Mansfield Park Ch. 12: A Dance by Accident

Summary

Tom returns at the end of August, gay and full of races and Weymouth. Henry Crawford goes off to Norfolk for a fortnight and comes back, and each Bertram sister believes herself his favourite. Fanny, who cannot see him with either of them without wonder or censure, hints at her doubts to Edmund. He answers that Mrs Grant thinks it is Julia.

At an impromptu dance at the Park, which is Fanny's first ball, she sits out among the chaperons and overhears Mrs Norris tell Mrs Rushworth that Julia and Mr Crawford are a match, with four thousand a year. Tom offers to dance with Fanny only as a languid favour, and she refuses. Later Mrs Norris tells him to join a card table. He gets out of it by pulling Fanny into the dance, for his own convenience and not for her.

In this chapter: Key Quotes

Why This Matters

Marrying for Advantage or for Esteem

Watch Maria choose an income, Mary Crawford name a creed of advantage, and Henry's offer test the difference. Tom returns at the end of August, gay and full of races and Weymouth.

Before you say yes to a big commitment, write down what you are being paid and what you are giving up.

Coming Up in Chapter 13

Tom's new friend Mr Yates tells a story about a play that was never acted, and the idea takes hold at Mansfield.

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Original text

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Chapter 12

A Dance by Accident

Sir Thomas was to return in November, and his eldest son had duties to call him earlier home. The approach of September brought tidings of Mr. Bertram, first in a letter to the gamekeeper and then in a letter to Edmund; and by the end of August he arrived himself, to be gay, agreeable, and gallant again as occasion served, or Miss Crawford demanded; to tell of races and Weymouth, and parties and friends, to which she might have listened six weeks before with some interest, and altogether to give her the fullest conviction, by the power of actual comparison,…

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Critical Thinking Exercise

12 minutes

Practise Marrying for Advantage or for Esteem

Write six lines on A Dance by Accident: who asked, who paid, and what you would have said. Keep it to this chapter.

Consider:

•The working skill is Marrying for Advantage or for Esteem.
•Use only beats from this chapter.
•Name a cost, not a slogan.

Master this chapter. Complete your experience

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Summary

In this chapter: Key Quotes

Why This Matters

Marrying for Advantage or for Esteem

Watch Maria choose an income, Mary Crawford name a creed of advantage, and Henry's offer test the difference. Tom returns at the end of August, gay and full of races and Weymouth.

Before you say yes to a big commitment, write down what you are being paid and what you are giving up.