Spatial Boundaries and Moral Order in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park

Abstract

This article examines the representation and preservation of home in Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park (1814) through three interrelated spatial levels: the estate of Mansfield Park, the countryside, and Britain, all of which are represented in a state of moral crisis. Arguing that spatial boundaries signify moral and ideological boundaries, this analysis explores how the novel constructs and maintains distinctions between domestic and public spheres, rural and urban values, and Britain and its colony Antigua. The disappearance of the clearly demarcated boundaries between what lies within and outside of home leads to the disruption of the status quo with potentially destructive results. The transgression of these boundaries, through theatrical chaos within the estate, the allure and corruption associated with London, and the economic reliance on slavery in Antigua, reveals the fragility of the moral structures that define the sanctity of Mansfield Park as home. By presenting the consequences of spatial transgression and the silence surrounding colonial exploitation, the novel underscores that home is not merely inherited but must be continuously protected.

Keywords

• Jane Austen
• Mansfield Park
• home
• moral order
• countryside
• city
• colonialism

Thanks

This article is a revised and extended version of the presentation with the same title, presented at “The 16th International IDEA Conference: Studies in English,” Cappadocia University, April 24-26, 2024.

Jane Austen’in Mansfield Park Romanında Mekânsal Sınırlar ve Ahlaki Düzen

Abstract

Bu makale, Jane Austen'ın Mansfield Park (1814) romanında evin temsilini ve korunmasını, birbiriyle ilişkili ve hepsi ahlaki bir kriz halinde temsil edilen, üç mekânsal düzey üzerinden incelemektedir: Mansfield Park mülkü, kırsal kesim ve Britanya. Mekânsal sınırların ahlaki ve ideolojik sınırları ifade ettiğini savunan bu inceleme, romanın ev ve kamusal alan, kırsal ve kentsel değerler, Britanya ve kolonisi Antigua arasındaki ayrımları nasıl kurduğunu ve koruduğunu ele almaktadır. Evin içinde ve dışında yer alanlar arasındaki açıkça çizilmiş sınırların ortadan kalkması, potansiyel olarak yıkıcı sonuçları beraberinde getirerek statükonun bozulmasına yol açar. Bu sınırların çeşitli şekillerde aşılması, evin içerisindeki teatral kaos, Londra ile ilişkilendirilen cazibe ve yozlaşma ve Antigua'daki köleliğe ekonomik açıdan bağımlılık, Mansfield Park'ın ev olarak kutsallığını tanımlayan ahlaki yapıların kırılganlığını ortaya koymaktadır. Roman, mekânsal sınırların aşılmasının sonuçlarını ve sömürgeciliği çevreleyen sessizliği ortaya koyarak, evin yalnızca miras alınmadığını, aynı zamanda sürekli olarak korunması gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

• Jane Austen
• Mansfield Park
• ev
• ahlaki düzen
• kırsal
• kent
• sömürgeleşme

Thanks

This article is a revised and extended version of the presentation with the same title, presented at “The 16th International IDEA Conference: Studies in English,” Cappadocia University, April 24-26, 2024.

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