Mr. Rushworth

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James Rushworth
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park character
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In-universe information
Full nameJames Rushworth
PositionOwner
Relativesmother: Mrs Rushworth
HomeSotherton Court

Mr. James Rushworth is a character from Jane Austen's 1814 novel Mansfield Park . Mansfield Park is about a young girl, Fanny Price, who goes to live with her wealthy relatives, the Bertrams. The novel follows the familial life and social circle of the Bertrams. Rushworth is part of this circle. He is the son of Mrs. Rushworth and has inherited Sotherton Estate. [1] He has 12,000 pounds a year, which makes him a very eligible bachelor. [2] He is the fiance of Maria Bertram who is the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Bertram. His dull-witted character is in parallel to another 'Austen' character, Mr William Collins, from Pride and Prejudice .

Contents

Background

Jane Austen was born in December 1775 and died in July 1817. She was a British novelist who wrote six novels: Sense and Sensibility , Pride and Prejudice , Mansfield Park , Emma , Persuasion , and Northanger Abbey . Her novels are social satires of the rights and freedoms (or lack thereof) allowed women in Regency English society, and are written around the topics of love and marriage among the gentry.

Mansfield Park was written between 1811 and 1813 and was published in 1814. The novel was published in a second edition in 1816. The novel is about a young woman, Fanny Price, and her life with her relations, the Bertrams at their estate in Mansfield Park. It catalogues the events which occur there, and Fanny's insights into the characters and events.

Little is known by the reader about Rushworth before he comes into the company of the Bertrams. The only information given to us is that Rushworth is an eligible young bachelor who has recently come into a great fortune. The reader knows the estate features a large park of seven hundred acres and a Tudor mansion. [3]

Characterisation

Austen describes Mr. Rushworth as "a heavy young man, with not more than common sense". [4] Mr. Rushworth is perceived by all the characters, with the exception of his mother, as a fool. [2] He is described by Joseph Donohue Jr. as a "wealthy simpleton". [5] Sir Thomas notes that he has no eye for business. [6] He does not know how to act in society or what the appropriate behaviour is for most situations. He is "unaware and oblivious" to much of what goes on in Mansfield Park. [7] Rushworth also has trouble learning and remembering his lines for Lovers' Vows , a play that the Bertrams and some friends want to perform. [8] He is oblivious to the fact that his fiancee is indifferent to him and is flirting with Henry Crawford, although he does have some ill-feeling against Henry, stating that he is too short to be handsome. [9] [10]

Relationship with Maria Bertram

Within the first few chapters of the novel, Mr. Rushworth becomes engaged to Maria Bertram. He notices how beautiful she is and soon fancies himself in love. [4] However, since Sir Thomas Bertram is away in Antigua, Mr. Rushworth has to wait until he returns to marry Maria. [11] When Sir Thomas does return, he notices that his daughter is indifferent to Mr. Rushworth and seems to prefer Henry Crawford. However, after Crawford leaves, Maria agrees to go ahead and marry Mr. Rushworth. Mr. Rushworth and his new bride go to live in Wimpole Street in London after their honeymoon in Brighton. [12] In London they entertain high society and Maria is much pleased with being able to run her own house. However, Henry Crawford's charms once again affect her and she runs away with him. After this disgrace, Mr. Rushworth obtains a divorce from Maria, and it is presumed he will find someone else to marry. [13]

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Place in Plot

Mr. Rushworth plays a minor yet important role in the novel. After Mr. Rushworth gets engaged to Maria, he begins to think about improvements for his estate. [14] He invites most of the Bertram household, as well as the Crawfords, to his estate to examine it and see what improvements can be made. [15] As the party arrives at the house, he greets them with the utmost cordiality. When everyone goes outside, he is accompanied by Maria and Mr. Crawford. [16] He runs off to go fetch the key for a locked gate, while Maria and Henry slip through and go off on their own. [17] When Rushworth comes back, he isn't quite sure what to do; he does not know whether he should stay or go after them. [18] He finally goes after him, but is not happy with what he finds. However, he perks up when Henry picks Julia to sit with him as they leave Sotherton. [19] Mr. Rushworth takes part in the play Lovers' Vows, a controversial act in the Bertram household because Sir Thomas would never have allowed such frivolity to occur. However, he is too engaged in the finery which he is to wear to take note of what else is going on, specifically the flirtation of Maria and Henry. [20] He has a lot of trouble learning his lines, and later he tells Sir Thomas that he thought the play was a bad idea to begin with. [8]

