In my previous post about Mary's attitude to Religion I concluded that Mary is "decidedly anti-religion". A couple of lines in this week's chapters have modified my view.

In ch.35, Edmund says of Henry:

“Say, rather, that he has not thought at all upon serious subjects, which I believe to be a good deal the case. How could it be otherwise, with such an education and adviser? Under the disadvantages, indeed, which both have had, is it not wonderful that they should be what they are?

This could equally well be a description of Mary, so instead of saying that Mary is "anti-religion", it is probably more accurate to describe her as indifferent to religion.

The other line which gave me pause for thought is in ch.37. The narrator says:

Experience might have hoped more for any young people so circumstanced, and impartiality would not have denied to Miss Crawford’s nature that participation of the general nature of women which would lead her to adopt the opinions of the man she loved and respected as her own.

I have my doubts about this. It is clear that Mary is allergic to being preached at and to having to attend prayers or church services, so I think Edmund would have an uphill task to bring her round to his way of thinking. However, indifference to the ideas of Religion is perhaps not so intractable as an absolute rejection of those ideas. JA seems to be implying that Edmund's task might not be impossible, and who am I to disbelieve her?