What if Lady Bertram wasn't just indolent and lazy?

What if she suffered from chronic fatigue syndrome? In this scene in Mansfield Park, Lady Bertram bas nodded off to sleep between 10-11, when Edmund and Julia walk into the drawing-room. Edward looks around for Fanny, who was on the sofa nursing a headache:

"While Fanny cut the roses," Brock. Image @Molland's. In the alcove sits Lady Bertram
with pug on her lap.

"Go out! to be sure she did," said Mrs. Norris: "would you have her stay within such a fine day as this? Were not we all out? Even your mother was out to-day for above an hour."

"Yes, indeed, Edmund," added her Ladyship, who had been thoroughly awakened by Mrs. Norris's sharp reprimand to Fanny; "1 was out above an hour. I sat three quarters of an hour in the flower garden, while Fanny cut the roses, and very pleasant it was, I assure you, but very hot. It was shady enough in the alcove, but I declare I quite dreaded the coming home again."

"Fanny has been cutting roses, has she?"

"Yes, and I am afraid they will be the last this year. Poor thing! She found it hot enough; but they were so full blown that one could not wait." - Mansfield Park, Jane Austen, 

The morning after Fanny's ball for Fanny, when her brother William must leave, Jane Austen  describes Fanny's state of mind and her conversation with her aunt:

It was a heavy, melancholy day. Soon after the second breakfast, Edmund bade them good-by for a week, and mounted his horse for Peterborough, and then all were gone. Nothing remained of last night but remembrances, which she had nobody to share in. She talked to her aunt Bertram— she must talk to somebody of the ball; but her aunt had seen so little of what had passed, and had so little curiosity, that it was heavy work. Lady Bertram was not certain of any body's dress or any body's place at supper, but her own. "She could not recollect what it was that she had heard about one of the Miss Maddoxes, or what it was that Lady Prescott had noticed in Fanny: she was not sure whether Colonel Harrison had been talking of Mr. Crawford or of William, when he said he was the finest young man in the room; somebody had whispered something to her,— she had forgot to ask Sir Thomas what it could be." And these were her longest speeches and clearest communications: the rest was only a languid "Yes — yes — very well — did you? did he ? — I did not see that — I should not know one from the other." This was very bad.

A little later, Lady Bertram says:

The evening was heavy like the day:— "I cannot think what is the matter with me," said Lady Bertram, when the tea-things were removed. "I feel quite stupid. It must be sitting up so late last night. Fanny, you must do something to keep me awake. I cannot work. Fetch the cards, — I feel so very stupid."

One can only conclude that Lady Bertram suffers from indolence, boredom, stupidity, or chronic fatigue, or a combination of all four. What do you think?

Celebrity Look-Alikes Include Jane Austen Character Actresses

This post, Celebrity Look-Alikes, includes Frances O'Connor, who played Fanny Price, and Keira Knightley, who played Elizabeth Bennet. Some of the other comparisons are a bit closer. Nevertheless, the resemblances are uncanny.

Frances O'Connor and Mary Louise Parker

Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman, who is slated to play Elizabeth Bennet in the film version of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Jane Austen and Dangerous Liaisons

or "Miss Austen in very bad company!"

When I read the 24th chapter of Mansfield Park in which Henry Crawford explains to his sister Mary his reasons for conquering Fanny Price, I wondered: could Jane Austen have read Choderlos de Laclos's writings? They were contemporaries and The Dangerous Liaisons (Les Liaisons Dangereuses) was published in 1782. Well, perhaps she did not, but my dear cad, Henry Crawford, certainly could read ...

Alessandro Nivola as Henry Crawford

Let us see how and when Henry begins to have "ideas" about poor Fanny. He tells Mary about his plans.

[...] my plan is to make Fanny Price in love with me.

She protests but he explains his desire.

But I cannot be satisfied without Fanny Price, without making a small hole in Fanny Price’s heart.

To him, Fanny Price is a challenge

Her looks say, ‘I will not like you, I am determined not to like you’; and I say she shall.

He assures his sister that he will not hurt Fanny... perhaps a bit... nothing more!

[...] only want her to look kindly on me, to give me smiles as well as blushes, to keep a chair for me by herself wherever we are, and be all animation when I take it and talk to her; to think as I think, be interested in all my possessions and pleasures, try to keep me longer at Mansfield, and feel when I go away that she shall be never happy again. I want nothing more.

You must read all the dialogues to better appreciate this chat between the Crawford siblings, but I believe that the parts cited are enough to get an idea of Henry's intentions, and why their exchange reminded me of Dangerous Liaisons, specifically of Letter 6, where the Viscount of Valmont explains to the Marquise de Merteuil how pleased he is at the thought of conquering Madame de Tourvel.

