The 18th century novel often seemed to be the place where attempts were made to reform society. The novel gave writers a means by which they could provide both entertainment and a venue in which they could attempt to reform people's opinions. Although these writers were often only lightly allowed to delve into something outside of the status quo of the time, they were often even more successful because of their penchant for staying within limits. In other words, because these authors were not too radical in their writing, readers were therefore able to swallow these ideas more easily. Austen uses this technique in Mansfield Park to show readers some of the wrongs of the institution of marriage, as well as the ways in which women were coerced in the society of the time. To do this, Austen uses a technique that Armstrong, in Desire and Domesticity, defines as the individuation of a collective body: fabricating a societal wrong shown through an individual case in order to reform it. Using this technique of individualizing women's constraints in marriage, we can first empathize with Fanny and then with female society as a whole by seeing the emotional impact on the individual. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayFanny, throughout the novel, is shown to be the one with the least influence and voice in the novel, a sometimes even defined as a “scary mouse” by her cousin and treated like a servant by others (Austen, 168). It is at the crucial part of her life, and perhaps the most crucial part of the book, in which she must raise her voice against her potential suitor, Henry Crawford, as well as her family, that she truly realizes a greater number of things. agency. This heightened sense of agency comes to a head in chapter 35, in which Edmund comes to Fanny to encourage her to accept Henry's marriage proposal. While Edmund encourages marriage, Fanny says on this subject that “it is not to be taken as certain that a man must be acceptable to every woman who pleases him” (Austen, 391). Fanny's assertion here that women need not be forced into marriage conveys a small part of Austen's critique of professional marriages of the period. Austen shows here that women should be responsible for their own destiny, rather than society dictating that they be forced into a loveless marriage simply because society, as well as their own families, pushed them to do so. Austen critiques female constraints in marriage as a whole through this individual case. Fanny says that she "should have thought... that every woman must have felt the possibility that a man would not be approved, would not be loved by someone of his own sex", which implies this contradiction with the reality of society (Austen, 391). Not only does Fanny's emphasis on words give more power to her words - something she normally lacks - but the fact that she speaks makes the words even more powerful. Here Austen shows the power that women should possess. Since Fanny almost never speaks out against societal norms, this starting point from her normal self adds much more power to her words than if she were constantly speaking out. The emphasis on the word “should” gives importance to what she is saying and borders on urgency. If she had been any other character, the word to use here might have been "shall", but the word "should" gives more credibility to who Fannie is. She cannot give a firmer opinion, nor be recognized asdeviating from the societal norm – being a woman submissive to men and having little or no say in their affairs. In order to explain and validate what Austen is doing, Armstrong argues that 18th-century novelists attempted to reform the way people thought about sexuality. Of this, she says that "the struggle to represent sexuality took the form of a struggle for individuation wherever there was a collective body" (Armstrong, 468). In other words, the rise of the novel sought to show individual circumstance in order to fully account for the struggles of the whole. The individual's situation then provides emotional support and sympathy for the entire population. In order to show the whole, the rise of the novel gives way to the individualization of societal norms, such as the feminine constraints shown in this novel. Armstrong goes on to say that “rather than referring to individuals who already maintained relationships according to novelistic conventions, domestic fiction took great care to distinguish itself from the type of fiction that predominated in the eighteenth century” (Armstrong, 469). . Mansfield Park, as a form of domestic fiction, questions the roles that men and women played in relationships through cases like Fanny's. Fanny's exclamation that women should be able to say no to a potential suitor highlights some of the wrongs of the patriarchal existence in which she lives. Before this event, Fanny's submissiveness and general lack of power are shown earlier in the chapter, evoking in the reader the same kind of sympathy for Fanny's lack of power that we see throughout the novel. "Oh! never, never, never; he will never succeed with me," Fanny says to Edmund during the first part of their conversation, which readers hope will result in Fanny gaining more action and more votes (Austen, 