Mansfield Park · Chapter
XLV explained
Fanny, still in Portsmouth, longs for Mansfield Park as Tom Bertram's illness continues.
What happens
Fanny, still in Portsmouth, longs for Mansfield Park as Tom Bertram's illness continues. She receives a letter from Mary Crawford inquiring about Tom's health and hinting at Edmund's potential inheritance. Fanny reflects on the corrupting influence of London on attachments, and Edmund writes to her with the truth about Tom's precarious condition, including fears for his lungs. Fanny yearns to be useful at Mansfield and feels the delay in her return as a painful penance.
Themes in this chapter
Home and Belonging
Fanny's intense yearning for Mansfield as her true home contrasts with her physical presence in Portsmouth, highlighting her sense of displacement and belonging.
Appearance vs. Reality
Mary Crawford's letter presents a facade of concern for Tom while revealing her true interest in Edmund's potential inheritance, and Lady Bertram's easy optimism masks the gravity of Tom's illness.
Duty and Self-Restraint
Fanny struggles to conceal her preference for Mansfield from her parents out of delicacy, and she feels a strong sense of duty to be useful at Mansfield during Tom's illness.
Characters to notice
- Fanny Price
Fanny is in Portsmouth, longing for Mansfield and feeling useless. She receives a letter from Mary Crawford and corresponds with Edmund about Tom's illness.
- Mary Crawford
Mary writes a letter to Fanny inquiring about Tom Bertram's health and expressing hope that Edmund might become Sir Edmund, revealing her selfish and calculating nature.
- Edmund Bertram
Edmund writes to Fanny with the true account of Tom's illness, including fears for his lungs. He is Tom's primary companion and caregiver.
- Tom Bertram
Tom is dangerously ill, having survived the fever but now showing alarming hectic symptoms. His recovery is slow and uncertain.
- Lady Bertram
Lady Bertram is easily reassured about Tom's condition, content with superficial reports and not inclined to worry deeply.
- Sir Thomas Bertram
Sir Thomas is deeply concerned about Tom's health and relies on Edmund for support, finding it difficult to adapt his manner to the sickroom.
Key passages
“With what intense desire she wants her home”
Fanny feels a desperate, almost physical longing to return to Mansfield.
Fanny repeatedly quotes this line from Cowper's 'Tirocinium' to express her homesickness.
“It was evident that she would rather remain where she was.”
Julia Bertram clearly prefers staying in London over returning to Mansfield during Tom's illness.
Fanny observes that Julia's reluctance to come home shows the corrupting influence of London on family attachments.
“I put it to your conscience, whether ‘Sir Edmund’ would not do more good with all the Bertram property than any other possible ‘Sir.’”
Mary Crawford suggests that Edmund becoming Sir Edmund and inheriting the Bertram estate would be a better outcome than Tom recovering.
Mary's letter reveals her self-interest and lack of genuine concern for Tom's life.