherine is appalled by the possibility and asks Elizabeth to promise not to marry Darcy, which Elizabeth refuses: "I am only resolved to act in that manner, which will, in my own opinion, constitute my happiness, without reference to you, or to any person so wholly unconnected with me." Rumors continue to fly about this potential marriage when Mr. Collins writes Mr. Bennet a letter indicating that an engagement is imminent. Mr. Bennet laughs it off — "[he] probably never looked at you in his life."

Shortly thereafter, Darcy appears and tells Elizabeth that his feelings are the same as they were when he first proposed and asks if her have changed. Elizabeth tells them they have, and that she will marry him. Elizabeth breaks the news to Jane, who can't believe it, and Darcy asks Mr. Bennet, who can't believe it. Everyone is thrilled, and the final chapter leaves things in a nice place: Bingley buys an estate near Darcy's, so the sisters are fairly close to each other and Kitty goes to spend time with her two sisters as the Bennets try to keep her away from Lydia, who remains a bad influence. Bennet marriage count: 3.

With this ending everyone is happy and has grown in some way: Darcy and Elizabeth have improved themselves significantly, learning lessons and growing as people. They're rewarded with a mutually fulfilling relationship. Jane and Bingley get what they have always deserved, and the Bennets are making strides towards correcting the defects of Kitty and Mary, the two unmarried sisters. Lady Catherine accepts Darcy's marriage as well.

But Lydia and Wickham don't learn anything from their behavior:

As for Wickham and Lydia, their characters suffered no revolution from the marriage of her sisters. He bore with philosophy the conviction that Elizabeth must now become acquainted with whatever of his ingratitude and falsehood had before been unknown to her; and in spite of every thing, was not wholly without hope that Darcy might yet be prevailed on to make his fortune.

Though their behavior doesn't change, and they ask Lydia's siblings for money regularly, Austen gives them their comeuppance: "His affection for her soon sunk into indifference; hers lasted a little longer; and in spite of her youth and her manners, she retained all the claims to reputation which her marriage had given her."

I said at the outset of reading this novel that what I "want to discover about Pride and Prejudice is whether it lives up to the hype. Is Austen's Elizabeth Bennet going to be just as dynamic as her on-screen portrayals? Is Mr. Darcy really the ultimate Austen hero?" I think it does. I told someone the other day that Pride and Prejudice improves on Sense and Sensibility in every way that novel needed improving: characters are more well-rounded, the main love relationship is explored more in depth, the writing is stronger, and we're given two main characters who truly work together.  I've requested the two film versions — the BBC mini-series and 2005 feature film — from the library, so I may share thoughts on those when I watch them. What did you all think of the book?

Meanwhile, tomorrow is May 1, so onward to Mansfield Park! I'm excited about this one as it's the first where I don't know the plot at all. Knowing absolutely nothing about the book should make this an interesting read. Here's the schedule of readings:

Monday, May 3 - Chapters 1-5

Monday, May 10 - Chapters 6-16

Monday, May 17 - Chapters 17-26

Monday, May 24 - Chapters 27-37

Monday, May 31 - Chapters 38-48

Pride and Prejudice, Chapters 40-50

This section begins with Elizabeth and Jane trying to decide whether to tell people what Wickham is really like; in deciding against it, they set up a rather interesting turn of events in the coming chapters. Colonel Forster's wife invites Lydia to Brighton for the summer with the soldiers and Mr. Bennet allows her to go, despite vehement protests from Elizabeth — he says Lydia will drive them crazy if not allowed to go and Elizabeth counters that Lydia will destroy the family’s already rocky reputation. She ultimately goes, and Elizabeth also leaves, going with the Gardiners to tour the Derbyshire countryside.

While there, the three decide to tour some notable homes, and end up at Darcy’s estate. Elizabeth makes sure he won’t be home when she visits, but he shows up and there’s an awkward meeting between the two. Darcy recovers himself and asks if he can introduce Elizabeth to Miss Darcy, who ends up being rather shy. The Bingleys are also there, and Mr. Bingley asks Elizabeth veiled questions about Jane, while Miss Bingley is rude to Elizabeth. The trip is cut short when Elizabeth receives letters from Jane alerting her that Lydia has run off with Wickham, and that they may not have married. Everyone panics — Elizabeth and Darcy kick themselves for not telling everyone the truth about Wickham and Elizabeth and the Gardiners head home.

Mr. Bennet heads to London to try to find Lydia while Mrs. Bennet is in a state of panic — she’s worried that her husband will die in a duel, and Mr. Collins will inherit their estate. Mr. Gardiner also heads to London to try and fix the situation, and Mr. Bennet returns home. Gardiner finds Lydia and Wickham and arranges the wedding, which requires the Bennets to contribute 100 pounds a year to the couple, which they agree to. The Bennets think that their uncle must have paid Wickham a heavy sum to marry Lydia. Lydia writes that she wants to visit before moving to the north of England, and we leave the Bennets anticipating a visit from their most foolish daughter.

It becomes clear in these chapters that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet make poor parents, and that the Gardiners have to step in and serve as surrogate parents to the Bennet girls, despite having children of their own. Mrs. Bennet is a fool — her main goal is to get her daughters married, but she undermines their own efforts with poor behavior (at the ball earlier in the book) and by supporting a poor marriage for Lydia. Mr. Bennet is more to blame — though he is the head of the household and able to think thoughtfully and seriously, he refuses to take responsibility for his children. He ignores Elizabeth’s advice about Lydia’s trip to Brighton, opting instead to let Lydia go so he wouldn’t have to hear her complaints. He thankfully realized what a bad match Mr. Collins would be for Elizabeth and didn’t push her about it like her mother did, but since that moment he has stepped back from responsibility. Yes, he goes to London to look for Lydia, but it isn’t until he leaves and Mr. Gardiner takes control that Lydia is found and the marriage is arranged. Austen has Darcy note what competent relatives the Gardiners are for Elizabeth when they meet at his estate.

These chapters are also notable for Elizabeth’s change of heart towards Darcy, and Austen does a better job exploring their relationship than she has with any pairing we’ve seen here or in Sense and Sensibility. It’s the small details that Austen includes — Darcy showing up repeatedly on Elizabeth’s walks, the pair meeting at Darcy’s estate and blushing when they see each other, Darcy standing up to Miss Bingley when she insults Elizabeth — that makes their relationship more compelling than the others that we’ve seen Austen write about so far.

While Jane and Bingley’s courtship took place in public and was subjected to rumors, Darcy and Elizabeth’s courtship is mostly private — they’re alone on walks, they’re alone when Elizabeth is at the Collins house, and Darcy shares his feelings in a private, heart-felt letter. The relationship is mostly exempt from gossip, if you exclude Miss Bingley's snide comments — the Gardiners are surprised by Elizabeth and Darcy’s closeness when they see them together his estate (though Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner subsequently refuse to bring it up), Jane knows some of what’s going on, but not all, and the other Bennets are in the dark. Without the interference of other people, Darcy and Elizabeth are allowed to figure things out for themselves.

We’ll finish Pride and Prejudice this Friday, and May’s novel is Mansfield Park, so you should pick up a copy of that this week if you'll be joining us in reading Austen's third novel.