"How Do You Solve a Problem Like Fanny Price?": Mansfield Park (1999) Versus Mansfield Park (2007).

Abstract

First paragraph: Mansfield Park (1816) is often considered the least favorite novel of Austen scholars, filmmakers, and Janeites. Arguably Austen’s most moralistic and unromantic novel, directors have found difficulty in adapting the text to suit the tastes of modern audiences. Adaptations of Mansfield Park are rare, and those that exist are not textually faithful. However, if adaptations are “[their] own palimpsestic thing[s]” (Hutcheon 6) that are “haunted at all times by their adapted texts” (8), then analysis of textual infidelity in Austen adaptations can offer interesting insights into the relationships between the author, her novels, and contemporary audiences in their relevant socio-political contexts. Director Patricia Rozema is aware of the power of adaptative work to critique and question canonical texts, as shown through her 1999 version of Mansfield Park. Influenced by contemporary scholarship surrounding race, feminism, and class, Rozema’s film changes and expands upon some details from the novel in order to analyze Austen’s text through a post-colonial, queer lens. On the other hand, Independent Television (ITV)’s 2007 adaptation of the novel, rather than expanding upon silences of the novel, misses out much detail and interacts superficially with Austen. Aiming to boost ratings, ITV presents Mansfield Park as a straightforward romance, rebranding Fanny and her story in order to generate viewership and adhere to market values. Whilst both adaptations are not exact copies of the original text, Rozema’s adaptation makes clever use of cinematic techniques to produce an exciting and intertextually rich perspective on Mansfield Park by incorporating contemporary debates in scholarship, leading to a more successful adaptation.