Mansfield Park

Contrast the characters of Mary Crawford and Fanny Price. How are their differing traits and values illustrated in the game of Speculation and beyond?

Analyze the role of Mansfield Park as a setting. What does it symbolize in terms of stability, tradition, and change? How does it compare to London? Is there value to both? Give examples to support your claims.

Discuss Austen’s use of symbolism in the group visit to Sotherton. How do the day’s events relate to the author’s exploration of Virtue and Vice?

Explore the significance of amateur theatrics within the novel. Discuss the impact of the theatrics at Mansfield Park and explain why Fanny is so vehemently opposed to them.

Discuss the concept of “improvements” as presented in Mansfield Park. Analyze how characters like Henry Crawford and Edmund Bertram view the idea of improvements. How are these notions intertwined with the broader theme of Stability Versus Change?

Austen suggests that for Mansfield Park to thrive, change must occur from within the household. How does the author indicate that the Bertram family has undergone an inner decline? How far are these issues redressed over the course of the narrative? What potential factors for future success are indicated in the text?

In Mansfield Park, the author explores what constitutes a good marriage. Discuss the tension between love and economic considerations in Austen’s presentation of marriage. How do the fates of the various female characters illustrate differing attitudes and approaches to the commitment?

Examine the character development of Edmund Bertram throughout the novel. How does his moral journey parallel the novel’s themes?