#maria bertram

[besotted-with-austen]

Jane Austen: meet Maria Bertram, Mr Rushworth’s crush

Jane Austen: and meet Henry Crawford, Mr Rushworth’s crush’s crush

Jane Austen: also meet Fanny Price, Mr Rushworth’s crush’s crush’s crush

Jane Austen: also also meet Edmund Bertram, Mr Rushworth’s crush’s crush’s crush’s crush

Jane Austen: also also also meet Mary Crawford, Mr Rushworth’s crush’s crush’s crush’s crush’s crush

[lynburnlegagy123]

How different Jane Austen couples would react to the Emma/Knightley situation

I.e. getting to marry but only if the husband moves into his wife's house and lives with her family.

Elinor/Edward and Marianne/Brandon: I think space would be an issue, especially if it's both couples in the cottage at the same time, but personality wise this would probably be fine. 

Elizabeth/Darcy: definitely worse. Space is an issue again but now the personalities are the far greater one. You can definitely be settled too near your family. If the Wickhams also live there I'm not sure Longbourn will remain standing.

Fanny/Edmund: Lady Bertram's ideal scenario. They both lived here with everyone (plus Maria and minus Susan) for years before they married. They'll be fine. Now, Edmund having to move to the Prices' house, or the Rushworths living at Mansfield Park… I don't know how that would go.

Emma/George: yeah they're good.

Catherine/Henry: I can kinda see them doing this. Like, Henry lives half the year at his parsonage and half the year at Northanger Abbey, if the relationship with General Tilney remained strained I could see them spending equivalent time with the Morlands. In the situation everyone's getting of full time habitation, I think it would be kinda lovely honestly. Not an issue at all. Impractical with the living though.

Anne/Frederick: Hell. No one would enjoy this. The main perk of the eight year separation is that they weren't dealing with this instead.

[nerdylibertarian928]

On a scale of Charlotte Lucas to Maria Bertram, how well did marrying for financial security go for you

[janeaustengeeks]

[bethanydelleman]

The contrast between the readers reactions to Isabella Thorpe in Northanger Abbey and Maria Bertram Mansfield Park are interesting. They do similar things, but one of them, Maria, receives a lot more pity from the fandom, perhaps because she faces much worse consequences than Isabella. However, their actions are quite similar: both women are engaged and yet happily flirt with another man in front of their betrothed and both are attempting to "trade up" in men, Isabella for more wealth, Maria for a man she actually likes (she would lose out financially).

The biggest difference is their motives. While Isabella doesn't have a "heart to lose" when it comes to either James Morland or Captain Tilney, Maria does in fact love Henry Crawford. Also, readers are meant to pity and like James Morland but Rushworth is shown as stupid and annoying.

I think a big factor though is that Maria's emotional affair falls into a recognizable RomCom trope, where a dissatisfied rich girl leaves her disappointing but safe fiancé for The One. It is disappointingly common in this trope for the woman to not break off her first relationship until she's deep into an emotion, and even physical affair, but it's fine, because the original guy is a loser, right? Isabella, on the other hand, is just a greedy social climber, so her actions are completely unjustified. It doesn't seem to matter that they are both causing a lot of harm by trying to keep both guys on a string.

Henry Crawford and Frederick Tilney basically play the same role, neither of them had any real intentions and likely only flirted for fun. Henry knew that Maria didn't love Mr. Rushworth (he implies as much to Mary), but he considers her a "safe" flirtation because she is engaged. We can assume that Tilney thought the same, as he drops Isabella as soon as she breaks her engagement with James.

I see people excuse the women's behaviour because life was so tough for Regency women and they couldn't afford to lose their safe bet, but it's just wrong. They ought to have broken off their engagement first before trying to find a new fiancé. Rushworth being an idiot doesn't forgive Maria for hurting him.

[mysunfreckle]

Mansfield Park, February 6th 1809

My dear Maria,

I am very glad you find London so agreeable, and the house so exactly to your tastes. Wimpole Street is a fine situation to be sure, but I was never fond of London, there is always such a great deal of noise about one in a town. You will be surprised, however, at how little quiet we have had at Mansfield. Indeed, a great many things have happened since you came away.

William Price has spent another ten days with us, to celebrate his promotion with dear Fanny. He is a very deserving young man, and I daresay will make a very good lieutenant. I hope that he may go to the East Indies now, that he may get me a shawl. He took leave of us yesterday, and  took Fanny back with him to Portsmouth this morning, which I cannot like at all, but Sir Thomas considered it very proper and intends for her visit there to be two months complete. I do not like to miss her at such a time as this, now only Edmund remains with us; but as your dear father says, I must fortify my mind against the loss, for it is not likely Fanny will much longer have Mansfield for her home. This will surprise you, I know, but I shall tell why; Mr Crawford has made her an offer, is not that extraordinary? I was never so pleasantly surprised in my life; but I shall tell you how it came about.

We had the ball in December, as I wrote you word, to give pleasure to William and Fanny. They were both in very good looks, and I was very glad of it, for I declare that all the neighbourhood was collected within our walls. Fanny was in the fine white gown Sir Thomas gave her for your wedding; I sent Chapman to her to help her dress after she had done arranging my hair and she did appear to uncommon advantage. Mr Crawford opened the ball with her and I am sure I am sure the mischief was done that evening. I am so very pleased, I cannot think of anything more agreeable that has happened here since your own marriage, my dear Maria. What a very fine thing for our Fanny, I do believe she was quite overcome by the prospect of such a match. She was not brought up to it, so I do not wonder at her being taken unawares by the application; but she has really grown into a pretty girl and once she has adjusted her ideas is sure to accept him.

I do think she must be married from Mansfield, and when she is, I hope you and Julia can be with us again. It is a great comfort to know that you can be together at such a time as this, but you are very much missed, I am sure, and when Fanny leaves me I shall want you all about me.

Give my fondest love to Julia and to your husband. You shall be busy preparing for your party, I know, but I hope you shall write to me soon.

Your affectionate mother,

M. Bertram

For @janeuary-month day 24: letters~

[janefrigginausten]

Wretchedly did he feel, that with all the cost and care of an anxious and expensive education, he had brought up his daughters without their understanding their first duties, or his being acquainted with their character and temper.

—Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

[whenthegoldrays]

For the playlist ask game: Maria and henry 💖 (also your header is adorable! Rapunzel and Flynn!!!)

oughh pain! I am tempted to just say "the 1989 vault" but I do have a few others that I think tell the story a bit better.

"Boys Like You" by dodie

"Suburban Legends" by Taylor Swift

"Want You Back" by Maisie Peters

"Already Over" by Sabrina Carpenter

"I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift

playlist ask game