S03E04 Mansfield Park: Episode 4, Chapters 12-16

In this episode, we read Chapters 12 to 16 of Mansfield Park. We talk about why Fanny refuses to act, why Edmund agrees to join in, the sheer amount of comedy in the scenes of the theatricals, and the Cinderella aspect of the plot.

We talk about Tom Bertram, and then Ellen looks at theatre in the Regency period, and why Fanny and Edmund disapprove of the the theatricals. Harriet talks about the popular culture versions, including some modernisations and a variation that she hasn’t looked at before.

Things we mention: 

General and character discussion:

• John Wiltshire [Editor], The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen: Mansfield Park (2005)
• Lionel Trilling, “Mansfield Park“, Partisan Review 21 (September-October 1954): 492-511. Also published in Encounter, September 1954: 9-19.
• Sheila Kaye-Smith and G.B. Stern, Talking of Jane Austen (1943) 

Historical discussion:

• Chuck Hudson, ‘Theatre in Georgian England’ (2015)
• Elizabeth Inchbald, Lovers’s Vows [full text on Project Gutenberg] (1798)
• Deirdre Le Faye [Editor], Jane Austen’s Letters (1995)
• Lionel Trilling, “Mansfield Park“, Partisan Review 21 (September-October 1954): 492-511. Also published in Encounter, September 1954: 9-19.
• Claudia L. Johnson and Clara Tuite, 30 Great Myths about Jane Austen (2020)

Popular culture discussion:

• Adaptations:
  • BBC, Mansfield Park (1983) – starring Sylvestra Le Touzel and Nicholas Farrell (6 episodes)
  • Miramax, Mansfield Park (1999) – starring Frances O’Connor and Jonny Lee Miller
  • ITV, Mansfield Park (2007) – starring Billie Piper and Blake Ritson
• Modernisations:
  • Westerly Films, Allagash Films, Metropolitan (1990) – starring Carolyn Farina and Edward Clements
  • YouTube, Foot in the Door Theatre, From Mansfield With Love (2014-2015)
  • D.E. Stevenson, Celia’s House (1943)
  • John Mullan, Live at the Hay Festival (2014) [YouTube] – referred to in the discussion of Celia’s House
• Variations:
  • Lona Manning, A Contrary Wind(2017), A Marriage of Attachment (2018) and A Different Kind of Woman (2020)

 For a list of music used, see this episode on our website.