Posted by Kali on April 28, 1997 at 20:08:05:
In reply to Re: Henry Crawford posted by Serena on April 28, 1997 at 06:47:33
I really think Fanny would not have had him anyhow, she was sold on Edmund from too long ago.
As do I...but Austen does write that had Edmund married Mary, Fanny would have ended up with Crawford. Does this mean that Austen was saving Fanny from a terrible fate, or rather that Crawford would have remained a changed man had he succeeded with Fanny? I can't say. I'm not really convinced either way about Crawford's intentions...and, considering the descriptions of his post-Maria anguish at having lost Fanny forever, I'm not too sure that the Maria affair was a rational, sober-minded decision anyway - he was probably crazy. While not the same kind of what-the-hell-happened-here kind of 180 pulled on Mary, Crawford's indiscretion isn't entirely believable for me.
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