#my chosen profession

[rosie-b]

Really hope this backfires on him there are so many sweet cat ladies

[redheadarcher]

Somewhere in the multiverse, Scarlett decided not to follow in her parents' footsteps as an agent and hero. Instead, she chose to lead a somewhat more normal life and devoted her time and attention to becoming an olympic athlete. As a gymnast or archer, it doesn't matter.

[sailforvalinor]

Who doesn't like Edmund??????? HOW can they not like Edmund?????????? He's the best of the Bertrums!!!!

Well, to be fair, being the best of the Bertrams is not too difficult, lol.

But yes, a LOT of people dislike Edmund, like, probably the majority of the Austen community. I agree!!! It’s so frustrating!!!

Like, Darcy insulted Elizabeth’s family to her face and actively separated her sister from the man she loved, Captain Wentworth ignored Anne’s existence and courted other girls in front of her on purpose, Edward was engaged to another woman while courting Elinor, and we give them passes, but we come down so hard on Edmund for *checks notes* letting Mary ride on Fanny’s horse for too long.

Yes yes, obviously there was more to that incident, but the point still stands—Edmund has committed far less grievous mistakes than most Austen heroes, but he’s the most hated. Why is this??

There’s a couple reasons for this, I think: we never get to see him actually in love with Fanny, and, unlike most Austen heroes, he never gets to perform any sort of grand gesture to make amends for his mistakes. We know that he does fall in love with Fanny and that these amends must have been made (especially seeing how quick he is to apologize to Fanny when he realizes he's been neglecting her in other places in the novel), but Austen deliberately chooses to narrate these events without actually giving them to us directly. Admittedly, this frustrates me, but I understand why: Mansfield Park is not a love story. There is a romance in the story, but that isn't what the narrative is fundamentally concerned with--the narrative is fundamentally concerned with Fanny's development and strength of character independent of (you might even say in spite of) the other characters in the novel. Unlike Pride and Prejudice or Emma, Fanny's character development is not incited by the actions of the hero (which, to be clear, I don't have any issue with--Mansfield Park just has a different narrative formula). Fanny overall is what you might call a static character--not in the sense that she is not fleshed-out or well-developed, but in that she does not go through a lot of character change. Rather, instead of her arc being about changing to become a better person, her arc is about her struggle to remain the good person that she is in spite of outside pressure to change to become more like the rest of the world. (For a really good example of a static character arc, look no further than Captain America!) It's not that Fanny doesn't go through any character growth whatsoever, she definitely does, but this growth overall roots her more deeply into what she believed before, rather than inciting change. The more I think about it, actually, the more it seems like Mansfield Park is a typical "Austen" story told from the perspective of the love interest.

It is actually Edmund who goes through the more dynamic character arc that we associate with most protagonists--which is why I've been thinking for ages that a retelling of Mansfield Park from his perspective could be REALLY interesting. Because told from his perspective, Mansfield Park undoubtedly becomes a love story where it did not hold that status previously. And Edmund would make such a great protagonist!!! There is SO MUCH about his character that I find absolutely fascinating. He of course has a very strong moral compass, which is something I've always admired him for, and despite his attraction to Mary and delusion about her character, is never once even tempted to change his profession from a clergyman to earn Mary's love. We really don't give Edmund enough credit for coming out so well-adjusted and morally upright as he did, coming from a family like the Bertram's. He is also fundamentally very kind, but what's so interesting about him is that he is not, though he certainly tries, always the most attentive. He certainly never neglects Fanny on purpose and is horrified when he finds out that he has, but the fact still remains that he is not the most emotionally perceptive (I'm actually very tempted to draw some parallels between him and Catherine Morland here). Edmund possesses a lot of book-smarts, but is somewhat lacking in social intelligence--or, for lack of a better term, street-smarts. I don't know what textual evidence there is to support this, but I've always had the impression that up until the beginning of the novel, Edmund hadn't had much experience mingling in society, given how as soon as he finished college he was brought straight home to manage Sir Bertram's estate while he was away in Antigua. Regardless of whether or not this is actually the case, it's clear that Edmund is a terrible judge of character despite how morally upright he himself is, which is absolutely fascinating to me. (Again! Catherine parallels!!) Fanny makes a direct contrast to Edmund in this regard--she does not possess the same book knowledge or have the advantage of the education that he had, but she is, though unconsciously, the most emotionally intelligent person in the room and the best judge of character in the entire book.

