Mansfield Park Chapter 39 Summary

  • Fanny is not having the best time at the Price house, but she's getting used to it.
  • William comes down to say good-bye and Fanny is sad to see him go. She's now alone with a group of people who are basically strangers.
  • Fanny admits to herself that home isn't what she expected or wanted, and that she's disappointed with how noisy and dirty it is and with how rough and rude her family is.
  • Fanny was especially disappointed in her mom – remember, she'd hoped the two would become quite close.
  • Mrs. Price definitely has her favorites already – William, her other sons, and little Betsey. Susan is as prickly as she is with good reason, it seems.
  • Mrs. Price is a lot like Lady Bertram and, as such, makes a pretty bad mother to a poor family of nine kids.
  • Fanny feels that her parents are both not that great.
  • She's also sad when Sam leaves since he's the best behaved and smartest of all of her younger brothers.
  • Susan, meanwhile, tries hard to help out but doesn't have the education or the attitude needed to accomplish all that much. Susan argues with everyone.
  • Betsey is unfortunately pretty darn spoiled and bratty.
  • Fanny really misses Mansfield and her health is doing badly since she lives in a dirtier, more stressful place now.