Mansfield Park

Book excerpt: The story of poor relation Fanny Price's loyal love for the son of the family is presented here with a new introduction by Marilyn Butler. - ;Mansfield Park is a study of three families - the Bertrams, the Crawfords, and the Prices - with the isolated figure of the heroine, Fanny Price, at its centre. Fanny's quiet passivity, her steadfast loyalty and love for the son of the family who regard her as the poor relation, are among the qualities whose true worth is not appreciated until they are tried against the brilliant and witty Mary and Henry Crawford, the unfortunate consequences of whose influence are felt by everyone. Jane Austen uses Fanny's emotional involvement with the people around her to explore the social and moral values by which she and they try to order their lives. First published in 1814, the text of this edition is taken from R. W. Chapman's Oxford edition. -