Henry Crawford is My High School Crush.

Ah, Henry Crawford. We all know him. We all hate him. Yet secretly we all wish to be Mrs. Henry Crawford. Now now, don't deny it. We all have a bad boy fantasy. God knows I did, before that bad boy literally pulled a Henry Crawford and ran off with a Maria of my world. But since Maryam clearly told us not to rant about our boyfriends, current or ex, I'll leave that story for some other time.

So the bad boy phenomena, what's all it about. What's so attractive about Henry Crawford that neither of the two sisters could resist his charm? How were they so blind to him two timing them, like he did it right in front of them; nobody can be that daft. Well at least I hope not.

But of course, somebody did see through him. Good old Fanny Price, who just completes of the entire cliché that is this book. Bad boy falls for good girl, transforms into a saint to win her over and they will happily ever after. Only Fanny doesn't live happily ever after and Henry stays the spawn of Satan that he is. That I believe is the only difference between Mansfield Park and a mega budget Karan Johar movie. Ok I’m digressing again.

Fanny Price never for once considers Henry Crawford as a potential rishta; even when he begged to marry her she was just like “LOL, is a joke.” I don’t really blame her. I mean, how could she really understand what was going on considering how Mrs. Norris did everything she could to ensure Fanny sees herself as nothing more than garbage. I think the fact that Fanny had nothing to gain out of Henry Crawford gave her a clearer view of him as a person. Something Maria and Julia were unable to see being dazzled by his charm and his estate in Norfolk.

Do we, or did we, really put men on such a low pedestal that all that mattered was their estate and charm? To hell with morality, that’s the woman’s job.

 Obviously we did, and I think we still do. Why else would Sir Thomas, upon hearing Fanny’s rejection, react in this manner:

“But you have now shewn me that you can be willful and perverse; that you can and will decide for yourself, without any consideration or deference for those who have surely some right to guide you, without even asking their advice.”

#rude

Did Sir Thomas not realize that Fanny wouldn't have refused such a beneficial prospect unless she felt very strongly against it? That there might be something really wrong with Henry Crawford? Clearly not,  “a young man wishing to pay his

addresses to you, with everything to recommend him: not merely situation in life, fortune, and character, but with more than common agreeableness, with address and conversation pleasing to everybody” could do no wrong. If only Sir Thomas had credited Fanny’s opinion even a tiny bit, he might just have avoided Maria’s elopement.