Portrayal in Movies

In the 1983 PBS mini-series of Mansfield Park , he is played by Jonathan Stephens. [21] In the 1999 version of Mansfield Park , Mr. Rushworth is played by Hugh Bonneville. [22] He is portrayed as a man of little sense who greatly cares about his social image. In the 2007 film of Mansfield Park , he is played by Rory Kinnear [23] and is portrayed as a fool.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane Austen</span> English novelist (1775–1817)

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<i>Mansfield Park</i> 1814 novel by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park is the third published novel by the English author Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, still within Austen's lifetime. The novel did not receive any public reviews until 1821.

<i>Mansfield Park</i> (1999 film) 1999 period film directed by Patricia Rozema

Mansfield Park is a 1999 British romantic comedy-drama film based on Jane Austen's 1814 novel of the same name, written and directed by Patricia Rozema. The film departs from the original novel in several respects. For example, the life of Jane Austen is incorporated into the film, as are the issues of slavery and West Indian plantations. The majority of the film was filmed on location at Kirby Hall in Northamptonshire.

<i>Mansfield Park</i> (1983 TV serial) 1983 British television drama series

Mansfield Park is a 1983 British television drama serial, made by the BBC, and adapted from Jane Austen's 1814 novel of the same name. The serial was the first screen adaptation of the novel. Unlike Patricia Rozema's 1999 film, it is faithful to Jane Austen's novel. Jonny Lee Miller, who has a small role as Charles Price in this serial, played Edmund Bertram in Rozema's adaptation.

<i>Mansfield Park</i> (2007 film) 2007 television film directed by Iain B. MacDonald

Mansfield Park is a 2007 British television film directed by Iain B. MacDonald and starring Billie Piper, Michelle Ryan, and Blake Ritson. Adapted from Jane Austen's classic 1814 novel of the same name, the film is about Fanny Price, who is sent by her poor mother to live with wealthy relatives at their Mansfield estate. By the age of eighteen, Fanny is in love with her sensitive cousin who is studying to be a clergyman. Her feelings for him and her moral sense prevent her from accepting a marriage proposal from a much wealthier suitor.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fanny Price</span> Fictional character

Frances "Fanny" Price is the heroine in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park. The novel begins when Fanny's overburdened, impoverished family—where she is both the second-born and the eldest daughter out of 10 children—sends her at the age of ten to live in the household of her wealthy uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, and his family at Mansfield Park. The novel follows her growth and development, concluding in early adulthood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry Crawford</span> Fictional character

Henry Crawford is one of the main characters in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park. He is depicted as a man who, though not conventionally handsome, has great charisma. He is lively, witty and charming, a great asset at dinner parties, and admired by nearly all. Henry and his sister bring a fresh energy to the rather dour and oppressive atmosphere of Mansfield Park. At Sotherton his potential for disruption begins to emerge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmund Bertram</span> Fictional character

Edmund Bertram is a lead character in Jane Austen's 1814 novel Mansfield Park. He is Sir Thomas's second son and plans to be ordained as a clergyman. He falls in love with Mary Crawford who constantly challenges his vocation. Edmund goes ahead with ordination. At the end of the novel he marries Fanny Price.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Bertram</span> Fictional character

Maria Bertram is a fictional character in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park.

