Mansfield Park (analysis Of Mrs Norris) 1v713l

Mrs Norris’ behavior best exemplifies how money and class are the basis of interaction in the novel. She attempts to associate herself with the wealthy Bertrams so that she can leach off their status and money. She constantly tries to involve herself in the domestic matters at Mansfield Park so that she can pretend that she is a member of their family and not just their poor widowed aunt. Her obsession with money is portrayed through the acting pursuits of the young people. She was described as ‘exceedingly delighted’ with the play because it meant that she could use this opportunity to stay with the Betrams using the pretext that she was needed to help out with the play. The words convey her sense of glee at this opportunity and are used to reveal how miserly she is to the extent that she finds so much happiness and satisfaction when she is able to save on her expenses. She appears to cling on to the Betrams because she stands to gain monetarily from them. Mrs Norris is also portrayed as a social climber who interacts with the rich to elevate her status. This is seen through the tone of her voice when she is speaking to Sir Thomas. She tries to flatter him by saying he is ‘generous’ and ‘considerate’ in order to try to get into his good books. This is contrasted with her condescending attitude towards Fanny whom she treats as a servant, because she considers Fanny to be of a lower class and hence undeserving of respect. Austen could be using Mrs Norris to criticize sycophantic people who try to curry favour from the rich and powerful in society by making her very unlikeable to the reader. Mrs Norris also seems to interact with the Betrams so that she can rise up in social class by usurping the role of mistress of Mansfield Park and the mother figure to the Betram children, especially Maria. She achieves a sense of prestige from Maria and Mr Rushworth’s marriage, referring to the event as her ‘glory’ and ‘strength’. Her interaction with the Rushworths is also based on money and class, and Austen frequently uses the diction of wealth and status to describe the Rushworths, that they have a ‘larger income’ and own the ‘house in town’ and such a connection with their family would be ‘expedien[t]’. Mrs Norris could be used to reflect the superficial and mercenary attitudes of society that values money and class over genuine feelings in their interactions. Such an attitude is eventually punished in the novel when Maria and Mr Rushworth’s marriage falls apart and Mrs Norris has to take the blame for arranging a marriage between two incompatible people. This contributes to the didactic quality of the novel where Austen is trying to criticize people who base their interactions on money and class instead of looking at other qualities such as the character and morals of a person.

In this novel, there are several characters that obsess over money and class in their interactions with others, hence the statement is true. Mrs Norris is characterized as a figure who forms connections with others for her own material benefit. She tries to ingratiate herself with the wealthy Betrams by flattering of their family. Mrs Norris is seen to praise Sir Thomas, the patriarch of the household, as ‘generous’, ‘considerate’ and having ‘delicate notions’. This is contrasted with her condescending attitude towards Fanny, whom she treats as servant because she considers Fanny to be of a lower class and hence undeserving of a ‘hundredth part of the regard’ she has for the Betram girls. Hyperbole is used to present Mrs Norris’ favouritism towards the upper class and she similarly tries to flatter the Betram girls by telling them they had ‘no faults’. The purpose of Mrs Norris’ flattery is to work her way into their company as she feels that by doing so, she can elevate her status. However, her hypocrisy and obsequiousness make her very unlikeable to the reader and this could be Austen’s way of criticizing sycophantic people like Mrs Norris who try to associate themselves with the rich to pretend they are part of a higher social class. Her relationship with the Betrams is also formed on the basis of her ‘love for money’, and she willingly ‘spend[s] that of her friends’. The use of indirect speech by an omniscient narrator in stating Mrs Norris’ thoughts is a means by which the reader is provided with conclusive facts and here the reader is provided with the true motives why Mrs Norris interacts with Betrams – which is to benefit from their wealth. Maria Betram is also characterized as prioritizing money and class in her interactions, such as in her marriage to Mr Rushworth. Austen frequently uses the diction of wealth and status to describe the Rushworths such as their ‘larger income’ and ownership of the ‘house in town’, thus making a connection with their family a ‘prime object’ and an ‘expediency’ which would bring to Sir Thomas ‘respectability’ and ‘influence’. The focus on the social benefits of the marriage shows the character’s priorities and the interaction between the pair is considered in of ‘objects’ and money and class, rather than genuine attraction and feelings. Austen’s use of indirect speech in describing the reasons for the match could not only be to reveal Maria’s and Sir Thomas’ inner thoughts but also to imitate the mercenary voice of a society that places an emphasis on outward appearance and status. Hence, as much as Austen criticizes Maria for her superficial values, Maria is also presented as a victim of society and is merely following society’s beliefs. Even though Sir Thomas gives Maria the chance to call off the match as he realizes that the pair may be incompatible, he is described as ‘too satisfied’ that Maria still chooses to marry Mr Rushworth, which means that money and class are still part of his interests. Even her mother, Lady Betram, is shown to such a belief when she advises Fanny that it is her ‘duty’ to marry a rich man like Henry Crawford. The use of the word ‘duty’ implies Lady Betram and their society believe that it is a responsibility for women to marry based on money and class. However, Fanny values love and sincerity in interaction and marriage and she is finally rewarded with social mobility at the end of the novel. On the other hand, characters who base their interactions on money and class such as Mrs Norris and Maria have tragic endings and arepunished by being driven out of Mansfield Park. This contributes to the didactic quality of the novel where Austen is trying to criticize people for valuing money and class over genuine feeling and sincerity in their interactions.