What a delightful thought: to be the cause and the cure of her remorse! Far be it from me to try to break down the prejudices which worry her! They'll merely help to increase my happiness and my reputation. I want her to have these high principles — and to sacrifice them for my sake! I want her to be horrified by her sins yet unable to resist sinning; to suffer endless terrors wich she can overcome and forget only in my arms; then I'll agree to let her say: "I adore you". She will be the only woman in the world really worthy of uttering those words. I shall truly be the God whom she loves best. (Les liaisons dangereuses, Oxford Press, page 20, translator Douglas Parmée)

And as a scoundrel always remember another, I remember Chad, from Neil LaBute's movie, In Company of Men. The three men had different fate, but the motive of the conquest seems the same: only vanity.

Alessandro Nivola and Frances O’Connor as Henry Crawford and Fanny Price.

Books

Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Chordelos de Laclos, 2008 · OUP

Movies

Mansfield Park, 1999, Patricia Rozema · IMDb
Dangerous Liaisons, 1988 (John Malkovich) · IMDb
Valmont, 1989 (Colin Firth) · IMDb
In the Company of Men, 1997 (Aaron Eckhart) · IMDb

Posted by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Portugues

Fanny Price a Tart?

Well, I don’t think so … not in the wildest stretch of the imagination could Jane Austen’s most prim and proprietous heroine be considered a woman of loose morals, yet Billie Piper the actress who portrayed Fanny in the 2007 adaptation of Mansfield Park is being tagged a tart by her elderly country neighbors in Midhurst, West Sussex where she lives with her husband, actor Laurence Fox (Mr. Wisley in Becoming Jane) and their young son Winston.

Mail Online is reporting that in an interview for the February issue of Marie Claire magazine, the 27-year old actress revealed that "A few of the older locals actually believe I'm a whore," because of her role in ITV’s and Showtime’s Secret Diary of a Call Girl based on the exploits of a real-life call girl Belle de Jour.

"They love Laurence because he's in Lewis (Inspector Lewis in the US), and his fan club are basically in their mid-sixties and upwards. (Ouch – that made his fans who are not senior citizens feel rather ancient). They love him. It's sickening. They follow him around, they want to mother him. I mean, there are places he can't go - like Mecca Bingo or the bowling green - but he loves it. Then they look at me and are like, "That slag! How could you dirty yourself with her? She's corrupted you.""

I guess Billie needs to send her neighbors the DVD of Mansfield Park to redeem her reputation. Fanny Price has been accused of being a prig, but never a tart!

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Jane Austen Character Throwdown

My, oh, my. Last week's voters were decidedly for Darcy's sweet young sister, Georgianna, even though Ms. Harriet Smith was equally deserving of the title. Let's face it: You've been waiting for Miss Jane Bennet to appear. I have been wracking my brains all week to come up with a character who is worthy of standing up against Jane's popularity. It is my fervent hope that sweet, agreeable Miss Fanny Price will give Jane a run for the money. Let's see, shall we? Again, please vote for the character most deserving of the title, not your favorite one.

Sweetest Lady #3

Miss Jane Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

Was ever a more compliant and loving character devised by an author than Lizzy Bennet's older sister? I'd like to confess that I find Jane's sweetness almost treacly. Her saving graces are her intelligence and steadfast loyalty. No one seems jealous of her beauty precisely because she is so agreeable. How could she possibly have stomached Miss Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst for as long as she did? She also shows her mother great forbearance during a time of emotional distress. One imagines that Jane's marriage to Mr. Bingley will proceed placidly without a single kerfuffle to mar their relationship, even with his sisters as in-laws. For Jane to have found her male counterpart in sweetness was a lucky and fortuitous stroke of Miss Austen's pen.

Miss Fanny Price, Mansfield Park

Shall I have to make a case for Fanny as the sweetest character or are there enough of us rooting for her to make this a close contest? She had a tougher row to hoe than Jane, living among a group of people who considered her more a lackey than a cherished relative. Except for Edmund, no one truly cared for her emotional well being. Fanny manages to retain her sweet disposition despite Mrs. Norris's spiteful bullying and Lady Bertram's dependence on her for every little thing. She remains loving towards Sir Thomas Bertram, even when he sends her packing to Portsmouth to mull over her decision to resist Henry Crawford's proposal, and manages to keep her misgivings about Mary Crawford under such tight control that neither Edmund nor Mary ever suspect her of anything but devoted friendship. Fanny has been tested time and again. That she remains sweet, forgiving, and generous-hearted despite her emotionally deprived background seems miraculous to me.

pollcode.com free polls

Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Sweetest Lady #3

Miss Jane Bennet Miss Fanny Price

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Jane Austen Character Throwdown, #2: Longest-Suffering Heroine

Our first Jane Austen Character Throwdown was full of surprises. At first the voters rallied behind Miss Fanny Price who shot ahead of Miss Anne Elliot as the longest-suffering heroine. I thought to myself - 'This is going to be a blood bath'. Then Anne pulled ahead of Fanny, and Fanny pulled ahead of Anne.

