Replying to Avatar MichaelJ

"Mr. Rushworth was an inferior young man, as ignorant in business as in books, with opinions in general unfixed, and without seeming much aware of it himself."

-- Jane Austin, Mansfield Park

This line seems to sum up the societal expectations placed on a gentleman in Jane Austen's time. I couldn't help but think of young people today "ignorant in...books," and "opinions in general unfixed."

Thoughts?
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Low Information Voter 2y ago

Clearly Mr Rushworth lacked the "benefit" of centralised social media, and of university education.

There is no way a contemporary analogue could have "opinions in general unfixed". :-p

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MichaelJ 2y ago

I think the more important point in the novel is that he doesn't have his own opinions. He's quick to agree with whoever he perceives as the smartest person in the room, rather than thinking deeply, formulating his own opinions, and defending them.