Mansfield Park–the return! Mansfield Park, Part Three! Yes, during previous meetings, JASNA-NJ discussed the OG book and the adaptations. Now it’s time to delve into some literary criticism: the thoughts of different authors on Jane Austen’s timeless and timely novel. (Here’s an image of Fanny and Edmund from Kate Hamill’s adaptation to inspire you.)
Take a deep dive into Mansfield Park with us! For our June meeting on 6/17, we will meet at 2pm on Zoom to discuss a selection of articles focused on the novel. The articles are listed below. If you would like to join us, you can register here.
“Opinions of Mansfield Park,” collected by Jane Austen, c. 1814-16. https://pemberley.com/janeinfo/opmansfp.html
* Joan Klingel Ray, “Jane Austen’s Case Study of Child Abuse: Fanny Price,” Persuasions #13 (1991). https://jasna.org/persuasions/printed/number13/ray.htm
For your convenience, the three remaining articles are located here. The articles are:
* Kingsley Amis, “What Became of Jane Austen?” (1956), reprinted in A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen, ed. Susannah Carson (New York: Random House, 2009), pp. 124-8. (PDF)
* Edward W. Said, “Jane Austen and Empire,” in Culture and Imperialism (New York: Vintage Books, 1993), pp. 80-97. (PDF)
* Helena Kelly, “ ‘The Chain and the Cross’: Mansfield Park,” in Jane Austen, the Secret Radical (New York: Knopf, 2017), pp. 146-96. (PDF)
The Ray (1991) and Amis (1956) articles focus on the “problem” of Fanny Price as a heroine–pro and con. The Said (1993) and Kelly (2017) focus on the question of imperialism and colonialism and how it functions within the novel BUT any topic is fair game. We’re looking forward to a lively discussion and hope to see you all there!
Jane Austen Society of North America - New Jersey Region 