Mansfield Park is a study of three families - the Bertrams, the Crawfords,and the Prices - with the isolated figure of the heroine, Fanny Price, at itscentre. Fanny's quiet passivity, her steadfast loyalty and love for the son ofthe family who regard her as the poor relation, are among the qualities whosetrue worth is not appreciated until they are tried against the brilliant andwitty Mary and Henry Crawford, the unfortunate consequences of whose influenceare felt by everyone. Jane Austen uses Fanny's emotional involvement with thepeople around her to explore the social and moral values by which she and theytry to order their lives.First published in 1814, the text of this edition is taken from R. W. Chapman'sOxford edition.