Mansfield Park Principles Quotes

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

Quote #4

[S]he had begun to feel undecided as to what she ought to do; and as she walked round the room her doubts were increasing. Was she right in refusing what was so warmly asked, so strongly wished for? (16.3)

Fanny worries about what she "ought to do" throughout the book and is kind of obsessed with doing the right thing and behaving correctly. But Fanny often has trouble deciding what the "right thing" is: is it a universal principle, good in any situation? Or does the "right thing" change with each situation?

Quote #5

It was, indeed, a triumphant day to Mr. Bertram and Maria. Such a victory over Edmund's discretion had been beyond their hopes, and was most delightful. [...] he was to act, and he was driven to it by the force of selfish inclination only. Edmund had descended from that moral elevation which he had maintained before, and they were both as much the better as the happier for the descent. (17.1)

Edmund often moralizes and his siblings are thrilled to find a crack in his armor, so to speak. Though Edmund rationalizes his decision to act as still "moral," his siblings are happy (in a rather mean way) to find that he's really no better than they are.

Quote #6

"The nonsense and folly of people's stepping out of their rank and trying to appear above themselves makes me think it right to give you a hint, Fanny, now that you are going into company without any of us; and I do beseech and entreat you not to be putting yourself forward, and talking and giving your opinion as if you were one of your cousins." (23.32)

Mrs. Norris's guiding principle in life seems to be the mistreatment of Fanny, specifically, and just being as unpleasant as humanly possible more generally. Her thoughts on social "rank," though, are actually quite common for the time period.