Courtship in Mansfield Park
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- 1. Why did Maria get engaged to Mr Rushworth? Once Henry Crawford enters the picture, how does his presence destabilise the engagement and why did Maria choose not to jilt Mr Rushworth?
2. How does the proposed performance of Lovers’ Vows in Mansfield Park stimulate certain courtships within the novel? Which courtships are weakened or disrupted by the theatricals, and what long-term consequences follow from this episode?
3. Which aspects of Edmund Bertram’s conduct in courtship does he later come to regret? What accounts for his delayed recognition of Mary Crawford’s character, and to what extent is his behaviour towards her at their final separation open to criticism?
4. Why do Julia and Maria Bertram come to believe—mistakenly—that they are being courted by Henry Crawford? Which aspects of their encouragement might be seen as breaches of propriety?
5. How does Henry Crawford’s attitude toward Fanny Price evolve from a project of playful seduction into a seemingly serious pursuit of marriage? What initial strategies does he employ in his attempt to win her affection and why does he fail to anticipate her refusal? Finally, how and why does he modify his conduct following her rejection?
6. What strategies does Mary Crawford employ to shape her courtship with Edmund Bertram? In addition, what motivates her efforts to persuade Fanny Price to accept her brother Henry’s proposal, and by what means does she pursue this aim?