"Can I speak
with you, Fanny, for a few minutes?" said he.
"Yes,
certainly."
"I want to
consult. I want your opinion."
"My
opinion!" she cried, shrinking from such a compliment, highly as it
gratified her.
"Yes, your
advice and opinion. I do not know what to do. This acting scheme gets worse and
worse, you see. They have chosen almost as bad a play as they could, and now,
to complete the business, are going to ask the help of a young man very
slightly known to any of us. This is the end of all the privacy and propriety
which was talked about at first. I know no harm of Charles Maddox; but the
excessive intimacy which must spring from his being admitted among us in this
manner is highly objectionable, the more than intimacy—the familiarity. I
cannot think of it with any patience; and it does appear to me an evil of such
magnitude as must, if possible, be prevented. Do not you see it in the same
light?"
"Yes; but what
can be done? Your brother is so determined."
"There is but
one thing to be done, Fanny. I must take Anhalt myself. I am well aware that
nothing else will quiet Tom."
Fanny could not
answer him.
The passage Represents Edmund’s thought
process about a personal dilemma. It shows his feelings between not wanting to participate
in the play, and also not wanting to sacrifice his position with Mary allowing
a stranger who is more pacifically a neighbor to estate to play the opposite
role of Mary. With the confusion of the
dilemma Edmund seeks out Fanny’s opinion in solving the current problem showing
that he values her opinion and what she thinks t. “I want your opinion.” Fanny Replies with emotion and frustration showing
a sense of jealously when she replies, "My opinion!” and because of the
vibe of jealousy, Edmund may have had a second motivation behind asking Fanny
for her opinion hoping to get objection from her so that he will not take part
of the play due to the emotional distress of Fanny so that it reviled Fanny’s
true feelings for him.
Edmund begins stating the clear
fact that “I do not know what to do” symbolizing that his complete feelings toward
the play as a whole because he has taken the leadership role behind his irresponsible
brother and organized a traditional father. The dilemma is between being
responsible or letting his feelings getting in the way to allow him to participate
in the play so that no one else can gain the affection of Mary. He is clearly aware that the play is inappropriate
because he then describes it as a “scheme”. This show he is conscious of the
true intentions of some of those who are participating in a play stating “They
have chosen almost as bad a play as they could,” allowing some to act sexually inappropriate
being disguise as acting but the reality is that true feelings are involve.
Being aware of this and the idea of a “a young man slightly known to any of us”
strikes fear in Edmund knowing what the play contains “excessive intimacy which
must spring from his being admitted among us in this manner is highly
objectionable”. This also shows the level of secretsy Edmund would like to keep
everyone actions on knowing that everything is inappropriate. But the biggest
concern is Mary and the thought of the possibility of her using these inappropriate
actions on another man “I cannot think of it with any patience; and it does
appear to me an evil of such magnitude”.
This Makes Edmund Debate and think on whether or not he should places
values aside and takes the place so that no one else can. But the bigger
picture that I get from the text is that the true dilemma is choosing between
supporting Fanny’s non participation or supporting Mary by acting in the play
instated of another man taking his place.
