Mansfield Park Love Quotes

How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

[Maria] was a in a state of mind to be glad that she had secured her fate beyond recall – that she had pledged herself anew to Sotherton – that she was safe from the possibility of giving Crawford the triumph of governing her actions, and destroying her prospects (21.24).

While we don't get a lot of information on Maria's character, her actions are at least revealing about her feelings for Henry. In a sense, Maria marries Mr. Rushworth because she loves Henry too much. Her love for Henry is a little out of control and she's afraid of just how much power he has over her.

Quote #5

It was very vexatious, and she was heartily sorry for it; but so it was, and so far from now meaning to marry the elder, she did not even want to attract him beyond the simplest claims of conscious beauty required [...] (12.2).

Mary represents the idea of love being uncontrollable here. She falls in love with Edmund instead of Tom against her own inclinations and initial desires.

Quote #6

I have no inclination to believe that Fanny [...] could have escaped heart-whole from the courtship [...] of such a man as Crawford [...] had not her affection been engaged elsewhere (24.11).

The fact that Fanny is already in love with Edmund is one of the most crucial aspects of her character and distinguishes her from everyone else in the book who messily fall in and out of love rather than remain constantly with their feelings.