First I was struck by the use of Henry VIII in the one scene where Henry Crawford succeeds in wooing Fanny. He is irresistible when he reads from this text, and I see in it a significant analogue for Fanny Price.

Thus I wrote in response to Tony Prince who objected to my sympathetic portrayal of Fanny as an Antigone, that Fanny's literary and archetypal analogue is precisely the kind of strong heroine who renounces as a form of rebellion but yet keeps her values and humanity intact. And I think this may be demonstrated by an allusion in Austen's text to Katherine of Aragon in Shakespeare's Henry VIII. In sum, in MP Austen says that Edmund was the comfort of Fanny's existence more than once; she uses the word "comfort" in a way that calls attention to the word and Fanny's desolation at the loss of the one person who gave joy (this word is used too) to her life. In Shakespeare's Winter's Tale Hermione says in her great trial and ordeal that she cares nothing for life nor threats nor any worldly losses for she has lost all comforts of her existence and any joy it gave her when she lost her children and husband. The words "comfort and joy" are repeated in the speech. There is an exactly similar scene in Henry VIII where Katherine of Aragon's words closely recall Hermione's, where she talks of Henry as the comfort of her existence which she has lost, but in which again the lady which alas I is not frightened from her moral stand or dignity, and she remains a cynosure of gentleness and courtesy while she refuses to budge. Henry Crawford (I wouldn't make too much of the name Henry here because of Austen's brother and use of the name elsewhere, still there it is) reads the speech of Wolseley in which the same idea is repeated. Wolsley has lost all worldly goods, and he has now lost his master's favor; had he been as loyal to his God as he has been to his master, his God would not have left him to mourn alone.

All these analogues are part of the literary background in which we are to understand Fanny Price as heroine. The ultimate or most extreme of them is Antigone as the ultimate or most extreme of the self-immolating type before an ideal of self-sacrifice and meaning in the universe is St Teresa.

Ellen Moody

Then on Austen-L in response to Eugene McDonnell I wrote:

This is really a continuation of my posting addressed partly to Eugene McDonnell in which I said Antigone, Clarissa, but not St Teresa are part of the literary background in which we are to understand Fanny Price as heroine. I want here to be more specific and attach Fanny to Antigone figures I think Austen means us to attach her and to suggest the very different kind of figure which lies behind Maria Bertram.

As I suggested I think Austen expects us to see in Fanny that type of strong heroine who renounces as a form of rebellion but yet keeps her values and humanity intact, and who was familiar to 18th century readers in the form of Clarissa and her daughters (meaning all the many many heroines in the novels of the period based on Clarissa's struggle against her mercenary status-seeking family and then against the rake who would make her his toy).

But there is another specific allusion to the type in _MP_ through Austen's use of Henry VIII in the scene where Henry so mesmerizes Fanny with his ability to comprehend Wolsey and Katherine of Aragon who are given the magnificent speeches of the play. Very briefly, in MP Austen says that Edmund was the comfort of Fanny's existence more than once; she uses the word "comfort" in a way that calls attention to the word and Fanny's desolation at the loss of the one person who gave joy (this word is used too) to her life. First in Shakespeare's Winter's Tale Hermione (a similarly virtuous stubborn figure who turns the other cheek) says in her great trial and ordeal that she cares nothing for life nor threats nor any worldly losses for she has lost all comforts of her existence and any joy it gave her when she lost her children and husband. The words "comfort and joy" are repeated in the speech. There is an exactly similar scene in Henry VIII; again the idea is Katherine of Aragon is not frightened, and she remains a cynosure of dignity and courtesy while she refuses to budge. Henry Crawford reads the speech of Wolsey in which the same idea is repeated. Wolsey has lost all worldly goods, and he has now lost his master's favor; had he been as loyal to his God as he has been to his master, his God would not have left him to mourn alone.

Behind Maria is an utterly different type. Agatha Friburg is neither the gay witty heroine nor the serious sober one which dominated the stage in the 18th century. Instead what we have is a fallen heroine, a woman who is one step from prostitution. This type became prevalent not only on the stage but in fiction. An epistolary novel which some people think Austen modelled S&S on, Edgeworth's Julia and Caroline has a Marianne figure who, Eliza Williams-like, runs off with her beloved only to end deserted, abandoned, starving, and finally dead, cut off from her children, family, all the "comforts" of her existence (this idea if not the word is brought up in Edgeworth's novella--it's very short). After all the opposition people are always talking about--Mary Crawford versus Fanny Price--is not the only one of MP. We have two other rivals, two other women who are opposed to one another--Fanny Price and Maria Bertram. It is between them that Henry Crawford is to choose.

Maria Bertram may be the most interesting character of the novel if we insist on looking into the novel for intimations of what was to come. It is she who demands passion in the end; she who defies everything, and loses everything. The moral is conservative, and she is anything but noble. She does however know precisely who her Aunt Norris is.

I think what needs to be done to understand MP is to read the very different kind of plays which emerged on the stage at the close of the 18th century, not witty ones at all. Several are mentioned as our characters look for a play that suits them. Also more ought to be made of the Shakespearean analogies--as someone said Richard III is mentioned too in connection with Henry Crawford. Now for the 18th century reader and today's too one of the most powerful scenes in that play is when Richard III seduces the wife of the man he has just murdered--in the recent movie we see him do it as he and the wife, Anne (played by Kirstin Thomas--she gets around) stand over the dead husband's body. The sexual angle is very strong whenever one starts to look at analogues for either Henry Crawford or Maria Bertram.

Ellen Moody