It is this contrast, but with their shared beliefs about the world and what is right and good, that cements my belief in how well-suited they are for each other. Edmund does not challenge Fanny to change, but Fanny's steadfastness of character does motivate Edmund to change--when he realizes that she perceived what sort of person Henry Crawford was all along and that she was right to refuse him, it exposes to him just how blind he is to the character of others. Edmund basically goes through the same sort of arc that Austen's heroines go through, but this time the roles have been reversed! IT'S JUST SO COOL

Anyway, sorry for rambling. TL;DR, I'm not going to try to convince you that Edmund Bertram is on the same level as Mr. Knightley or Mr. Tilney, but PLEASE examine him critically before you write him off as trash, because he really isn't.

[herssian]

i think all humans are capable of creating and do create even when they don’t realize they are, in various frequencies, forms, and across different mediums or aspects of life, but i truly believe there are some people who were made to create first and foremost and everything else comes second. i don’t know what the percentage is and i don’t know how many were taught to put it on the back burner because “that’s not how life or society works”, but it’s always sad to see the general public, especially those in charge, unwilling to give support to their creatives and help them flourish. it’d be a boon for everyone in the end, we all partake in art to be entertained or soothed or healed :(

[foxtrot91]

I want so badly to write one of the many fics I have started but I have 2 big assignments due in a week so I caaaan’t 😩

[ink-and-dagger]

I hope you are having an amazing day and I wish only the best of luck and whimsy and happiness upon you 🩷

I'm so sorry I'm a few days late in responding to this sweet anon - I've just had the longest and most hectic week ever. Thank you for your sweet message <3 <3 <3

[dyrewrites]

I would like all the spambots to know:

I have no money.

I made $4 last month.

Please stop. You're just making me sad.

[innielove]

im gonna lose it over how 95% of marketing jobs i find want to employ people with 1-5 years experience, a drivers license, graphics design and video editing knowledge, probably with some programming knowledge, also you should have been born into an agency sucks to be you✌🏻

[mythrae]

There has to be a reason why Borislav Slavov made Down By the River, The Power, AND The Nightsong all very similar. And I am going to get to the bottom of this if it’s the last thing I do!!!

[intraosseous]

i think this program might kill me for real

[julianresso]

Could you please rank the sciences for us? What are the sciences best to worst?

God, there's too fucking many to count. Subjective, too.

Personally? Biochemistry at the top; astrophysics at the bottom.

[woozification]

i have to send an email that i DON’T WANNA SEND

[campingwiththecharmings]

lol this lady isn't even a client and she's fucking demanding shit from me and just generally being a condescending bitch. like. ma'am, i understand that you're in a stressful situation, but this is not how you get people to help you out. kindly, go fuck yourself.

[gottagobuycheese]

last year it was getting interrupted every time I tried to eat something on Official Premises, this year it’s suddenly being shunted 5 hours away and put on nights for a week...truly hwang si-mok hours...

[lavenderteacat]

vent post but oh my god!!! I cannot wait to be done with school forever the day cannot come soon enough let me OUT!!!!

[the-boy-branithar]

the thing these intellectual art Understanders never ever understand is that sometimes these emotional and intellectual artists deliberately make art that looks really boring and uninspiring to the average viewer and that feeling bored and uninspired by a piece of art is a valid emotional response to it because the nature of art is that it makes different people feel things and not everyone has the life experiences necessary to want to feel Intellectual and Superior to the lowly general public when they view art. Some people prefer art that is beautiful and interesting. Maybe Klein should have invented a better pigment. If he didn't want people to have a broad variety of responses to his piece, maybe he should have sold his Emotional and Intellectual painting to a private collector who would appreciate it Correctly instead of letting us idiots who Don't Get It look at it.

abstract and modern art haters are sooo snobby like klein literally Created an entirely new pigment and then painted a canvas in a way where the brush strokes wouldn't be visible. the insinuation that people with no skill could reproduce that is so annoying because unless you are skilled at color mixing and painting you definitely couldn’t lmao