385 This is immediately contradicted by Fanny's willing submission to Edmund - she quickly changes this firm decision by saying that she thinks she will never marry Henry and that she thinks she will never return his love (). Austen, 385). Her firm decision is quickly rendered irresolute by Edmund's assertion that her decision never to marry Crawford is "so determined and positive", which was apparently "not like [herself]." , [her] rational self” (Austen, 385), Edmund asserts that her desire to reject Henry Crawford is irrational, as if a woman's own opinions were only rational if they agreed with those. of a man, or simply with society in general Austen seems to criticize the way in which men made women feel that their opinions and feelings were only valid if they were similar to their own. Once Edmund makes this statement, the narrator relates that Fanny was forced to “correct herself with sadness” (Austen, 385). This description from the narrator gives the reader a small glimpse into Fanny's mind, showing them the great mental pains that Fanny is forced to take in order to fit into the society ruled by patriarchy. She is limited to what Edmund – and the rest of the family around her – want to hear, just like other women of the time were forced to deal with. Fanny's inclination to subtly go against the patriarchal norm of society can be explained in Armstrong's theory. Armstrong posits that “national fiction could represent an alternative form of political power without appearing to challenge the distribution of power it represented as historically given” (Armstrong, 471). Fanny only goes so far as to denounce Edmund because of the way in which Austen was forced, as an author, to maintain thestatus quo of the time. She must do this to survive as an author, and in doing so the reader is more likely to accept these opinions because they are not too radical. By subtly incorporating some of the radical views of the time, Austen is able to gain supporters because her work only slightly challenges the views of the time. This oppression of the marriage plan between Fanny and Henry is mentioned during his explanation, to Edmund, why the match would be unfavorable to him. After repeatedly explaining to Edmund why she does not want to marry Henry Crawford, he claims that their temperaments are similar. To this, Fanny disputes that the difference between their personalities is "infinitely too great" and that "her mind often oppresses her" (Austen, 387). Although Fanny says this nonchalantly, it seems that Austen is trying to imply the oppression of marriage itself. Oppression here meaning something akin to "overwhelming (mentally) or burdening a person", meaning that their mind (or personality) has afflicted them, Austen uses this meaning in order to hide a deeper meaning to this word (OED). Instead, she is trying to make it clear that Henry has a penchant for “ruling harshly; tyrannize; engage in oppression” (OED). Fanny expresses the oppressive nature of men in the patriarchal society of 18th century Britain by speaking about her oppressive personality and character. This oppressive nature is seen again when Edmund states that Henry Crawford “indeed chose his partner with rare felicity” (Austen, 388). The word “chosen” is used here to put pressure on the fact that men felt above women, that it was they who chose their partners, who would thus submit to them. It is this choice of wife that Fanny objects to so much when she asserts that women should not share romantic feelings toward any man who flirts with her. Rather, it is the choice of both parties who should make the decisions – should be the key word here, which Fanny is pushing for, as mentioned before. “Chosen” emphasizes Fanny’s approval, giving the power of the relationship (or lack thereof) to Henry. Armstrong's Desire and Domestic Fiction details some of the reasons why the novel's characters vied for Fanny to accept Henry, and therefore submit to the will of society – and Edmund. Armstrong states that “the rise of the novel rested on a struggle to say what made a woman desirable” – thus, Edmund was attempting to show submissiveness as a desirable trait in women (Armstrong, 468). Austen criticizes this aspect of the novels at the time, contradicting it with Fanny's rejection of Edmund's beliefs. Since we already sympathize with Fanny, the reader is thus trained to sympathize with Fanny's wishes as well. This allows the reader to see that an independent woman is far more desirable than what the patriarchal norm of society considered desirable. As Armstrong asserts, “narratives that seemed to focus only on questions of courtship and marriage were in fact seizing authority to say what was feminine” (Armstrong, 468). Austen seems to use this allowance to the extent that it forces the reader to re-evaluate what he considers desirable in a woman. It is complicated, however, by the way in which we have already sympathized with Edmond at certain points in this novel. Perhaps Austen does this in order to mask her intentions and only slightly reveal what is truly desirable in a woman, lest she be ostracized and criticized for going completely against the norm. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our writers.