The Jane Austen Project

Mr. Elton seemed very properly struck and delighted by the idea, and was repeating, “No, husbands and wives in the case at present indeed, as you observe. Exactly so. No husbands and wives,” 

“Emma is spoiled by being the cleverest of her family. At ten years old she had the misfortune of being able to answer questions which puzzled her sister at seventeen. She was always quick and assured: Isabella slow and diffident. And ever since she was twelve, Emma has been mistress of the house and of you all.” 

“This work is, by his royal highness’s permission most respectfully dedicated, by his Royal Highnesses dutiful and obedient servant, the author.” 

“You might not see one in a hundred, with gentleman so plainly written as Mr. Knightly” 

“[Emma] was not struck by anything remarkably clever in Miss Smith’s conversation, but she found her altogether very engaging.”

“[Ms. Bates] enjoyed a most uncommon degree of popularity for a woman neither young, handsome, rich, nor married...She had never boasted either beauty or cleverness. Her youth had passed without distinction and her middle of life was devoted to the care of a failing mother and the endeavour to make a small income go as far as possible.” 

Emma, Jane Austen

Emma, Jane Austen

My memory of Mansfield Park was not very good, and even though I much prefer Henry Crawford to Edmund I must admit that like Elizabeth’s feelings changed towards Mr. Darcy, my feelings towards Mansfield Park are now quite the opposite. I think it’s Austen at her most biting and cutting. It’s a book with the most social commentary, it’s the rawest of her novels and I don’t think that Fanny deserves the ridicule she so often gets. Fanny is a woman who despite no social power knows her own mind and sticks to it resolutely. Even though she is shy and demure she always does what she knows to be right which is true strength. 

Henry Crawford to Fanny Price probably.