Posted by Zoe on May 17, 1997 at 15:03:16:
In reply to Mary Crawford: Impropriety v Hypocrisy posted by Anna on May 16, 1997 at 23:58:37
] I think it Mary's opnion of her uncle justified; to me,
for Mary to speak well of him would be hypocrisy.
... [I]t seems to me that Mary was being honest whilst
Edmund and Fanny are advocating hypocrisy.
Mary's opinion of her uncle is justified. What is not
justified is her speaking ill of him in company. She is
violating the responsibility of someone who has accepted
hospitality. I don't think Fanny or Edmund expect Mary to
say anything about her uncle that is not true, i.e., she
needn't speak well of his sexual mores, but they do expect
her to acknowledge his generosity in taking her and Henry
in, and think he has a right not to be derided by her.
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