Mary and Henry Crawfordâs Flawed Moral Codes
I believe that in general, people who do bad things justify it to themselves and find a way to feel like what they are doing is normal. People donât want to be evil, they want to convince themselves that their actions are justified. An Austen villain like Wickhamâs moral code is probably pretty simple, something like, âI deserve it so I should have it.â But with the Crawfords itâs far more complex, which is part of the reason why they are such interesting characters and why I get so angry when people think Henry is just a cheating cheater who cheats (his flaw is vanity not lust!).
As a preface, I am not excusing Henry or Maryâs behaviour, I am trying to understand the psychology of their characters.
For background, Henry and Mary are orphans who have been raised in a fairly broken home. Admiral Crawford and his wife hate each other and it seems fair to suppose by Admiral Crawfordâs actions after his wifeâs death, that he probably had a mistress/affairs and wasnât even kind enough to be discreet. Mrs. Crawford, according to Mary, was miserable. The Crawfordâs upbringing and the fact that they have mostly lived in London, are important to their characters according to the narrator.
Both siblings donât seem to really think that love exists, which is the basis for their behaviour.Â
Keep reading
