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  • Essay / The Issues of Slave Ownership and Sexual Consciousness in Mansfield Park

    Jane Austen's novels primarily reveal satirical insights into the inner workings of the upper classes of 19th-century England. In a mocking tone, the author ridicules the fate of young women who are desperately looking for a worthy husband. In the end, the heroine happily marries the man she loves, and the corrupt character is doomed to live unhappy forever. However, the plot of Austen's novel Mansfield Park differs slightly from its typical formula. Although the book tells the story of Fanny Price, a young woman who tries to find her place in the social order through marriage, the writer delves into the current issues of the time. Austen addresses the ethics of slave ownership and sexual self-consciousness. It shows the constructive and damaging effects of Fanny's wise nature. The author also alludes to the devastating effects that alcoholism can have on a family. Unlike the author's other novels, marriage is not directly at the forefront in Mansfield Park. Atypically Jane Austen, the book is refreshingly socially fresh and addresses important issues, not just trivial gossip about dinner parties and wedding arrangements. In Mansfield Park, the author confirms his legitimacy as a writer through his ability to weave the current social issues of the time with the story of a painfully shy young woman who struggles to balance the desires of others with her own virtues. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In the first chapter of Mansfield Park, the author describes the reality of urban poverty. Fanny Price's mother writes a letter begging her well-off sisters to save one of her children, because she and her husband, a poor and drunken sailor, cannot afford to properly care for their ten children. In addition to acknowledging poverty, the author also suggests the detrimental effects of alcohol on a family. Alcoholism is introduced in Fanny's father, and later in the novel, Tom Bertram imposes severe financial hardship on his family due to his drinking problem. By drinking, Tom incurred large debts which forced his father to tend his plantations in Antigua, where he owned slaves. Mansfield Park presents Austen's first effort to address serious moral issues. Sir Thomas's slaveholding properties in the Caribbean support the Bertrams' lavish lifestyle, but the author suggests that human trafficking may carry moral responsibility. Fanny raises a question about her uncle's holdings in the West Indies, and although her question is not hostile, a "dead silence" ensues (166). Even though Austen only describes slavery as a nuance in the novel, she nevertheless makes a statement about its ethics. The author again raises a moral issue in her novel when she describes the licentious sexual behavior demonstrated by the characters. Austen uses symbolism when Henry Crawford and Maria Bertram huddle around a locked door in Southerton. The two sneak into a previously forbidden area, which is an allusion to a sexual act. The spikes on the door threaten to tear Maria's dress, foreshadowing that Maria will eventually destroy her social reputation because of her adultery with Henry. Additionally, the author uses symbolism when Fanny tries to find a chain for the cross pendant she received from her brother William. The chain Henry gave her does not fit through the pendant's clasp, but Edmund's chain fits perfectly, suggesting that Edmund is the only good match for Fanny. Sexuality is.