History YMMV / MansfieldPark

* {{Macekre}}: Some people feel that various adaptations of ''Mansfield Park'' itself, notably the 1999 movie and the 2007 film, are vile travesties of the book, based on statements by filmmakers in each case saying that they didn't find the character of Fanny very interesting.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Serious scholarly version: Many critics are of the opinion that Mary Crawford is similar to [[PrideAndPrejudice Elizabeth Bennet]]. While both Lizzie and Mary are extroverted, fearless, and independent young women, Lizzie still has moral standards, comprehension and empathy that Mary notably lacks. Lizzie was an affectionate and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] SpiritedYoungLady, whereas Mary is a selfish SpiritedYoungLady with no regard for the happiness of the people around her, [[EvenEvilHasTheirLovedOnes except for her brother]].

* DracoInLeatherPants: Serious scholarly version: Many critics are of the opinion that Mary Crawford is similar to [[PrideAndPrejudice Elizabeth Bennet]]. While both Lizzie and Mary are extroverted, fearless, and independent young women, Lizzie still has moral standards, comprehension and empathy that Mary notably lacks. Lizzie was an affectionate and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] SpiritedYoungLady, whereas Mary is a selfish SpiritedYoungLady with no regard for the happiness of the people around her.

** Some modern readers take the scene where Mary Crawford first tries to talk Edmund out of joining the clergy as her being ObviouslyEvil - assuming that joining the church meant a deep spiritual commitment and Mary was dissing that. However, in Austen's times, the clergy was one of a very few "respectable" professions (the others being law, medicine and the military) open to the younger sons of gentlemen, and so there were a lot of men taking orders less out of a deep religious sentiment than due to it being the best of those limited options.
** The first of the early warning signs that Mary Crawford is a BitchInSheepsClothing seem less blatant when looked at through modern eyes. [[ThickerThanWater She makes an]] [[MyCountryRightOrWrong open criticism of her uncle]]. Also, Edmund is opposed to the play on many grounds-but one of them is the 'indecency' of his sisters being on stage in front of an audience. Something we would not bat an eye at today.

*** Except that, no matter how normal ''playing'' would be... it is still an excuse for Maria flirting with another boy than her fiance, right in front of him. This is still pretty mean-spirited by many current people's standards, and Fanny's disapproval on this ground is completely justified. Doing something close from flirting ''and'' playing on a way that could cause a bad reputation is something that can easily cause BigBrotherInstinct.

*** Except that, no matter how normal ''playing'' would be... it is still an excuse for Maria flirting with another boy than her fiance, right in front of him. This is still pretty mean-spirited by many current people's standards, and Fanny's disapproval on this ground is completely justified. Doing something close from flirting ''and'' playing on a way that could cause a bad reputation is something than can cause BigBrotherInstinct.

*** Except that, no matter how normal ''playing'' would be... it is still an excuse for Maria flirting with another boy than her fiance, right in front of him. This is still pretty mean-spirited, and Fanny's disapproval on this ground is completely justified. Doing something close from flirting ''and'' playing on a way that could cause a bad reputation is something than can cause BigBrotherInstinct.

** The first of the early warning signs that Mary Crawford is a BitchInSheepsClothing seem less blatant when looked at through modern eyes. [[ThickerThanWater She makes an]] [[MyCountryRightOrWrong open criticism of her uncle]]. Also, Edmund is opposed to the play on many grounds-but one of them is the 'indecency' of his sisters being on stage in front of an audience. Something we would not bat an eye at today.

* CompleteMonster: Mrs. Norris. Fanny, the heroine, has done nothing to her, but Mrs. Norris makes her life miserable anyway.

** The first of the early warning signs that Mary Crawford is a BitchInSheepsClothing seem less blatant when looked at through modern eyes. She makes an open criticism of her uncle. Also, Edmund is opposed to the play on many grounds-but one of them is the 'indecency' of his sisters being on stage in front of an audience. Something we would not bat an eye at today.

** A lot of scholars see his escape with Maria Bertram as a premisce of elopement, or a sexual intercourse. It symbolizes, at least, his willingness to ''almost'' help cheating on Maria's fiance.

** Probably a delibarate RontheDeathEater on Austen's part.

** Some modern readers take the scene where Mary Crawford first tries to talk Edmund out of joining the clergy as her being ObviouslyEvil - assuming that joining the church meant a deep spiritual commitment and Mary was dissing that. However, in Austen's times, the clergy was one of a very few "respectable" professions (the others being law, medicine and the military) open to the younger sons of gentlemen, and so there were a lot of men taking orders less out of a deep religious sentiment than due to it being the best of those limited options.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Many critics are under the delusion that Mary Crawford is similar to [[PrideAndPrejudice Elizabeth Bennet]]. While both Lizzie and Mary are extroverted, fearless, and independent young women, Lizzie still has moral standards, comprehension and empathy that Mary notably lacks. Lizzie was an affectionate and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] SpiritedYoungLady, whereas Mary is a selfish SpiritedYoungLady with no regard for the happiness of the people around her.

** Some modern readers take the scene where Mary Crawford first tries to talk Edmund out of joining the clergy as her being ObviouslyEvil - assuming that joining the church meant a deep spiritual commitment and Mary was dissing that. However, in Austen's times, the clergy was one of a very few "respectable" professions (the others being law/politics, medicine and the military) open to the younger sons of gentlemen, and so there were a lot of men taking orders less out of a deep religious sentiment than due to it being the best of those limited options.

** Some modern readers take the scene where Mary Crawford first tries to talk Edmund out of joining the clergy as her being ObviouslyEvil - assuming that joining the church meant a deep spiritual commitment and Mary was dissing that. However, in Austen's times, the clergy was one of a very few "respectable" professions (the others being law/politics, the army and medicine) open to the younger sons of gentlemen, and so there were a lot of men taking orders less out of a deep religious sentiment than due to it being the best of those limited options.

* ValuesDissonance: KissingCousins and the infamous UnfortunateImplications.

* TheScrappy: Fanny is the least popular of Austen's heroine - though sometimes competing with [[{{Persuasion}} Anne Elliot]].

* TheScrappy: Fanny is generally the least popular Austen heroine - though sometimes competing with [[{{Persuasion}} Anne Elliot]].

* DracoInLeatherPants: Many critics are under the delusion that Mary Crawford is similar to [[PrideAndPrejudice Elizabeth Bennet]]. While both Lizzie and Mary are extroverted, fearless, and independent young women, Lizzie still has moral standards, comprehension and empathy that Mary notably lacks. Lizzie was affectionate and [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]] SpiritedYoungLady, whereas Mary is a selfish SpiritedYoungLady with no regard for the happiness of the people around her.
* [[FanPreferredCouple Fan Preferred Couples]]: Quite a few Janeites wish the novel had ended with [[spoiler:Fanny/Henry Crawford]] and [[spoiler:Edmund/Mary Crawford]] instead of [[spoiler:Fanny/Edmund]], despite that Austen always strives to show that true love arises from similarity of character and that [[RealityEnsues the bad boys will not change for a girl]].

* DerailingLoveInterests: Edmund is generally a better person than Henry Crawford throughout the novel, but when Henry [[runs off with Maria]], this seems substantially worse than anything we've seen from him so far. Some readers see it as Austen's attempt to justify Fanny's decision, while others see consistent moral development of character.