.......

‘Mr. Bertram set off for B___,’

‘His business in Antigua had latterly been prosperously rapid, and he came directly from Liverpool,..’

Above are some of the references which reveal the silence of the place from where the Bertram family draws all its wealth from. Though Thomas Bertram’s absence from Mansfield Park is being talked about in the course of the novel, he is never shown to be present in Antigua. It is that grey area where he is only engaged to look after his business. Also, the place where Thomas Bertram sets off to cater to his business is only referred to as ‘B____’, indicating that it is not important for a reader to know that detail.

Moreover, there are also Eurocentric references in the novel which convey the idea of the importance of a mighty empire. When Fanny comes to Mansfield Park, she is considered to be a very stupid person initially as she ‘cannot put the map of Europe together’ but she does know about the ‘Isle of Wight’, despite all her ignorance. This says a good deal about the idea of British as one mighty empire which is the heart of everything.

Lastly, there is also a lot of emphasis on an authority figure which brings order and discipline in the lives of people living around. This idea ties in closely with the colonial masters’ mission of bringing civilization to the uncivilized and disorderly. In absence of Sir Thomas’s absence from Mansfield Park, a lot goes wrong. There is frivolous engagement going on between the young people, Mrs. Bertram is indifferent to everything and Mrs. Norris is not suitable to take up the role. Mr. Thomas’s return changes things to a great extent. ‘Under his government, Mansfield was an altered place.’ In the second part of the novel, this colonial authority is also displayed by Fanny who takes up the charge of fixing things in Portsmouth which are disordered and dirty. She is repelled by the dirtiness of things, ‘smallness of the house’ and ‘thinness of the walls.’ She has internalized the ‘good’ values and lifestyle of Mansfield and finds everything in her own home in Portsmouth repelling, creating the dichotomy between civilized and uncivilized.

The Colony in Mansfield Park, A Said and Maryam Wasif inspired analysis

The Colony in Mansfield Park

In Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, the concept of a colony holds a rather nuanced meaning for me. The obvious thing to note about it is the scarcity of reference – the word colony or the colony in question “Antigua” has been mentioned according to Said, “a mere half a dozen times of passing reference”. At face value, it might seem that this relegates the colony in terms of importance to the periphery, in stark contrast to the metropolis of the English imagination that happens to be Mansfield Park. However, the brilliance of Said’s argument in my opinion lies in him pointing out the contradictory nature of this relegation. Even though Mansfield Park happens to be the metropolis and Antigua the periphery, the metropolis or the core wouldn’t be so without the periphery. In an almost Hegelian way, the interaction of the periphery and the core and the otherizing that takes place hitherto, fuels the nationalism of the English imagination that terms these colonies as mere agricultural “estates” or “extensions” as Mill’s quotation in Said would have it. Once, the otherizing process reaches its natural conclusion, the colony becomes a point of contrast for the adherents of the English imagination. To begin with, according to Said, the dominant discourse of the one wielding power “assumes the silence” of the dominated. By virtue of falling outside an exclusive national outlook, a lot of processes including spatial and territorial “incorporation”, “inclusion”, “Direct rule” and “coercion” take place but due to the fact that the imagination is exclusive and its exclusivity is dependent upon its superiority, the inferiority of the colony and its recognition is assumed and the “acknowledgement” necessary is never forthcoming.

Even if and when the acknowledgement does come, its one which is more or less, always tinged by a degree of condescension. Fanny considers her uncle’s talk of the West Indies as something entertaining. This doesn’t imply a sense of true curiosity because an objective and non-partisan listener would find them informative or satiating. The degree of hilarity implied via the use of the word entertaining shows the same superiority, encapsulated in the English imagination and typified and epitomized by Fanny that Said was so quick to point out. The fact that the colony is merely seen as an “object” to support and sustain the empire can also be extrapolated via the reference made of the East Indies as the place where William could get a shawl. If East Indies was a human being, people would allege Austen of gross commodification and dehumanization. In this context, though, this only holds up Said’s argument about the periphery’s identity as a source of convenience to the metropolis. Another instance where we can see the chauvinism intrinsic to the English imagination is the musings of Mrs. Price in which she is wondering whether Sir Thomas would take send her eldest of 10 years old to the West Indian estate as “no situation could be beneath him”. This shows, firstly, a very pessimistic view of the colony as a place that wasn’t the safe haven that England was and going there would be unfortunate to say the very least. Also, it could be seen as a place for disposing of the excess for the economic situation of Mrs. Price made William a burden she would love to get off her chest.

