Fanny's Gaze and the Construction of Feminine Space in "Mansfield Park"

Abstract

This article re-evaluates the protagonist of "Mansfield Park" through the lens of gaze theory, asserting that Fanny Price withstands the gaze of the male characters while imposing her own powerful gaze, which encompasses views, tastes, morality, and emotions. According to this reading, Jane Austen seems to be imparting to Fanny certain principles of the moral philosophy of Adam Smith, who argued that the moral guide for one's actions should be an imagined, potential spectator, not a literal one. While the other female characters submit to the male gaze, Fanny exemplifies agency by employing a moral gaze reinforced by feminine sensibility.