Jane Austen’s most overlooked novel contains her best villain. I speak, of course, of Mansfield Park, home of the least-liked heroine in Austen’s oeuvre, Fanny Price. Alas for Fanny, she is a much maligned, much misunderstood character, and is often seen as weak and prudish. While my defenses of Fanny are many (and have been briefly documented), I’m here to propose another unpopular opinion: Fanny’s Aunt Norris is far, far worse than any and all of Austen’s other unsavory characters.
Pride and Prejudice’s George Wickham, Sense and Sensibility’s Willoughby, and Persuasion’s Mr. Elliot all certainly have their claims to sleaziness, but no matter how much they seduce and preen, their actions in their respective tales can’t rival the vile stench Mrs. Norris spreads wherever she appears.
Comments