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.”

Haniya's Post: The Colony in Mansfield

The function of Space is an important theme when looking at Mansfield Park.  Said asserts that “Mansfield Park is very precisely about a series of both small and large dislocations and relocations in space that occur before, at the end of the novel” it coincides with the colonial/imperialist mission of naturalizing lands and organizing space; just like Mansfield is seen as an ordered and organized place in contrast to Portsmouth. This reallocation and organization of space is most evident at Mr. Rushworth’s estate Sotherton.

The walls beyond his estate were referred to as “wilderness” which corresponded to the colonial mindset of lands outside their motherland or the metropolis as being wild and unorganized. The grounds of the Sotherton estate were “bowling-green and the terrace.” It was an artificial way of organizing the “wilderness.”  The avenue that had the old trees was being cut down to “open the prospect amazingly” shows how colonizers reallocated and dislocated spaces to organize a place. The woods at the Rushworth estate were also planted and “laid out with too much regularity.” We see a very conscious effort of the colonizer dominating nature and taking over the space to organize it to suit him. Mr. Rushworth also wants to give the old house a “modern dress” which the colonizers also did to native lands; they took away their culture, history and tradition and replaced it with modern imperial ones. Whatever happens in the colony is not talked about at home and the morally sick are sent there for instance Tom is sent to Antigua. Similarly, when Maria and Henry jump over the gates and escape into the wilderness, the reader does not get to know what happens there and what the two characters are up to; the “wilderness” and the grounds beyond the gates are like Antigua about which we do not know much. 

Colonies and The Mansfield Park

According to Said’s article, in approaching Mansfield Park three interpretive themes come into central focus:  order; slavery and empire; and, finally, marriage.  All these themes work together to reveal what Austen may have intended her readers to understand about Mansfield Park or society in general. One of the most prominent themes is of strong presence of colonies. There are thematic elements of slavery within Mansfield Park.  There are direct references to an estate held in Antigua by Sir Thomas, and implicit in these references is the presence of slaves on such a plantation; this implication is never stated explicitly.  The novel was written and is set in a time when slavery was still practiced within the British Empire, though the buying and selling of slaves was by this point illegal. Said argues that even though Austen has indirectly mentioned about Sir Thomas’s Caribbean property, she was well aware of the ‘evident historical realities’. Even though there is a casual reference to the colonies held by Sir Thomas but it is very important to formulate the whole novel and also develop one of the central themes of ‘order’. Sir Thomas’s control and order could be seen by analyzing his conduct in Mansfield and also when he is away.

In her novel Austen portrays that the survival of England is dependent upon its colonies because of which Sir Thomas has to go ‘abroad’.  Also these colonies; Caribbean, India, Antigua and Mediterranean, are looked down upon because of which gentlemen who are unsuitable for nobility are sent to these colonies. Also these are a source of fulfilling their lust as Mrs. Norris demanded William to go so he could get her shawls,

“That I may have a shawl. I think I’ll have two shawls.”

All these factors point out to the fact that even though colonies were indirectly and scarcely mentioned in the novel but they do play an important part in building the theme of the novel and also giving body to the characters.

Mansfield Park and Colonies

According to Said’s article, in approaching Mansfield Park three interpretive themes come into central focus:  order; slavery and empire; and, finally, marriage.  All these themes work together to reveal what Austen may have intended her readers to understand about Mansfield Park or society in general. One of the most prominent themes is of strong presence of colonies. There are thematic elements of slavery within Mansfield Park.  There are direct references to an estate held in Antigua by Sir Thomas, and implicit in these references is the presence of slaves on such a plantation; this implication is never stated explicitly.  The novel was written and is set in a time when slavery was still practiced within the British Empire, though the buying and selling of slaves was by this point illegal. Said argues that even though Austen has indirectly mentioned about Sir Thomas’s Caribbean property, she was well aware of the ‘evident historical realities’. Even though there is a casual reference to the colonies held by Sir Thomas but it is very important to formulate the whole novel and also develop one of the central themes of ‘order’. Sir Thomas’s control and order could be seen by analyzing his conduct in Mansfield and also when he is away.

