Jane Austen discussion

Fanny continues to receive letters from Mary, talking of her confusion over Edmund's feeling for her. And then a letter arrives informing Fanny that Tom is ill, and Lady Bertram wishes for her to return home to Mansfield. Mary seems surprisingly pleased about Tom's life threatening condition!

Yes, Mary's infamous letter. Honestly though, she's absolutely right that Edmund would be better suited than Tom. But as usual with Mary, just because one can say a thing doesn't mean one SHOULD.

I have not read the two posts above this one bec I have not completed these 3 chapters. However, I had to comment as I am still reading ch 44.

I'm at the point where Fanny is "sorry" to have wished for a letter from Edmund since he goes on about how Mary is THE one and his angst where she is concerned. This sounds as if Edmund will have to wind up "settling" for his "friend" Fanny. If this is true, it's a bitter pill since Edmund says Mary is the "only" one for him! Should Fanny marry the man she loves, who doesn't love her or should she marry the one who is temporarily "in luuurve" with her. Although neither love her, neither would treat her cruelly. HC is always pleasant.

Ch 3 ended with a little cliff-hanger (implied) that wouldn't Fanny be in a position to take Susan under her wing if HC was a real choice for a marital partner?

If Edmund doesn't love her, and HC is incapable of any sustained feeling, perhaps HC is an option bec she could straighten Susan out and teach her to be a young lady to Susan's benefit. The cruelty and mischief in marriage to HC would be if Fanny loves that rascally cad. I don't think that HC would be mean, just careless.


Poor Fanny! She is rightly horrified that NOW Mary suddenly sees Edmund's value/appeal since her shallow friends think that he looks well and acquits himself well in London company! Has passed " muster" with the fashionable set, as it were.

I think Valshar has said in previous posts to the effect that Mary is a good girl at heart, but she is lead astray. Boy are both Fanny and Edmund seeing proof of the influence of bad company (her mercenary friend Mrs Fraser).

I've just completed this section. I really don't know if Tom lives or dies since this is my first read.

Mary has started the death watch.

Poor Edmund if Tom dies! Poor Fanny if Tom lives and She has to settle for sloppy seconds.

Regarding Mary, that's exactly my impression. She's really alright but put her in the wrong crowd and she veers off. Yet at the same time some part of her recognizes this but perhaps that didn't register for her until it was too late. And no wonder given how she was raised.

I thought it was quite funny how Henry started turning into a rather decent person JUST due to his pining for Fanny. Fanny apparently has a good effect on some people. :-)

NOT most of the Bertram family though. Still can't stand one of them except Edmund.

This gives us a wonderful opportunity for fan fic… what if Fanny, after receiving the letter from her Aunt about how much she misses her, and one from Edmund telling her how bad Tom really is, but before Mary’s letter, decided to ask the Crawfords to take her home? She would have been agreeing to his courtship of course, to take such a liberty, but then if she was convinced of Edmund’s fate and wishing for the suspense to be over, not to mention the freedom to take Susan in charge, I think it could be made plausible.

Of course Mary’s letter makes all that impossible, how little she understands Fanny to say such things to her!

I think Edmund’s letter shows a depth of regard for Fanny that even he may not have fully realised. It is one thing for a kind young boy to take a frightened younger girl under his wing, but then to make her his chief confidant, trust in her opinion, even saying such things of the woman he declares himself in love with? Even after all the time they have known each other it shows a trust that he certainly would not have given to any of his siblings or friends.