Two days after the throwdown began, Miss Anne pulled permanently ahead of Miss Fanny and trounced her resoundingly, gaining over 60% of the vote. A Jane Austen fan and I had a conversation about the contest on Friday. She voted for Miss Anne and gave me sound reasons why she did. I must admit I voted for Miss Fanny.

Ah, well. The throwdown for longest-suffering heroine is not over. Miss Fanny might be down for the count, but we now offer for your consideration the latest contender against Miss Anne Elliot.

Longest-Suffering Heroine

Miss Elinor Dashwood
With an overly emotional sister and an impractical mother, who can deny Elinor’s long-suffering status? Granted she grew up in a loving family, but her earlier happy life is in stark contrast to her present circumstances in which she holds her grief and emotions in check over the loss of her father and former comfortable life. Devious Lucy Steele forces Elinor to remain quiet about her secret engagement to Edward, the man Elinor loves. And even while Elinor’s heart is breaking, she must support her grieving sister and bear Mrs. Jennings' unintentional cruel guesses about Mr. F. She is a stoic, practical, loving, and loyal woman, who keeps her emotions in check.

Miss Anne Elliot
Advised to reject the proposal of the man she loves, she’s lost her bloom and regretted her decision for years. Unloved by her father and older sister, used frequently as a babysitter by her younger sister, Mary, Anne is forced to watch Captain Wentworth flirt with the Musgrove sisters. Her closest confidante, her dead mother's best friend, remains nonsupportive of Anne's enduring love for the dashing captain. She's a sweet, kind, sympathetic, and level-headed woman, whose loyalty and steadfastness are unquestioned.

pollcode.com free polls

Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Longest Suffering Heroine

Miss Elinor Dashwood Miss Anne Elliot

Posted by Vic, Jane Austens world

Jane Austen Character Throwdown

What’s a throwdown? On the Food Network, chef Bobby Flay challenges other chefs by trying to outcook their signature dishes. The food is judged by a guest chef who has no idea who cooked the meal, and the results are seldom boring, sometimes surprising, and always interesting.

Here is how the Jane Austen throwdown will work. I will nominate characters from her stories, and you get to choose which one suits the category best. Jane’s novels should be the impetus for your votes, but if you have only seen the film adaptations, then that’s ok too. The throwdown will always pit two characters against each other until they’re eliminated. Bear with us, and you will see what we mean!!

Keep in mind that you are not choosing your favorite character. You are choosing the individual who fits the category best. The poll sits at the bottom of the post

The Longest-Suffering Heroine

Miss Fanny Price
Taken from the bosom of her family at ten, she’s had to endure years of Mrs. Norris’s vicious put downs and second class status among the Bertrams. To add insult to injury, she’s forced to play confidante to Mary Crawford and Edmund Bertram, the man she’s loved since childhood, and watch Edmund's affection for Mary blossom. Of high moral character and fortitude, she is frequently at odds with family members, even though her position and financial situation are precarious. Always helpful, ever patient, and grateful for small favors, she possesses a clear, moral vision.

Miss Anne Elliot
Advised to reject the proposal of the man she loves, she’s lost her bloom and regretted her decision for years. Unloved by her father and older sister, used frequently as a babysitter by her younger sister, Mary, Anne is forced to watch Captain Wentworth flirt with the Musgrove sisters. Her closest confidante, her dead mother's best friend, remains nonsupportive of Anne's enduring love for the dashing captain. She's a sweet, kind, sympathetic, and level-headed woman, whose loyalty and steadfastness are unquestioned.

Voting has ended.

pollcode.com free polls
Jane Austen Character Throwdown: Longest Suffering Heroine
Fanny Price Anne Elliot

Posted by Vic of Jane Austen's World

Seen on the Blogosphere: Billie Piper as Fanny Price

To prepare Jane Austen Masterpiece Classic fans for the critiques and reviews that will shortly arrive after Mansfield Park has aired tomorrow night on PBS, Ive collected a few quotes about Billie Piper as Fanny Price, including a few pithy comments from Billie herself.