In her novel Austen portrays that the survival of England is dependent upon its colonies because of which Sir Thomas has to go ‘abroad’.  Also these colonies; Caribbean, India, Antigua and Mediterranean, are looked down upon because of which gentlemen who are unsuitable for nobility are sent to these colonies. Also these are a source of fulfilling their lust as Mrs. Norris demanded William to go so he could get her shawls,

“That I may have a shawl. I think I’ll have two shawls.”

All these factors point out to the fact that even though colonies were indirectly and scarcely mentioned in the novel but they do play an important part in building the theme of the novel and also giving body to the characters.

WILLIAM PRICE: Austen's Tribute to the Empire (in 550 words!)

Upon my first look at ‘Mansfield Park’, I naturally found myself captivated by the intricacy of relationships dominating the plot (hoping Fanny would succumb to Henry Crawford’s charm), absolutely blind to Austen’s artistic integration of colonialism into the world of Mansfield. Exhibiting her loyalty to the ‘Empire’, and her adherence to its “moral and social values” as Said puts it in ‘Culture and Imperialism’, she exhibits her unwavering loyalty to Britain’s domination – manifested by its imperialist expeditions. The strong colonialist undercurrent ingeniously ends up delegating a functional role to the Empire; it drives the entire action of the novel without calling explicit attention towards itself, and simultaneously allows Austen to weave a critique of the essence of ‘national domesticity’ into her writing without going against her unquestionable position of subordination to the Empire’s wishes.

This blog post will focus on one aspect of the massive theme of ‘The Colony in Mansfield Park’ – how William Price is Austen’s carefully constructed tribute to the British Empire’s supremacy.

Since the Bertrams, who enable three Price siblings to rise above their constricted domestic circumstances, are governed by the patriarchal rule of Sir Thomas (whose association with Antigua easily makes him representative of the Empire’s colonial ambitions), William’s Horatio Alger-esque rise to social status is symbolic of the multi-faceted benefits linked to colonization, and becomes testimony to Britain’s sensibility in spending time and effort on such expeditions. Austen validates the merits of imperialism for all its participants by representing William through the lens of Henry Crawford, who “wished he had been a William Price, distinguishing himself and working his way to fortune and consequence”. Henry holds the “highest respect” for the young sailor whose “heroism” and “usefulness” at sea make his “own habits of self-indulgence appear in shameful contrast”. Here, it is important to appreciate William’s accomplishment – by managing to fire Henry Crawford’s “fancy” enough to actually make him want to seek ambition, he has given an aimless philanderer hope for direction. By making a high class gentleman aspire to be a sailor with a rags-to-riches narrative, Austen is able to demonstrate the sheer power imperialism holds in being an effort worth embarking upon.

William’s character also becomes a subtle revelation of the global preeminence of the British Empire through the “great deal” he has seen. He is described as having “been in the Mediterranean – in the West Indies – in the Mediterranean again”, and before the novel ends he is surely on his way to India. This points out an important element I don’t have enough words left to discuss, how the Empire ranks colonies according to a certain hierarchy, and William has to go through the rigor of experience in the lower order colonies before he is deemed worthy enough to touch the East.

Austen also touches upon the cultural enlightenment brought about by imperialism, through the way Sir Thomas engages in conversation with William about the “balls of Antigua”, and encourages his nephew to similarly recount “the different modes of dancing which had fallen within his observation”.  Association with new civilizations entails luxury of knowledge, experience and materialism only the Empire’s finest can afford, most clearly emphasized by the way Lady Bertram expresses an interest in acquiring not one, but two Indian “shawls” (all the more significant because she cares about something that’s not her “pug”).