Henry Crawford

Henry Crawford
Henry Crawford
Henry Crawford (portrayed by Joseph Beattie) with his sister, Mary Crawford, in the 2007 BBC television drama Mansfield Park
Henry Crawford (portrayed by Joseph Beattie) with his sister, Mary Crawford, in the 2007 BBC television drama Mansfield Park
Gender Male
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Income £4,000 per annum
Rank gentleman
Family
Romantic interest(s) Maria Bertram, Fanny Price
Parents Mr and Mrs Crawford (both deceased)
Children None
Sibling(s) Mary Crawford (full sister), Mrs. Grant (half sister)

Henry Crawford is one of the main characters in Jane Austen's 1814 novel, Mansfield Park. He is depicted as a man who only attempts to amuse himself, and at the end is proven to be a reprobate.

Contents

First Arrival to Mansfield Park

Henry Crawford comes to Mansfield Park with his sister, Mary Crawford to stay with their half-sister, the wife of the local clergyman. They both are wealthy and extravagant with elegant London heirs. Henry has an estate worth about four thousand pounds a year, and his sister Mary has twenty thousand pounds, which now is equivalent to about two million pounds. When he first comes Mansfield Park, he is seen as a suitable match for Julia, the younger of the two daughters of the wealthy Bertram family, Maria Bertram and Julia. However, both sisters are attracted to him despite Maria's engagement to their neighbour, the wealthy but unintelligent Mr Rushworth. Henry initially flirts with Julia, the younger one, but gradually gives his full attention to Maria. This causes dissension between the sisters. While Henry temporarily returns to his estate in Norfolk, Maria marries Mr. Rushworth, because she believes that Henry does not love her and she wants to leave her family home because she feels stifled there.

Henry and Fanny

When Henry returns to Mansfield Park, he decides to amuse himself by making Fanny Price, the poor cousin of the Bertrams, fall in love with him. However, because of Fanny's sweet conduct and forbearance, Henry gradually falls genuinely in love with her. To try and make himself seem better in her eyes, he intercedes with his uncle, an admiral, to use his influence in the Royal Navy to obtain a promotion for Fanny's brother William from midshipman to lieutenant. He then proposes to Fanny, but to his surprise, she refuses him, for several reasons. She is secretly in love with her cousin Edmund Bertram and she believes Crawford to be improper in his conduct with Maria Bertram and that he would not be a serious and constant lover. Fanny's uncle, Sir Thomas, is very displeased and demands that she marry Crawford as he believes that this would be a most advantageous marriage for her. Fanny remains resolutely opposed to the marriage although her uncle reproaches her very severely. However, Henry is not discouraged. He continues to solicit her love. Sir Thomas Bertram decides to send Fanny back to her own family who live in relatively poor circumstances in Portsmouth so that she might see how marriage to Crawford would be a better option. While she is there Henry visits her and proves that he is more constant than she believed as well as demonstrating his acceptance of her family's state.

Henry with Maria

Henry returns to London where he meets the now married Maria and persuades her to elope with him, bringing shame and disgrace on her and irrevocably destroying any good impression he had made with Fanny during his courtship. At the end of the book, the narrator speculates that if Henry had been more patient, Fanny would most likely have accepted him, for Fanny's lover, her cousin Edmund Bertram, would have married Mary if she had not attempted to justify her brother's scandalous affair with Maria.

Portrayals


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Crawford House — bezeichnet mehrere gleichnamige, im NRHP gelistete, Objekte: Crawford House (Colorado), NRHP Nr. 05000782 Crawford House (Iowa), NRHP Nr. 83000398 Crawford House (Boyle County, Kentucky), NRHP Nr. 76000852 Crawford House (Pulaski County,… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Crawford Henry — Crawford I. Henry (born May 30, 1937, in Atlanta, Georgia) is a former professional tennis player. A high school tennis star in Georgia, Henry won the high school championship as a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior. He never lost a match in …   Wikipedia

  • Henry Duncan (Captain) — Henry Duncan (24 November 1735 ndash; 7 October 1814), a British naval officer who participated in the American Revolutionary War. Duncan was born in Dundee, Scotland on to Alexander Duncan, Town Clerk of Dundee, and Isobel Crawford.The parish… …   Wikipedia

  • Crawford Palmer — Medal record Competitor for  France Men s Basketball Olympic Games Silver …   Wikipedia

  • Crawford expedition — Part of the American Revolutionary War …   Wikipedia

  • Crawford-Dorsey House and Cemetery — U.S. National Register of Historic Places …   Wikipedia

  • Crawford County, Missouri — Location in the state of Missouri …   Wikipedia

  • Crawford Goldsby — Born February 8, 1876(1876 02 08) San Angelo, Texas, United States Died March 17, 1896(1896 03 17) …   Wikipedia

  • Henry Hull Carlton — (* 14. Mai 1835 in Athens; † 26. Oktober 1905 ebenda) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker. Zwischen 1887 und 1891 vertrat er den Bundesstaat Georgia im US Repräsentantenhaus. Werdegang Henry Carlton besuchte die öffentlichen Schulen seiner He …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Henry R. Harris — Henry Richard Harris (* 2. Februar 1828 in Sparta, Hancock County, Georgia; † 15. Oktober 1909 in Odessadale, Georgia) war ein US amerikanischer Politiker. Zwischen 1873 und 1879 sowie nochmals von 1885 bis 1887 vertrat er den Bundesstaat… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”