Originally Posted by
Ecurb
Is Fanny humble, generous, and self-aware? As is often the case with Austen, she leads the reader to think that Fanny is an objective, self-aware observer, a generous sister and cousin, and a humble, self-effacing girl. However, Fanny is not generous to Mary Crawford, when she rats her out to her ex-lover Edmund by tut-tutting about the joke about "one less poor man" in Mary's letter to Fanny. She is not humble when she agrees with Edmund that Mary's joke about "rears and vices" is untoward. I don't want to criticize Fanny TOO much. I just want to point out that Fanny, like the rest of us, sometimes lacks self-awareness, generosity of spirit, and true humility. Austen likes using her readers' lack of awareness, humility and generosity to lead them down paths that, while surrounded by bright-colored roses, hide some thorns.
I loved Mansfield Park, read recently, as much as Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice. Fanny is sublime.
Mary Crawfords's "two poor young men less in the world" may be a joke but, with Tom Bertram dying in Fanny's home, its timing is appalling and speaks for her character. I am unable to locate Fanny's reaction to Mary's "rears and vices" joke.
"Among admirals, large enough; but," with an air of grandeur, "we know very little of the inferior ranks. Post-captains may be very good sort of men, but they do not belong to us. Of various admirals I could tell you a great deal: of them and their flags, and the gradation of their pay, and their bickerings and jealousies. But, in general, I can assure you that they are all passed over, and all very ill used. Certainly, my home at my uncle's brought me acquainted with a circle of admirals. Of Rears and Vices I saw enough. Now do not be suspecting me of a pun, I entreat."