Even when agency is restricted and people must act without seeming to act, it's difficult to stop people from seeing themselves as subjects.

YES. I want to emblazon this across every discussion of women in history, or discussions of women in historical fiction.


The ambiguity of Fanny's role is interesting. I think, had events in the novel not gone the way they did, she might have ended up like that one woman in Emma (blanking on her name) who was single and had to care for her mother. I doubt, with Sir Thomas' consciousness of social class, Mrs. Norris' dislike, and Lady Bertram's apathy, that even Edmund could get Fanny to come "out" (especially as he doesn't even understand the concept). I think Fanny would have spent her life as a companion for Lady Bertram, with Sir Thomas occasionally thinking it's time for her to get married, but not excessively concerned about it because Fanny does take care of his wife.