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She doesn’t do the things heroines are supposed to. Which is rather Jane Austen’s point – Fanny is her subversive heroine. She is gentle and self-doubting and utterly feminine; and given the right circumstances, she would defy an army.
Susanna Clarke
Old-Fashioned Fruitcake
Hmm. I never liked Fanny, but I do like Anne. I think that may be a matter of how I feel about maturity.
I really struggled to get into Persuasion when I was younger – again, it’s probably a matter of maturity (mine, this time).
Fanny isn’t my favourite of Austen’s heroines, but she certainly has admirable qualities.
Persuasion is slow, but by golly Austen’s mature style is gorgeous. I really wish she had lived longer.
Aye, she’s admirable. I just get frustrated by her indecision, I think. Anne has some of that, too, but it’s not as pronounced. But then again, it’s been a long time since I read Mansfield Park!
For me the frustration is not so much Fanny’s indecision as the extent of her spinelessness. Admittedly, it’s an awkward situation she finds herself in, but she really needs some healthier boundaries!
And yes, it’s sad to think of all the masterpieces Austen might have written, had she only lived longer…
Yeah, I remember (vaguely) being frustrated by that too. And about the obliviousness of everyone around her.
Yes! I think I might have to add a few Mansfield Park residents to my list of literary characters whose heads I’d like to smack together.
Austen is good at giving us those. Though the Bronte’s are even better at it. ;P
You ain’t kidding! I think Cathy from Wuthering Heights made it onto the original list, which is on the blog here somewhere.
Are you familiar with “Hark! A Vagrant!”?
There is some mild cussing in this, but I find it hilarious: http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=202
Heh heh. Now we know why Austen and the Brontës never got on: she thought their men were uncouth and brutal, and they thought hers were prissy and unrealistic.
Lol! No doubt.