Tom Bertram is a supporting character in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park. He is the elder son and heir of Sir Thomas Bertram, a baronet and wealthy landowner in Northamptonshire, who also owns an estate in Antigua.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Crawford (Mansfield Park)</span> Fictional character

Mary Crawford is a major character in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park. Mary is depicted as attractive, caring and charismatic. The reader is gradually shown, often through the eyes of Fanny Price, a hidden, darker side to Mary's personality. Her wit disguises her superficiality and her charisma disguises her self-centredness. Edmund Bertram, an earnest young man and destined for the clergy falls deeply in love with her. Only at the end of the novel does reality overcome his romantic fantasies and he leaves her with deep regret.

Jane Austen's (1775–1817) distinctive literary style relies on a combination of parody, burlesque, irony, free indirect speech and a degree of realism. She uses parody and burlesque for comic effect and to critique the portrayal of women in 18th-century sentimental and Gothic novels. Austen extends her critique by highlighting social hypocrisy through irony; she often creates an ironic tone through free indirect speech in which the thoughts and words of the characters mix with the voice of the narrator. The degree to which critics believe Austen's characters have psychological depth informs their views regarding her realism. While some scholars argue that Austen falls into a tradition of realism because of her finely executed portrayal of individual characters and her emphasis on "the everyday", others contend that her characters lack a depth of feeling compared with earlier works, and that this, combined with Austen's polemical tone, places her outside the realist tradition.

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Mansfield Park is a 2011 chamber opera in two acts by Jonathan Dove with a libretto by Alasdair Middleton based on the 1814 novel by Jane Austen. Initially composed for four handed piano, it has been set to music for 13 piece orchestral ensemble. It tells the story of poor relation Fanny Price, sent at age 10 to live with her uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, at his family estate, Mansfield Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr William Collins</span> Fictional character from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Mr William Collins is a fictional character in the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. He is the distant cousin of Mr Bennet, a clergyman and holder of a valuable living at the Hunsford parsonage near Rosings Park, the estate of his patroness Lady Catherine De Bourgh, in Kent. Since Mr and Mrs Bennet have no sons, Mr Collins is also the current heir presumptive to the Bennet family estate of Longbourn in Meryton, Hertfordshire, due to the estate being entailed to heirs male. Mr Collins is first introduced during his visit to Longbourn. His dull-witted character is in parallel to another 'Austen' character, Mr. Rushworth, from Mansfield Park. Mr Collins is also somewhat comparable to the Shakespearean character, Malvolio, from Twelfth Night.

Old Friends and New Fancies: An Imaginary Sequel to the Novels of Jane Austen (1913) is a novel by Sybil G. Brinton that is often acknowledged to be the first sequel to the works of Jane Austen and as such is possibly the first piece of published Austen fan fiction, although earlier examples have been described by Sarah Glosson. It incorporates characters from each of Austen's six major novels into one unified story, alongside characters of Brinton's own invention. Keeping to the spirit of the source novels, its major theme is the difficulties faced by assorted pairs of lovers placed within the class structure of early 19th century Britain.

References

  1. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 41.
  2. 1 2 Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 30.
  3. Wiltshire, John (1997). The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 59. ISBN   9780521498678.
  4. 1 2 Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 29.
  5. Donohue, Joseph (1965). "Ordination and the Divided House at Mansfield Park". ELH. 32 (2): 172. doi:10.2307/2872214. JSTOR   2872214.
  6. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 137.
  7. Shmoop Editorial Team. "Mr. Rushworth in Mansfield Park". Shmoop University, Inc. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. 1 2 Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 115.
  9. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 73.
  10. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 128.
  11. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. pp. 29–30.
  12. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. pp. 139–140.
  13. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 315.
  14. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. pp. 38–41.
  15. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. pp. 54–55.
  16. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. p. 69.
  17. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 70.
  18. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. pp. 72–73.
  19. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 75.
  20. Austen, Jane (1998). Mansfield Park. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. p. 97.
  21. , "Mansfield Park", 1983, BBC Miniseries, Directed by David Giles.
  22. , "Mansfield Park", 1999, Directed by Patricia Rozema.
  23. , "Mansfield Park", 2007, Directed by Iain MacDonald.

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