Billie on Playing Fanny Price:

One of the things she says she has learnt playing Fanny Price, the redoubtable heroine of Austen's Mansfield Park, is that life in the early 19th-century wouldn't have suited her one bit. "You realise the pace of life was so slow - everything takes so much longer. Our natural pace these days is so quick. If you wanted to travel anywhere it would take you two days. If you wanted to write to people, the same. Everyone would walk slower, just simple things like that."

Billie says that as a result, she finds period dramas can often be a little plodding. "I've always had an issue with period dramas. I love the language but sometimes it's just a bit too slow or stuffy and sometimes, frankly, it's a bit boring. That's my experience." This adaptation of Mansfield Park, she says, will offer just a little more pizzazz. Clicking her fingers to give an idea of what she means, she says, "This one moves like that and it feels very real. It's a real family with real dynamics." One of the things that Billie has learnt is that life wasn't just slower: it was harder too.

"It would have been a nightmare to have been a young woman then. They must have had stomach ulcers from having their internal organs squished up inside them, and women didn't really get to say anything - they just had to get on with it and shut the f**k up." As, indeed, did Billie, when it came to wearing period dress. "I had 12-hour days in this thing," she says. "Sometimes they'd loosen you off for lunch, but basically you were tied in to it at the beginning of the day and then you'd have to negotiate everything - when you pee'd, what you consumed. I started drinking isotonic drinks - they rehydrate you but you don't have to go to the loo." And, though it pains us to ask, what happens when you do? "I've got a technique. I straddle the loo, I sit facing the wall and let my dresses fall behind me." - Radio Times


More Billie on Fanny

Billie Piper was all nerves filming a new costume drama for ITV1 in case her boobs fell out of her corset. Curvy Billie, 24, Fanny Price in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, said: “When you bend over you worry they’ll pop out.” She has now vowed to take a break from corsets for the time being.- The Sun


Ginnia Belafante on Billie as Fanny Price:

Fanny Price of “Mansfield Park” is an innocent of a less giddy and more melancholy kind, and the actress Billie Piper plays her looking wrecked. Her hair is a mess, blond and unkempt, and her eyebrows entirely a different color, which seems to suggest that even in the English countryside of the very early 19th century, a good dye job wasn’t an easy get. - Ginnia Belafante, The New York Times


A Blogger on Billie as Fanny Price:

Immediately, she jarred my eye. She looked all wrong. She looked too present day. I sat pondering for a minute or two as to why that was; she was of course in full costume along with everyone else, so why did she look so out of place? I quickly realised I was entirely distracted from the storyline, and indeed the entire programme, by her appearance. It took me some moments to realise that it was her eyebrows that were causing my dismay; they were as incongruous as two monstrous futuristic cyber-caterpillars in the early 19th century setting. They were a completely different colour to her hair. That, of course, was because her hair was very obviously bleached, in a very 21st century manner. This train of thought then prodded me to notice that she actually had dark roots creeping ominously through. - Tales from the Canal Side
Historical Romance UK on Billie as Fanny Price:

Billie Piper's acting and casting have come in for a variety of opinions, with some people thinking she was excellent and some thinking she was miscast, but overall, here on the blog, we liked her. "I think it is one of JA's better books and enjoyed the tv adaptation," says Wendy. "It's very easy to criticise the costumes and such but shouldn't we stop worrying about details and simply enjoy being entertained? When all's said and done, isn't that what every tv programme and books strives to do? Having said all that, I did think that anyone unfamiliar with the book would wonder what Mrs Norris was all about. The adverse effect she had on Fanny's upbringing wasn't apparent from tv. I hated Fanny's hair and agree that she ran around too much - she was supposed to be the ultimate poor relation, after all - but I still sat spellbound for two hours" - Historical Romance UK

• Click here for a recent Boston.com review by Matthew Gilbert

Posted by Ms. Place
Technorati Tags: Mansfield Park 2007, Billie Piper, Masterpiece Classic, Jane Austen

Spotlight on Billie Piper

Although Billie Piper is not a household name in America, we Yanks might be interested to know that she's a popular, well-known celebrity in England - a singer turned actress turned author. At fifteen, she became the youngest singer with a number one hit record. She's appeared in popular British television series, and was given the choice to play one of Jane Austen's three heroines. Billie chose Fanny Price. Are Billie and Fanny a good fit? You'll soon find out this Sunday night.


Something Deep Inside, Billie Piper

• Interview with Billie Piper

• Billie Piper Biography

• Billie Piper Book, Growing Pains

• J.J.Feild and Billie Piper in Ruby in the Smoke