Mahnoor Shahid's Post: The Colony in Mansfield Park

The reality of slavery and colonialism though scarcely explained and subtly mentioned at many points in the novel is prevalent in the functionality of Mansfield Park. On the surface, Mansfield Park is a home to the Bertrand’s and their guests but as one goes to the roots of the characters and examines their roles and positions within this setting, their roles as colonizers fall into place. Characters such as Fanny Price and Sir Thomas are prime examples of this.

Sir Thomas is directly involved with a colony as he leaves Mansfield to go to Antigua and settle his affairs there whereas, Fanny is indirectly playing Sir Thomas’s role as a colonizer or imperialist as she takes it upon herself to transfer her family to a more orderly atmosphere.

 Mansfield Park and Portsmouth can be seen as two contrasts as one (Mansfield) reflects England’s metropolis, a civilized orderly place whereas Portsmouth is seen as a slave market in this metropolis. Hence, it can be said that Fanny is like an imperialist going to a slave market (Portsmouth) and as she goes there she feels out of place and superior to her siblings due to her polished environment at Mansfield. She takes her advantageous upbringing as her duty to pass on her superior knowledge. Thus her bringing Susan to Mansfield is an act that coincides with the British going into the West Indies to civilize the people and create colonies.  This analysis coincides with Edwards Said’s views as he says; “I think Austen sees what Fanny does as a domestic or small scale movement in space that corresponds to the larger, more openly colonial movements of Sir Thomas, her mentor”

Said also points out that Antigua is seen as a “usable colony” as the British go there and bring back what they can make use of just as Lady Bertrand expects her husband (Sir Thomas) to bring her back a shawl. Fanny’s bringing Susan to Mansfield can be paralleled to this as she sees good in Susan, a good that can make her useful. This is evident when Fanny observes Susan’s character as she thinks to herself “Susan saw that much was wrong at home, and wanted to set it right.”