Being FooledSay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayWhat role does deception play in courtship? In marriage? In Volume I of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, Henry and Mary Crawford engage in a conversation with their sister, Mrs. Grant, about this very question. The conversation occurs soon after the Crawfords arrive at the rectory to be with Mrs. Grant, and becomes an initial introduction to the characters' beliefs, as well as their opinions of the Bertrams. The passage not only employs dramatic irony, it foreshadows the romantic turmoil that lies ahead, and also gives the reader a closer look at the characters' beliefs about marriage and courtship. The passage shows two examples of dramatic irony. The first is Henry's statement that "Miss Bertram is very fond of Mr. Rushworth," followed by his statement that he "thinks too highly of Miss Bertram to suppose that she would ever give him her hand without her heart" ( 34). Both of these statements reflect his opinion of Maria Bertram's motives, but also suggest that he favors her. His sisters see these statements as evidence that he has been "deceived" or, in other words, deceived (34). As the reader may already know at this point, Henry's initial hypotheses are, in fact, false. This is an example of dramatic irony: because there is "a discrepancy between a character's perception and what the reader or audience knows to be true" (Murfin and Ray 224). This dramatic irony is found in Mary's thought that Tom Bertram "had more liveliness and gallantry than Edmund, and must, therefore, be preferred; he knew it was his way" (Austen 35). Mary's other words and actions in this part of the novel reveal that she does not want Tom only because he is lively and gallant, but also because he is the eldest of Bertram's sons and will therefore inherit the estate. This early deduction and decision on Mary's part to "prefer" Tom to Edmund is, much like Henry's initial opinion of Mary, soon revealed to be false. It turns out that Mary prefers Edmund for the simple reason that Tom has been out of town for a long period of time. When the reader encounters this change in Mary's decision, they are reminded of Mary's initial decision and how easily it was forgotten. This is not the only instance in which Mary betrays her beliefs about how women should behave during courtship. In this passage, Mary expresses her opinion that being "welcomed" is a natural part of any marriage, where, of all transactions, it is the one in which people expect the most from others and are least honest (34). This statement is evidence of his belief that marriage is a "maneuvering business", in which people must deceive each other to gain favor and acceptance. This statement, however, is reversed later in the novel when Mary continues to bluntly express her disgust towards clergymen and their salary, yet Edmund, who is determined to become an ordained minister himself, continues to seek her out. Even though she is brutally honest about her opinions, he is not discouraged and still seeks her hand in marriage. She doesn't try to hide her true feelings, even if they are unpleasant and hurtful to Edmund, yet none of this stops Edmund from pursuing her. This belies his initial sentiment that marriage is initially based on deception and that all married (and soon-to-be married) couples deceive each other in hopes of gaining the other's favor. The passage also sheds light on opinions, 2003.