Mansfield Park

During the trip to Sotherton, the incident with the locked gate is charged with symbolic meaning. Maria perceives the gate as an obstacle standing in the way of what she wants. Her wish to see the landscape beyond represents her unexpressed desire to break free from the restrictions of her engagement. When Mr. Rushworth leaves to fetch the key, Maria and Henry’s conversation is loaded with innuendo and double meanings. Henry’s suggestion that he can help Maria “pass round the edge of the gate” without waiting for the key implies that she need not feel morally restrained by her forthcoming marriage (127). A bystander to the conversation, Fanny is increasingly alarmed by its amoral undercurrent. Her warning to Maria that “you will certainly hurt yourself against those spikes” highlights the damage her cousin will likely inflict on her forthcoming marriage and reputation (127). Nevertheless, Henry helps Maria slip past the gate, foreshadowing their later adultery.

In Mansfield Park, the motif of improvements reinforces the theme of Stability Versus Change. The concept of improvements is introduced by Mr. Rushworth when he reveals he is considering employing the famous landscape gardener Humphry Repton to improve his estate. Austen suggests that the fashion for such landscaping signals a desire for novelty and a disregard for heritage that is by no means an “improvement.” Henry Crawford’s enthusiasm for improving the estates of Mr. Rushworth and Edmund signals his lack of appreciation for the traditions of rural life. Meanwhile, Fanny’s assertion that she hates to see avenues of trees removed in the name of improvement reveals her reverence for nature and the traditional order. Edmund agrees with Fanny, prioritizing the responsible maintenance of his future estate over wholescale change.