"A clergyman is nothing."

While looking for themes on which to write some catch up blog posts, I was struck by Mary’s deep-seated aversion to Edmund’s decision to be ordained and work as a member of the clergy in Mansfield Park. She is, of course, after more money and property than an occupation as a clergyman could offer Edmund, so her interests are clearly self-serving in a financial sense. However, I found her discussion with Edmund about the nature of church leaders on pages 116 and 117 fascinating. Edmund has not been left any fortune, so he explains that he is “‘one of the exceptions, and being one, must do something for myself’” (116). Having to make his own way in the world enhances Edmund’s noble character (which is also demonstrated, for example, through his mostly consistent defense and protection of Fanny) because things are not simply handed to him; he has to make his own decisions and forge his own path. This makes Mary’s attacks on his chosen career even more offensive. She asserts that it is impossible for men to “‘distinguish themselves’” by working in the church (116), and that clergymen really do not have any influence on society: since they are “‘so seldom seen,’” they cannot possibly “govern the conduct and fashion the manners of a large congregation’” (117). I found her argument interesting because it resonates pretty strongly with some modern criticism of the clergy, and it also speaks to her desire for social standing and visibility. Edmund understands the nuances of working for the church (just as he later understands the nuances of putting on Lovers’ Vows when others do not), like the idea that a clergyman must actually have contact with his congregation in order to have a real effect on their lives. Austen places the reader on Edmund’s side of the argument as Mary criticizes a decision he has clearly thought through, and that sympathy with Edward is valuable later in the novel as Mary treats Edward badly despite his feelings for her. As I was reading I, like Fanny, did not want Edward to end up with Mary, and scenes like this one which come earlier in the novel helped set up and fuel that dislike effectively. This is just one example of the way Austen weaves the interactions among her characters throughout the novel together in order to manipulate the reader reacts to her writing.