Fanny Price - The Arrival of The Crawfords

The Arrival of The Crawfords

When Fanny is 15, her uncle Norris, the local clergyman, dies, leaving the Mansfield living for Edmund, who is intended to be ordained soon; however, Edmund's elder brother, Tom, has been living too extravagantly, and the living has to be sold to repay his debts. A priest named Dr. Grant and his wife move into the parsonage. Fanny's Aunt Norris is compelled to take a small home in the village. Dr. Grant's wife has a half brother and sister, Henry Crawford and his sister Mary Crawford, whom she cherishes but has been unable to see frequently, because they lived in London. However, they finally come and stay temporarily at the parsonage in order to get away from their London home, where Mary must share a house with her uncle's mistress. The Crawfords are elegant, and both captivate the attentions of the Bertram children, who are no longer subject to the discipline and gravity of Sir Thomas, their father, who has gone to Antigua with Tom to settle some business involving his property there. Both Maria and Julia Bertram are attracted to Henry Crawford, although Maria is engaged to a Mr. Rushworth, a dull, unintelligent, but very rich man. Mary Crawford originally decides to try to captivate Tom Bertram, as he is the older brother and heir to the estates and baronetcy, but he proves to be more interested in his horse racing pursuits. She then becomes more interested in Edmund, who quickly becomes attached to her in turn, as he sees her as congenial and pleasant. Fanny is jealous of Mary Crawford and finds Henry Crawford's attentions to and flirtations with the engaged Maria Bertram to be inappropriate.