Mansfield Park characters

Appears from the start

A shy, physically delicate girl sent from her crowded, poor home in Portsmouth to be raised by her wealthy Bertram relatives at Mansfield Park. Grateful but acutely conscious of her dependent position, she is observant, principled, and slow to claim attention even when she sees the moral risks others overlook.

Appears from the start

The owner of Mansfield Park and husband of Fanny's aunt Lady Bertram. Formal, reserved, and strongly conscious of duty and rank, he agrees to educate one of the Price children but intends to preserve a distinction between Fanny and his own children.

Appears from the start

Sir Thomas's indolent, placid wife and Fanny's maternal aunt. She spends much of her time on a sofa with her pug and delegates household effort to others, treating Fanny kindly when the girl can make herself useful without disturbing her comfort.

Appears from the start

Lady Bertram's widowed sister, who presents herself as energetic and self-denying while directing other people's choices and avoiding expense of her own. She proposes bringing Fanny to Mansfield but ensures that Sir Thomas bears the cost, then repeatedly reminds Fanny of her inferior status.

First appears in chapter 2

The younger Bertram son and the first person at Mansfield to recognize and relieve Fanny's homesickness. Intended for the church, he is considerate and serious, becoming her teacher, advocate, and closest friend within a household that often overlooks her.

First appears in chapter 2

The elder Bertram son and heir to Mansfield Park. Cheerful and careless, he regards Fanny as a dependent cousin rather than an equal and has already burdened the estate through expensive habits, forcing his father to sell a church living once meant for Edmund.

First appears in chapter 2

The elder Bertram daughter, handsome, accomplished, and accustomed to praise. She is old enough to understand the difference between Fanny and the family, and she accepts the household assumption that rank and fortune entitle her to precedence.

First appears in chapter 2

The younger Bertram daughter, raised with Maria in comfort and competition. Like her sister she is accomplished and socially confident, but the education both receive emphasizes appearances and achievement more than self-knowledge or moral discipline.

First appears in chapter 4

A very wealthy but dull young landowner engaged to Maria Bertram. He is proud of Sotherton, his large estate, and speaks readily about improving it, while his limited conversation leaves Maria attentive to the security and status of the match rather than to personal compatibility.

First appears in chapter 4

The charming brother of Mrs Grant, newly visiting the Mansfield neighborhood with his sister Mary. Financially independent and disinclined to settle down, he enjoys attention and arrives without any serious plan for marriage.

First appears in chapter 4

Henry Crawford's lively, accomplished sister, who comes to stay with their half-sister Mrs Grant. Used to fashionable London society, she is witty and attractive but speaks lightly of the clergy and measures marriage partly through wealth and position.

First appears in chapter 13

A fashionable friend Tom Bertram brings to Mansfield after meeting him at Weymouth. His enthusiasm for amateur theatre revives the younger party's desire to stage a play during Sir Thomas's absence, and he confidently joins their private household arrangements as if already at home.

First appears in chapter 26

Fanny's beloved elder brother and closest companion from her Portsmouth childhood. Now a naval midshipman, he visits Mansfield on leave. His affection for Fanny is unchanged, and his active service and lack of influential connections make professional advancement an urgent concern.

First appears in chapter 38

Fanny's fourteen-year-old sister, living amid the noise and disorder of the Price household in Portsmouth. She is blunt and insufficiently educated but eager for improvement, and Fanny recognizes in her a better nature that has received little guidance or encouragement.